Chapter 243: Sand of the Guardian Tortoise

t surely be exquisite.""Your Highness has truly captured my likeness beautifully. I'll take it back and show you later. Oh, perhaps Your Highness could paint a portrait of my younger sister as well Sh...Xiao Zhan glared at Xiao Yufu, who was wiping her tears, and roared: "Don't cry! Tell me, since you became the county princess, what have you done You spend your days competing with those women, dressing in jewels and silks every day. Those who know say you are the county princess, favored by the Emperor and Empress. Those who don't know think you're some rich heiress' daughter!"

Although Xiao Yufu was unwilling to accept this, she didn't dare to retort.

"You keep saying that we favor Ge'er, look at yourself now, and then look at Ge'er. When she was here, she wouldn't be like this. She was graceful, considerate, and knew how to look after the bigger picture. How could I, Xiao Zhan, have given birth to such a daughter as you..."

Xiao Zhan kept saying that Xiao Yuge was better than her in every way. Xiao Yufu was also exasperated, she stood up abruptly and retorted: "Yes! I'm inferior to Xiao Yuge in every aspect! She goes out and shows off her face, claiming to be self-reliant. She flirts with so many men, and you say it's just rumors. In your hearts, you wish that Xiao Yuge was your biological daughter. She is graceful and composed, while I am petty. If that's the case, why don't you go fetch her back and let her be your daughter!"

"Bang!"

Xiao Zhan saw that she was still unrepentant, and was so angry that he slapped her in the face on the spot!

A crisp sound echoed throughout the hall. Five bright red handprints appeared on Xiao Yu's fair face, and she covered her cheeks, tears welling up like a stream of water from her eyes, filled with grievance.

Xiao Zhan looked at his own hand, the slightly numb palm, just like his heart was trembling at this moment. He couldn't believe it, he had actually hit his daughter!

"Master!" Madam Xiao was also frightened and hurriedly stepped forward to comfort Xiao Yufu: "Fufu..."

"Don't touch me!" Unexpectedly, Xiao Yufu suddenly went mad. After screaming hysterically, she pushed Mrs. Xiao away and rushed out!

"Stop her, bring her back to the courtyard. From today onwards, she is not allowed to step outside this hospital without my permission!" Xiao Zhan didn't expect that not only did she have no remorse, but she even dared to push his wife. He was so angry that he almost fainted on the spot.

"Oh my God, what have I done!" Mrs. Xiao pounded her chest and cried out in despair when she came to her senses.

In the blink of an eye, the Empress's birthday has arrived. Though the Empress advocates for frugality and does not want a grand celebration, the Emperor still hosted a banquet in the palace, inviting important ministers. Noble ladies from various families have also secretly prepared programs, hoping to perform well before the Empress. Even if they can't become the Crown Princess, being able to enter the palace as a concubine after the Prince ascends the throne is not bad either.

Mu Cang left for his country the next day. The Emperor also treated this banquet as a farewell banquet, showing that the friendly relationship between the two countries would continue.

At the banquet, the officials and the emperor exchanged cups, creating a harmonious and lively atmosphere. After three rounds of drinks, the noble consort announced that she had prepared a special gift for the empress. Everyone was curious about what kind of gift this noble consort would give the empress.

Just as the virtuous consort lightly clapped her hands, a group of noble ladies in gorgeous dance attire stepped onto the stage gracefully. They began their graceful dance, shifting formations with each movement to spell out a word. When put together, they formed the message: "Long live the Emperor, Long live the Empress! Wishing the Empress a happy and auspicious birthday, may she enjoy good fortune and longevity!"

The superb dancing skills, coupled with the ingenious choreography, drew thunderous applause from the audience!

"Dear Sister Consort Xian, you are so kind!" The Empress was delighted. Though she and Consort Xian usually disagreed, seeing her put so much effort into her birthday made her happy.

“As long as I can make the Empress sister happy!” In everyone's eyes, Consort Xian was always calm and graceful, seemingly unconcerned with worldly affairs. Only those who knew her well realized that behind this unassuming demeanor lay a different face. Otherwise, in the treacherous court, how could she and her daughter have lived peacefully until now It was almost a miracle.

As it turns out, these past few days, Consort Xian had gathered all the noble consorts together in secret, including Xiao Yuge and Xiao Yufu. They claimed to be preparing a surprise for the Empress's birthday. Everyone thought this dance was dedicated to the Empress, so they practiced diligently. Since they all had dancing skills, within just a few days, they had perfected the dance and were ready to dazzle everyone on her birthday.

The final part of the dance was everyone spreading a large silk banner embroidered with a giant "壽" character. Everything was going smoothly until, during the exit, a wealthy young lady seemingly tripped and, coincidentally, pulled at Xiao Yuge's costume. The thin garment tore with a sharp ripping sound from her forceful tug!

Xiao Yu Ge had long expected someone would trip her up, but she hadn't anticipated such clumsy tactics. She thought that tearing her dance costume would embarrass her in public, but now, how could she let them calculate so easily

Before that noblewoman pretended to stumble and rushed toward her, she could have swiftly dodged. However, as soon as she thought about it, she dismissed the idea of dodging. Instead, she slightly turned her body, allowing the noblewoman to tear off one of her dance sleeves!

“Ah!” A scream of surprise!

On a hand so white it glowed, the scarlet carbuncle stood out like a beacon!

Almost everyone knows that King Xiaoyao, in a fit of anger for a woman, made four powerful figures run around hell. Xiao Yuge has also been living in King Xiaoyao's mansion recently, and everyone assumed she was already involved with him. However, this scene right now slapped them hard in the face!

To their eyes, the beauty who had long been considered soiled and impure, they never expected, was actually a pure maiden! The reality far surpassed all eloquent descriptions. Seeing it with their own eyes, shattered all previous rumors in an instant!

This is exactly what Xiao Yu Ge wanted to achieve. Lately, everyone outside has been spreading rumors like wildfire, and she couldn't possibly go around explaining things one by one. Besides, even if she did explain, people might not believe her anyway. So, let them join the fray and prove it for themselves!

"Little song!"

Qianting Xuan leaped forward, swiftly removing his own cloak and draping it over her. His icy eyes glanced at the noblewoman who had deliberately pulled Xiao Yuge's sleeve.

With just one look, the noblewoman seemed to smell the breath of death and fainted in terror!

However, Xiao Yuge's purity also made the men who had thoughts about her overjoyed. Among them, Qian Si Chen was the happiest. He thought that during this time, Ge'er had been trapped in Xiaohuangshu's mansion, and there must have been something between her and Xiaohuangshu. Unexpectedly, it turned out that Ge'er and Xiaohuangshu were still pure.

Mu Cang was also very happy. He knew he hadn't misjudged her. A woman as stunning as she was wouldn't easily give herself to a man. His determination to be with her grew even stronger.person beside Xiao Yufu!"Ah!" the man exclaimed, instinctively stumbling forward. In his panic, he pushed Xiao Yuge out of the way, and as if by fate, Xiao Yu'er was pushed right in front of Xiao Yuge...