26 Full Power◇
◎Rehabilitating the image of minor social phobia◎
Qin Lianhua's address of "cousin-in-law" puzzled Feng Ran for a long time. After thinking for a while, she realized that according to seniority, Qin Lianhua could indeed call Duan Jingchuan "cousin-in-law." However, she usually called her "the heir apparent's wife" at the Marquis's residence, so she hadn't thought of it at the moment.
She didn't understand why she minded; Feng Ran simply didn't like these people subconsciously.
A girl dressed in a bright yellow apricot-patterned jacket stepped forward, her eyes sweeping over Feng Ran's face. She smiled and said, "The Prime Minister's second daughter, Wu Fengqing, is renowned far and wide. I never expected that the Crown Princess, as the second daughter's elder sister, would be so different. It's quite surprising."
A hint of a smile flashed in Qin Lianhua's eyes upon hearing this, but she turned to look at Feng Ran with a worried expression. "Wan'er, your cousin-in-law is not bad." Her tone was weak and lacked any persuasiveness.
The girl in yellow, Sun Wan'er, smiled sweetly, "Of course Huahua is on your cousin's side, but anyone with eyes can see that these two sisters are worlds apart."
Qin Lianhua looked at Feng Ran with concern, her helpless expression clearly telling Feng Ran that she had really tried her best, but the truth was what it was, and she couldn't refute it.
The delicate fragrance of sandalwood gradually replaced the chaotic aromas, bringing a sense of calm and tranquility. However, some people, no matter how much sandalwood they use, cannot quell their inner jealousy and arrogance.
Feng Ran finally understood that these people were there to laugh at her, not to get to know her.
He stretched his wrists, taking in the various expressions on the faces of the people around him, and chuckled softly, not one of them seemed to have any good intentions.
"Alright, I know what you're going to say. You're just mocking me for not being good-looking, right? As long as my husband is good-looking, that's enough. If you're so capable, find a beautiful woman to be your husband, then you can mock me later."
Unable to bear the complicated details with them, Feng Ran bypassed them and turned to leave.
The girls looked displeased. Feng Ran had embarrassed them, but they had indeed spoken rudely first. If things escalated, they wouldn't dare to say much because of their reputations. Feng Ran's decision not to respond caught them off guard.
Sun Wan'er retorted indignantly, "What's there to be proud of? So what if I married an idiot?"
Qin Lianhua quickly tugged at Sun Wan'er's sleeve, "Wan'er, don't talk nonsense."
Thinking that Qin Lianhua was in the know, Sun Wan'er asked with a curious look, "Is Prince Duan really so handsome?"
Recalling Duan Jingchuan's handsome face that was so striking it was almost unbearable, Qin Lianhua was somewhat lost in thought and said sincerely, "In terms of looks alone, he is the most handsome man in the capital."
"Why does Prince Duan never come out? Is he really sick?"
Qin Lianhua did not answer this question directly, but instead invited Sun Wan'er to go play somewhere else.
The banquet was always boring, and Feng Ran, who was full and satisfied, felt extremely bored.
Today, many people came to look at her or chat with her, and she dealt with them all.
She naturally greets those with good intentions with a smile, but politely declines those who come with blatant malice.
Finally, the party ended, and Feng Ran breathed a sigh of relief. She was starting to look forward to the new pastries from Jinghua Courtyard, wondering what the socially anxious girl would prepare for her.
One after another, the group left the Duke of Lu's mansion, and several carriages inevitably gathered together, with people coming and going.
Lady Qin, the wife of the Marquis, had not yet come out, so Feng Ran had to wait on the side. The other young ladies of the Duan family did come out, but the young ladies of the Duan family, Qin Lianhua and Feng Ran split into two factions, with Feng Ran forming her own faction.
As soon as Sun Wan'er came out, she saw Feng Ran standing there blankly.
Feng Ran wore a light purple dress, which looked exceptionally elegant, but it couldn't hide the sallow complexion on her face, making her appear somewhat petty.
Sun Wan'er strode up to Feng Ran and said with a mocking expression, "My husband may not be handsome, but he's definitely not mentally ill. What makes you so smug?"
Several girls nearby chimed in, saying that although no one said it outright, everyone in the capital knew that the heir of the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion had a mental illness and was sometimes delirious, which was probably not a sign of a long life.
Previously, they only talked about it behind her back, but now, for some reason, they've actually dared to talk about it right in front of Feng Ran.
Everyone chimed in, saying, "I've heard that the heir of the Marquis of Dingbei is seriously ill and probably won't live for more than a few years."
"Not only that, I've heard that the heir of the Marquis of Dingbei often goes mad, resorting to beatings and scoldings, and even killing people. I wonder how many more days his wife will live."
"That's right. If you ask me, Wu Fengqing is clever; she managed to avoid this pit of fire."
