Chapter 224 The Emperor's Brother-in-Law Attends a Banquet with His Concubine
On the other side.
Xiao Yeming's brows had already furrowed when Yunxiu appeared, and now, seeing Lu Zhaoruo leave humiliated, his face instantly darkened.
He looked at Lady Yunxiu, his gaze now devoid of any of the gentleness he had shown before, replaced only by aloofness: "What urgent matter does Lady Yunxiu have? Please speak freely; there are no idlers here."
Lady Yunxiu was stung by his undisguised coldness and hardness, feeling both jealous and annoyed.
She suppressed her anger, took a step forward, looked up at him, and questioned, "Xiao Yeming, the day before yesterday at Xiangguo Temple, I took the initiative to greet you, why did you only give me a cold bow and leave? Today I came to your residence in person, and you still have the same face! Do you think that you can be so disrespectful to old acquaintances just because you have achieved military merit?"
A faint hint of annoyance flashed in Xiao Yeming's eyes, his tone steady yet cold: "Your Highness is too kind. That encounter at the temple was by chance, and I was indeed preoccupied with military affairs, so I could not stay long. I have already fulfilled my duties. Today, as the host of this banquet, I must be even more attentive. If Your Highness has no other business, please forgive me for taking my leave."
After saying that, he made a move to leave.
"Military affairs?"
Lady Yunxiu suddenly stepped to the side, precisely blocking his way, a mocking smile playing on her red lips. "What military affairs? It's nothing more than personally escorting that Lady Lu from Jizhou back to her residence!"
Her voice suddenly rose, filled with undisguised malice: "I can tell your heart has long been bewitched by that shameless, sycophantic 'lowly merchant'! To actually treat her as an honored guest is truly degrading yourself!"
Xiao Ye's eyes suddenly darkened, and his aura changed drastically, like a sword being drawn from its sheath.
He didn't raise his voice, but every word was firm and resolute: "Your Highness, please be careful with your words! Lady Lu has rendered meritorious service to the country and is highly praised by the Emperor. She is a distinguished guest whom I, Xiao, respect. Your Highness is of noble status, so you should be even more careful with your words and actions, and refrain from speaking carelessly and causing trouble!"
This merciless rebuttal was like a public slap in the face.
The color drained from Lady Yunxiu's face, and shame, anger, and resentment welled up in her eyes.
She had never been so publicly humiliated by Xiao Yeming, especially not for the sake of another woman.
"Very good! Very good!"
She laughed coldly, her voice forced out through clenched teeth, carrying a chilling threat, "Xiao Yeming, I've remembered the humiliation you've inflicted on me today. We... will meet again!"
Having said that, she said no more, turned around abruptly, her skirt billowing like waves of blood, and strode away with a fierce aura.
Xiao Yeming did not try to stop him, but only bowed slightly, his manners impeccable yet his demeanor as distant as ice: "Respectfully seeing off the Princess."
He stood there, watching the angry figure walk away, his brows furrowed.
He knew all too well that with the girl's vengeful nature and her mother, the Grand Princess, protecting her, things would be far from over.
But no matter what, he would never allow anyone, under any pretext, to humiliate the woman whose integrity and brilliance he had witnessed all the way from Jizhou.
Song, the old lady's maid, witnessed this scene.
Madam Xiao and Lady Di were sitting in the flower hall, enjoying tea and conversation, laughing and chatting.
Granny Song entered quietly with hurried steps, leaned down and whispered a few words in Old Madam Xiao's ear, reporting that Xiao Yeming had angrily confronted Lady Yunxiu in the garden to protect Lu Zhaoruo.
The dignified smile on Madam Xiao's face froze instantly, and a thin layer of anger suddenly welled up in her eyes, but she forcibly suppressed it because of the presence of the Duchess of Di.
She smiled calmly at the Duchess of Di and said, "Madam Di, please sit down and have some tea. I'll go change my clothes and be right back."
Lady Di, being a shrewd woman, noticed the unusual expression on Song's face and knew that something important had happened at the Xiao residence. She smiled and nodded, "Please proceed, Madam."
Supported by Granny Song, Old Madam Xiao quickly walked out of the flower hall. As soon as they reached the secluded, enclosed corridor, the dignified smile on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling anger that seemed to freeze over instantly. Her tone was icy and biting:
"What a shameless merchant's daughter! She's truly a jinx! Not only did she cause trouble herself, but she also dared to incite Ye Ming to stand up for her and openly offend Lady Yunxiu. Does she know where she's placing the Xiao family now!"
