Cui Laner's mind buzzed, and she felt it supremely absurd. How had not being beautiful become a fault? No, no, no, how had she become not beautiful?
Upon serious consideration, Cui Laner did not have a bad appearance. How could a palace concubine selected by the Former Empress Dowager be ugly? However, she was extremely unfortunate to have features that were exactly what Lian Hua most detested aesthetically. Innocent of any wrongdoing, she had been turned into a scapegoat by Lian Hua.
All her thoughts were captivated by that phrase "not good-looking," and she began to doubt herself, even forgetting to argue—though arguing would have been futile anyway.
Consort Xu De reacted quickly, immediately understanding what Lian Hua meant by the "eight great faults." She almost sprayed out her sip of tea, managing to swallow it down only with great effort, her face registering utter astonishment. Matters of appearance... can that really be counted as a fault?...
