"My daughter, Jiang, has indeed not read many books. Her poetry and literature are far inferior to yours, and her handwriting is so bad that I dare not show it to anyone."
"However, I have heard that when the late Emperor rose up for the people and resisted the tyranny of the previous dynasty, it was all the men who bravely fought outside, while the women worked hard in the fields at home."
As she spoke, Jiang Shuwan paused for a moment.
The young woman's clear yet sharp gaze swept over the noble ladies and scions of prominent families present, observing with satisfaction as their expressions subtly changed before she continued speaking.
"Without our daughters farming and working, where would the food supply come from? And how could the prosperous and peaceful Great Jing Dynasty be what it is today?"
"I never expected you would insult us by talking about farming. This behavior of cursing after finishing your meal is truly befitting of scions of a noble family! Malicious speculation and arbitrary insults—the style of these 'masters' is truly unique!"
As the old saying goes, "The blessings of a virtuous person last only three generations."
"The ancient sages were right!"
"..."
She spoke her last words in a heavy, low voice.
As soon as she finished speaking, the entire room fell silent, and not a single person uttered a sound.
The noble ladies and scions of prominent families who had just humiliated her were all pale and looked extremely ugly.
Guo Yaqin, in particular, had her beautiful face flushed red.
A flicker of panic crossed her fox-like eyes, quickly replaced by shame and indignation. She bit her lip, opening and closing it several times, but couldn't utter a single word, and dared not meet Jiang Shuwan's gaze.
The young lady from the Wang family, who claimed to have inherited her family's wealth and glory for ten generations, turned ashen-faced. Her originally upturned lips were now stiff and drooping, as if she had been slapped hard in the face, looking extremely unsightly.
Li Yuyan, who had been sitting and watching the play, twisted the phoenix-patterned tablecloth on the low table into a ball, feeling as if her heart was in turmoil.
Her eyes widened as she stared intently at Jiang Shuwan, her gaze filled with astonishment and disbelief.
Ever since Yao Zhijie told her about Jiang Shuwan's weaknesses, she has been convinced that Jiang Shuwan is nothing more than a pretty face.
But I never expected her to be able to give such a reasonable and well-reasoned explanation.
Her previous haughty expression vanished without a trace. Clutching the tablecloth, Li Yuyan's feelings were extremely complicated.
Firstly, she hadn't expected Jiang Shuwan's words to be so sharp.
Secondly, what Jiang Shuwan said made so much sense that she couldn't refute it...
Yes.
This kind of thing is best left unsaid; it should never be discussed openly.
The others also blushed and stared at Jiang Shuwan in disbelief.
"Isn't she someone who hasn't read many books? How come she's so impressive right away?" a noblewoman in a pink dress whispered.
"I didn't expect that even Guo Yaqin couldn't out-argue her. Guo Yaqin is known for her eloquence and extensive knowledge of poetry. She may not be as good as Jiang Yao and Liu Yunyan at writing poetry, but she is number one in eloquence."
"Who can argue with that? Isn't Jiang Shuwan deceiving us?"
"I don't believe she doesn't study."
"Hmph, even if she has a point, so what? We can't just let her suppress us like this." A young man from a prominent family muttered indignantly.
"Keep your voice down, don't let them hear you," someone quickly reminded them, and thinking about it, it was indeed true.
Pei Yanzhi swindled so much money from their family in court, how could he let Jiang Shuwan off so easily?
Moreover, this whole thing was originally started by Princess Li Yuyan of Nan'an, so if anything happens, Li Yuyan will naturally take the blame. What are they afraid of?
Then a young man from a prominent family stepped forward with a sneer, crossed his arms, and looked at Jiang Shuwan with an arrogant expression.
Even if you speak eloquently, look at yourself now, what kind of behavior is this?
"Since ancient times, women have been expected to be virtuous and gentle, and to be content with their lot and careful in their words and deeds."
"Your arrogance is utterly unbecoming of a woman! It violates all propriety!"
"So aggressive! She has no manners whatsoever as a woman!"
He spoke with disdain, his arrogant chin raised, looking down at Jiang Shuwan with his nostrils flared, and a contemptuous smile playing on his lips, as if he regarded Jiang Shuwan as an ant.
Upon hearing his words, the others, like Gao Chao, began to verbally attack Jiang Shuwan.
“Brother Shi is right, you’re acting like a madwoman, completely lacking in decorum.”
"Haven't you read the Analects for Women? It says that a woman's appearance does not necessarily mean she is beautiful, but rather that she is virtuous, gentle, quiet, neither jealous nor fierce."
"Look at your fierce appearance, I don't know what Prince Pei sees in you."
"You have been disrespectful to the princess today. If I were you, I would have run away in shame long ago. How could I dare to stand here so brazenly?"
"That's right. Do you think you're good enough for Prince Pei? You should just get a divorce as soon as possible. Otherwise, you'll only embarrass yourself and drag the Jiang family down with you."
The last sentence was spoken by a woman with a shrill voice. She was the most enthusiastic one among those who had egged Jiang Shuwan on.
However, her seat was at the back, suggesting that she did not hold a prestigious position in the group.
But as soon as she said this, she immediately received a response from many noble ladies.
"The Crown Prince's talent is extraordinary. You are illiterate, how can you possibly be in harmony with him?"
"A beautiful flower should not be stuck in cow dung."
"I advise you to ask to leave the marriage yourself."
"..."
Hearing them act as if they were doing it for her own good, Jiang Shuwan almost burst out laughing.
The girl's clear and beautiful eyes swept over them, especially the one who shouted "divorce" the loudest; her gaze pierced directly at him.
"You're so eager for me to divorce you, do you want to be my second wife?"
"..."
He would rather die than not say something shocking.
Upon hearing this, the woman's face immediately turned red, as if her secret had been touched, her expression a mixture of shame and indignation.
She was also afraid of Li Yuyan's power and dared not admit it at all. She just stomped her feet angrily, her whole body burning with flames.
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
“I am from a noble family and have been taught the virtues and precepts for women since childhood. How could I possibly become a second wife…”
She stammered her last sentence, her face filled with shame and indignation, while secretly glancing at Li Yuyan's expression.
She probably wanted to be a second wife, but didn't have the guts.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Shuwan immediately smiled.
"I see. I'm sorry, I didn't know you looked down on the Crown Prince. I won't say it again next time."
noblewoman: "You..."
Her face flushed red, she pointed at Jiang Shuwan, stammering "you" for a long time, her whole body trembling with anger, but she couldn't utter another word.
Her face turned ashen, filled with shame and indignation.
"She only misspoke, why should the Crown Prince's wife make things difficult for her?"
Guo Yaqin, who was extremely good with words, finally came to her senses and looked at Jiang Shuwan arrogantly.
"A woman's reputation is more important than her life, so why be so aggressive?"
"Please ask the Crown Prince's wife to apologize to her."
"..."
What a blatant attempt to shift the blame!
Jiang Shuwan smiled, about to retort, when a male voice suddenly rang out in the hall.
"She doesn't need to apologize. We were wrong to begin with. She was wrong, but we were the ones who were wrong the most."
"We should apologize to her."
Upon hearing the male voice, Jiang Shuwan subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the person was young and handsome with a familiar face.
He was the eldest son of the Guanglu Temple family who secretly loved Liu Yunyan.
...
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