Everyone in my harem is talented

Chapter 465 Machinery

"Meet the Queen Min Min."

Jiang Yulan bowed, her voice soft and gentle.

She was dressed in simple official attire, without any makeup, but her natural beauty could not be concealed, and her eyes and eyebrows were gentle.

Concubine Min Jiang Lanzhi raised her hand slightly, with a warm smile on her face, and said softly: "Stand up, take a seat, serve tea, Yulan is here with aunt, no need to be polite."

"There are no outsiders in Yilan Palace right now, so you don't have to call her Empress Min. Just call me Aunt."

"Yes, aunt."

Concubine Min Jiang Lanzhi nodded slightly.

The palace maid brought the tea. Jiang Lanzhi took a sip from the cup and put it down. She said, "Yulan, try this new tribute tea and see if it suits your taste."

Jiang Yulan leaned forward slightly, opened her red lips, and took a sip, her movements slow and her manners dignified.

Concubine Min Jiang Lanzhi couldn't help but nodded in her heart. She was worthy of being the daughter of the Jiang family. No matter what happened inside, she had to maintain the demeanor of a lady from a noble family and could not make any mistakes.

"Have you gotten used to the life in the palace these past few days? Is the work in the Shangfu Bureau tiring?" Jiang Lanzhi's words were full of concern, and she looked at her niece Jiang Yulan tenderly.

Jiang Yulan bowed her head slightly and replied softly, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt. Yulan is doing fine. With Aunt taking care of her and the sisters from the Shangfu Bureau taking care of her, she doesn't feel tired."

Concubine Min Jiang Lanzhi nodded gently and changed the subject: "I heard that you met the Ninth Prince yesterday. The Ninth Prince is kind and humble, and his talent and appearance are both outstanding. What do you think after meeting him?"

Jiang Yulan did not show any emotion on her face, and said softly, "Aunt, His Royal Highness the Ninth Prince is humble and gentle, and is indeed a good host. Yulan is just a lowly female official, but he did not look down on me at all, but asked me in a gentle voice. Such friendliness really surprised Yulan, but..."

She paused, bit her lower lip, and a hint of just the right amount of shyness appeared in her eyes. "Yu Lan has been taught by her grandmother and parents since she was a child, and she knows the value of friendship."

"Yu Lan and the Eighth Prince have known each other since childhood. The friendship between cousins ​​is extraordinary. Although His Royal Highness the Ninth Prince is a good person, to Yu Lan, he is nothing but clouds and dust."

Concubine Min Jiang Lanzhi patted Jiang Yulan's hand and warned her bluntly: "You are smart. The hearts of people in this palace are complicated. You must guard your heart."

Jiang Yulan nodded slightly.

Before this, my grandmother and mother had tried to test my aunt many times, wanting to keep her for a few years, and when the Eighth Prince came of age, marry her to the Eighth Prince as his concubine, thus strengthening the relationship between the two families, regardless of whether she was the main wife or the concubine. However, my grandmother and mother's plans were all rejected by my aunt.

Since there was no hope of marrying the Eighth Prince, her grandfather arranged for her to be engaged to an ordinary scholar who was proud of his talent.

Jiang Yulan had to admit that her aunt looked down on her from the bottom of her heart. She looked down on her before she got engaged and didn't want her to enter the Eighth Prince's backyard, let alone now.

Now, her aunt, under pressure from her grandmother, has brought her into the palace. She has to make her aunt feel that she is deeply in love with her cousin, the Eighth Prince, and that she is intelligent and clever and is willing to work for her aunt.

Jiang Yulan took out a handkerchief embroidered with twin lotus flowers from her bosom and presented it with both hands.

"Aunt, Yu Lan has nothing but this handkerchief. The lotus with two stems symbolizes good luck. It is the embroidery pattern that Yu Lan drew and embroidered herself. Although it is not a rare item, it is a token of her love. I wish everything will go well for you in the future."

"If Auntie likes Yu Lan's embroidery skills, if Auntie has any embroidery patterns she likes in the future, just tell Yu Lan. Yu Lan will help Auntie make them day and night."

Concubine Min took the handkerchief, glanced at it, and asked someone to put it away. She said in a gentle voice: "Yu Lan, you are thoughtful."

The embroidery is indeed exquisite. Although the pattern is the traditional twin lotus, it is unique, with a lively composition, elegant colors, and delicate needlework. However, in wealthy families, female embroidery is just something for girls to play with and is not considered a big deal.

Jiang Yulan lowered his eyes slightly, a hint of melancholy appearing between his brows.

"Aunt, Yu Lan has been loved by her grandparents and parents since she was young. Now that she has entered the palace, she is even more fortunate to have you to take care of her and the Eighth Prince..."

Jiang Yulan deliberately mentioned the Eighth Prince but did not elaborate.

"In Yu Lan's heart, she has long regarded her aunt as her own mother, and hopes to be able to stay by her side for a long time to show her filial piety. Now that the Eighth Prince is traveling south, her aunt must be worried about him day and night, and she only hopes that he will return safely soon. Yu Lan feels the same way."

As she spoke, she bit her lip lightly, worry evident in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows.

Her words were very ambiguous. If Jiang Lanzhi directly rejected her on behalf of the Eighth Prince, Jiang Yulan could easily refuse. After all, Jiang Lanzhi was her aunt and the Eighth Prince was her biological son.

As her niece, she is concerned about her aunt's worries and concerns. How can she be considered shameless for confessing her lover?

Concubine Min Jiang Lanzhi frowned slightly.

In her words, could it be that this carefree niece of hers has not given up on marrying the Eighth Prince? Her Eighth Prince will not marry Jiang Yulan.

She agreed to bring Jiang Yulan into the palace so that she could get closer to the ninth prince Qin Mingxuan, born to the Queen.

Is Jiang Yulan's behavior and words now intended to reassure her or to show his loyalty?

Jiang Lanzhi relaxed her brows and looked at Jiang Yulan tenderly.

It doesn't matter. As long as she can't give birth to a child, the Jiang family can only stand on the side of her Eighth Prince. It doesn't matter whether Jiang Yulan is sincere or fake towards the Eighth Prince. He can only listen to her and become a thorn in the side of the Ninth Prince by her and the Eighth Prince.