Shen Wan thought that as long as she did no worse than Fu Shu and Shen Ying, Empress Song would not be able to find fault with her. In the end, she underestimated Empress Song's determination to control her.
Faced with Empress Song's reprimand, Shen Wan's face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost.
Seeing the defiant look in Shen Wan's eyes, Empress Song said, "Slap my palm!"
As soon as Empress Song finished speaking, the nanny walked over to Shen Wan and said, "Princess Ling, put out your hand."
Shen Wan said, "I didn't knock over the teacup on purpose, the tea saucer was the problem..."
Empress Song's eyes turned cold and sharp. "It's one thing to accidentally spill a teacup, but to blame it on a palace maid? Give her thirty slaps on the palm of her hand!"
The old woman gave her a look, and immediately two palace maids came over, pressed down on Shen Wan, and pried her hands off.
The old woman raised the paddle high, about to strike—
At that moment, a hoarse voice rang out:
"His Majesty has arrived."
How did the Emperor return?
Empress Song's expression changed slightly, and she quickly rose to greet the Emperor.
Shen Wan glanced over and saw a figure in bright yellow approaching. She broke free from the maid who was holding her, squatted down, picked up the tea tray with her embroidered handkerchief, grabbed the hand of the maid who was serving her tea, placed the tea tray on it, and held it tightly.
The palace maid gasped for breath.
Empress Song roared, "Princess Consort Ling! What are you doing?!"
The emperor had already entered by then, and upon seeing this scene, he frowned deeply.
Shen Wan knelt down before the Emperor and said, "Father, I did this only to prove to the Empress that I wasn't unable to hold the teacup steady; it was the palace maid who tampered with the tea saucer!"
"The Empress ignored everything and immediately tried to slap my hand. I beg Father to do justice for me."
The palace maid nearly fainted from the pain when Shen Wan let go of her hand, and the tea tray fell to the ground.
Eunuch Yuan squatted down to pick up the tea tray, but almost touched it before quickly pulling his hand back, saying, "The tea tray is indeed very hot."
Shen Wan said, "This tea tray has been cold for a while now."
It's still so hot even after it's cooled down a bit; it must have been incredibly hot when it was served to Princess Ling.
No wonder Prince Ling was worried and asked him to keep an eye on things. Eunuch Yuan stood behind the Emperor.
The Emperor's face darkened considerably. Empress Song knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It is my fault for failing to manage your subordinates properly. I will certainly..."
"Drag this palace maid away and beat her to death."
The Emperor didn't even listen to Empress Song finish speaking before punishing the palace maid, showing no respect whatsoever to Empress Song.
Empress Song's face looked as if she had been slapped several times.
Even more horrible was the palace maid who served Chen Wan tea, her face deathly pale with fright, crying out, "Your Majesty, save this servant..."
However, the palace maid only dared to utter a sound before the nanny covered her mouth. This was not because she was afraid the palace maid would disturb the emperor, but because she was afraid the palace maid would reveal that the empress had ordered her to do it, thus causing trouble for the empress.
The Emperor sat down and looked at Shen Wan, asking, "Did you burn your hand?"
Shen Wan rubbed her fingertips and said aggrievedly, "It's not serious, but it will definitely peel off a layer of skin."
The Emperor's gaze swept over Empress Song, who gritted her teeth in anger. He rarely came, but he did when she was reprimanding Princess Ling. When had the Emperor ever been so free?!
Before Empress Song could speak, Shen Wan spoke first, "Father, I have a request to make of you—"
The Emperor asked, "What is it?"
Shen Wan said, "These past few days, His Highness has been unwell and I'm worried about not being by his side. Father already had someone teach me these palace rules when I was still a young lady, and I really don't want to waste ten days or half a month learning them all over again..."
The Emperor remained silent, but Empress Song said with displeasure, "Why haven't I heard the Princess Consort of Jin mention that you studied palace rules before?"
