Chapter 240 The Wu family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law stir up trouble again
When Madam Min and her entourage were led to the banquet hall, there were already quite a few people there. However, they were mostly wives of officials of low rank.
Upon seeing the arrival of Madam Min and Madam Zheng, some people stood up to greet them, while others looked disdainful, pretended not to see them, and turned away to whisper to the people next to them.
Madam Min Qiao ignored those people, found a place to sit down with Madam Zheng, and then told the eldest young mistress of the Yongning Marquis's mansion, who had led them in, to go about her business.
The banquet at the Yongning Marquis's residence was held in two venues: one was this flower hall, and the other was in a pavilion not far away, which was said to be a place specially prepared for the young ladies attending the banquet.
On the way in, the eldest young mistress of the Yongning Marquis's mansion had already mentioned that if anyone wanted to go, the maids in the flower hall could lead the way.
"I'm going to have a chat with Madam Zheng. You all go and have some fun. You don't need to stay here with us."
After Madam Min Qiao and Madam Zheng sat down, they told Min Yuexi and the others to go and have fun on their own.
Min Yuexi had her own plans, and Wei Jia also had her own schemes. Therefore, when Madam Min Qiao said this, Min Yuexi and Su Rongrong both agreed and left with their maids.
Qiao Yuanyao, on the other hand, sat properly next to Madam Min and didn't go anywhere.
Lady Bai, wife of the Duke of Jin, and Lady Wu, wife of the Marquis of Xuanping, also stayed behind.
Wu was initially hesitant and wanted to go with Min Yuexi, but Min Yuexi instructed her to stay and take care of Min Qiaoshi, so that Min Qiaoshi wouldn't be bullied.
Upon hearing her daughter's explanation, Wu instinctively felt it was absurd. Who could possibly bully this old lady in their family? It was good enough that she didn't bully others.
However, she only dared to mutter a few words to herself.
After everything that's happened, she now listens to her daughter in everything.
Seeing her mother nod, Min Yuexi smiled and left with Su Rongrong.
Of course, Wei Jia and A Qi also left with them, as well as Min Yuexi's personal maid Yu Hua and two other errand girls.
Before leaving, Wei Jia wanted to say something to Min Qiao Shi, but Min Qiao Shi deliberately ignored her gaze.
After everyone left, Madam Zheng asked with a curious look, "If I'm not mistaken, those two maids next to the Earl of Enping are your people, right? When did you give them to the Earl of Enping? Bringing them out in this kind of setting, aren't you afraid people will gossip about you?"
Min Qiao's lips twitched, and for a moment she didn't know how to answer.
She knew that Madam Zheng was reminding her.
Aqi was alright; she hadn't gone out with her much before. But Weijia had been constantly by her side for the past year.
Those who know her know that Wei Jia has long since replaced Granny Fang as her most trusted confidante.
But now, the person she relies on most is with Lady Enping.
A discerning person can almost instantly conjure up countless conspiracies and schemes.
For example, Min Qiaoshi outwardly kept her distance from the Enping Earl's Mansion, but in reality, she wanted to control Su Rongrong and then get on board with the Enping Earl's Mansion.
Yes, it's about attaching oneself to something.
Although the title of the Marquis of Xuanping is higher than that of the Earl of Enping, in reality, the prestige and dignity of a noble family depend entirely on whether the emperor values and employs the family. Official positions and real power are the standards for judging the prestige of a mansion.
Speaking of which, Min Rong, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, was actually considered quite good among the nobles.
However, compared to the Earl of Enping, who commanded 50,000 troops and was in charge of the defense of the capital region, he was far inferior.
To summarize, among the noble families of the court, the Earl of Enping's family has now risen to become the leading figure in the first tier.
Also in the same tier were the Annam Earl's Mansion, the Yongchang Marquis's Mansion, and the Zhenguo General's Mansion, all of which held military power.
Unfortunately, the Yongchang Marquis's Mansion was low-key, the Zhenguo General's Mansion had few members, and the Annan Earl's Mansion was not low-key at all, but everyone's attention was drawn to the Annan Earl's wife, that talkative and gossipy woman.