Feng Ran didn't hear what was said after that. At this moment, her expression was extremely ugly, and her eyes were sharp. "Who are you saying is sick?"
The carriage from the Marquis of Dingbei's residence was relatively low-key; several Duan family girls had already boarded, leaving only Feng Ran underneath for some fresh air.
Feng Ran stood in the corner again, and the young ladies didn't notice her while they were gossiping. The group of people who were talking behind her back were caught by the person in question, and their faces turned somewhat ugly.
Sun Wan'er stepped aside and watched from the sidelines.
One of the more spoiled girls said arrogantly, "Are we wrong?"
Feng Ran was furious. "What makes you think my husband is sick? Is it just because he's not good with words? Does he dislike communicating with people? What kind of retirement due to illness is that? Even if my husband is sick, what does it have to do with you?"
The spoiled girl grinned and flicked her sleeves. "Princess Consort, what are you saying? Are we not even allowed to discuss the truth?"
Feng Ran lowered her eyes, making it impossible to discern her emotions. She fiddled with the gold-inlaid jade bracelet on her wrist and said coldly, "You can say whatever you want, and I don't really care what you say, but if I overheard you talking about my husband, that's unacceptable. Just because he's different from others, does that mean you deserve to belittle him at will?"
"Princess Consort, you are mistaken. Among all the officials in the capital, the heir of the Marquis of Dingbei is the only one who is truly exceptional. We women, who have lived in the inner quarters for many years, know little about him, but since we know this one, we naturally want to discuss him more."
Feng Ran sneered, "There are so many different people in this world, and even among the different, there are good and evil. Instead of cursing those evil people, you bully my husband. Is that reasonable? It's only because he is kind and doesn't like to do evil to others that you are holding onto him so tightly."
The spoiled girl also lost her temper, "Since the Crown Princess doesn't like us talking about your husband, why not just let him come out and quell the rumors? The Crown Prince of Dingbei lives in the Dingbei Marquis's mansion for many years, and no one else has the chance to see him. Whether he is dead or alive, old or young, no one knows."
Feng Ran was confronting a group of girls and did not notice that Lady Qin, the wife of the Marquis of Dingbei, had arrived at the carriage. She glanced at Feng Ran but did not greet her and went straight into the carriage.
Fan completely ignored the girls' provocation and said directly, "I think you all just stand on a high point and look down on everyone, and randomly picked an easy target to experience your superiority."
Before the others could speak again, Feng Ran said in one breath, "In this capital city, not to mention ordinary people, how many different kinds of people are there, especially the sons of officials? It's not just my husband."
“Take Princess Anping, Xiao Siyue, for example. Is she just an ordinary person? Princess Anping is extremely fastidious about cleanliness. She has her maids wipe her stool clean from side to side when she sits on it. If someone who is not properly dressed touches her, they will probably be punished with a cane. Isn’t that different? Do you dare to say so? But is this difference wrong?”
“My father, Prime Minister Wu, desperately wanted a son, but he had a whole household of daughters. Isn’t that different? Are all these differences a disease? Everyone is just one of the masses, but everyone has their own differences. As long as these differences don’t affect your interests or violate any moral principles, no one can stand high and mighty and discuss these differences. You can speak freely, but you cannot utter slander.”
Feng Ran's voice was neither loud nor soft, but she heard everything that was appropriate to hear and inappropriate to hear in front of the Duke of Lu's mansion.
For a moment, you could hear a pin drop.
The maid beside Princess Anping, Xiao Siyue, said angrily, "Princess, this Crown Princess is too rude and dared to speak so disrespectfully."
Xiao Siyue shook her head. "She's right. Even if no one talks about me on the spot, how many people talk about me behind my back? Talking about the facts isn't scary, but slander based on rumors is deadly. I'm just a clean person, but everyone says I'm eccentric and unpredictable, and it's even affected my marriage."
Unlike Xiao Siyue's understanding, Prime Minister Wu's face darkened, and the surrounding officials dared not utter a sound, for fear of touching the tiger's tail.
After speaking for so long, Feng Ran was a little tired. She took a breath and her words carried a sinister threat, "My husband has a good temper, but that doesn't mean I have a good temper. If you hear your foul mouths again, you might as well take a look at this stone. Let me tell you in good faith that I am also very different. For example, I am extremely strong."
Everyone saw that the pebble that Feng Ran had been playing with in her hand had been broken into pieces and fell to the ground.
The ladies and young women were taken aback and took a step back, fearing that the strong woman in front of them might suddenly go crazy and hurt them.
Looking around, Feng Ran nodded, quite satisfied with the effect she had achieved.
Xiuer then dared to step forward, afraid of accidentally disturbing the Princess Consort's full-on attack. "Princess Consort, the Lady of the Marquis has returned. Let's get in the carriage and go back."
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