“I was both apprehensive and anxious when I learned that my mother had sent an invitation to Princess Chen. I was afraid that the princess would refuse to come. I am so happy that she is coming today.”
The second wife was very enthusiastic, as if they had known each other before.
Su Wenyuan said with a smile, "I always like to join in the fun, especially happy occasions. The prince has been ill for many days and his health has just started to improve, so it is time for him to come out and move around."
After she finished speaking, she looked behind the Second Madam but did not see the Duchess.
When the Duchess was young, she injured her left leg while hunting, which made it difficult for her to move around.
In the past, relying on his status, he would never come out to greet anyone who came to his residence; at most, he would just stand at the gate.
There wasn't a trace of him today; it seems he's sitting comfortably inside.
The second wife noticed Su Wenyuan's gaze and quickly explained, "Mother has had hot tea prepared, just waiting for the Princess to come in and taste it. Please come in, Princess."
The second wife was eloquent; like Wan Gaoyi, she made no mention of the Duchess's neglect, but rather glossed over it lightly.
Once inside, Su Wenyuan discovered that it was truly a hidden paradise.
Inside sat not only the Duchess, but also four or five elderly ladies of similar age.
As soon as Su Wenyuan entered, she was subjected to their scrutinizing gazes.
The phrase "taking advantage of one's age" is perfectly embodied in them.
He didn't get up to greet them, nor did he say a word.
Su Wenyuan suddenly realized that Sheng Jingyu's concerns were very reasonable, and at this moment she really wanted to cause a scene.
The older ones remained silent, as did Su Wenyuan.
The second wife felt the atmosphere was awkward and quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "Mother, this is Princess Consort Chen. You don't usually go out, so you probably haven't met her before..."
"Shut up!" The Duchess snapped, plunging the already awkward atmosphere into an even colder freeze.
This scene looks a lot like a trial for a criminal.
Su Wenyuan remained silent, smiling as she looked at the Duchess.
If the death of Marquis Anle was related to Duke Wan, then this Duchess must know something.
Everyone stood there nervously, not daring to speak.
They speculated that the Duchess's attitude towards Su Wenyuan was because of her daughter and grandson.
Sheng Yuanhe had been the crown prince for many years, living a peaceful and stable life. His sudden removal from the throne would have caused resentment in anyone's heart.
Su Wenyuan remained silent, wanting to see how she would handle the situation.
She's reliable; she can stay here until night. Anyway, she's not the host. If she stays too long, it won't just be her who gets neglected. The people behind her haven't even taken their seats yet.
The Duchess wanted to give Su Wenyuan a hard time, and whether she was angry or laughing, the Duchess had a way to deal with her.
But she didn't expect Su Wenyuan to be so calm.
As long as Su Wenyuan accepts the challenge, she can use her age to fight back, put moral pressure on Su Wenyuan, and make all the mistakes fall on Su Wenyuan.
But now, Su Wenyuan hasn't responded, which makes it seem like she's deliberately being dismissive.
He invited Princess Consort Chen to her first birthday banquet, but then ignored her? He didn't invite her to sit down, nor did he speak to her.
Such an obvious provocation will definitely get her criticized if word gets out.
The Duchess suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
This matter could be made even more serious. Just yesterday, Consort Wan and Sheng Yuanhe were dealt with, and today she has embarrassed Princess Chen.
Is this a sign of dissatisfaction with the emperor's handling of the matter?
Su Wenyuan became increasingly calm and composed. She hadn't done anything, so there was nothing to panic about.
The others were unsure of themselves and kept glancing at the Duchess in the center.
In the end, it was the Duchess who gave in first, unable to hold on any longer. She picked up a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead, looking rather disheveled.
The second wife pursed her lips, suppressed her displeasure, and spoke again.
"Is Mother unwell? I apologize for keeping Your Highness waiting here for so long. I hope Your Highness will understand. Mother has an old leg ailment, and she doesn't like to talk when it's aching."
The second wife secretly thought that the Duchess was making a fool of herself.
But she was always quick-witted and couldn't just stand by and watch the situation spiral out of control.
This time, the Duchess did not scold her, but simply nodded slightly, which was considered as acknowledging her statement that she was unwell and not acting intentionally.
Su Wenyuan bypassed the Duchess, looked around, and asked, "Does everyone in this room have a chronic illness? Are they all feeling unwell?"
Not everyone can act like they're old and arrogant.
If she is treated well, she will not put on airs like a princess.
But these people are ungrateful and deliberately make things difficult for her, so her attitude will naturally be different.
The second wife hesitated, unable to speak up and explain on behalf of these people.
Sitting to the left of the Duchess was an elderly lady surnamed Yin. All three of her sons were military generals, but two of them died on the battlefield, while the remaining one was also a highly decorated general.
Now she is a first-rank noblewoman, and apart from the Duchess of the State, she is the one with the highest status in this room, and she was also the first to speak up and mock Su Wenyuan.
“Princess Consort Chen looks quite young, but she puts on a very high-handed air. We don’t have any chronic illnesses, but we are all of noble birth.”
Su Wenyuan raised an eyebrow and said, "If I remember correctly, even a first-rank imperial consort has to bow to me, the princess consort. What do you mean by bringing up imperial consorts? Did Father Emperor change the rules for you without informing me?"
Not to mention them, even the Duchess of the State had to follow the proper etiquette and pay her respects.
But they took advantage of Su Wenyuan's young age and deliberately bullied her.
Madam Yin asked angrily, "Do you know who we are?"
With such a large group of them here, even someone as polite as Su Wenyuan, or Sheng Yuanhe, would have to treat them with utmost respect.
After all, they are of a certain age, and their husbands and sons hold high positions in the court, so it's not easy to offend them.
Over time, they began to become arrogant and disrespectful.
Today, with the Duchess here and someone backing them up, they're all incredibly arrogant.
Just as Madam Yin finished questioning Su Wenyuan, Madam Wu, standing beside her, began to mock, "Princess Consort Chen doesn't come out often, so she might not recognize us..."
"Why should I get to know you?" Su Wenyuan retorted rudely, forcefully interrupting her sarcasm.
"I was just silent for a moment, did you all think I couldn't speak? You've spoiled me!" Amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, Su Wenyuan walked straight towards the Duchess.
The Duchess looked at her nervously, and inexplicably felt a sense of oppression from Su Wenyuan.
She was terrified that Su Wenyuan would come up to her and slap her.
Fortunately, Su Wenyuan wasn't that crazy; she just sat down next to her.
"We've been here for ages, and there's not even a seat, let alone good tea. The rules of this Duke's mansion are a complete mess," Su Wenyuan said, frowning in disgust.
She came in intending to speak politely, but these people are really ungrateful.
The elderly ladies looked at each other, having not been spoken to like that in many years.
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