When people mention the Annam Earl's Mansion, the first thing that comes to mind is the Annam Earl's wife. Is someone being gossiped about again?
They would never have imagined that the Earl of Annam was a powerful minister who held military power.
However, once the body of the second young master of the Zhenguo General's Mansion is sent back to the capital, the Zhenguo General's Mansion will also be deserted.
We've gone off on a tangent.
Let's get back to the main topic.
In the eyes of the world, Madam Min Qiao was definitely up to no good by sending her maid to the Lady of Enping.
Back then, after she acknowledged Su Rongrong, she didn't let anyone change their address. She even intentionally or unintentionally revealed that this family reunion was just a scheme by the Earl of Enping to arrange a good background for his wife.
But now that Wei Jia is seen by Su Rongrong's side, I'm afraid those people will be spreading rumors about her behind her back.
Although Madam Min didn't care, considering Wei Jia's purpose in sending A Qi to Su Rongrong's side, it didn't seem like she was being wronged.
Sure enough, as soon as Su Rongrong and her group left, a discordant sound came from the flower hall.
"Madam Qiao is truly capable! She has already extended her reach to the Earl of Enping's residence so quickly! She is truly admirable!"
No sooner had the words left her mouth than someone chimed in, "No wonder Madam Qiao was so adamant, not even giving face to the Crown Princess. Turns out she has something to rely on!"
Everyone gasped in shock.
Looking in the direction of the voice, the speakers were none other than Old Madam Wu and Third Madam Liu from the Crown Princess's family.
It's quite a strange story. Old Mrs. Wu married three daughters-in-law. The eldest daughter-in-law was not good with words, but she was good at managing the household and kept the Wu family in good order. She also gave birth to the Crown Princess, a very precious person.
The second daughter-in-law is also very capable.
But Old Mrs. Wu just happened to like this third daughter-in-law.
There was no way around it; the third son was the youngest, so he was naturally favored. And this third son's wife was her niece from her maternal family—she was sweet-talking, knew how to please, and would always bring back nice things for her. No wonder she was her favorite.
Although many things had happened before, Old Mrs. Wu was also angry at her third daughter-in-law for her poor behavior.
But once the storm passed, Mrs. Liu would send her some nice things and say a few kind words, and Mrs. Wu would take her out again.
Because of the warning given to them by the Crown Prince, the Wu family kept a low profile for a while.
The reason I came so early is because I knew in advance that the prince and princess might come.
To avoid conflict, the Wu family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law arrived early in the morning. After arriving, they sat quietly, drinking tea, chatting, and watching the play, without arguing with anyone. Their quietness was unlike that of the Wu family.
But as soon as Madam Min arrived, the Wu family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law couldn't hold back anymore.
The Wu family failed to obtain the hot spring estate they wanted, and their attempt to sabotage Qiao Yuanyao's entry into the palace also failed. In addition, they caused the Crown Princess to have a miscarriage, and the Wu family was reprimanded by the Crown Prince.
If you think about it, the Wu family has never gotten the slightest advantage from Madam Min.
Now that we've finally caught Min Qiaoshi in a compromising situation, we have no choice but to ridicule her properly.
"Tsk tsk, you used to act like you didn't want to be associated with the Earl of Enping, but now you've arranged for your people to be by the Earl of Enping's side. Do you really think no one knows what you're up to? Tsk, you really have your cake and eat it too!" Old Madam Wu sneered coldly.
The people who came at this moment were not of high status, and no one dared to echo them. However, many people looked at Min Qiaoshi with a hint of disdain in their eyes.
Seeing that no one echoed her, Madam Liu naturally wouldn't let her mother-in-law's words fall flat, and immediately chimed in, "They come from a merchant family, and merchants are most adept at scheming and making profits! We can't compare to them!"
"Alas, it's such a pity for Lady Enping. She looks so young. I'm afraid she'll be sold off and still have to count the money for the seller!"
Madam Min rolled her eyes at the Wu family mother and daughter-in-law, "Have you forgotten what it feels like to be beaten? Do you want me to remind you of it?"
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