Chapter 48 You dare hit me?

Yan Jinyue and Chu Yunjin turned their heads to look at the same time.

The girl who spoke was about fourteen or fifteen years old. She wore a purple dress that was even more gorgeous than Yan Jinyue's, with a brocade shawl draped over her shoulders. Her hairpins, hair ornaments, and hair ornaments jingled in her hair, and the gold necklace around her neck was exquisite. Every part of her was luxurious.

She was accompanied by a matron and four maids, her entourage even larger than that of a princess.

The posture of standing outside the gate is as if welcoming guests.

Just as Chu Yunjin was wondering about the other party's identity, Yan Jinyue coldly spoke up: "So it's you, Little Princess, who's been meddling in other people's business. Whether my relationship with the Fourth Princess is good or bad is none of your concern. You only need to worry about whether your relationship with Aunt Ning'an is good or bad. After all, you only have this luxurious outfit because you are Aunt Ning'an's daughter. Once you lose this status, as a concubine's daughter from a collateral branch of the Wen family, you won't even be worthy of kneeling before this princess to serve tea!"

The woman in the purple dress was Wen Jingyi, the adopted daughter of Princess Ning'an.

Upon hearing Yan Jinyue's words, a look of anger and embarrassment flashed across her face: "Today is Mother's birthday. Did the Sixth Princess come to offer her birthday wishes, or did she come to deliberately humiliate me?"

Yan Jinyue smiled: "So you knew we were here to celebrate your birthday?"

"you--"

Yan Jinyue coldly reminded, "Wen Jingyi, you haven't paid your respects to this princess and the fourth princess's sister-in-law yet."

Wen Jingyi's expression changed slightly. She gritted her teeth and reluctantly curtsied, saying, "Greetings, Sixth Princess, greetings, Princess Consort of Yan."

Yan Jinyue looked her over and said calmly, "Today is Aunt's birthday. Aunt should be the main character. As her daughter, you are dressed so brightly and dazzlingly. Aren't you stealing Aunt Ning'an's limelight? Is this your way of showing filial piety to your mother?"

Wen Jingyi took a deep breath and forced a smile, saying, "The clothes I'm wearing today were all bought for me by my mother."

"I see." Yan Jinyue said in a calm voice, "It seems that Aunt Ning'an is very good to you. She is worried that you, her adopted daughter, will feel inferior. She spares no effort to dress you up and prepare all kinds of luxurious clothes for you so that you can look like a noble princess... But she doesn't know that such preparations will backfire and only make you look more vulgar."

It has to be said that the Sixth Princess's sharp tongue really opened Chu Yunjin's eyes. Thinking back on what she said to her, Chu Yunjin realized that she had been quite gentle before.

Wen Jingyi trembled with anger, her face alternating between pale and flushed: "Is the Sixth Princess deliberately trying to humiliate me?"

"Of course not." Yan Jinyue smiled and looked her up and down. "I was just trying to be helpful, I didn't mean any harm, so don't take it to heart."

Then, she turned to look at Chu Yunjin and said, "Fourth sister-in-law, let's go inside first."

Chu Yunjin nodded and walked up the stone steps with her.

As I passed by Wen Jingyi, I heard a disdainful sneer: "What is this? Your mother has been banished to the cold palace, and you're still acting all high and mighty. Once the Prince of Yan goes to the border, let's see who you can rely on to be so arrogant and domineering."

Chu Yunjin stopped in her tracks, turned around, and without warning, slapped her across the face.

Snap!

The surroundings suddenly became quiet.

The maids present were all startled and looked up at the same time.

Wen Jingyi covered her face, looking at Chu Yunjin in disbelief: "You...you dare to hit me?"

"I'm going to hit you." Chu Yunjin looked at her coldly, her eyes and brows exuding a menacing aura. "Even if the Imperial Concubine has been banished to the Cold Palace, the Sixth Princess is still Father Emperor's daughter. Who gives you the right to be so disrespectful and criticize her? Prince Yan is guarding the border and protecting the country. When he goes to the border is decided by imperial decree. It's not your place to interfere! Even if he leaves the capital with his troops, the Sixth Princess is still the Sixth Princess. Besides, I, the Princess Consort of Yan, am not dead yet. The Sixth Princess has more right to be arrogant and domineering than you!"

