The singing and dancing instantly stopped.
It was only after the head eunuch’s quiet reminder that Zi Cheng knew this was the legitimate daughter of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, Zhang You. His smile faded slightly, "Miss Zhang, what is it you wish to say?"
The Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments and his wife were already kneeling on the ground, trembling, wishing they hadn't brought their daughter today. They never imagined their daughter would do something like this in public, which was tantamount to slapping the Emperor in the face.
Zhang You performed a deep bow and said loudly, "This humble maiden wishes to marry Prince Ming Rui! This humble maiden has admired Prince Ming Rui for a long time and wishes to propose marriage on this occasion!"
"Swish, swish, swish," all eyes fell upon Mo Lingxi and Sheng Lengshuang.
Sheng Lengshuang, who was eating, blinked and deliberately took a few more glances at Zhang You. This was a charming and rather bold woman, but what did that have to do with her?
Were these people thinking that because someone proposed marriage to Mo Lingxi, she had to do something to let them watch the show?
It was simply laughable!
General Sheng and his wife sat calmly, unconcerned by the surrounding gazes. Xiao Feng cupped her face with her hands, looking like she was enjoying the show.
"No!" Mo Lingxi shot up and immediately declared, "In this life, I will only have Sheng Lengshuang. Don't let any other messy women dare to dream of marrying this prince!"
Zi Cheng, holding his wine cup, watched the show while drinking. Oh well, he suspected his uncle would be kneeling on a washboard after the banquet, but unfortunately, he wouldn't get to see this good show.
Zhang You straightened her body and said, "This humble maiden will not compete with Miss Sheng for the position of main wife, nor can I compete with her. This humble maiden is willing to be a secondary consort or a concubine, only asking to be by Prince Ming Rui's side."
At this, the crowd became even more gossipy, discussing in hushed tones.
"According to the rules, Prince Ming Rui cannot have only Miss Sheng. No one can snatch the position of Princess Ming Rui from Miss Sheng, but Prince Ming Rui can still have secondary consorts and concubines."
"I have to say, Miss Zhang's move is truly brilliant. While it seems she has no shame, in reality, she has chosen Prince Ming Rui. Prince Ming Rui, considering all aspects, is highly likely to accept her."
"I've long disliked Miss Sheng. She's been divorced from Prince Ming Rui for so long, yet she still clings to him, showing she has no shame. Now that this has happened, not only is she disgraced, but she'll have a hard time in the future."
Sheng Lengshuang, who was being discussed, picked up a piece of lotus root and ate it, completely unfazed. The dishes at the palace banquet were indeed good, just a bit cold.
Crucially, palace banquets weren't just for watching singing and dancing, but also for enjoying a lively spectacle.
General Sheng and his wife, and Xiao Feng, remained in their usual states. Zi Cheng, however, smiled more, sighing inwardly at how miserable his uncle would be after the banquet.
His uncle was truly pitiful. He had finally started dating his aunt, only for such a thing to happen.
Mo Lingxi shot dagger-like glances at Zhang You, "Can you not understand what I'm saying? I just said, in this life, there will only be Sheng Lengshuang, and no secondary consorts or concubines will ever be taken."
He glanced at Sheng Lengshuang's expression, thinking about how to appease his wife later. It was truly vexing. Such a thing happening at a good banquet, his wife would surely ignore him.
His words caused a moment of silence, and many ladies looked at Sheng Lengshuang with envious and jealous eyes. They didn't know where Sheng Lengshuang had gotten such good fortune to make Prince Ming Rui publicly promise that she would be the only one in his life.
Sheng Lengshuang remained very calm, continuing to eat and drink, letting others scrutinize her as they pleased.
But—
"Miss Sheng, how can you be so jealous?" Zhang You glared angrily at Sheng Lengshuang.
Sheng Lengshuang put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and smiled, "Miss Zhang, did you say something wrong? I am unmarried, so how can I be jealous? Besides, even if I am jealous, so what? If you have the ability, make Prince Ming Rui take you."
This direct rebuttal made many people present laugh.
"I like what Miss Sheng said. It's Prince Ming Rui's business that he's willing to no longer take secondary consorts or concubines for Miss Sheng. It has nothing to do with Zhang You, an outsider. Those who don't know might think she's someone to Prince Ming Rui."
"Exactly. Just as Miss Sheng said, so what if she's jealous? If Prince Ming Rui is willing to dote on her, that's called having ability."
Zhang You bit her lip hard, unwilling to give up so easily, "Miss Sheng, ultimately, Prince Ming Rui cannot have only you as a woman. You cannot be so jealous."
Sheng Lengshuang propped her chin with one hand and hummed, "Does it concern you to dictate matters between Prince Ming Rui and me?"
Zhang You was speechless, her face flushed red.
Sheng Lengshuang scoffed, "Miss Zhang, you seem to have misunderstood one thing. Even if you do something like this today, Prince Ming Rui will not take you for the sake of his reputation or other considerations."
Mo Lingxi chimed in, "Indeed."
Zi Cheng muttered to himself, if his uncle were someone who cared about reputation and other considerations, he would have had countless women around him by now, and Zhang You would have no place here.
Zhang You's face instantly turned pale, and she slumped to the ground powerlessly. She had risked her reputation to enter Prince Ming Rui's manor and be by his side, never imagining such a situation.
Sheng Lengshuang said, "Miss Zhang, I advise you to inquire thoroughly about whether the person you wish to marry cares about reputation before you try again. If you do this again, I fear you will remain an old maid for life."
She didn't dislike people who fought for love, but she strongly disliked people like Zhang You who used moral blackmail for love.
"Please forgive us, Your Majesty, Prince Ming Rui!" Lord Zhang and his wife dragged Zhang You away. Madam Zhang even covered Zhang You's mouth to prevent her from saying anything inappropriate.
Today, their daughter had committed a grave mistake, and their Zhang family would have a difficult time ahead.
Zi Cheng waved his hand, "Lord Zhang, quickly find a suitable marriage for Miss Zhang. My imperial uncle has set his heart on Miss Sheng for this life, and no other woman can catch his eye."
Mo Lingxi nodded.
Lord Zhang lamented his misfortune. After today's events, even families of modest means would not want Zhang You. He could only marry his daughter off to a distant place, all because Zhang You had done such a thing in public.
"Your subject obeys."
The banquet continued, but no one dared to do anything inappropriate again.
After the banquet ended, Mo Lingxi slipped into Sheng Lengshuang's carriage.
"Wife, you must believe me, this is the first time I've met this Zhang You," he said urgently.
Sheng Lengshuang leaned lazily against the carriage and smiled, "I see Prince Ming Rui is quite popular. I've received quite a few glares from certain young ladies at the banquet. If it weren't for Zhang You acting as a scapegoat, I'm sure many people would have caused me trouble."
Mo Lingxi took her hand and quickly declared, "Anyone who dares to cause you trouble, I will make them suffer."