Honglian led Xu Zhi back to the garden they had just come from, but not towards the Qingxin Xiaozhu where Feng Wan'er lived. Instead, they went in a different direction. Along the way, they passed flowers and willows, but Xu Zhi had no interest in looking at the scenery around her. She followed behind Honglian and walked briskly forward.

After crossing a small stone bridge, I saw a large number of people standing in a small hexagonal pavilion not far away.

Afraid that Zheng Yuanyuan would be bullied, Xu Zhi ran away immediately. Honglian quickly supported Xu Zhi's arm and whispered, "Grandma, it's alright, Aunt and Qinglian are here."

Honglian pushed her way through the people standing around her, and Xu Zhi squeezed in after her. Once inside, she saw Zheng Yuanyuan standing in the corner of the pavilion, her face flushed. Xu Zhi knew she was angry.

Seeing Xu Zhi approach, Feng Wan'er, who was standing to the side, said apologetically, "Little sister, I'm so sorry to have caused you trouble."

Xu Zhi waved her hand and said, "Sister, what's going on?"

Zheng Yuanyuan said angrily, "Who knows what's wrong with this girl? She came over and called me shameless. I've never been insulted like this before. I don't even know her. Why is she insulting me?"

Xu Zhi then noticed a girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old sitting on a stone bench nearby, sobbing uncontrollably. She was wearing new clothes, though they were now covered in dirt.

Xu Zhi looked at the girl and saw several women with unfriendly expressions accompanying her. She asked with a stern face, "This is my sister's first time visiting the Shen family. She doesn't know many people. I just don't know why you're here to scold my sister?"

The girl raised her head, revealing a face with a touch of heroism, which surprised Xu Zhi. This girl didn't seem like the type to cause such a scene.

The old nanny, Lin, leaned close to Xu Zhi and whispered, "This is the youngest legitimate daughter of the Yuezhou Prefect, the eldest illegitimate daughter of the Yuezhou Prefectural Assistant, and the other one is the eldest legitimate daughter of the fourth branch of the Shen family."

Xu Zhi nodded and asked, "Miss, what is your surname?"

The girl was taken aback by Xu Zhi's question and paused for a moment before replying, "My surname is Qin."

Xu Zhi nodded and said, "Miss Qin, my sister and I have come from out of town. This is our first time visiting others. We don't know most of the people here. I would like to ask you, on what grounds did you insult my sister?"

Over the years, under the care of Xu Rao and his wife, as well as Xu Di and Xu Bai, Xu Zhi has developed a somewhat tolerant personality, but she is not one to suffer losses. Most importantly, Xu Zhi understands that if she or Zheng Yuanyuan admit their mistakes here today, it will not be easy for them to make a name for themselves in Yuezhou City in the future. Both she and Zheng Yuanyuan come from noble families, and there is no reason for them to be bullied by the daughter of a minor official in Yuezhou.

Miss Qin was stunned for a moment, and when she understood the meaning behind Xu Zhi's words, she stood up abruptly, her face flushed with anger, tears welling in her eyes, and said, "Madam, you just arrived and haven't asked anything. How can you know that your sister is innocent?"

Xu Zhi smiled and said, "Of course I know my sister is a good person. As for others, I don't know. There's no reason for me to help outsiders bully my own sister, is there?"

Xu Zhi's words were somewhat unreasonable, but they made Zheng Yuanyuan beam with joy. She pursed her lips, and her big eyes crinkled into two crescent moons with laughter.

Xu Zhi was speechless when she saw Zheng Yuanyuan's expression, but when she saw a tall and handsome man standing by the pavilion, smiling shyly at Zheng Yuanyuan, Xu Zhi felt her heart sink. This man looked a lot like the man she had met on the street last night.

Seeing Xu Zhi looking at the man, Miss Qin said angrily, "You still say that this is your first time here and that you don't know anyone, but you clearly know Brother Mingyuan, yet you say you don't."

Xu Zhi said strangely, "Miss Qin, we don't know any Brother Mingyuan. I think you must have misunderstood. As for what the misunderstanding is, we can talk it out in front of so many people. Our girls have always been the most disciplined and would never know any outsiders."

Zheng Yuanyuan quickly went to Xu Zhi's side and said, "Sister-in-law, I was talking to Sister Mingwan when this girl came over and started cursing at me. I asked her to apologize, but she won't."

Xu Zhi nodded and said, "It is certainly wrong to curse, Miss Qin. Since you have made a mistake, you should apologize. It is a great virtue to admit your mistakes and correct them. I'm sure you understand such a simple principle."

Qin pointed angrily at Xu Zhi and Zheng Yuanyuan and said, "Don't push your luck. How can I, the legitimate daughter of a prefect, apologize to a girl from a merchant family like you?"

After Miss Qin said those words, the expressions of many people present changed. In Yuezhou, many families were merchants. Even the Shen family started out as merchants, and only later did they cultivate their talented children to study, gradually making contact with people in the officialdom, and eventually forming several prominent family relationships.

The young lady from the fourth branch of the Shen family, who was standing nearby, quickly said, "Sister Qin, look at you, how can you speak so recklessly?" Xu Zhi noticed that when the young lady from the fourth branch of the Shen family said this, she tugged hard at Miss Qin's sleeve. Miss Qin seemed to realize what she had just said, but she didn't know how to make amends. She was both ashamed and anxious, and tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

A middle-aged woman who seemed to be of some status smiled and said, "Look, it was just a few words between the young ladies, how did it escalate to this? Miss Qin, our family and the Qin family have always had close ties. This is Miss Zheng's first time here. You are both prominent young ladies in Yuezhou City. In the future, you will be getting together often. In my opinion, why don't you apologize to Miss Zheng and then take her to our side hall for a nice meal? What do you think?"

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