The group of people with noble statuses entered, and those around them immediately bowed in greeting.
"Greetings to the Princess Consort of the Fourth Prince, Princess Le Yang, and the Princess Consort of the Ji Family."
"Greetings to Princess Wen Qing."
The Princess Consort of the Fourth Prince, a graceful woman who was also easy to converse with, gently spoke to the crowd: "Everyone is here to listen to the teachings, no need for excessive formalities before the Buddha."
Once everyone stood up, Tang Ning immediately felt Princess Le Yang's gaze upon her, filled with hostility.
"Ah, isn't this the young lady of Yiyang?" Princess Le Yang suddenly spoke up. "How rare! After you fell into the water on the Night of the Qixi Festival, we heard no news of you. I was quite worried about you, but it seems you’ve recovered quite well. You’ve come out to pay respects to the Buddha so soon."
The people around them were shocked.
The incident of Tang Ning falling into the water had not been widely spread, so very few people knew about it. Seeing everyone’s surprised expressions, Rong Yue’s face darkened and she was about to speak up, but Old Madam Fu quickly pulled her back.
"Wait..."
"Don't rush."
Old Madam Fu gave her a look to calm her down. Meanwhile, Tang Ning had already spoken in a soft voice, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I had an unfortunate fall into the water that night, but thanks to the protection of the Buddha, I was fortunate to survive. Today, I’ve come not only to express my gratitude for the Buddha’s protection, but also to pray for the safety of those who fell into the water that night."
"My late mother often taught me to be kind and to accumulate virtue, to avoid greed and evil thoughts in order to bring peace to the family. I have always kept her words in mind. I’ve heard that the Princess Consort’s household has encountered many troubles recently. Young Lord Sun was injured and broke his arm, and I believe that the Princess, with her compassionate heart, is also praying for peace for your household."
Princess Le Yang’s face nearly turned red with anger.
Recently, she had been incredibly unlucky. First, her youngest son broke his arm, then the old Princess of the Lu Palace had caused her to lose much of her wealth. Not only that, but her husband had been keeping a mistress secretly, and she nearly gave birth to an illegitimate child behind her back. She had been furious, unable to sleep at night.
However, since the old Princess of the Lu Palace was highly respected and she was in the wrong, she didn’t dare to confront her. While the mistress had died, this matter could never be allowed to leak, and she had to keep it hidden. All her fury was now directed at this wench, Song Tang Ning.
If it weren’t for her, who couldn’t keep her place and wouldn’t obediently marry into the Princess’ family, there wouldn’t have been so much trouble, and she wouldn’t have offended the old Lu palace matron!
Princess Le Yang coldly said, "You sure have a silver tongue. Your mouth is like a lotus in full bloom!"
The people present, who were no strangers to the world, immediately recognized the sharpness in her words. The hall instantly fell silent.
Qian Qingran’s eyes turned cold for a moment before he spoke up, "It seems like the Princess Consort is praising the County Princess."
"I’ve heard that the phrase ‘silver tongue, lotus mouth’ comes from the Buddhist scriptures of the previous dynasty, where it is said that a certain emperor, who was devoted to Buddhism, wanted to test the wisdom of the renowned monks. The monk took water from the alms bowl, burned incense, recited mantras for several days, and a blue lotus flower appeared in the water, shining with light."
"This phrase is used to praise those with kind hearts, such as the County Princess of Yiyang, who has been guided by Lord Rong Taifu to establish the Rong Sheng Academy for scholars, making her the most fitting recipient. However, the Princess, being of such noble birth, would not be as serious about what she says, unlike us scholars who carefully choose our expressions."
"‘Silver tongue’ refers to those who hide malicious intent behind flattery, pretending to be virtuous. If the Princess Consort has praised the County Princess for her pure connection with the Buddha, then why would she use such harsh words of insult?"
Fu Laiqing, seeing the Princess Le Yang’s face turning pale, smiled and added, "Naturally, that would not be the case. Though the Princess Consort has not received formal education, since you’ve come to pay respects to the Buddha, how could you not know the Buddhist scriptures? Falsehoods and misleading words before the Buddha will bring divine punishment."
"I suppose the Princess Consort saw the County Princess’s gentle and kind nature and wanted to compliment her, but in her excitement, she misspoke."
He then looked at Qian Qingran and said, "Brother Qian, you are indeed a stickler for details. I’ve heard of your literary talents since the time you were at the Guozi Jian, where you earned much praise from the professors. But surely you shouldn’t be so exacting with Princess Consort."
Qian Qingran furrowed his brows, his face showing some regret. "It is my mistake. I forgot that this is not a scholarly hall but a temple. The Princess Consort, being a noblewoman, does not need to adhere to the precise rules of speech that we scholars follow. I ask for Her Highness’s forgiveness."
The surrounding people were silent, watching the exchange unfold.
It was well known that Qian Qingran was a young genius, and Fu Laiqing was favored by the Duke, but no one expected these two to be so sarcastic in their remarks.
The result was clear. If Princess Le Yang got angry, it would imply she had intentionally insulted the County Princess of Yiyang without reason. But if she remained silent, it would suggest she admitted to her lack of education and her disregard for the Buddha’s teachings.
Qian Qiyue, holding Tang Ning’s arm, couldn’t help but almost laugh at the sight of Princess Le Yang turning green with rage. She silently gave a thumbs-up to her brother and Fu Laiqing.
Madam Qian, who had initially wanted to step forward, stopped and glanced at her eldest son, shaking her head in amusement.
Princess Wen Qing, who had not initially planned to get involved with Tang Ning, became displeased when she saw Qian Qingran speaking up for her.
She had tried to get on Qian Qingran’s good side, but he had always ignored her. Now, he was defending another woman?!
Princess Wen Qing immediately spoke up, "Master Qian, you’ve spoken wrongly. Princess Le Yang, as a noble, scolding a disrespectful girl is not a big deal. She just subtly criticized her cousin, Sun Yi, and even dared to gossip about matters of the Princess’s household. If she were punished with a few strikes, it would be well-deserved."
Qian Qiyue, who didn’t want to argue with Princess Le Yang but wasn’t afraid of Princess Wen Qing, responded, "Your Highness, this is quite funny. Clearly, it was the Princess who first asked about Tang Ning’s fall into the water, and Tang Ning simply expressed concern for Her Highness in return. That’s called reciprocal courtesy. How come it becomes gossip and insult in your words? Could it be that the Princess’s concern is ill-intentioned in your eyes?"
"Qian Qiyue!"
Princess Wen Qing’s face turned red with anger. She had her eyes set on Qian Qingran and had been trying to please the Qian family, but now she found herself publicly humiliated by Qian Qiyue.
Suppressing her anger, she adopted a tone of admonishment, "I know you’re young and easily deceived, but you must not judge people solely by their appearance. This Song Tang Ning has caused turmoil in the capital and behaved recklessly, attracting countless men. Don’t let her deceive you!"
Rong Yue, who had been quietly listening, couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Not just one, but two people were making insulting remarks. And they had gathered in a pile!
She lightly pushed Old Madam Fu aside and walked forward, sneering, "Your Highness’s words are truly laughable. If we’re talking about recklessness, my Tang Ning can’t compare to you, Your Highness. After all, only your family would go as far as killing a girl just to snatch her fiancé and then, after the fact, complain that the husband wasn’t satisfactory enough, breaking her legs and throwing her out."
"As for attracting men and changing partners, who could compare to Your Highness?"
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You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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