Tears welled up in Liu Yunyan's eyes as she felt a surge of anger and resentment welling up in her chest.
She was genuinely angered by Jiang Yao's unreasonable behavior and her act of falsely accusing her.
From the capital to Luoyang, she had never seen a woman as vulgar and uncouth as Jiang Yao.
Jiang Yao also disliked Liu Yunyan very much.
"You wretch, I let it go in the last life. In that life, I had no status in the Marquis's mansion and could only be suppressed by you. In this life, I am a dignified young master's wife. If you don't provoke me, fine. But if you do, I will make you know why the flowers are so red."
Jiang Yao pondered to herself, and didn't show much politeness to Liu Yunyan.
The two stared at each other intently, their eyes blazing with murderous intent.
"Sister Jiang Yao, your words are too much. I am a daughter of the Liu family. Even though the Liu family is not what it used to be, I am not someone that anyone can slander. Please show some respect, Sister Jiang Yao."
"People who respect themselves will always be respected by others. Some people, a perfectly good young woman, ignore proper marriage prospects and spend all their time lusting after married men. I really can't respect such people."
"What did you say! How can you insult someone's innocence without any proof!" Liu Yunyan was so angry that her neck bulged.
"I didn't say anything about you, why are you so agitated? Are you feeling guilty because you did something wrong..."
"You...you're talking complete nonsense..."
Tears of grievance streamed down her face, and Liu Yunyan burst into tears of anger.
Ever since she refused the marriage proposal from the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, there have been many rumors circulating in the Marquis's mansion.
It's said that such a good marriage opportunity from the Guanglu Temple family is truly rare, and her refusal was a complete lapse of judgment, especially since the news of Pei Yanzhi wanting to take her into his household has been spreading these past few days.
The servants of the Marquis's household looked at her with various expressions, praising how well Jiang Shuwan treated her, taking her in, preparing food for her in the courtyard, and even putting her first when it came to making clothes.
But she was an ungrateful wretch; instead of being a proper mistress, she insisted on squeezing into the Marquis's mansion as a concubine.
These words were truly harsh, but those servants were well-behaved and dared not say them to her face.
Jiang Yao, however, was outspoken and dared to bring it up to her face, making her lose face.
"I'm going to be my cousin's concubine, what business is it of yours!"
"She can't even control her own husband, yet she tries to control her brother-in-law's bed. What a mess!"
These words lingered on her tongue, but Liu Yunyan, mindful of her status, refrained from uttering them.
I am a woman from a distinguished family.
How could I possibly stoop to the level of a shrew like Jiang Yao? It would only lower my standards.
As long as I shine at the plum blossom banquet and the old lady sees my literary talent, she will agree to let me into the family. At that time, the so-called "young lady" will just be a down-on-his-luck relative of the Marquis's family.
Now that the Earl's mansion has fallen so low, Jiang Yao might have to come begging for food someday.
So why should I argue with her about this?
Thinking of this, Liu Yunyan smiled slightly, and her clenched fist relaxed.
She immediately looked at Jiang Yao with a smile and said, "Sister is right. She wasn't talking about me, so why would I be angry? But I heard that the young master hasn't been home for quite some time."
"My cousin Lingyu is really something. He didn't want a decent woman, but instead kept a mistress outside. And she was an actress from a brothel. It caused a huge scandal and ruined all the reputation of the city. I heard that even His Majesty knows about it."
"Oh dear, I really feel sorry for Sister Jiang Yao. He doesn't want such a beautiful woman like her, but Cousin Ling Yu actually likes an actress."
"It's only because Sister Jiang Yao has a good temper. If it were our Liu family, and our husbands dared to humiliate us like this, we would have to give them an explanation, even if it meant getting a divorce. Unlike some people who come from bad backgrounds and have no family to rely on, they not only have to swallow their pride and beg for peace."
"Terrible! Absolutely terrible!"
Liu Yunyan's sarcastic remarks struck a nerve with Jiang Yao, leaving her red-faced and speechless as she pointed at Liu Yunyan.
Liu Yunyan's words were truly despicable.
He kept saying he felt sorry for her, but he was actually implying that she came from a poor background and had no family support, so she didn't dare to speak up when she was bullied and even went to her door to beg for peace.
That bitch Liu Yunyan really knows how to infuriate people.
Knowing where she's uncomfortable, I poke at that spot.
Moreover, what upset her the most was that not only did she go there in person, but she also wrote a letter of apology, yet Yulang still didn't return.
This slap in the face completely shattered her pride.
But it's okay, she'll get her revenge soon.
Thinking about the banquet she would be attending later, Jiang Yao was eager to try it out.
She is determined to bring fame to the Earl's mansion this time, and Yulang will eventually change his mind.
As for Liu Yunyan, she was just a passerby who got slapped in the face by chance.
After all, she was going to write Wang Anshi's poems; Liu Yunyan was nothing compared to her, no match at all.
Thinking about it, Jiang Yao's face cleared up after the rain, revealing a bright smile. When she glanced at Jiang Shuwan, she came up with an even bigger plan.
"Thank you, Miss Liu. Although my Jiang family is of modest background and I am not particularly successful, my elder sister is the one who is successful."
"I believe that as long as my elder sister is around, no one will dare to climb over me. After all, my elder sister is the legitimate wife of the Marquis. As long as she is around, no matter what kind of demons or monsters they are, they will all have to kneel down and bow down. Don't you think so, Miss Liu?"
"..."
Why did you bring this conflict here instead of arguing amongst yourselves?
Upon hearing Jiang Yao's words, Jiang Shuwan paused in her tea-drinking motion, not expecting Jiang Yao to steer the conversation in her direction.
She thought to herself, then looked up at Liu Yunyan, and sure enough, Liu Yunyan's face darkened instantly.
Yes.
If she were to enter the mansion, she would indeed have to kneel and offer tea to Jiang Shuwan.
They also have to pay their respects to their ancestors morning and evening...
Just thinking about these things made her feel terrible, and she had no mood to argue with Jiang Yao.
Seeing that Liu Yunyan had given up, Jiang Yao didn't bother with her anymore.
Regardless of whether Jiang Shuwan or Liu Yunyan wins, she will not lose out.
And thinking about it this way, she remembered how good Pei Lingyu was.
After all, Pei Lingyu didn't have a cousin she grew up with, nor did she have the protection of the bond between the previous two generations.
Jiang Shuwan, oh Jiang Shuwan.
Your hard times are coming...
Jiang Yao gave Jiang Shuwan a malicious look, and felt a sense of great satisfaction.
Ever since she was arranged to marry someone else in this life, she has suffered a lot and hasn't enjoyed any happiness for long.
On the contrary, Jiang Shuwan's life got better and better, and her status rose higher and higher.
That's so unfair.
But things are better now. Liu Yunyan is about to enter the family, and the Spring Examination will be held at the end of the month after the New Year. When the cheating scandal in the Spring Examination is exposed, let's see if her mother will still keep praising Pei Yanzhi and the Marquis's Mansion.
Pei Yanzhi is nothing but a fraudster who steals fame and fortune. If he hadn't been protected by his family while cheating, how could he have achieved the top three honors in the imperial examinations?
Fortunately, the world is bright and clear, and Pei Yanzhi and the Marquis's mansion did not succeed.
hey-hey……
I wonder what kind of expression Jiang Shuwan will have then.
I'm really looking forward to it.
Although she didn't know what Jiang Yao and Liu Yunyan were thinking, the two of them stopped arguing, which made Jiang Shuwan happy to see them relax.
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