Chapter 39 The Banquet (Part 3)
"You..." Lady Qingyuan opened her mouth, but didn't know how to retort.
In the end, the only recourse was to point the finger at Madam Zhou, "Madam Jiang, is this the daughter you raised?"
"No wonder the Prince of Langya would rather take a concubine's daughter than your daughter."
"I think she's the one who orchestrated all of this..."
"Smack!"
Before Lady Qingyuan could finish speaking, she was slapped again.
It was Zhou who slapped me. "I didn't want to argue with you, but you kept pushing me too far."
"I didn't want to say another word to a short-sighted woman like you, but you've been too stupid to stand in front of my daughter."
"Let me ask you, why must a man's mistakes be used to ridicule and mock a woman?"
"Was this what the woman was thinking from the beginning?"
"Or is it that your master has now taken a ninth concubine, and it was all of your own free will, Li Shi?"
"If it's all voluntary, why are there frequent reports of you and Lord Qingyuan arguing about taking a concubine?"
"Furthermore, the imperial edict clearly states that my son is the future Princess Consort of Langya. Is Pei Anqing the current Prince of Langya?"
"Do you no longer consider the Prince of Langya to be the Prince of Langya?"
"Then I must go and ask the Emperor properly."
Lady Qingyuan came to her senses and pointed at Madam Zhou, saying, "Madam Jiang, aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew when you talk big?"
"Does the Emperor appear before you whenever you wish?"
"You, the mistress of a marquis's mansion, have neither an official title nor a summons, yet you want to enter the palace?"
"Why can't I?" Madam Zhou retorted sharply. "I am not only the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, but I am also a rank higher than your Earl's mansion."
"I am the daughter of the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty; obtaining an imperial decree to enter the palace and meet the Emperor would surely be easier for me than for you."
Lady Qingyuan retorted angrily, "Hmph, let me see the Emperor then, who's afraid of who?"
“If you hit me, I’ll throw it away, but she just hit me, which shows disrespect for elders.”
“Madam Li, I am a county princess personally appointed by His Majesty, and I have a rank. I am also the future Princess Consort of Langya.”
"How can I not hit you?"
Lady Qingyuan's heart skipped a beat; she had completely forgotten about this matter.
Not only her, but many people were so engrossed in the gossip about the engagement of the Marquis's eldest daughter that they automatically ignored this.
She was personally appointed a county princess by the emperor.
“Yes, our Ningning is a county princess,” Shen Ruzhi chimed in. “And I remember my father just took on a missing person case from the Earl’s mansion a few days ago.”
"They say the son born to the lord's eighth concubine has gone missing."
"Later, someone was sent to say that they had found them, but I seem to remember that the eight concubines were imprisoned as if they had lost their minds?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Lady Qingyuan said sternly.
Are you afraid of a county princess? Do you think you can be intimidated by the daughter of a high-ranking official in the Court of Judicial Review?
"I'm not making things up. I'll go back and ask my father to investigate carefully. What do you say?"
"Hmph, I won't bother with you." Lady Qingyuan flicked her sleeve and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Jiang Wan Ning snapped coldly.
"Apologize to my mother."
"You won't get away with it... Ah!"
As soon as Lady Qingyuan finished speaking, Jiang Wanning stepped forward and slapped her, saying, "If you don't apologize, I won't let you go today."
“I didn’t mean to use my status as a county princess to bully you all, but if you bully my mother, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Jiang Wan Ning floated towards the people around her.
Anyone who met Jiang Wan Ning's eyes would look away.
"Madam Li, you'd better apologize quickly."
"Yeah yeah."
The others offered a way out, and Lady Qingyuan reluctantly said, "Madam Jiang, the joke just now went too far."
"sorry."
"Mother, let's go." Jiang Wanning helped Zhou Shi up.
Zhou shook Jiang Wan Ning's hand and said to the people who had just made things difficult for her, "Since you ladies wish to ask for advice..."
"Then I certainly cannot be stingy."
“In previous years, I was not feeling well and did not want to go out, so I also put away these kinds of recreational activities.”
"Thank you all for your kind thoughts. Today I will play a piece."
He then walked over to the pipa, sat down, and began tuning the strings.
Jiang Wan Ning was thrilled. Her mother's willingness to play the piano proved that her inner conflict had truly been resolved.
The song ended.
The group remained lost in their reverie for a long time.
It wasn't until a round of applause rang out that everyone's thoughts were brought back to reality.
"It has been a long time since I have heard such a familiar and beautiful melody. It seems that today's trip was truly worthwhile."
Upon recognizing the newcomer, everyone stepped forward and knelt down to greet him.
"Greetings, Grand Princess!"
The Grand Princess stepped past the crowd and sat down in the armchair that the servants had arranged for her.
With a languid air, he said, "Everyone, please get up."
"Thank you, Your Highness, Grand Princess."
“Ping An insisted on making me accompany her to the banquet, but I found it boring.”
"I never expected to hear such a beautiful melody as soon as I entered this villa. I was surprised to find out who it was. It turns out to be an old friend."
Madam Zhou bowed and said, "You flatter me, Grand Princess."
"Ah Rong is being modest. Back then, your pipa was even played in other countries."
The Grand Princess then looked at Jiang Wan Ning, who was standing next to Zhou Shi, and asked, "This must be my nephew's newly appointed county princess?"
"Your daughter?"
"Your Highness, she is my daughter, named Ningning."
“Ningning, that’s a nice name.” The Grand Princess rested her head on her hand, slumped to the side, and said, “You may all leave.”
"I haven't seen Arong for a long time, and I'd like to have a private chat with her."
"yes."
“Mother, your daughter also wants to go out and play.” Princess Ping’an shook the Grand Princess’s arm.
"Go ahead, go ahead," the Grand Princess said with a doting expression. "How about the County Princess keeps Ping'an company for me?"
"Yes." Jiang Wan Ning curtsied.
In her previous life, she had never heard her mother mention that she knew the Grand Princess.
However, with so many people here today, nothing should happen.
Jiang Wanning and Shen Ruzhi followed Princess Ping'an out. "You're the new county princess appointed by the Emperor?"
"Marrying a man seventeen years her senior who is about to die just out of spite?"
Jiang Wan Ning wasn't angry; instead, she smiled and remained silent.
"why are you laughing?"
“I laugh at the princess for saying that everything she said is wrong.”
“I didn’t marry him out of spite; I was already in love with him, and he wasn’t dying.”
Princess Ping'an rolled her eyes and continued walking, "Idiot."
"Greetings, Princess Ping'an."
"Greetings, County Princess."
After what had just happened, everyone paid their respects to Jiang Wan Ning when they saw her, especially since she had come with the princess.
"Alright, let's go find those men to play with."
"It's so boring to just sit here admiring the flowers and chatting. No wonder my mother doesn't want to come."
The group of women followed Princess Ping'an toward the men who were not far away.
The Kingdom of Dongling is open-minded, and men and women can sit together, although everyone is still a bit reserved at first.
They would sit together once the banquet began.
It's not common to see someone so brazenly going to find a man, but who can blame them when the one leading the way is a princess?
The eldest princess's most beloved daughter.
If anyone doesn't go, they will definitely be seen as opposing the princess.
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