Granny Song quickly whispered, "Madam, please calm down. But... the Princess has suffered such an injustice in front of the Eldest Son. Knowing her nature of not daring to suffer a loss, she'll probably go to the Grand Princess to complain right away. If the Grand Princess blames her for this, I'm afraid..."
Madam Xiao's eyes turned sinister as she took a deep breath: "That's precisely why we absolutely cannot let her live! Today, she's offending the Princess for her sake; who knows what catastrophic disaster she might cause in the future!"
After a moment's thought, she said, "We absolutely cannot let Ye Ming have any further involvement with her. After the banquet ends today, I will personally speak with Ye Ming. If he still wants to protect the entire Xiao family, he should give up this foolish idea as soon as possible!"
Madam Xiao suppressed her anger, straightened her sleeves, put on a proper and elegant smile again, and slowly walked back to the flower hall. After greeting the Duchess of Di, she sat down calmly.
However, her momentary loss of composure and Song Mama's hasty departure did not escape the seemingly gentle but actually insightful eyes of the Duchess of Di.
After chatting with Madam Xiao for a while, Lady Di smiled and stood up, saying, "Please sit down, elder sister. My old bones are getting tired of sitting for too long. I'll go for a walk in the garden, see how lively the young people are, and soak up some of their energy."
Madam Xiao smiled and agreed.
Lady Di, supported by her personal maid, slowly stepped into the garden.
Unlike the other women who gathered together to admire the flowers and chat, she looked around the crowd with kind yet meticulous eyes, as if searching for something.
Finally, it landed in the direction of the waterside pavilion.
I spotted that elegant figure.
A smile of satisfaction appeared on her lips. She gently patted the old woman's hand and whispered, "Did you see her? The one sitting by the water with Princess Yongfu is the Lu family I mentioned to you a few days ago, Madam Lu. That day in the palace, facing such a sudden storm, she showed no fear and composure. This old woman truly admires her from the bottom of her heart."
The old woman followed the lady's gaze and saw that the lady in the waterside pavilion had a serene posture, but her back was straight, and she had a calm demeanor.
She chimed in, “Madam, your judgment is certainly accurate. Although I have not personally witnessed the events in the palace, from a distance today, I can tell that this Lady Lu’s demeanor is indeed different from that of ordinary young ladies. She is calm and composed, with a natural air of elegance. No wonder she has caught your eye.”
Lady Di sighed softly, "It's a pity that Xi-ge'er couldn't come today. If he had seen Lady Lu's graceful demeanor, he would surely have been delighted."
The old woman beside him understood immediately.
The old lady has decided to arrange a marriage.
Just then, Lu Zhaoruo glanced to the side and saw that the Duchess of Di was looking at him.
A gentle smile played on her lips. After whispering a few words to Yongfu, she rose and stepped forward to greet him with a curtsy: "Zhaoruo greets Madam."
Lady Di accepted the greeting with a smile, reached out to help her up, and looked at her gently: "Good child, please don't stand on ceremony. From afar, I see that none of the flowers in this garden are as pleasing as your pure and elegant demeanor."
Lu Zhaoruo lowered her head slightly and said in a soft voice, "Madam, you flatter me."
The two chatted idly by the waterside pavilion about the scenery in the garden, and found themselves getting along quite well.
On the other side, Xiao Yeming was leading Prince Li, Prince Yan, Duke Di, and other distinguished guests to the main seats, his demeanor calm and composed.
Madam Xiao was also chatting and laughing with the other ladies of high rank. She took a moment to walk toward Lu Zhaoruo, intending to introduce her to several familiar ladies.
Just then.
The gatekeeper announced loudly, his voice echoing throughout the garden: "The Imperial Brother-in-Law has arrived!"
The entire garden fell silent instantly.
This brother-in-law of the emperor had little contact with the Xiao family and was known for his womanizing ways, often acting in ways that surprised people.
Both Madam Xiao and Xiao Yeming were surprised.
Because they had not sent an invitation to the Emperor's brother's residence.
The emperor's brother-in-law strode in, his face pale, and laughed loudly, "I, the emperor's brother-in-law, have come uninvited today. General Xiao, please don't be offended!"
Before he finished speaking, a woman dressed in peach-red brocade and adorned with pearls and jade appeared behind him. She was not the familiar wife of the emperor's brother.
Most of the guests present did not recognize the woman and whispered among themselves, guessing that she was probably the new favorite concubine of the emperor's brother-in-law.
Although he felt contempt, he dared not say anything due to the power of the emperor's brother-in-law.
However, the Duchess of Di's brows furrowed instantly.
She recognized the woman; she was Li Nian'er, the one who had caused trouble at the Empress Dowager's banquet a few days ago!
She is the niece of Lady Qi, Madam Jiang, from the Qi family!
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