With a sigh in her heart, the Imperial Noble Consort shook her head and raised her wine cup to Jiang Shuwan.

"Princess, I toast you!"

After doing all this, the Imperial Noble Consort gave Guo Yaqin a meaningful look, reminding her of her earlier instructions. Guo Yaqin, of course, understood her meaning, but… but…

However, she had deep-seated grudges with the Jiang family, the Marquis's mansion, and the Earl's mansion, so how could she possibly show goodwill to Jiang Shuwan?

Therefore, Guo Yaqin ignored the Imperial Noble Consort's gaze.

She even developed resentment towards the Imperial Noble Consort.

If it weren't for the support of the Guo family, how could the eldest prince be so proud?

The Imperial Noble Consort has gotten what she wanted but doesn't cherish it!

Feeling resentful, Guo Yaqin drank several glasses of wine in quick succession.

However, drinking alone only makes one feel more depressed. With her eyes reddened by the smell of alcohol, Guo Yaqin looked back and forth across Jiang Shuwan's face several times before finally settling on Li Chengyun, who was raising his glass with Jiang Shuwan.

The eldest prince had long since moved to a separate residence in the Zhuque Street area. Compared to the Crown Princess, who lived in the East Palace and found it inconvenient to go out, she was much more at ease.

Donglai Street is now the premier luxury shopping street in the Great Jing Dynasty, and she has visited it quite often.

She once bumped into Jiang Shuwan on Donglai Street, and the person standing next to Jiang Shuwan was Li Chengyun.

Li Chengyun is part of the Crown Prince's faction and spends his days loitering around Donglai Street. The Crown Princess also fawns over Jiang Shuwan. It's easy to imagine what they're plotting...

Judging from Jiang Shuwan's attitude, her relationship with Li Chengyun is quite good.

Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in Guo Yaqin's eyes.

She can't afford to offend Jiang Shuwan, but is she also unable to afford to offend Li Chengyun?

...

After several rounds of dishes and drinks, Guo Yaqin had drunk several more cups in no time.

At this point, the Crown Prince and the First Prince, unable to hold their liquor, had to excuse themselves and leave.

The Imperial Noble Consort was exhausted after displaying her power all night. She waved for the Crown Prince and the First Prince to leave, and then went into a side hall to change her clothes.

Without them, the atmosphere at the banquet instantly became much more relaxed.

Feeling bored, Li Chengyun stopped drinking and picked up the peony fan from the table to leave. Just then, a loud crash of dishes hitting the ground drew everyone's attention.

Jiang Shuwan also looked to the left and saw that Guo Yaqin had somehow pulled the tablecloth off the table. As soon as the tablecloth was pulled, all the bowls, plates, wine glasses and wine pots on the table fell to the ground. The bowls and plates were broken and the soup was spilled. It was a real mess.

"What's wrong?"

"How could Princess Consort be so careless?"

Everyone looked at Guo Yaqin in surprise. Guo Yaqin had beautiful handwriting and was one of the most respected noble ladies in the capital. No one had ever seen her so out of sorts.

In her most disgraceful moment, the jade pendant at Guo Yaqin's waist fell into the messy soup.

"Oh, it's the jade pendant that my father bestowed upon me during my wedding!"

Covering her mouth, Guo Yaqin was almost in tears.

If you lose your jade pendant, just pick it up. What's there to cry about?

As Jiang Shuwan thought to herself, she subconsciously felt something was wrong, and sure enough, she saw Guo Yaqin call out to Li Chengyun, who was about to leave.

"Your Highness, could you please help me retrieve the jade pendant?"

Jiang Shuwan: "..."

Jiang Shuwan was stunned for a moment. She subconsciously looked at Li Chengyun. Li Chengyun obviously did not expect Guo Yaqin to do this. Holding a fan in his hand, he first looked down at the messy vegetable soup at his feet, and then looked at the palace maids standing around.

He immediately understood.

Li Chengyun gripped the fan tightly in his hand and glanced at Guo Yaqin.

