"Even now, you're still pretending with me?" Gu Yurong became agitated, stepped forward and grabbed her sleeve, questioning, "Do you dare say that you and the Minister's Mansion haven't done anything sordid?"
"Sister, be careful what you say. The Minister's wife is in the sedan chair. If the General finds out you're making a scene here, he'll be angry again."
Jiang Wan smiled slightly and gently shook off her hand.
"No wonder the general said that his sister was mentally unstable and confined you to the courtyard. Judging from your nonsensical behavior, she is really quite ill and will need to be kept in confinement for a while longer."
Enraged, Gu Yurong stepped forward with a flushed face, only to be stopped by a servant.
"You're the one who did something wrong, yet you dare to make fun of me?"
"What right do you have to imprison me? What right do you have to say I'm insane? You know perfectly well whether I'm sick or not!"
Gu Yurong struggled, forcefully shaking off the servant who was holding her, her expression agitated and her voice extremely shrill.
"Let me go! I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy!"
Jiang Wan stopped looking at her and stepped into the carriage.
In her past life, when she was locked in the backyard, no one in the Song family listened to her pleas for help.
Gu Yurong came to visit her feigning concern, listened to her defend her innocence, and saw her battered and bruised state. She became agitated, but what did Gu Yurong say?
"Sister, what do you mean by saving the Crown Prince? How dare you make up such a lie? Everyone in the capital knows that it was I who saved His Highness the Crown Prince's life."
She turned to look at Song Ziyu and sighed softly.
"Although my sister has gone mad, if others were to hear her ravings, wouldn't that bring disaster to the General's Mansion?"
"His Highness the Crown Prince will come to the residence tomorrow. Only if she can't speak will everyone feel at ease."
Jiang Wan could not forget the poison in those seemingly gentle eyes, the killing intent growing stronger.
Her eyes were icy cold.
Becoming a "madwoman" wasn't enough for her; she wanted to retaliate against Gu Yurong in ways that went far beyond that.
Inside the carriage, Madam Sun and Madam Shang were looking out.
Seeing Jiang Wan come up, he breathed a sigh of relief and poured her a cup of hot tea.
"It's been a long time since I've seen Madam Gu. Everyone says she has a brain disease and has been recuperating in seclusion. But just now, seeing her agitated and manic state, it seemed like she really was sick. It was quite frightening."
Sun looked at Jiang Wan with concern.
"How are you? Did she hurt you?"
Jiang Wan shook her head: "She is ill. If it weren't for the Imperial Concubine's decree, she really shouldn't have left the residence today."
Madam Sun frowned: "I heard everything. She said she was sick, but I think she's not confused at all. She keeps talking about Song Lin's pursuit of an official position, and she even dares to blame you."
"Sister, just take it as nonsense and don't take it to heart," Jiang Wan smiled.
Madam Sun continued, "Speaking of which, I have to thank you for that matter. You covered up for the Minister's family in front of the Emperor. My husband has been saying he would host a banquet to thank you in person, but the General's Mansion has been busy lately, so I haven't had a chance to speak up."
"It was nothing, Minister Xue, you're too kind," Jiang Wan said. "Sister, this is your first pregnancy, so please focus on your health and don't worry about such trivial matters."
Madam Shang chimed in with a laugh, "Inviting Sister Jiang is easy enough! Every winter, the Minister's mansion hosts a plum blossom banquet. By then, your pregnancy will be stable, so just send her an invitation, and that'll be it!"
"As for that Gu family member, she has the Elder Madam looking after her today, so we should just stay away from her."
Shang took a sip of tea, opened the brocade box beside her, and inside was an exquisite glass hairpin.
"Look, this is the gift I prepared for the princess. What have you prepared?"
Sun smiled and replied, "Mine is a set of twelve jade-ribbed fans."
Jiang Wan said, "I only prepared one ancient book of cultivation techniques, which cannot compare to the precious ones of my two elder sisters."
"My sister's idea is truly unique and different from others."
Lady Shang laughed and turned to look at the glass hairpin in her hand.
"This hairpin, although it is meant to please her, is rather ordinary. Everyone knows that Princess Zhaohua is childlike and likes colorful glass ornaments. Today, I wonder how many similar glass hairpins she will receive."
The three of them looked at each other and smiled.
After chatting for a while, the carriage stopped at a side gate of the palace.
Pei Tang's birthday banquet was held in the Funing Palace. The three of them arrived early, paid their respects to the Empress and the Imperial Concubine, and then sat together in the garden behind the palace.
Both Madam Sun and Jiang Wan were quiet by nature, so they specially found a secluded pavilion.
Not long after I sat down, I heard an excited female voice coming from the veranda not far away.
"So what if he's a prince? You've heard of his reputation! He's good-for-nothing and a good-for-nothing!"
"What kind of future does a man like that have? I'm not going to marry him!"
"Shh!" This time it was another noble lady who spoke, her voice crisp and somewhat familiar. "Ancestor, please keep your voice down! What day is it today? If Consort Yun hears you, you're finished!"
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