I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

The prince sat on a carved chair in the study, his face grim, listening to the attendant reporting the grievances Chen Jia had suffered at the banquet. His eyes gradually became cold and sharp, and the teacup tightly held in his hand seemed to be crushed.

"How can this be absurd! Miss Chen is a lady from a prominent family, yet she has been humiliated like this. I will not sit idly by and watch." The prince's voice was low and majestic, echoing in the study, causing the servants beside him to lower their heads.

Not long after, the prince came to the Duke's Mansion in person. His carriage was decorated ornately, showing the majesty of the royal family. When Chen Jia heard that the prince was coming, he hurried out to greet him and saluted, "Your Highness, why are you here?"

The prince raised his hand slightly, motioning her to stand up, his eyes filled with concern and pity: "Miss Chen, I know what happened to you at the banquet. Today, I will take you to the palace and let you have a good chat with the royal women. I will make sure you regain your dignity."

Chen Jia was touched, her eyes slightly reddened: "Your Highness, I am grateful for your kindness."

The prince led Chen Jia into the palace. They first came to a quiet garden pavilion where several royal ladies had been waiting. The prince smiled and introduced everyone: "Everyone, this is Miss Chen Jia from the Duke's Mansion. She is gentle and virtuous, and has outstanding talents. She has come here today to talk to you all."

Chen Jia bowed respectfully to the ladies of the royal family with elegant manners. However, when the ladies who had slandered her behind her back saw that the prince valued Chen Jia so much, their faces suddenly became extremely ugly, and some even had distorted faces, their hearts full of jealousy and resentment.

"Miss Chen, I've long heard of your name. I heard that you are good at playing the piano. Could you play a song for us?" A royal woman said with a smile, a hint of inquiry in her eyes.

Chen Jia bowed slightly: "Thank you for your kindness, Madam. If there are any shortcomings, I hope you will forgive me." After that, she walked gently to the piano table beside her, sat down, stroked the strings of the piano with her jade hands, and played a piece of "High Mountains and Flowing Water". The melodious piano sound flowed in the garden like a gurgling stream, as if bringing everyone into a quiet world of mountains and rivers.

The prince listened quietly, nodded slightly, and his eyes were full of appreciation. When the song ended, everyone applauded.

"Miss Chen's piano playing is indeed superb. Such wonderful music is really rare to hear." An old lady exclaimed.

"Yes, Miss Chen is not only a good musician, but also has a graceful demeanor. She is worthy of being the daughter of the Duke's Mansion." Another woman echoed.

At this time, the Crown Princess also heard the news and rushed over. The Crown Princess was wearing a gorgeous phoenix robe and a dazzling phoenix crown, and her temperament was noble and elegant. She walked in front of Chen Jia, took her hand, and said with a smile: "Sister Chen, I have heard that you are very smart. Today, I see that your reputation is well-deserved. Come on, I will take you to talk to the princesses and let them see your style."

Chen Jia looked at the Crown Princess with gratitude: "Thank you very much, Crown Princess, for your kindness. Chen Jia is overwhelmed."

The Crown Princess brought Chen Jia to the palace where the princesses were gathering. When the princesses saw the Crown Princess coming, they all stood up and saluted. The Crown Princess smiled and said, "Today I have brought Miss Chen Jia from the Duke's Mansion. She is a wonderful person. I had a great time talking to her and I want her to meet the princesses."

Chen Jia saluted to all the princesses, and they all responded politely. However, some of them had close relationships with the noble ladies who had excluded Chen Jia, and they were very unhappy to see Chen Jia's current glory.

"Miss Chen, your second marriage has caused quite a stir in the capital." A princess said sarcastically with a hint of provocation in her eyes.

Chen Jia's heart tightened, but before she could speak, the Crown Princess gently patted her hands, then looked at the princess with a slightly cold expression: "What do you mean, Princess? Miss Chen has her own difficulties in getting married. Now she is in the Duke's Mansion, doing many good things for the people, and has a noble character. How can others slander her at will?"

