The noblewoman, who had initially thought there was a chance of reconciliation, silently retreated upon seeing this, realizing that neither side was someone to be trifled with, and being caught in the middle would only bring her no good. She decided it was better to watch the show quietly and see whether the east wind or the west wind would prevail.
While others were watching with great interest, Yun'an found it even more fascinating!
Indeed, this kind of thing requires a bit of skill. In the past, she would probably have just rushed up and taught the others a lesson. However, using someone else to do the dirty work is much more interesting than doing it herself. It's like the snipe and the clam fighting, while the fisherman benefits.
Just as Wen Chan was so angry that her face turned red and white, Wei Shuyao, who had Wei Shuwan's support, quickly stepped forward and slapped the maid from the Wen family!
The one who retaliates is always stronger than the one who strikes first. Wei Shuyao's slap caused the unsuspecting maid to stagger back several steps, finally stopping only when she landed on Wen Chan.
Wen Chan's face turned completely ashen. She clenched her teeth, and the veins on her temples throbbed several times. For a moment, she forgot all about feminine virtues, appearance, and manners, and was about to escalate the argument to another level.
Just then, she heard the familiar voice of her nanny behind her: "Madam Wen, the Imperial Concubine requests your presence."
Wen Chan, who was on the verge of losing her mind, was instantly awakened by the voice. She turned her head and saw that it was Yu Mama, who was by her aunt's side.
Granny Yu had been there for a while and had also witnessed the scene. Although she felt that the Wei family girl was unreasonable, she didn't want to get involved in the squabbles between the young ladies.
After all, given the background of the Wei family's daughter, it was impossible for her to be favored by the Prince of Qiaochuan, while Wen Chan was the most powerful contender for the position of Crown Prince's consort. Therefore, if the two were to cause an even greater embarrassment, only Wen Chan would lose face, and no one would care about the Wei family's daughter.
Therefore, Granny Yu spoke up in time to stop Wen Chan from losing control.
Wen Chan forced herself to calm down, glanced sideways at Wei Shuwan, and then said to her maid, "Don't worry, I will make you pay tenfold for this slap today!"
After uttering those harsh words, Wen Chan walked towards Granny Yu's side.
After walking a distance, Granny Yu whispered a word of advice: "Young lady, why confront that Wei family lady directly? What is your status, and what is hers?"
"Granny, don't underestimate Wei Shuwan. You just saw how arrogant she is!"
"No matter how arrogant she is, can she overpower you in the Imperial Concubine's territory? You don't need to get involved in this kind of thing. You should focus on the dance today. As for the rest, the Imperial Concubine will take care of it for you."
Hearing these words of advice, Wen Chan gradually calmed down. With Granny Yu's words, her aunt would definitely not let Wei Shuwan off easily today! As for herself, she really should straighten out her thoughts.
Seeing that she had finally calmed down, Granny Yu was relieved and asked, "I wonder what kind of dance the young lady has prepared for today?"
“Granny, since my aunt is hosting a banquet in the plum garden today, I will dance the famous 'Dance of the Startling Swan' performed by Consort Mei of the previous dynasty.”
Granny Yu smiled and nodded.
...
Wen Chan was summoned away alone by the Imperial Concubine. The noble ladies in the plum garden each had their own plans, and everyone knew that the Imperial Concubine was creating an opportunity for the young Prince Qiaochuan to meet her niece.
The saying "being near the water tower gives you an advantage" is absolutely true. Wen Chan gained a significant edge over others simply because of her aunt.
Princess Yun'an was also displeased. Her earlier instigation was simply to embarrass Wen Chan, her biggest rival. However, thanks to the Imperial Concubine's connections, Wen Chan met the young Prince Qiaochuan before her. Now, Yun'an could only hope that the young Prince Qiaochuan would have higher standards and not be bought off by Wen Chan's seemingly harmless appearance as a pampered daughter of the Zuo family.
Wei Shuwan glanced at the people around her and naturally noticed the changes in their emotions. However, there was one thing that puzzled her: as the daughter of Prince Jing, Yun An could not possibly have any feelings for the Crown Prince. So, who was the source of such obvious jealousy on her face?
Wei Shuwan's gaze once again fell on the mountainside of Qixiu Mountain, lingering between the two slender figures standing with bows in their hands.
He wondered if today's plum blossom viewing banquet was not actually for the Crown Prince.
*
Halfway up Qixiu Mountain, the terrain is open and flat, and behind the shooting range, there is a brocade-like house. Curtains hang on all four sides, and four brass incense burners are placed in the corners, burning the finest silver charcoal, making the whole room feel like a warm spring day, but without a trace of pungent smell.
On the chaise lounge, Consort Wen leaned back against the carved backrest, her graceful figure sinking into the soft cushions. Her right hand supported her forehead, her alluring eyes slightly closed, exuding a languid and carefree air.
At the age of thirty-six, she had not left many marks on her beautiful face, no wonder she remained favored by the emperor to this day.
Soon after, Granny Yu returned and whispered to her, "Your Highness, this old servant has invited the young lady over."
Her narrow eyes slowly opened a crack, and Consort Wen frowned slightly as she looked at the somewhat reserved Wen Chan before her. Consort Wen was always aloof and cold, only revealing her gentle and affectionate side before the Emperor. Now, looking at her own niece, her eyes held no warmth.
"What's wrong? You look like a wilted eggplant."
Wen Chan had always been somewhat afraid of her aunt, so she pursed her lips and looked at Granny Yu. Granny Yu then had no choice but to act as her mouthpiece and report to the Imperial Concubine what had happened in the plum garden earlier.
The words clearly sided with Wen Chan, making those unproven conjectures sound extremely certain:
"Wei Shuwan found out in advance what the young lady was wearing today, so she tricked the maid into using the same snow-white satin to bind her feet, deliberately embarrassing the young lady in front of everyone!"
Of course, Granny Yu also described Wen Chan's accidental trip as: "That Wei Shuwan even instructed her maid to use the foot-binding cloth strips to trip the young lady, causing her to fall hard in front of everyone!"
...
After hearing what Granny Yu said, Consort Wen's already cold face seemed to be coated with a layer of paste, and she became very tense: "Who is this Wei Shuwan's father?"
"Your Majesty, her father, Wei Zheng, is the richest man in Jiangzuo who was granted the title of Chengshilang by the Emperor two years ago for his meritorious service in disaster relief," Yu Mama replied.
"Tch~ How did someone like that get through the screening process?"
Consort Wen's tone was disdainful, but she then calmly comforted her niece, saying, "You don't need to worry about these people. Just do your best today, and I will not let any Tom, Dick, or Harry ride on the heads of the Wen family."
"Yes, Aunt."
“Alas, your aunt originally hoped that you could become the Crown Princess and stay in the palace to keep me company. But after all these years of effort, the Crown Prince has not given you any response… Now you are nineteen years old, and you can’t afford to waste any more time. If you can’t win the heart of the Prince of Qiaochuan today, the road ahead will definitely be difficult.”
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