An ugly girl starts off, then becomes a beauty

When Sang Mei arrived at Queen Wu's palace, the throbbing in her heart had not yet completely subsided.

He was led into the inner hall by two eunuchs. Without daring to look around, he knelt down and paid his respects to the Queen Mother who was sitting on the throne.

“Lift your head and let me take a look.” A voice came from above, like a smooth silk cloth brushing across the water, creating ripples that made people hold their breath, but not too nervous.

I have heard that the Queen Mother has a kind personality and is very friendly to both superiors and subordinates.

Sang Mei then slowly raised her head, revealing her beautiful face after makeup. She closed her almond-shaped eyes slightly, but glanced to the side to avoid direct eye contact with the nobleman.

Such a timid look could hardly help but arouse people's sympathy.

The distinguished person on the seat was just slightly stunned, and then gave a puzzled look to the eunuch beside him.

The eunuch was the palace servant who had been with Empress Wu yesterday afternoon. He was the one who went to ask about the girl by the lake afterwards. But, the servant of Yuchen Palace said that the girl wearing Xiang-colored clothes yesterday was the daughter of the Sang family. The Sang family had two daughters in total. Everyone in Chang'an knew that the eldest daughter was ugly. He naturally concluded that it was the younger daughter of the Sang family that was favored by Empress Wu at that time.

Why do the people who came today look different from those who came that day?

Could it be that the girl with red lips and fair face by the lake is the eldest daughter of the Sang family? Huangmen immediately shook his head. It was impossible. The eldest daughter of the Sang family was not only ugly, but also said to be big and strong. Could it be that she was not from the Sang family? Did the subordinates make a mistake and it was actually from the Ban family?

Huangmen was afraid to speak immediately. Empress Wu gave him a glare and he was just thinking about what he wanted to say when someone outside came to report: "Madam Zhaoyu and the General of Chariots and Cavalry are here."

This time, she could only make the best of it. Empress Wu straightened her sitting posture slightly and couldn't help but comfort herself: This daughter in front of her is still very beautiful. If Xuanwen likes her, this marriage can be settled. If not, it's even better. She can still look for the one from yesterday.

He motioned for someone to come in, and asked Sang Mei to sit next to him, "I saw you were happy yesterday, so I came to talk to me. How old are you this year?"

Even if you know someone’s age, you should still ask when you start greeting them.

"Your Majesty, I am eleven years old this year."

Well, the voice is good too. Empress Wu's favorable impression of him increased a little.

After the mother and son of the Nie family came in together to ask about his well-being, the Queen Mother first chatted with her sister for a few words, and then asked about her nephew, asking the same questions: "How is your schoolwork?", "Have you said hello to the Emperor?", "You have grown a lot taller."

After asking, he turned to Sang Mei in front of the mother and son and introduced her, "This is the youngest daughter of the Sang Wu family."

Madam Zhaoyu was naturally aware of what had happened today. After a few words of socializing, she began to guess what her son meant.

He couldn't help but glance at the daughter of the Sang family sitting on the seat again. Before coming here, he had wondered what kind of stunning beauty would be able to be favored by Queen Wu - although this daughter's appearance was not bad and could be considered top-notch, there were daughters like her in the world, and there were even many who were more beautiful than her.

Why would Her Majesty arrange this event today just for such a girl?

Madam Zhaoyu looked back and forth several times. Seeing that her son behaved normally, she glanced at the girl from the Sang family when he came in. After that, she never glanced at her again. She knew in her heart: he didn't like her again.

She smiled and shook her head at Queen Wu, the helplessness in her eyes and eyebrows seemed as if she was complaining to her sister: There is nothing I can do if your nephew is not good enough.

Queen Wu closed her eyes and pursed her lips, "Well, let's stop here today. Sang's daughter, you can go back first."

Hearing this, Sang Mei was stunned at first. However, she had just entered the hall for a short while and had not spoken a serious word from beginning to end, so why did he ask her to leave again?

Although she didn't know in advance why the queen suddenly summoned her, countless guesses flashed through her mind from the moment she received the letter.

It was not until I saw Madam Zhaoyu and Nie Ce just now that I almost understood the meaning of the song.

Although her parents had not mentioned her marriage, she had heard and seen a lot about marriage at her age. She had some understanding and some desire.

She knew Nie Ce. Everyone in the country knew him. But this person was too far away from her before, so she just listened to it as news.

Unexpectedly, the Queen Mother suddenly wanted to tell Nie Ce about her... Even though she was shocked, she immediately thought that this was the best thing.

Even though she was only eleven years old, the Queen chose her first when she didn't like anyone else, and she chose such a talented person who was the most talented person in the world.

Doesn't that also show how outstanding she is?

If her parents knew about this, they would be very proud of her. If Sang Ling, her aunt, and her relatives knew about this, they would be so envious of her.

But before this joy could fully take root, it was suddenly stopped by a word from the empress.

Could it be that it had already been decided, but the Empress and Madam Zhaoyu had something private to discuss, so she was asked to step down?

