Chapter 163: Dispute over quota
Before Yu Shengsheng could answer, Su Huaiyuan's personal guards arrived.
"Princess Ruiyang, the general is waiting for you at the gate of the mansion."
"Okay, I'll be right there."
Yu Shengsheng followed him.
Mrs. Su looked at her back and had a bad feeling.
"She's not going to attend the banquet in the palace, is she? If she goes, wouldn't there be enough places?"
Mrs. Wu comforted her, "Don't worry, go to the gate of the mansion and take a look. Even if she is ready to go, she hasn't gone yet, has she? You are her mother, the mistress. If you don't want her to go, how can she go?"
Madam Su suppressed her anger: "This child just doesn't like me. Maybe she is blaming me for what happened in front of the ancestral hall, but she doesn't think about it. Can I be blamed for this? What is her attitude towards me? Zhiyi is not my child, but how does Zhiyi treat me?"
Mrs. Wu nodded: "Yes, Miss Zhiyi was raised by you, so the feelings must be different."
"Go check on Zhiyi and accompany her to the gate of the mansion."
"yes."
When Yu Shengsheng arrived at the gate of the mansion, Su Huaiyuan was already there. Not only him, but also the old lady and Su Huaishan.
Seeing her coming, the old lady and Su Huaishan were both surprised and displeased.
"Why are you here?" Su Huaishan asked directly.
Yu Shengsheng didn't say anything. Su Huaiyuan frowned and said, "Why can't Shengsheng come? I want to take her with me."
"I don't agree," Su Huaishan simply refused, "Brother, there are not many places available, what's the point of you taking her with you?"
"Shengsheng has just been conferred the title of Princess. Given her status, it is natural for her to go. What do you mean by what's going on?" Su Huaiyuan frowned. "Okay, you don't have to see me off. Go back."
Su Huaishan's eyes widened: "Me? You want me to go back? I want to attend the palace banquet too!"
Su Huaiyuan was even more surprised than him: "Which uterine banquet are you attending? The emperor didn't ask you to go."
Su Huaishan was furious: "The quota is for the Su family. I am also a member of the Su family. You and I are brothers, so why don't I have a share?"
The old lady stopped him: "Okay, what are you arguing about? What are you talking about?"
She glanced at the silent Yu Shengsheng, secretly blaming her for being ignorant. Given the situation, shouldn't she just say she would quit and give up her spot?
"Shengsheng, you..."
Yu Shengsheng didn't say anything and just watched them bite each other.
Madam Su also strode over: "My husband is right, Second Uncle, you should not go. Let my husband and I take the children with us."
Su Huaishan snorted and before he could say anything, Su Huaiyuan's expression became even uglier.
"Why are you here?"
Madam Su's smile froze: "Of course I will bring the children into the palace with you."
"My mother and I will take Shengsheng and Yanshu with us." Su Huaiyuan said coldly, "You don't have to go."
Madam Su almost thought she had heard wrongly: "I don't want to go? Su Huaiyuan, are you sure? Even if it's you and mother, Shengsheng and Yanshu, there's still one missing."
Before he finished speaking, Ruan Jing came over slowly: "Am I not late?"
Madam Su suddenly turned around and stared at her, her eyes looking like she wanted to kill her: "What are you doing here?"
"Jing'er, come with me," Su Huaiyuan said.
Mrs. Su couldn't believe it: "Su Huaiyuan, say it again."
"It's the same no matter how many times I say it," Su Huaiyuan said without hesitation, every word was clear, "Jing'er, go with me, you, Dingqin, and Zhiyi, stay in the mansion."
Su Huaiyuan still remembered what the Red Dragon Guard mentioned to him when they came to issue the decree.
The reason why the Minister of Justice brought his wife to the palace banquet that year was because of their marital discord. His wife made a scene at the banquet, and the Minister of Justice was held accountable by the Emperor and demoted.
He was one of the six ministers of various ministries, but was demoted three levels in two years and became a marginal figure.
He must learn from this lesson and must take it as a warning.
"Su Huaiyuan, who does she think she is? Is she worthy enough to compete with me for the position? You take her but not me, aren't you afraid of being punished by the emperor?" Madam Su asked angrily.
Yu Shengsheng looked at her angry expression and thought to herself, people can never feel empathy. Only when you are in pain yourself can you deeply understand it.
In the past, when Madam Su asked her to tolerate Su Zhiyi in everything and when she suffered all kinds of grievances, she would downplay it and shed a few tears, which seemed to be the greatest comfort to her.
Today it was Madam Su's turn to be wronged and chosen out, and she was so angry.
However, no matter how angry you are, this is a foregone conclusion.
Since Su Huaiyuan made such arrangements, he must have made up his mind. Otherwise, he would not have never mentioned it to Madam Su because he was afraid that she would make a fuss and be annoyed.
Su Huaiyuan bowed in the direction of the palace and said, "The emperor gave me a superior seat because of my military merits, so that I can bring people with merits into the palace."
"The last time Shengsheng went to the palace to express her gratitude, the emperor praised her highly. Since she is a princess, she should go."
"Jing'er and I returned from the battlefield. Her brother died saving me, so she should have a share of the military merit. If she attends the palace banquet with me, the emperor will only praise her. How could he blame her?"
Mrs. Su was speechless, staring at them angrily, her face flushed red.
The old lady was originally afraid that Su Huaiyuan would be accused of forgetting his first wife because he had Ruan Jing, so she wanted to persuade Su Huaiyuan, but after hearing what he said, she shut up again.
"Mother..." Seeing that she was silent, Mrs. Su wanted her to speak for her.
"Mother," Su Yanshu pushed Su Zhiyi over, "Mother, I'm going to the East Palace to find the prince. I'm going with the prince. You can go with father."
Mrs. Su's anger subsided slightly: "He's still my son..."
Su Huaiyuan refused: "No."
Madam Su was shocked and angry: "Why? This is what my son gave to me. What does it have to do with you?"
Su Huaiyuan glanced at her and said, "Based on your behavior, you are not suitable to attend."
Seeing that Mrs. Su was so irrational and angry, Su Huaiyuan became even more determined not to let her go.
Yu Shengsheng's gaze fell on Su Zhiyi.
She had a smile on her face and looked surprisingly good, with a determination in her eyes.
A question mark slowly emerged in Yu Shengsheng's mind. Why? Su Huaiyuan clearly told her not to go, but she not only came, but was also so confident.
"Yan Shu has not yet been appointed as an official, so it is not appropriate to trouble the Crown Prince everywhere," Su Huaiyuan said, "If you make the Crown Prince unhappy, wouldn't it be more trouble than gain?"
Su Yanshu pursed his lips slightly, thinking that what he said made sense, but he also felt a little unhappy. He knew clearly that he didn't have an official position yet, so why didn't he use his military merits to exchange for grace for him, but gave Yu Shengsheng the title of a princess instead?
Su Huaiyuan glanced at them both and said, "Yanshu, send Zhiyi and your mother back to the courtyard."
Su Zhiyi said slowly: "Father, I want to go too."
Su Huaiyuan frowned slightly: "Zhiyi, you..."
There was the sound of horse hooves, and a young eunuch jumped off his horse.
Su Yanshu recognized at a glance that this was the prince's attendant.
He took two steps forward and said politely, "Young eunuch, does His Royal Highness the Crown Prince have something to ask me?"
The young eunuch smiled and took something out of his bosom: "Master Su, I am not here to see you. I am here on the orders of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to invite Princess Rongyang to the palace for a banquet."
Yu Shengsheng’s eyelids twitched.
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