Shen Ying immediately looked at Shen Wan and said, "Eldest sister is afraid of being tired from learning palace rules, and she can't lie to the Emperor. You need to take care of Prince Ling, so we'll accommodate you for a few days."
It just so happens that she doesn't want to learn palace rules anyway.
Shen Ying and Shen Wan grew up together. She said that Shen Wan had not learned the palace rules, so Shen Wan was openly deceiving the emperor.
Shen Wan looked at the Emperor and said, "Whether or not you have learned it, Father will know once you try it."
“Wan’er knows that the Empress’s reprimand is justified and that this should not be a precedent, but Wan’er cannot expect the two Princesses of Jin to accommodate Wan’er. Why not let Wan’er compete with Princess Shouchun? She grew up by the Empress’s side and knows the palace rules best. If Wan’er does worse than Princess Shouchun, then Father Emperor will pretend that Wan’er did not say anything just now.”
Shen Wan proposed a contest, specifically against Princess Shouchun, whom Empress Song had carefully instructed. Empress Song had no objections.
If Shen Wan's understanding of palace rules and etiquette were better than Princess Shouchun's, Empress Song would have no face to personally reprimand her anymore. It would be more appropriate to use that time to teach her own daughter, Princess Shouchun.
Empress Song could not and would not object; Shen Wan was determined to humiliate herself, and she would not stop her.
The Emperor immediately granted his request, and Eunuch Yuan instructed the young eunuch, "Quickly summon Princess Shouchun."
Princess Shouchun was present before, but she found it too boring to watch Shen Wan and the others learn the palace rules, especially since Shen Wan was doing quite well. After watching for a while, Princess Shouchun found it extremely tedious and took the palace maids to the Imperial Garden to admire the flowers.
The eunuch went to the Imperial Garden to deliver a message. Princess Shouchun learned from the eunuch that Shen Wan wanted to compete with her in palace rules. She found it ridiculous that a legitimate daughter of a marquis dared to compete with her, a princess who had been in the palace since birth, in who knew the palace rules better. She wondered who gave Princess Ling such audacity to speak to her father, the Emperor.
Princess Ling has brought this humiliation upon herself, so she has no reason not to grant her wish.
Princess Shouchun didn't delay and immediately came to Fengyi Palace.
Upon entering the main hall, without even bowing to the Emperor and Empress, she turned to Chen Wan and said, "You want to compete with me in palace etiquette? What do you want to compete in?"
Shen Wan said, "Whatever we compete in, the princess shall decide."
That's what they said—
That's incredibly arrogant.
Even Eunuch Yuan wanted to tell Shen Wan to be more modest.
Princess Ling is capable of everything, so why would Prince Ling worry that she wouldn't be able to learn the palace rules and ask him to keep an eye on her?
If you speak so confidently, Empress Song will hold a grudge and never let it go; the palace rules could break your elbow if you keep repeating them.
Princess Shouchun also disliked what Shen Wan said. She said, "Let Father decide, so that people won't say that I'm bullying you."
Shen Wan didn't care who made the rules; she knew all the palace rules that an empress should know.
Yes, she not only understands palace rules, she also understands Princess Shouchun.
Just because a princess grew up in the palace doesn't mean she knows all the palace rules.
The nanny wrote down all the palace rules and etiquette to be learned in a booklet, along with a thick stack of palace rules, and presented them to the emperor.
The Emperor opened the booklet, selected several etiquette rules, and had Shen Wan and Princess Shouchun demonstrate them for everyone.
The first two were relatively simple; Shen Wan and Princess Shouchun did quite well. However, Empress Song's expression turned very unpleasant afterward.
Because Princess Shouchun's work was not as good as Shen Wan's.
His every move was fluid and graceful; even the most nitpicky person couldn't find anything wrong with it.
The old nanny stood to the side, her brows furrowed so tightly they could trap a fly. Watching Princess Ling's disciplined movements, she even had a fleeting illusion that she herself had trained her...
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