The Crown Princess' words made the princess' face change, and she quickly lowered her head: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I spoke out of turn."

The Crown Princess ignored her and said to Chen Jia with a smile, "Sister Chen, don't take it to heart. Tell me about the things you have done to benefit the people in the Duke's Mansion."

Chen Jia took a deep breath, calmed down, and said slowly: "Your Majesty, in the Duke's Mansion, we set up a porridge shed to help the poor people. We also opened a charity school so that children from poor families can have the opportunity to read and learn. I have personally taught those children, and when I saw the desire for knowledge in their eyes, I felt that everything was worth it."

After hearing this, the princesses had a new understanding of Chen Jia. One princess asked curiously, "Miss Chen, you are able to manage the affairs of the palace, care about the people, and have so many talents. It is really admirable. I wonder if you have studied the etiquette of this palace?"

Chen Jia smiled and replied, "My Lady Princess, although I know a little bit about the etiquette in the palace, there are still many shortcomings. However, I think the way of etiquette is to respect and harmony. Whether in the palace or among the people, this should be the criterion, so that people can be kind and society can be peaceful."

The Crown Princess nodded and praised: "Sister Chen is right. I feel that talking with Sister Chen has really benefited me a lot."

After that, the Crown Princess took Chen Jia to walk around the palace and chat with more people. She praised Chen Jia to everyone she met, and Chen Jia's reputation gradually spread in the palace. Chen Jia followed the Crown Princess, her heart full of gratitude. She knew that if the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess had not protected her so much, she would probably have suffered many difficulties in this palace today.

"Your Highness, you are so kind to me that I don't know how to repay you." Chen Jia said softly.

The Crown Princess stopped and looked at Chen Jia with sincere eyes: "Sister Chen, you don't need to repay me. I admire your talent and character. A woman like you should be respected. Moreover, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince also thinks highly of you. You will definitely make a difference in this capital in the future."

As time went by, Chen Jia's position in the palace gradually became more stable. The noble ladies who had been jealous of her and excluded her no longer dared to act rashly after seeing the attitude of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess towards her.

At a grand palace dinner, Chen Jia wore a gorgeous golden dress with an exquisite phoenix pattern embroidered on the hem, which sparkled brightly under the lights. She entered the venue with the Crown Princess, and everyone saluted. The Crown Princess took Chen Jia to sit next to her, and this honor made everyone present look at her sideways.

During the dinner, Chen Jia chatted and laughed with everyone. Her wisdom and elegance conquered more people. She discussed the art of war with an old prince, and her unique insights made the old prince give her a thumbs up: "Miss Chen, you are as good as men!"

She also shared her beauty tips with several princesses, which made them laugh: "Sister Chen, your method is really wonderful. I will definitely ask you for advice someday."

The prince was watching Chen Jia's performance from the main seat, and he was satisfied. He knew that his decision today was correct. He not only helped Chen Jia, but also made more people see Chen Jia's excellence.

After the dinner, the prince summoned Chen Jia alone. Chen Jia came before the prince, bowed and said, "Your Highness, you are looking for me?"

The prince stood up, walked to Chen Jia, and said with a smile: "Miss Chen, you performed very well at the dinner today. I hope you can continue to maintain it in the future and set an example for the women in this capital."

Chen Jia said gratefully: "Your Highness's teachings are engraved in my heart. Your Highness and the Crown Princess's great kindness will never be forgotten in my life."

The prince nodded slightly: "Go, have a good rest. If you have any difficulties in the future, you can always let me know."

After Chen Jia left, the prince looked at her back and thought to himself. He knew that if he could use a woman like Chen Jia, she would be able to help his cause. But at the same time, he also had a sincere admiration and pity for Chen Jia.

After Chen Jia returned to the Duke's Mansion, she could not calm down for a long time. She knew that her fate had changed dramatically from this moment on. She was no longer the second-married woman who was bullied by others, but gradually became a respected Beijing lady under the protection of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. She secretly vowed to work hard, live up to the expectations of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, and write a more glorious chapter for her life.