Jiang Yaqin took a step back, frightened by his cold gaze, but finally managed to say, clutching her handkerchief, "What, can't your sister-in-law persuade you to stay?"

"..."

Guo Yaqin's words stunned all the noblewomen.

"Is Princess Consort deliberately making things difficult for the Fourth Prince?"

"I had heard before that during the selection of concubines, the Empress wanted to betroth her to the Fourth Prince. She was so angry that she committed suicide by hitting her head against a pillar on the spot. At the time, I thought it was an exaggeration. I never expected that she would hate the Fourth Prince so much. Even though the betrothal has been over for so long, she still finds ways to humiliate him."

"Ha, the descendant of a disgraced concubine, with impure blood flowing through her veins, deserves this humiliation!"

"If you ask me, His Majesty is too lenient. The Zhennan Prince's Mansion is deeply sinful. The Fourth Prince has the blood of the Zhennan Prince's Mansion. He should have been punished fifteen years ago..."

"Shh, how dare you use the phrase 'cut the weeds and eliminate the roots'? You're asking for trouble!"

Everyone immediately fell silent, sitting upright and not daring to say anything, but their eyes were constantly fixed on this place, watching how things were developing.

Seeing the strange atmosphere in the hall, Jiang Shuwan's heart skipped a beat.

Li Chengyun is a germaphobe; he can't even stand a few sunflower seed shells. Yet Guo Yaqin made him retrieve the jade pendant from the filthy soup and wine...

Guo Yaqin's move was truly humiliating.

On the other side.

Crown Princess Ye Jingyi thought the same way. She also knew that Li Chengyun had an extremely serious germaphobia. He would never touch anything that other people had touched, let alone the leftovers that Guo Yaqin had eaten.

Li Chengyun is one of their people. If Li Chengyun is insulted, it is the same as if the Crown Prince is insulted. As a result, Guo Yaqin and the First Prince will also have to be suppressed in the court.

"What are you all standing there for! Didn't you see that Princess You's jade pendant fell to the ground!"

Ye Jingyi suddenly stood up and pointed at her personal maid, whom she had brought with her, and shouted at her.

"Your Highness, please calm your anger! This servant knows his crime, this servant knows his crime!"

As the palace maid bent down to pick up the jade pendant from the soup, Ye Jingyi's lips curled up, but before the smile could fully form, she saw the palace maid's hand being stepped on by an incomparably luxurious shoe embroidered with a hundred flowers and butterflies.

"What? Is the Crown Princess going to help Princess You retrieve the jade pendant?"

The Imperial Noble Consort emerged from the side hall at some point and stepped on the maid's hand. The maid trembled in pain and whimpered, begging for mercy.

The Imperial Noble Consort, however, wore a smile, acting as if she hadn't seen or heard anything, and pressed down on her feet.

The palace maid's fingers were stepped into the leftover food mixed with shards of cups and bowls, and almost instantly her fingers were cut, drawing several streaks of blood.

Now, the puddle on the ground looked even more disgusting.

With a face that looked like that of a wealthy, middle-aged woman who still possessed some beauty, the Imperial Noble Consort arrogantly looked down at Crown Princess Ye Jingyi.

Ye Jingyi's face turned pale and then livid. How could she, the Crown Princess, do such a vile and despicable thing...?

Biting her lip, Ye Jingyi glanced at Li Chengyun's handsome face, unsure of what to do next.

"There is a proper order between elders and juniors. Princess You, your behavior is far too unruly!"

The Imperial Noble Consort knew that she couldn't force Ye Jingyi to do such a thing, so she immediately turned her head and scolded Guo Yaqin.

Guo Yaqin immediately agreed, saying, "Mother is right, I know I am guilty."

"And then?" the Imperial Noble Consort asked calmly.

"I think it's better for Fourth Brother to help me pick it up. What do you think, Fourth Brother?" Guo Yaqin looked at Li Chengyun with a smile, but her eyes were full of malice.

The Imperial Noble Consort also glanced at Li Chengyun, clearly pleased to humiliate him as well.

...