Her words were logical and well-reasoned, and her imposing manner left Wen Jingyi speechless and pale, unable to utter a single word in rebuttal. Only tears of grievance welled up in her eyes, seemingly about to fall.

Yan Jinyue swallowed hard, almost unable to resist applauding her.

Yes, that's the kind of aura he has; he really does resemble his elder brother.

However, the emperor's authority was so great that he could silence people without even being angry, and he didn't need to speak so harshly.

"What's going on here?" A man walked out of the gate, followed by several guards and servants. His voice was cold and deep. "Today is Mother's birthday. Who is causing trouble here?"

Wen Jingyi, who had been stiffly covering her face, burst into tears upon hearing these words. She turned around and walked to the person who had come, sobbing softly, "Big brother..."

Wen Shiyu, the eldest son of Princess Ning'an's mansion, walked out wearing a blue brocade robe. Tall and elegant, he looked quite like a noble young master.

Seeing his younger sister crying so sadly, his face darkened, and he looked at Chu Yunjin with displeasure: "Is the Princess Consort of Yan here to cause trouble today?"

"Bullshit!" Yan Jinyue cursed as soon as she opened her mouth, then sneered, "You dare to question your fourth sister-in-law without even asking what your good sister said? You siblings are really family! You don't take this princess and the fourth sister-in-law seriously at all."

Wen Shiyu clenched his fists and looked coldly at Yan Jinyue: "Why does the Sixth Princess speak so rudely?"

Yan Jinyue sneered: "When dealing with vulgar people, one should naturally speak vulgar words."

Wen Shiyu's eyes were blazing with anger. Not wanting to argue with Yan Jinyue, he turned to Chu Yunjin and said, "Please, Princess Consort of Yan, apologize to my sister."

Chu Yunjin raised an eyebrow: "Are you joking?"

“Even if you are the Princess Consort of Yan, you shouldn’t have laid a hand on my sister without reason.” Wen Shiyu’s attitude was firm, showing a determination to stand up for her sister. “His Highness the Prince of Yan has always been fair and reasonable, and would never bully the weak by taking advantage of his status. The Princess Consort humiliated my sister by saying she wasn’t our mother’s biological daughter, and then slapped her in public, trampling on her dignity. Shouldn’t she apologize?”

It had only been a few days since Chu Yunjin falsely accused the Imperial Concubine at the palace banquet.

The Prince of Yan made no attempt to hide his heartbreak and disappointment that day. I heard that after returning to the manor, he decided to divorce her. It was the Princess Consort of Yan who stubbornly refused to agree and clung to the Sixth Princess, trying to please her in order to regain her position as the Princess Consort of Yan.

Wen Shiyu looked down on her from the bottom of his heart.

So what if she's the Princess Consort of Yan?

A princess who was disliked by the Prince of Yan, and the culprit who personally slandered the Imperial Concubine, causing her to be banished to the Cold Palace, must have already fallen out of favor in the Prince's residence.

The Prince of Yan would never protect her.

The Princess's residence sent her an invitation out of consideration for Prince Yan. If the couple came together, it would at least prove that things were going well on the surface and that Prince Yan was still willing to maintain a respectable relationship. But Prince Yan didn't come today.

Even though the Prince of Yan didn't come, Chu Yunjin dared to slap Jingyi, relying on her status.

They've really brought this humiliation upon themselves.

“Sister.” A frail woman stepped out from behind Wen Shiyu, her gaze falling on Chu Yunjin’s face. She frowned and said, “Today is Her Highness the Princess’s birthday. It should be a lively celebration. All those who have come today are members of the royal family. How could you… how could you lay a hand on the Princess? Sister, you should apologize to the Princess.”