Chapter 207 Xiao Qingxi

Shen Wantang was taken aback. Princess?

Xiao Qingyuan's younger sister, Xiao Qingxi? She's back?

General Huo and his soldiers, who have won the battle, have not yet entered the city, have they?

Despite her doubts, Shen Wantang immediately got up, tidied herself up, and then went to Shaoguang Courtyard with her maid.

As soon as she entered, she heard a sound of crying.

The princess was clearly quite emotional upon reuniting with her daughter.

Shen Wantang originally wanted to wait until they finished crying before going in, so as not to embarrass them.

Unexpectedly, after standing outside for a quarter of an hour, Xiao Qingxi was still crying: "Mother, I want a divorce! I'm not going to live with Huo Yunzhou anymore! This time when he returned to the capital, besides me, he brought another woman back with him. He wants to take a concubine!"

Now it's even harder for Shen Wantang to get in.

She turned to look at Granny Quan and whispered, "Granny, how about I come back later, so that Mother and the Princess can have a proper talk?"

Granny Quan shook her head: "As soon as the princess returned, the princess consort asked this old servant to invite the crown prince's wife. Crown prince's wife, please wait a moment, this old servant will go in and report right away."

After she finished speaking, she lifted the curtain and went inside.

A moment later, she came out and said, "Princess Consort, the Princess Consort invites you in."

Shen Wantang sighed softly and could only step into the room, where the atmosphere was cold and sorrowful.

Beside Princess Ning sat a woman dressed in a dark purple brocade robe. Her eyes were red like a rabbit's, but Shen Wantang pretended not to notice that she had been crying bitterly.

After she bowed and greeted the princess, she looked at Xiao Qingxi and said, "This must be the princess. She is indeed beautiful and elegant, and she looks a lot like her mother."

Princess Ning wiped her eyes and a loving smile appeared on her face: "Yes, this is my daughter, Qingxi, whom I have been thinking about for a long time. General Huo and his soldiers haven't even entered the city yet, but she has already run back. She is so willful and unruly, all because I have spoiled her. Xi'er, this is your sister-in-law whom I mentioned to you in my letter. Quickly greet her."

Xiao Qingxi scrutinized Shen Wantang from head to toe with a critical eye, then snorted coldly and said, "She comes from a humble family and is an illegitimate daughter, born to a concubine. She is not worthy of my brother! She is not worthy of being my sister-in-law. Tell her to leave. I don't want to see her."

Princess Ning's expression changed: "Qingxi, how dare you speak like that? This is the Crown Princess that your father and I personally chose for your brother. Apart from her less prestigious background, she is perfect in every way! Apologize to your sister-in-law right now!"

Xiao Qingxi stood up and walked to Shen Wantang's side: "It seems you're quite good at making my mother happy. She praised you in her letter, and now she's asking me to apologize to you. You're quite cunning. Knowing you can't win my brother's favor, you start with my mother."

"However, now that I'm back, you can forget about trying to deceive my mother with sweet words and a treacherous heart! She can't see through your true colors, but I can. You're just like those women who are after power and wealth; you're only after the riches of the Prince's mansion."

"Don't think that just because my brother was a monk, you're good enough for him. Even if he stays a monk for the rest of his life, he's still not someone a concubine like you can ever hope to be worthy of!"

She said a bunch of nasty things, and before Shen Wantang could react, Princess Ning slammed her hand on the table in anger: "Qingxi! Don't you think the house is messy enough? Sit down!"

Xiao Qingyuan ignored her completely. She tugged at Shen Wantang's sleeve and said with a sneer, "Look at you, after marrying into our royal family, you're wearing the most expensive Caiyun brocade. Could you afford such material when you were in the Shen family?"

"Tsk tsk, what's that on your wrist? A jade bracelet? A tourmaline bracelet? You must have swindled these from my mother, right?"

"So you've swindled all of my mother's dowry, haven't you? Take it all off! Give it all back to my mother!"

Princess Ning's vision blurred. Listen to what her daughter is saying!

She quickly stood up and pulled her daughter behind her: "Shut up! The bracelet was indeed given to your sister-in-law, but the tourmaline bracelet wasn't!"

After scolding her daughter, she took Shen Wantang's hand and said, "Tang'er, don't take it to heart. She's just like Yuan'er, spoiled by me. She speaks without thinking. I'll teach her a lesson later, and I'll apologize to you on her behalf."

Looking at her somewhat flustered and apologetic face, Shen Wantang smiled gently at her: "Mother, it's normal for a princess to have her own temperament and personality, given her noble status. I think the princess is just like the heir apparent, straightforward and without any guile."

Princess Ning breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the princess was not angry and even spoke up for her daughter.

She now feels like she loves both her daughter and her daughter-in-law equally. She naturally adores her daughter and can't bear to scold her, and she also feels very sorry for her daughter-in-law and can't bear to make her angry or sad.

Since her daughter got married and went to the Northwest with her husband, and her son is unreliable, she has been angry and stressed every day. It was only with the help of her daughter-in-law that she managed to get through it.

With red eyes, she patted Shen Wantang's hand: "Good child, you are magnanimous and don't hold it against Xi'er. I appreciate your kindness."

Xiao Qingxi's eyebrows shot up, and she pulled Princess Ning away, saying, "Mother, I am your daughter! Why are you always siding with her? She's just putting on an act; she's not a good person at all. Don't be fooled by her!"

Princess Ning felt an unbearable headache. How could her daughter, whom she had been longing to see return, immediately clash with her daughter-in-law?

She had praised Shen Wantang countless times in her letters, so why was her daughter still prejudiced against her?

Fearing her daughter might say something even more hurtful, she quickly had Granny Quan send Shen Wantang away.

After Shen Wantang left, she turned cold and scolded her daughter: "Qingxi, what's wrong with you? Have you forgotten all the rules and etiquette I taught you? Shen Wantang is your sister-in-law, and I personally chose her. If you embarrass her, aren't you embarrassing me too?"

"I'm warning you, next time you see her, show her some respect! Even your brother has accepted her now, so you're not allowed to boss her around anymore!"

Xiao Qingxi's eyes reddened again: "Now that Mother has a daughter-in-law, does she no longer want me as her daughter? I only said a few words to her, and you scolded me like this. Is this still my home? Has this become Shen Wantang's home? I'm afraid I'll have to get Shen Wantang's permission to even come home in the future?"

Princess Ning felt a pang of pain in her heart when she saw her crying.

She quickly hugged her daughter tightly: "What nonsense are you talking about? The Prince's Mansion will always be your home, and you will always be my daughter. You can come back whenever you want, and absolutely no one will dare to say a word against it."

Xiao Qingxi cried as she looked up from her arms and said, "Then drive Shen Wantang away. I don't like daughters born to concubines."

Princess Ning wiped away her tears and said gently, "No, everything else is negotiable except for this matter. Qingxi, is it because Huo Yuanzhou wants to take a concubine that you dislike the concubine and her children, and consequently, your sister-in-law?"