*

The men entered the mountain after the You hour, and by nightfall, only some women who could not ride horses were left in the palace.

Sang Ling finally sobered up a little. He was woken up by Ya Nu in the early morning and at noon, and reluctantly drank the medicine soup. Later, he fell asleep again when he lay down again. He was in a daze all day, unable to distinguish day from night.

"I shouldn't have come if I had known." She sniffed and complained to Yanu.

"Yeah, if I had known, I wouldn't have come." Yanu agreed.

After a while, Ban Le and Dai Chengjun came to see her, and Ya Nu stepped aside to change the charcoal ash on the stove in the room. Sang Ling did not lift the gauze in front of the tent, and talked to the two little girls through this layer.

"You are such a sickly person. You were fine yesterday, but you are sick today." Ban Le walked around the room and said quietly.

Sang Ling rubbed his nose again, keeping one nostril open, and replied, "It would have been fine if you hadn't asked me to sit by the lake yesterday and get some fresh air—"

"Did you go to the lake yesterday? Which lake?" Dai Chengjun was sitting cross-legged on the couch, picking his fingers. When he heard this, he interrupted.

This is what people are afraid of when playing together as a group. Dai Chengjun glanced back and forth between the two of them, full of suspicion.

Sang Ling is fine, but Ban Le feels guilty. If the conversation between her and Sang Ling yesterday were to be told, wouldn't Dai Chengjun laugh at her?

He sat down between the two of them, resting his head on the edge of the couch, winking at Sang Ling while replying to Dai Chengjun, "We just happened to meet, chatted for a few minutes, and then walked to the lake."

“Really?” Dai Chengjun also leaned over.

The two little girls' heads were crowded onto the couch.

"Yes." Both of Sang Ling's nostrils were blocked, so he could only breathe through his mouth, and his voice sounded particularly strange.

Dai Chengjun didn't ask any more questions. He stepped back and changed the subject in a fanciful way, "By the way, A-Ling, did you know that your sister was called in by Empress Wu to talk yesterday?"

Ban Le was the first to respond, and asked, "What do you want her to do?" She was just hoping that Dai Chengjun would stop bringing up the previous matter, and now that this guy had finally stopped bothering her, shouldn't she take advantage of the situation and continue the conversation?

"You don't know?" Dai Chengjun said, "I thought you knew everything. Who among the officials and their wives in the palace doesn't know about it? Why are you so secretive about the news?"

"I..." Ban Le's face flushed, "I sent Qin Zhongjian to the mountains during the day."

"No wonder." Dai Chengjun snorted, "I told you it was such a big deal and you didn't know about it. It turns out your heart had already left you."

Sang Ling used a handkerchief to clear his nostrils and joined in the conversation, "What's the matter?"

Dai Chengjun said in a strange tone, "At first the queen called Sang Mei, and later Madam Zhaoyu and Nie Ce also came. It's already like this, what else could it be?"

"Talking about marriage?" Ban Le was indeed the number one paparazzi in his daughter's family. There was no gossip in the capital that he was not curious about. He turned back and asked Sang Ling, "A Ling, how old is your sister this year?" After he finished speaking, he did not wait for anyone to answer, but muttered to himself, "Maybe he saw her at the banquet yesterday. Your sister is pretty, but she is not to the point where people would notice her at first sight. Why didn't she see me?"

Dai Chengjun just laughed, "A Le, you want to marry Nie Ce too? What about my cousin then?"

"Who said they wanted to marry him?"

"Isn't that what you said?"

"No, don't you know who I'm thinking of?" Ban Le said as he pinched Dai Chengjun and only stopped after he got a beg for mercy.

Sang Ling watched helplessly and amusedly as the two of them quarreled again and it took them half a day to separate.

"That's right, you're just thinking about my cousin." Dai Chengjun's laughter gradually faded. After he calmed down, he changed his tone and said with his chin propped up, "If it is really the Queen who arranged the marriage, it would be quite respectable. Nie Ce is a good man. None of the men in the gatehouse is as imposing as him, but he doesn't talk much and doesn't smile much."

Sang Ling also nodded, and echoed in his heart: Yeah, there is also a sense of violence when talking.

The two little girls didn't stay for long. After talking about this topic, they left the house together.

When she was the only one left, the room finally became completely quiet. Ya Nu blew out the candle in front, and Sang Ling lay down, reciting what he had just said and thinking about random things.

If Sang Mei married Nie Ce, Ma would definitely be very satisfied. Looking at the young men of noble families who are of marriageable age nowadays, except for those from the royal family, who can rival Nie Ce's fame?

The Nie family's position in the court was also there. Although Grandpa Nie had retired, his prestige was still there, and even the emperor still respected him. Madam Zhaoyu was the younger sister of Empress Wu, and Nie Ce himself was even more ambitious. At the age of seventeen or eighteen, he was appointed a general and became a Guannei Marquis.

She pulled the handkerchief between her fingers and pointed it out, slowly imagining the future: If Sang Mei really decided to marry Nie Ce, Ma would probably no longer pay attention to her.

Then this marriage is not a bad thing.