Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 60: What Does Her Marriage Have to Do With This King?

Song Xilan’s words pushed Cao Ying into a perilous and awkward position.

This was the Empress’s Flower Pin Banquet. As it was hosted by the Empress herself, all attendees must have undergone a rigorous selection process and received her personal approval.

Yet Cao Ying had chosen to stir up trouble over something even the Empress had approved of. Was she questioning Song Xilan, or was she questioning the Empress herself?

What’s more, the most awkward part was that news of Cao Ying being confined by Mr. Cao had long since spread throughout the city’s circles of noblewomen. Behind her back, they were all laughing at her!

Prince Ling has never even deigned to look your way, yet you go around declaring you’ll marry no one else, stubbornly turning yourself into an old maid approaching her twenties! You even forced your own father to propose the marriage before the Holy Emperor, only for him to get a vicious tongue-lashing from Marquis Xuan Chang!

The moment your confinement was lifted, you came running back out to chase after Prince Ling. Have you no shame!

Song Xilan’s words stopped just short of outright calling her "shameless"!

Zhuang Qiaoyue found this incredibly satisfying! Pointing at Cao Ying’s livid face, she burst out laughing. "Cao Ying, if I were you, I’d tuck my tail between my legs and lie low. What would you do if you got confined again?"

On either side of them, many of the young ladies hid their faces and snickered.

The married ladies’ seats were some distance away, so they were still chatting and laughing amongst themselves, oblivious to the situation over here. Only the young ladies present were enjoying the spectacle.

Cao Ying was so furious she was about to stand up and tear Zhuang Qiaoyue’s mouth to shreds when a high-pitched announcement rang out: "Her Majesty, the Empress, arrives!"

Everyone’s expression grew taut, and the young ladies immediately rose to perform a grand, kneeling salutation.

Though Cao Ying could not swallow this humiliation, she had to endure it. She shot a venomous glare at Zhuang Qiaoyue and Song Xilan.

Song Xilan lowered her gaze, her expression serene, but she felt no sense of triumph in her heart.

’So what if I won a public argument against Cao Ying? My last shred of dignity has already been torn away!’

*

「Imperial Garden, Ningrui Pavilion.」

Zhou Cangyan’s face was etched with impatience as he stared at the Beauty Album spread open on the table.

Empress Chun De had just sent it over. She wanted him to look through it first. If he found someone he liked, he was to let her know so she could arrange a meeting between him and the young lady.

’So it’s a matchmaking banquet, no doubt about it.’

As it happened, Zhou Cangyan’s mother, the late Min Zhaoyi, and the current Empress Chun De had been the closest of friends. Min Zhaoyi passed away shortly after giving birth to Zhou Cangyan. Pitying the young child, Empress Chun De had often looked after him. However, the Astronomical Bureau later decreed that his destiny was terribly inauspicious and that he had to be sent far from Ling’an City to ensure his family’s peace and safety.

Empress Chun De had held him and cried all night, but what good did it do? Early the next morning, she had no choice but to tearfully order him to be sent away.

Thankfully, Empress Chun De contacted her dear friend’s father and secretly had the child sent to him. Otherwise, it was uncertain if Zhou Cangyan would have even survived to the age of twenty to enter the Imperial City.

Throughout all these years, only Empress Chun De had kept him in her thoughts, writing to him often.

But Empress Chun De had always felt a lingering guilt toward him, believing she had failed her dear friend by not taking proper care of her child.

Now that Zhou Cangyan had returned to the city, she saw he was still all alone and completely unacquainted with the high-born ladies of the Imperial City. Thus, Empress Chun De had immediately arranged this matchmaking banquet, ordering him to attend without fail.

In contrast to his master’s indifference, the Shadow Guard was far more enthusiastic. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

After flipping through the entire album, he asked in confusion, "Second Miss Song isn’t in here!"

Zhou Cangyan glanced up at him coolly, then lowered his gaze again. "She is the future Princess Consort Ling."

"Ah, how could I have forgotten about that!"

The Shadow Guard asked reluctantly, "My Lord, aren’t you worried she’ll actually marry Prince Ling?"

Zhou Cangyan sneered almost instantly. "Why should I be worried? Who she marries has nothing to do with me."

The Shadow Guard looked at his master and hesitated before whispering, "But Second Younger Sister Song is carrying your child, after all. You’re not really going to let her marry someone else, are you? In a little while longer, the Second Miss will start to show. When that happens..."

A single, cold glare cut him off, and the Shadow Guard immediately fell silent.

The man’s sharp gaze grew even more impatient. A deep gloom filled his eyes, and a cold aura emanated from him.

He rose abruptly and walked out of the pavilion.

"Hey! My Lord! The beauties in this album... You have to at least pick one, or you’ll have nothing to report to the Empress! My Lord..."