Chapter 160 Provocation
The capital city is so vast, it truly has all sorts of wonders.
"Alright, everyone, disperse. I will convey the message: the Princess and the County Princess will be back soon from their ancestral worship. This area needs to be cleared and quiet!"
In stark contrast to the bustling scene at the entrance of the Princess's residence, the Xiao family members were deathly silent in the living room.
Xiao Su was deeply saddened by Yan Niang's departure. At this moment, he was just a shell sitting there, his mind preoccupied with how Gu Linyan was doing and whether she was alright.
Lin Hui sat next to Xiao Su, her eyes vacant and her posture listless.
The day has finally come.
She wanted to recognize someone else as her godmother after the daughter she had carried for ten months and given birth to with great difficulty.
Although she had said in anger that she would sever her relationship with her daughter, she still came when the Princess's residence sent someone to invite them to today's daughter recognition ceremony.
She held Xiao Yuyao's hand tightly, as if this could slightly alleviate the unease in her heart.
However, Xiao Yuyao had suffered too many blows during this period. She had been dealing with both the epidemic and mental illness recently. Now that she had just recovered from her illness, she did not need to attend, but she insisted on coming along under the pretext of taking care of Lin Hui.
Xiao Yuyao was so thin that she was almost nothing but skin and bones, yet her small face was even smaller than the palm of her hand, giving her a delicate and frail appearance.
"Mother...you're pinching me too hard."
She looked at her fingers, which Lin Hui was gripping tightly, with a hint of grievance, and bit her lower lip.
"Ah, it's all Mother's fault!"
Lin Hui quickly let go of her hand and looked at the small, thin hand in her palm, which resembled a chicken claw. A look of confusion appeared in her eyes.
"Yuyao, why have you lost so much weight? Are the servants not taking good care of you? Or is the food not to your liking?"
She was surprised to find that Xiao Yuyao's clothes were much too big, and that the jewelry Xiao Yuyao wore today was so plain that it was not even as nice as the maids in the Princess's mansion. She felt a little strange.
"It's because your mother has neglected you these days. Today is your fifth sister's big day, and you're dressed too plainly."
She recalled that Xiao Yuyao hadn't seemed to be favored by the Princess in the past. If she were to appear before the Princess in such a plain manner, it might make the Princess think that Xiao Yuyao wasn't sincerely congratulating her.
She took two delicate gold hairpins from her own hair and pinned them in Xiao Yuyao's hair, which made her look much better.
"Thank you, Mother."
Xiao Yuyao thanked her gratefully.
However, Lin Hui's next words caused the little joy she had just felt to vanish:
"Don't upset the princess any further. I'll send you home in front of all those guests."
Lin Hui's voice was not loud, barely audible to the mother and daughter, but Xiao Yuyao still blushed, her earlobes turning as red as if they were dripping blood.
It's all Xiao Yuxuan's fault and her father's mistress! They've caused chaos in the entire Xiao family, and she's been repeatedly blamed for it!
"Yes... Mother, it's all Yuyao's fault. Yuyao was worried about Mother's health and didn't feel like dressing up, so I dressed simply today."
"But speaking of which, why don't you wear all the jewelry and ornaments I gave you before? You are at the age where you are like a flower bud, you should be looking beautiful, don't be so self-pitying."
Lin Hui herself didn't realize it, but Xiao Yuyao easily detected a lot of impatience and perfunctory tone in her voice that she hadn't heard before.
These things had never happened before Xiao Yuxuan returned.
Her lower lip was almost bitten until it bled, and her other hand gripped the handkerchief tightly, a flash of resentment crossing her eyes.
“Mother is right, Yuyao will remember.”
She lowered her neck softly, concealing her expression, and her voice was gentle and affectionate, with nothing amiss.
Lin Hui didn't really want to lecture her at this time. Seeing that she was as sensible and proper as ever, she immediately turned her gaze to the door.
Xiao Jue sat at the lower end, his head slightly lowered as he stared at his toes, lost in thought.
Two oddly shaped strands of hair fell across his forehead, barely covering the bruise on his forehead caused by the brush.
"Brother, what's wrong? I called you twice and you didn't hear me."
Xiao Min's voice grew louder, attracting the attention of Xiao Jin on the other side.
However, his relationship with Xiao Min remained awkward. Now they wouldn't even greet each other when they met. They would just glance at each other and then look away in silence.
Xiao Jue turned his head and looked at Xiao Min.
"What is it?"
Xiao Min covered his mouth with his hand and whispered, "Brother, don't you also dislike Xiao Yuxuan? We're here today, we can't let Xiao Yuxuan become a princess so easily and rise to prominence!"
"what you up to?"
Xiao Jue gave him a warning look.
This second brother is still a child at heart.
His parents used to be quite strict with him. Later, his third brother entered the palace as a study companion from a young age and learned to read people's expressions. Only his second brother was neither good nor bad. His personality was not restrained, and he learned a lot of pedantic and arrogant habits from a bunch of his peers in the academy.
"You'd better behave yourself and go back to the academy as soon as the ceremony for recognizing your daughter is over. Don't forget, there are still a few months until the autumn imperial examination. This will be your first time participating. If you don't want people to say that you are not as good as me, then you should concentrate and show some real skills."
All three boys in the Xiao family were proper scholars. Xiao Jin was fine, but Xiao Min was often compared to his eldest brother.
From the very beginning of early childhood education, the competition was based on factors such as how fast one could recognize characters, the ranking of one's children in the imperial examinations, and so on.
He knew that although Xiao Min didn't say it, he still cared a lot and often secretly competed with him.
However, upon hearing this, Xiao Min's expression changed slightly.
Xiao Min's gaze swept subtly across Xiao Jue's forehead, a mocking smile curving his lips.
Does the eldest brother still think he's the promising young master Xiao?
Little did he know that things were different now. His disgraceful annulment of the engagement had become "famous throughout the capital," resulting in his demotion and dismissal. Now, he had been completely abandoned by his father.
In his opinion, the most promising son of the Xiao family in the future will still be Xiao Min.
Xiao Jue's glory days are over.
"Brother, I don't want people to say I'm like you, going back on my word so close to the wedding date, ruining my own and my fourth sister's reputation, and destroying my future. Tsk tsk."
"Xiao Min!"
Xiao Jue's lips tightened, anger brewing in his eyes, ready to erupt at any moment.
"Alright, alright, my elder brother is a peerless gentleman of noble character, and I am the despicable person who talks behind people's backs, is that alright?"
Feeling bored, Xiao Min turned his head away and stopped looking at him.
Hmph, what eldest brother and third brother? They're all good-for-nothings.
The Xiao family will have to rely on him from now on.
Xiao Jin watched the brothers' bloodless exchange, and he frowned almost imperceptibly.
What is the second brother doing trying to sow discord between the eldest brother and me again?
He was too far away to hear clearly what the two were arguing about, but judging from their expressions and the way they were lip-syncing, he knew it wasn't anything nice.
Given Xiao Min's previous provocation, he thought about it and decided to step forward and say a few words to make peace.
Just then, a maid from the Princess's residence who was attending to her entered, curtsied, and said with a joyful expression:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Eldest Princess and Princess Chang Le have returned. They just entered the mansion gates."
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