Chapter 378 Two Fools

Xiao Qingxi had already picked up a famille rose enamel vase, ready to smash it, but upon hearing Shen Wantang's words, she angrily put it down again.

Since it was the money from the Prince's Mansion that was used to buy things for Shen Wantang, she couldn't let Shen Wantang take such a big advantage!

Xiao Qingyuan couldn't help but ask, "Shen Wantang, did you really keep all the gifts Nan Shi gave us for yourself?"

"I don't."

"You still dare to deny it?"

"I didn't take your things, what are you asking me to admit to?"

“Shen Wantang, a person should be responsible for their actions. I know you come from a humble background and like gold and silver jewelry, but you can’t take the gifts that Nan Shi gave us! They are Nan Shi’s token of affection!”

"I told you I didn't take it!"

"Since you came to the Prince's mansion, haven't you seen quite a few good things? Why are you still so short-sighted?"

“Xiao Qingyuan, listen carefully. I haven’t touched anything Liu Nanshi sent. They’re all with my mother.”

"Don't always use your mother as a cover-up when something goes wrong. You want her to take the blame for you, don't you? You're just sure she'll cover for you, aren't you?"

"Xiao Qingyuan!"

"Why are you yelling? You did something wrong and you still have the nerve to yell at me? No wonder Qingxi always looks down on you because of your low birth. With your behavior, you're really not qualified to be my Crown Princess. I think if it were Liu Nanshi, she wouldn't do something so undignified and make herself a laughingstock."

Shen Wantang: "..."

It's like playing music to a cow—utterly pointless.

He believed what Liu Nanshi said but not what she said. He had already condemned her in his heart, and no matter how she explained, he chose to be selectively deaf.

Seeing that she was silent, Xiao Qingxi sneered, "What's wrong, Shen Wantang? You're speechless now? You can't keep up the lie anymore? Hurry up and return my and my brother's things to us!"

Shen Wantang was too lazy to talk anymore; talking to these two siblings was simply a waste of breath.

I don't know what kind of spell Liu Nanshi cast on them, but they actually believed her completely.

She stood up and started walking out.

Xiao Qingxi immediately gave chase: "Shen Wantang, you stop right there! Where do you think you're going?!"

Xiao Qingyuan chased after her even faster: "Shen Wantang, say something! What do you mean by not saying anything? Don't try to evade your mistakes!"

Shen Wantang ignored them and kept walking forward until she reached Princess Ning's courtyard.

Princess Ning was surprised to see the three of them arrive together: "What happened?"

Xiao Qingxi and Xiao Qingyuan rushed to file complaints:

"Mother, Shen Wantang has embezzled the gifts Liu Nanshi gave us! When we went to her to ask for them back, she not only refused to give them to us, but also scolded Liu Nanshi and drove her away!"

“Mother, Shen Wantang is trying to pin the blame on you. She lied and said the gifts are all with you, stubbornly insisting she didn't take them! Liu Nanshi said she took them, but she refuses to admit it. She has a problem with her character!”

“A person like Shen Wantang cannot stay in the Prince’s Mansion. Otherwise, she will eventually drain our mansion dry, and all the money in the mansion will become hers!”

"Liu Nanshi and I were having a good chat, but when we went to Shen Wantang's courtyard, she offended Liu Nanshi with just a few words, and even said that I divorced my wife for Liu Nanshi's sake!"

With each sentence Princess Ning heard, her face grew increasingly grim, until it turned completely dark after the two of them finished arguing.

She said coldly, "Well done, Elder Liu! Liu Nanshi has only been in my Ning Prince's mansion for a short while, yet she has already stirred up trouble in my household! What insidious methods, what vicious schemes!"

Xiao Qingyuan was stunned: "Mother, what did you say?"

Xiao Qingxi's eyes widened: "Mother, it's one thing if you don't scold Shen Wantang, but why are you scolding Liu Nanshi?"

Princess Ning looked at her two children, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes, while worry appeared on her face: "You two are not allowed to associate with Liu Nanshi from now on, lest she sells you out and you still help her count the money."

Xiao Qingyuan: "Mother, Nan Shi is wonderful! She is a true lady of high birth, possessing both literary knowledge and refined elegance—that perfectly describes her!"

Xiao Qingxi: "Yes, Mother, Liu Nanshi is still better than Shen Wantang! I think we should take this opportunity to kick Shen Wantang out!"

Princess Ning glared at them irritably and said to Granny Quan, "Bring the things that Liu Nanshi sent over to the Prince and the Princess to see. Don't let Tang'er take the blame."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Granny Quan quickly brought over the several boxes that Liu Nanshi had brought.

The boxes were opened one by one, revealing their contents.

Pearl hairpin, white jade hairpin, red jade earrings, and a set of writing implements.

Xiao Qingxi looked doubtful: "Although the items match what Liu Nanshi said, Liu Nanshi is, after all, the daughter of a high-ranking official. The quality of these items is too ordinary, isn't it? Is this really not something Mother just randomly picked out to fool us?"

Xiao Qingyuan knew nothing about jewelry and ornaments. He picked up the pen and inkstone, examined them, and then shook his head: "This couldn't possibly have been given to me by Liu Nanshi. These things are clearly from the Shuxiang Pavilion, and they're just ordinary stuff, not worth anything at all."

Princess Ning felt a surge of anger rising in her chest: "What nonsense are you two talking about? Why would I need to make up a fake set to fool you? Besides, where would I get these things in such a short time? This is the gift that Liu Nanshi brought!"

"Besides, these things have always been with me. Tang'er never even touched them, let alone brought them back to her courtyard!"

Xiao Qingyuan and Xiao Qingxi exchanged a glance: "Impossible!"

"Why is it impossible? Liu Nanshi is lying. The things have always been with me. I have no reason to lie to you. Do you believe Liu Nanshi but not me?"

"Mother, it's not that we don't believe you, it's just that you're too biased towards Shen Wantang. It's not surprising that you helped her cover up the fact that she took our gifts!"

"What?!"

Princess Ning slammed her fist on the table in anger: "You two, do you even have brains?! Your father and I are both sharp-witted, how come we had to give birth to two idiots like you! You always trust outsiders and not your own people, you're bound to suffer a great loss in the future!"

Xiao Qingxi looked unhappy: "Ever since my mother got a daughter-in-law, she has been complaining about me every day. Now she even calls me a fool. I think my mother is the real fool. She is completely fooled by Shen Wantang and doesn't even want her own daughter anymore!"

After she finished speaking, she left angrily.

She ignored Princess Ning when she called her.

Xiao Qingyuan was also unhappy: "Shen Wantang is all-powerful in our Prince's Mansion, and Mother always sides with her. She doesn't even respect me and Qingxi anymore. When guests come, she's sarcastic and makes them leave. If this continues, she'll offend everyone in the capital!"

After he finished speaking, he left.

The room fell silent.

Since arriving, Shen Wantang has not said a word.

At that moment, she looked up at Princess Ning, who was also looking at her.

After a long while, both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sighed.

"Mother, you've worked so hard."

"Tang'er, you've worked hard too."