The second wife smiled broadly and wanted to say something, but Su Wenyuan stopped her by raising her hand.
"Second Madam, you've worked hard. You should rest for a while. I've said all the right things to them since I saw them, but they don't appreciate it. It's my turn now."
Su Wenyuan picked up the teacup in front of her and slammed it down heavily in front of the Duchess.
The empty space was just enough for her to put her arm around it.
His body was slightly turned to one side, supported entirely by this arm, making him look lazy and casual.
"I don't know who these old ladies are, but I don't need to!" Su Wenyuan glanced at them casually, showing no intention of even looking at them properly.
Then she continued, "Let me introduce myself. I am the Princess Consort of Prince Chen. My father personally decreed our marriage, and I am Prince Chen's lawfully wedded wife. Those who understand, come and pay your respects."
Su Wenyuan never liked to fuss over such things.
Even Su Yuan and Su Lin'er, who had grudges against her, did not bow when they saw her, and she did not say anything.
But these people in front of her insisted on using their age to put her down, and even planned to lecture her, so she had no choice but to take it seriously.
The Duchess's breathing quickened, and her complexion turned pale.
She never expected that Su Wenyuan could be so arrogant in the Duke's mansion. Even their usual tricks were no longer effective.
Two elderly ladies had already stood up, looking rather uneasy.
After being rebuked by Su Wenyuan, Madam Wu was now a little flustered and scared. After hesitating for a long time, she finally stood up.
Su Wenyuan looked at Madam Yin and asked sincerely, "Does a first-rank imperial consort really not need to bow to the princess?"
Madam Yin gritted her teeth, observed the expression on the Duchess's face, and finally got up reluctantly.
Regardless of rank, Su Wenyuan's status as a princess is absolutely overwhelming.
Since Madam Yin had already given up, there was nothing left to insist on.
After they finished their greetings, Su Wenyuan smiled and said, "It wasn't anything important, but you all had to make such a scene. I can't understand it. Can the Duchess understand?"
Su Wenyuan didn't force her to stand up, because this was her place, and besides, she had a leg injury.
He insisted that she stand up, as if he himself was being unreasonable.
But Su Wenyuan always had to say something, otherwise she felt uneasy.
The Duchess forced a smile and said, "Since Princess Consort Chen thinks it's alright, why insist on making such a fuss?"
Su Wenyuan said, "Of course, it's to prevent some people from taking advantage of us. If we keep tolerating them, they will only take advantage of us. I have a short temper and I don't have the patience to procrastinate."
Su Wenyuan had almost said all sorts of nasty things.
Seeing that the matter was over, the second wife quickly stepped forward and asked everyone to sit down, since they were all still standing.
They sat down, but each of them stood ramrod straight, not daring to speak or laugh.
The maidservant served tea, but no one dared to touch it.
Sheng Jingyu's worry that they would gang up on Su Wenyuan was completely unfounded. They hadn't even done anything yet, and Su Wenyuan had already intimidated them.
"The tea is excellent," Su Wenyuan praised with a smile.
Currently, her favorite person is this second wife.
Although they were also from the Duke's mansion, they wanted to maintain appearances and had no intention of causing trouble. They even tried their best to save face for everyone.
Seeing that Su Wenyuan took the initiative to speak, the second madam seized the opportunity to chat with Su Wenyuan for a few words, and also pulled the other madams along.
The group chatted and laughed for a while, and the atmosphere finally eased.
Su Wenyuan was also able to spare some time to say a few words to the Duchess.
"I never expected that the Duchess would invite me here."
"I was quite surprised that the Princess Consort could come." The Duchess glanced at her sideways, her expression meaningful.
Su Wenyuan smiled faintly, "Are you really surprised? When you sent the invitation, did you really think I wouldn't come?"
The Duke of Wanguo made a scene at the Marquis of Anle's residence, and then invited Su Wenyuan. These two things seem to be related.
Su Wenyuan could see the connection, so why wouldn't she come?
The Duchess said coldly, "Back then, my daughter was still a Noble Consort, and the prince she gave birth to was the Crown Prince. But now, it's all been ruined by Prince Chen. You are Prince Chen's consort, how dare you come here?"
Su Wenyuan quickly corrected her, saying, "That's not right. When the Duchess extended the invitation, the Crown Prince had already been deposed, yet you still invited me?"
On the day the Crown Prince was deposed, the Duke of Wanguo invited Sheng Jingyu.
Su Wenyuan didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "I know what the Duke of Wan said to the Prince when he came over that day. Is today's first birthday celebration about this?"
The Duchess did not speak, but her evasive gaze betrayed her thoughts.
"He Ru, take the ladies to see the children. Don't let them hang out with us old folks all the time. It's making us feel uncomfortable," the Duchess instructed with a smile, telling the Second Madam to send everyone away.
Those who relied on their seniority, seeing that things weren't going well, also said they wanted to go and see, so in the end only Yin and Wu stayed behind.
They were all elderly people, and they had all witnessed the life of Marquis Anle when he was alive.
Su Wenyuan realized that the Duchess had invited them over not just to make things difficult for her.
In an instant, only the four of them remained in the room.
"You three must know my maternal grandfather, right?" Su Wenyuan asked.
Madam Yin sneered, "Back then, everyone knew you, but the Yu family declined quickly, leaving only you behind."
The Duchess continued, "You and your mother look so alike. In all those years, you stayed in the backyard and rarely came out. How come your personality has changed so much after you became a princess?"
She was implying something, referring not only to personality but also to Su Wenyuan's insistence on the past, something almost no one could understand.
Su Wenyuan said calmly, "People are not static. Back then, everyone said my father was a man of deep affection and loyalty, but now he is just as heartless and ungrateful."
The Duchess said dismissively, "That's because that's just how he is."
Su Wenyuan agreed with this statement; he was a complete scumbag.
When this matter was brought up, Madam Yin also had something to say: "Back then, your mother married him without hesitation. Who couldn't see through Su Yuan's pretense? People can be so confused. If I had known it would be like this, I would have preferred to marry my son back then."
Old Madam Wu said, "Don't you also have your own plans?"
The Yu family is powerful, and Yu Qingzhu is the legitimate daughter; those who want to marry her generally have ulterior motives.
Su Wenyuan could roughly understand why Yu Qingzhu chose Su Yuan. Since everyone had their own agendas, choosing someone without a family background would make them easier to control.
After the marriage, Marquis Anle deliberately kept Su Yuan at arm's length, fearing that he would become too powerful.
He was given an official position, but not the opportunity to associate with powerful figures. Even after he became prime minister, he still had to rely on the Marquis of Anle.
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