“Song Tangning, stop spouting nonsense.” The accusation was severe, and Old Princess Lu’s expression turned cold. “When have I ever said such things?”
“Then what did Old Lady Lu mean by what she said just now?”
Tangning's face was cold as she looked at the elderly woman across from her. “I am the county princess appointed by His Majesty, and Sister Qian is a young lady from a family trusted by the Emperor. We have always been loyal to His Majesty without any selfish motives. How is it that we’ve become rebels in Old Princess Lu’s words?”
“If it’s simply because we were unwell after falling into the water and couldn’t perform the three kowtows and nine bows, and now we're being slandered and have even had our lives threatened by your evil servants, then I will personally go to the Emperor and ask if any royal family member has the right to humiliate the women of the imperial court like this. And is it true that anyone who doesn’t obey the Lu Palace is guilty of treason?”
Qian Qiyue’s cheek stung from the slap, the pain was intense. She had never suffered such humiliation before. She turned and shot a fierce look at the old servant, An Momo, who had just been helped up from the ground, then turned coldly away.
“Ruizhu, go back to the house immediately and tell my father that Tangning and I have offended Old Princess Lu because we didn’t perform the three kowtows and nine bows. Ask my father to come with us to the palace to apologize to His Majesty!”
Ruizhu, standing outside the door, turned and left quickly.
“Stop her!!”
It wasn’t just Old Princess Lu who was panicking, but also the Fourth Prince’s wife.
No one had expected Song Tangning to be so firm. Not only had there been a physical confrontation, but now, she was openly threatening to go to the Emperor. Qian Qiyue was directly sending someone back to her family to fetch her father, intending to escalate the situation.
The Fourth Prince’s wife had originally only intended to use Old Princess Lu’s status to put some pressure on Song Tangning, hoping to make her suffer a little. It would be best if it caused trouble with Princess Leyang, and then she could step in to mediate and win some favor. But now, with things escalating like this, if it really reached the Emperor’s ears...
Old Princess Lu’s side wouldn’t fare well, and she feared she would also get dragged in. If it angered Xiao Yan...
The Fourth Prince’s wife quickly ordered someone to stop Ruizhu, then stepped forward and said gently, “Miss Qian, why be so angry? This was just a misunderstanding. Old Princess Lu only acted out of concern for you. The Minister of Finance is deeply favored by the Emperor, and surely, making a scene over such a small matter would only bring ridicule.”
“If it weren’t you being slapped, you would think this was a small matter too.”
Qian Qiyue didn’t give the Fourth Prince’s wife any face, retorting immediately.
“If your Fourth Prince’s household enjoys being slapped, that’s your business. Our Qian family has no such preferences. My father and mother love me and would rather make a huge scene to seek justice for me than leave things unresolved. Don’t worry, Fourth Prince’s wife, we don’t need you to be concerned!”
The Fourth Prince’s wife’s face grew stiff. Seeing she couldn’t persuade Qian Qiyue, she turned to Song Tangning.
“County Princess, please calm your sister down. Old Princess Lu is simply impulsive. If we sit down and talk it out, why escalate things this way?”
Tangning’s face was cold. “Just because she’s angry, she accuses us of rebellion. Who knows what she might do if she’s even more enraged.”
“You!”
Old Princess Lu glared angrily at her.
Tangning responded coldly, “There’s no need for Old Lady Lu to glare at me. You’re right, it was my fault and Miss Qian’s fault for not following the proper etiquette and bowing three times and nine times to your Lu family. Don’t worry, after we meet the Emperor, Miss Qian and I will definitely give you the kowtows you desire.”
Qian Qiyue’s face was pale, but she didn’t back down. “Tangning is right. We’ll do it with more sincerity than we give our ancestors in the family shrine. We won’t get up without Old Princess Lu’s approval.”
You won’t kill her!!
Old Princess Lu nearly choked from anger. What did she mean by saying they were like the ancestors in the family shrine? Qian Qiyue was clearly cursing her, but as she saw the two of them walking towards the door, she began to feel uneasy.
She only wanted to teach these two girls some manners, never intending to escalate it this far. The accusation of “rebellion” had been a slip of the tongue, with no malicious intent. Yet, Song Tangning had latched onto it and wouldn’t let go.
Old Princess Lu’s family held a noble status within the royal clan, but she wasn’t foolish enough to think she could compare to the Emperor. If this really reached the Emperor’s ears, the Lu Palace would be in trouble too.
“Stop them, quickly stop them!” Old Princess Lu’s hand gripped the edge of the table as she grew frantic.
Princess Leyang spoke up. “What are you all standing there for? Stop them!”
Before she could finish, there was a loud crash. The person trying to block them had been kicked into the room by Canglang, nearly hitting Princess Leyang.
The cups and bowls on the table shattered, and when Yuejian’s hand flashed with cold light, the person reaching for Tangning suddenly saw blood.
“I’ll see who dares stop us!”
The commotion upstairs was so loud that Fu Laiqing and the others, who had been guarding the partition, rushed over.
“County Princess!”
“Tangning!”
The room was in chaos, and none of them had expected things to escalate this far. The Fourth Prince’s wife had been so frightened that she retreated a few steps back into the room, with several maids surrounding the others to shield them.
Fu Laiqing’s gaze fell immediately on Qian Qiyue, and he saw the side of her face was swollen. His anger flared. “County Princess, what happened...?”
Tangning didn’t want Fu Laiqing and the others to get involved in this mess. She turned and looked at the people inside the room.
“What is it? Are you trying to slander us for rebellion? Or do you want to find some other crime to pin on me and Miss Qian?”
As everyone’s gaze turned toward them, the corridor filled with people watching, the shock of the word “rebellion” was evident.
If things really escalated, today’s incident might become a massive scandal.
Old Princess Lu was furious. “Stop talking nonsense!”
The Fourth Prince’s wife also spoke up. “County Princess, don’t act impulsively. Old Princess Lu was only worried about your health after the fall. Let’s talk things through calmly...”
“We have nothing to discuss with you. Move aside!”
Seeing that Tangning and the others were about to leave without caring about the potential chaos, and the looks from the people outside were already turning unfriendly, the situation had reached a tipping point.
Suddenly, An Momo, who had slapped Qian Qiyue earlier, lunged forward and thud knelt in front of Tangning and Qian Qiyue.
“County Princess, Miss Qian, please calm down. It was my fault. My mistress is just strict and values rules. She heard from the Fourth Prince’s wife that the County Princess had been disrespectful to the Empress, which upset her. She didn’t intend to harm you both.”
“It was my mistake in guessing her thoughts, wanting to make a good impression in front of the Fourth Prince’s wife and the Empress. It was I who harmed Miss Qian. Please, don’t blame my mistress.”
She knelt in front of them, and after speaking, she slapped herself twice in the face, hard enough to make her face instantly redden and swell.
The Fourth Prince’s wife’s face changed. “An Momo!”
This wretched servant, in trying to protect Old Princess Lu, had turned on her!
Seeing Tangning look at her, the Fourth Prince’s wife hurriedly scolded, “You, you insolent servant! When did I ever say the County Princess was disrespectful to the Empress? It was you who misunderstood my mistress’ words and made the County Princess think badly of me. Now you’re trying to pin this on me!”
Her eyes turned red as she looked at Tangning. “County Princess, I did mention the Empress earlier, but she was only worried you might be blamed by the Emperor. I never said anything bad about you. Old Lady Lu was there just now, and so were Madam Zhou and Princess Leyang. They can all testify to that.”
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You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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