Chapter 166 Apology

But Xiao Su had no mercy for Gu Linyan at this moment. Realizing that this was in front of the Princess and many guests and nobles, he was furious and raised his foot to kick Gu Linyan.

"You poisonous woman!"

However, Aunt Meng reacted quickly, grabbing the frail Gu Linyan from the ground with one hand and dragging her a few steps, causing Xiao Su's kick to miss.

"Is Lord Xiao so enraged that he intends to harm someone in public?"

Aunt Meng released Gu Linyan. Of course, she didn't pity Gu Linyan, but in front of so many people, and in the Princess's residence, she couldn't let Xiao Su go crazy.

She had a strong grip, which made Gu Linyan gasp and her face contort in pain. Her arms were probably bruised all over.

"Your Highness, please allow me to take this wicked woman back to the manor for questioning. Once I have ascertained the truth, I will give Princess Chang Le an explanation!"

He bowed to the princess to apologize, and then tried to take Gu Linyan away, as if he was preparing to leave the banquet early.

The princess raised her hand, and the guards beside Aunt Meng immediately surrounded Xiao Su.

Her cold, disgusted voice came from the head of the table, causing Xiao Su's heart to sink slowly:

"As an official appointed by the court, Minister Xiao should set an example and be mindful of his conduct even when alone; and you, Xiao Su, as the head of the Xiao family, should also manage the family and ensure harmony and order among relatives; but what have you done?"

“In the past, this was your family matter, Xiao Su, and I couldn’t and didn’t care. But now, you are mistreating my daughter, and I will naturally seek justice for her myself.”

"You kept a mistress and had children with her, which shows a lack of moral virtue and hypocrisy; you switched your legitimate daughter with the mistress's daughter, which shows a failure to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate children and a violation of the fundamental principles of morality; after Yuxuan was found and brought home, you were also very harsh and biased, which shows a lack of compassion as a father."

"Today, I ask you all to bear witness that from the day Xiao Su secretly replaced the concubine's daughter, Princess Chang Le was no longer a daughter of the Xiao family. It is only natural that she has changed her surname to follow me."

"Gentlemen, does anyone have any objections?"

Every word the princess uttered was like a dagger piercing Xiao Su's spine.

The words were ruthless and merciless, openly opposing the Xiao family.

Even if the guests had their own opinions, they had no choice but to express their stance at this point.

Although the Xiao family was once glorious, it is now declining with each generation.

Xiao Su has committed such a disgraceful act, and regardless of whether it is true or false, he will be despised by everyone. As for the three young masters below him, they do not seem to be able to restore the family's reputation.

The eldest princess, on the other hand, is the emperor's own elder sister and is respected and loved by the future crown prince. She is the only eldest princess who lives a life of luxury in the capital.

As long as she is content with the status quo, she can easily enjoy her privileged life for another ten or twenty years.

A group of people knelt down in unison, shouting:

"Your Highness is wise——"

Xiao Su's face was deathly pale. His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time!

It turns out that changing his surname was all for this moment. The princess came prepared. If he tries to explain again, she will likely have plenty of other tricks up her sleeve.

He could see that the other midwife who had been pressed up hadn't spoken yet.

If the princess is really pushed to the limit, this matter will probably not be something that can be resolved by mere moral failings or domestic discord.

After all, the eldest princess was the only woman who could personally submit a memorial impeaching officials, so he dared not gamble and did not want to lose more than he gained.

He slowly bent down, clenched his teeth, and forced out a sentence through the gaps in his teeth:

"Your Majesty, I have no objection..."

"Then please have Minister Xiao apologize to the princess."

The eldest princess looked at Xiao Su, who appeared to have admitted defeat but whose eyes still burned with raging anger, and uttered these words in a measured tone.

Xiao Su suddenly looked up at the person above him.

Upon meeting the princess's expressionless, unusually cold face, he finally tensed his jaw and slowly said:

“Princess Chang Le, it was your humble servant who was bewitched and went astray. I will definitely repent and start anew, and be careful in my words and deeds. I hope that Your Highness will forgive me.”

The royal princess is a second-rank official, while the ministers of the six ministries are first-rank officials. Xiao Su's act of being humble and kneeling to admit his mistakes was intended to give Princess Chang Le a reputation for being unfilial.

The eldest princess would not let him have his way.

She stood up and walked down the steps, looking at Xiao Su, who was forced to look up at her. Her phoenix eyes narrowed, and she smiled coldly, speaking in a deep voice that could only be heard by the two of them:

"I advise you to keep your hidden thoughts to yourself in front of me. Otherwise, you, Xiao Su, may be the Minister today, but not necessarily tomorrow."

Xiao Su returned the sarcastic smile with a soft voice:

"Is the Princess so certain? Even if I have made mistakes in family matters, I have never been negligent in my duties during my twenty-odd years as an official. I do not believe that Your Majesty would dismiss me for such trivial matters."

"Is that so? Do you know who your mistress is?"

The eldest princess smiled inscrutably, and Xiao Su's expression froze.

What did she mean by that?

Who could Gu Linyan be?

Her family had fallen on hard times, and she had no choice but to seek refuge with me. How come the princess described it as if there was another hidden story?

Xiao Su recalled carefully, but could not find any flaws.

However, the princess seemed to have teased him enough, and with satisfaction, she looked at his flustered expression before turning and leaving.

"Since Lord Xiao has sincerely repented, neither the princess nor I are the type to hold a grudge. I will not bring this matter up again in the future, and I hope that Lord Xiao will keep his word."

Just pick it up and put it down so gently?

Just to see him humiliated and make a fool of himself in front of so many people, kneeling down and apologizing?!

The Princess is willing to go against the Xiao family just for a little girl?!

No, there's also the Lin family.

With the Princess's actions, the Lin family will surely treat her as an honored guest. Lin Kuangzheng, as the Chancellor, has countless students, and from now on, the entire Imperial Academy will practically be under the Princess's command!

Is this what she's planning?

After only a few years of being law-abiding, do you think you can win people's hearts and interfere in politics by stepping on Xiao Su?

The moment this thought crossed Xiao Su's mind, he felt a chill run through his body and a tightness in his chest. Yet, he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal. He was now under someone else's roof and had no choice but to bow his head.

A moment of patience will bring peace. If we want to overthrow the princess and avenge today's humiliation, we must proceed slowly and methodically!

Xiao Su, being both flexible and resilient, silently performed a deep bow once more.

"Meng Xian, see the guest out."

Aunt Meng nodded, raised her long arm, and said in a deep voice, "Lord Xiao, please—"

Except for Lin Hui, who was temporarily placed in the Princess's residence after falling into a coma, all members of the Xiao family were slinked out. The events that happened at the Princess's residence today quickly spread throughout the capital.

Now everyone on the streets is talking about it, with all sorts of opinions.

However, the most common reaction was to condemn Xiao Su and Xiao Yuyao. This father and daughter pair thoroughly enraged the people, and people would throw rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs at the Xiao family's gate from time to time. But that's another story.

Lin Hui slowly woke up, looking at the unfamiliar and luxurious curtains, and couldn't come to her senses for a long time, nor could she remember where she was.

Lan Xin glanced at it briefly, then immediately stepped forward, her tone not particularly gentle, and said:

"Madam Xiao has woken up. Please return to the manor quickly. Lord Xiao has already sent people to inquire several times."