Wei Shuwan lowered her body, her collar slightly upturned, and a breeze carrying a strong scent of perfume quietly entered her collar, like a snake crawling along her back.

She heard footsteps getting closer and closer, knowing that Princess Yun'an had reached her. Then she saw a pair of brocade shoes adorned with pearls come into her view.

"Originally, the magistrate of Rong'an County was supposed to come with me today, but unfortunately, he suddenly developed a high fever yesterday and couldn't make it. I dislike being alone the most. I heard that Miss Wei is quite familiar with this Sheng Mansion, so why don't you come and keep me company and accompany me to stroll around?"

Princess Yun'an's voice was clear and assertive, carrying the arrogance of a superior.

Wei Shuwan was prepared and replied immediately: "I should not refuse Your Highness's appreciation, but I have already made an appointment with my younger brother to accompany him to the backyard to admire the chrysanthemums."

Beside her, Wei Chengxiu also slightly curved her lips and revealed a smile: "Yes, I have long heard that there are nearly a hundred kinds of chrysanthemums in the chrysanthemum garden of the Sheng family. I have longed to see them, but unfortunately I am blind. So I pestered my elder sister to describe them to me one by one. Please do not blame me, Princess."

"Heh~" Yun An sneered, his gaze lingering on the young man who had spoken. He had originally intended to ridicule the blind man, but unexpectedly discovered that he had a refined appearance and an extraordinary air about him.

Even those two unfocused, stiff gazes seemed to convey a sense of indifference towards the mundane world.

Instantly, Yun An felt a pang of regret; even a beautiful jade has flaws, what a pity.

Having lost her temper with Wei Chengxiu, Yun An turned to tease Wei Shuwan: "You two really have a deep sibling bond, but doesn't your Wei household have any servants? Does your brother have to come and accompany him to admire the chrysanthemums?"

“The princess is surrounded by servants; she is not alone,” Wei Shuwan replied calmly.

If Yun'an had only intended to tease and make things difficult for her before, she was now genuinely angry, and her almond-shaped eyes widened involuntarily. Granny Juan, noticing this, immediately stepped forward to teach her a lesson on behalf of her mistress!

“Miss Wei, you are merely a merchant’s daughter from Jiangzuo. Even if you have come to Shengjing and barely managed to join the ranks of noble ladies, it is truly presumptuous of you to speak to the princess like this!”

Wei Shuwan was neither afraid nor angry. She looked up at the old woman and said calmly, "Whether I am a merchant's daughter or a noble lady, fortunately my parents have given me my freedom."

At first glance, these words didn't seem arrogant at all, but Granny Juan was so angry that she gritted her teeth and her triangular eyes, full of wrinkles, widened to be even rounder than her own mistress's.

This is clearly a dig at her, who sold herself into slavery, and also a mockery of her long-deceased parents! Even a seventh-rank official is above the prime minister; is she, a confidante of a princess, really inferior to a mere merchant?

“Hehe,” Granny Juan laughed in anger, “Miss Wei has already ruined the Song family before even entering their home. Her freedom is hard-won.”

"Please watch your words, Granny!" Wei Shuwan arrogantly raised her chin and said with a righteous expression, "If others hear you say that, they will only think that you are a disobedient servant who is slandering your master!"

"You!" This time, Granny Juan was truly enraged, her face flushed red and veins bulging, her eyes blazing with fury.

If it weren't for the fact that Master Wei was an official, she would have ordered someone to tear off that little brat's mouth long ago, just like she usually did to those ignorant commoners!

In this situation, she had to restrain herself. She took a deep breath and said arrogantly, "The princess is a member of the royal family. It is your good fortune that she is willing to be close to you. Which young lady in the capital is not eager to get close to the princess? You are so ungrateful and speak so arrogantly. This old servant thinks that the Wei family has not taught the rules well!"

Sun Lurong, who had been patiently enduring this for a long time, finally spoke up when she saw that this unruly servant was still relentlessly harassing her daughter:

“Shuwan was raised in Jiangzuo since childhood and is used to being unrestrained. Naturally, her temperament is different from that of women in the capital. Please forgive her, Princess. As for the so-called ‘rules’ of this old woman, unfortunately, the rule of our Wei family has always been ‘do good deeds and do not curry favor with the powerful.’”

Madam Wei's composed and assertive words left Princess Yun'an and Granny Juan speechless. Yun'an also realized that not only was Wei Shuwan no pushover, but her mother was no pushover either; it seemed they truly shared the same temperament.

Silent smoke filled the air in front of the Sheng Mansion, but a burst of hearty laughter suddenly broke the temporary peace from inside.

"Oh my, Princess Yun'an, when did you arrive? And Lord Wei, Madam Wei, are you here too? Since you're all here, there's no reason for you to stand outside. We've already prepared all kinds of tea, fruit, and fragrant tea inside. Please come in and have a chat!"

As she spoke, Madam Xu, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Sheng family and mother of Sheng Yun, came out with a beaming smile. She had clearly just received a message from the gatekeeper that she had come to help the Wei family out of their predicament.

Sun Lurong understood, and stepped forward to exchange pleasantries with Madam Xu, intending to let bygones be bygones regarding their previous confrontation. Yun'an also seemed inclined to back down, but just then, another carriage stopped in front of the Sheng residence, and this time the person who returned was none other than the Princess Consort of Jing.

"Mother!" Upon seeing that someone who could support her had arrived, Yun An quickly went to greet her, took Princess Jing's arm, and was about to complain.

Princess Jing gently poked her forehead, a gesture that was both reproachful and affectionate: "You, you've always been so impatient. If you want Miss Wei to play with you, just ask her nicely. Why threaten her like that?"

Just when everyone present thought that Princess Jing was a reasonable person, she continued speaking:

"Just like those cats and dogs you brought back to the manor in the past, weren't they all plucked and skinned by you in a fit of anger before they even had a chance to get to know you?"

Sun Lurong couldn't stand hearing him compare her daughter to cats and dogs. She frowned and was about to say something when her husband tugged at her arm to stop her. Sun Lurong glared at him resentfully, but he shook his head at her with a serious expression.

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