"So Lady Cui and the Princess are actually family!"
Madam Zheng pretended to have just learned of their relationship and said with feigned delight, "Oh, this is wonderful!"
"Since we are relatives and both live in Yuezhou, we should keep in touch well in the future."
While clapping her hands exaggeratedly and laughing, Madam Zheng spoke with a pointed remark.
Xie Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Madam Zheng, are you trying to teach this princess how to do things?"
Xie Yuan did not want to turn against him now, because Helian Jue and his army had not yet returned.
It would be unwise to break ties with the governor's office at this time.
If things go wrong, Cui Boyong and his gang will resort to desperate measures.
Of course, Xie Yuan wasn't afraid.
When Helian Jue left, he left her with eight hundred personal guards.
These people were among the earliest, and are definitely "veterans".
There was also Helian Chen, a veteran general with rich experience and bravery in battle.
With their protection, as long as Cui Boyong doesn't use the troops from the Yuezhou camp to besiege them, Xie Yuan and the Yue Prince's Mansion will be safe.
Furthermore, Cui Boyong is neither a fool nor extremely arrogant.
If ordinary people storm government offices, they will be judged as rioters plotting rebellion.
Furthermore, for "officials" to attack the prince's residence was an act of blatant disrespect, a treasonous act.
Even if they were mortal enemies, and Cui Boyong was determined to kill Xie Yuan, he wouldn't dare to do it openly. Instead, he would create a "civil unrest" as he had done in the past.
At that time, he took the opportunity to plant his men among the "mob" and kill Xie Yuan in the chaos.
Just like the newly appointed magistrate of He County, Li Jin, the prefect of Huangzhou next door, and several other court officials who had previously perished!
Xie Yuanfei quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind and then concluded that she was not afraid of Cui Boyong.
There's no need to fear Madam Zheng, a woman confined to the inner quarters!
She was unwilling to provoke them before, not because she was afraid, but because she found it troublesome and because the other party had not crossed her bottom line.
But today was different; Xie Yuan was truly disgusted—Madam Zheng had actually brought out Madam Cui!
Xie Yuan and Xie Ze were only distant relatives. Xie Ze, using a powerful figure in the palace, seized control of the entire Xie family after the unexpected deaths of Xie Yuan's parents and younger brother.
Xie Yuan was even forced by Xie Ze to become a substitute bride...
Xie Yuan did not believe that Madam Zheng, who came from a prominent family and had many relatives and friends in the capital, would be unaware of these past events.
But she still pretended to be stupid and brought Cui Shi in front of Xie Yuan, and kept referring to her as "our own relative".
This is deliberately meant to annoy and disgust Xie Yuan.
If Xie Yuan could still tolerate it, then she would truly become a pitiful little thing who could be bullied by everyone.
Her previous attempts to establish her authority have become a laughing stock of empty boasting.
Thinking of this, Xie Yuan's face darkened, and he looked coldly at Madam Zheng: "This princess is a first-rank imperial consort bestowed by the Emperor, and is the new bride of the royal family."
As Xie Yuan spoke, he looked Madam Zheng up and down with disdain.
She did not directly say that Madam Zheng was neither her proper elder nor a woman of high rank, and therefore had no right to "instruct" Xie Yuan.
Xie Yuan didn't say these words, but her eyes made it all too clear.
Boom~~
Madam Zheng was both ashamed and angry.
She stayed in Yuezhou with Cui Boyong for several years, where she was constantly flattered by the female relatives of the powerful and wealthy in Yuezhou.
She had long regarded herself as the First Lady of Yuezhou, the most honored woman in the Yuezhou region.
Last year, when the Princess Consort of Yue came, she was even granted the title of Princess Consort by the court. However, Madam Zheng did not take her seriously. Since the Prince of Yue had been deposed, the wife's status depended on her husband. How much more noble could the Princess Consort of Yue be?
Xie Yuan, on the other hand, did not try to curry favor or flatter.
But she was still "polite" to Madam Zheng.
Madam Zheng mistakenly thought that Xie Yuan was "pragmatic" and dared not act like a princess in front of her.
Madam Zheng became even more smug, and her whole body seemed to float on air.
At this moment, Xie Yuan used cold words to directly scold her down from mid-air. How could Madam Zheng not be ashamed and angry?
Her face flushed red, her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single word.
After a long while, Madam Zheng finally found her voice and said resentfully, "What does Your Highness mean by this? I only meant well!"
"Me? Zheng Shi. This princess is kind and generous, and has never wanted to argue with you about rules. But just because this princess doesn't care doesn't mean you can be rude."
"Who are you? What rank of imperial consort? How dare you refer to yourself as 'I' in front of this princess?"
Xie Yuan spoke forcefully.
She wore the words "bullying others by taking advantage of one's power" clearly on her face.
Madam Zheng's face turned even redder, almost turning black.
She was at least forty years old and the wife of a prefect, holding the rank of fourth grade.
Both her maternal and marital families were prestigious and influential. Even before coming to Lingnan, she was a highly sought-after figure in the capital.
She is proud, she is flamboyant.
However, Xie Yuan shattered all of this—
Comparing family backgrounds? The Zheng family of Xingyang is indeed a prominent family, but they are a rising star.
Xie Yuan, on the other hand, came from the Chenjun Xie clan, a prestigious family with a history of over a thousand years, and belonged to a first-class aristocratic family.
Xie Yuan wins decisively!
Comparing status? Madam Zheng was merely the wife of a prefect, while Xie Yuan was the wife of a first-rank prince, a daughter-in-law of the royal family.
Moreover, and most importantly, Xie Yuan is not some other princess, but the Princess of Yue of Yuezhou.
Yuezhou was the fiefdom of the King of Yue, who was the "king" of this land.
The officials of Yuezhou and their families were all "subjects" of the King of Yue.
Of course, the governors were appointed by the imperial court and were trusted by the emperor.
However, out of courtesy, the governor and his family members had to respectfully refer to themselves as "your subject" and "your concubine" when addressing the King of Yue and his wife.
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