The hall was already crowded, and seeing the former Wenching Princess, no, the young lady from Prince Ji’s household, clashing with Tang Ning and her group, many people turned to look.
The wife of Prince Lu’s heir, having just stepped back half a pace, realized her mistake. When she suddenly understood that she had been intimidated by Song Tang Ning, and heard Qian Qiyue’s mocking scoff, she felt the gazes around her turn strange in an instant.
She seemed to have become the “focus” of the crowd. Advancing felt awkward, and staying put left her face alternating between flushed and pale.
Rong Yue and the others, hearing the commotion, approached. “Tang Ning, what’s going on?”
Tang Ning replied coldly, “Prince Ji’s household insulted the scholars of the world, calling Rongsheng Academy a place of filth.”
“Song…”
Princess Ji was about to retort angrily, but meeting the suddenly cold gazes of Rong Yue and the others, she changed her words.
“Lady Rong, Princess Xiangning is exaggerating. Yuyan was just being childish and spoke out of turn, arguing with the Princess, which was her mistake. But she absolutely didn’t mean to insult anyone. Today is His Majesty’s banquet, so please urge the Princess to be lenient where possible.”
Qian Qiyue immediately sneered, “Some child.”
Lady Qian gave her a light pat but didn’t scold her.
Princess Ji’s face stiffened, and the surrounding gazes grew even stranger.
This former Wenching Princess would be twenty-two after the New Year. Her reputation was so poor due to sabotaging someone’s marriage and causing a death that no one wanted her. The arrogance and malice on her face made her seem even older.
Standing next to the delicate, flower-like Princess Xiangning, how could Princess Ji call her “childish” with a straight face?
Did she have no conscience?
Rong Yue’s expression was icy. “Child or not, that’s no excuse for deliberately picking a fight!”
“At Lingyun Temple, the ‘child’ you speak of nearly hurt Tang Ning. She was arrogant and attacked someone in public. It was Tang Ning’s consideration for Prince Ji’s reputation that she didn’t pursue it. Now, she doesn’t know restraint and spews vile words. You say she didn’t mean to insult others, so does that mean she deliberately insulted my Tang Ning?”
Princess Ji was at a loss for words. “That’s not what I meant…”
“Then what did you mean?”
Lady Wenxinhou’s brow furrowed, looking at Princess Ji with a hint of disgust. “Princess Ji, don’t tell me your earlier words were also unintentional.”
Even her apology was laced with a jab at Tang Ning, and she still expected to smooth things over?
Did she think Rong Yue and Tang Ning were easy to bully?
Tang Ning held the furious Rong Yue, her expression cold. “I won’t argue whether Xie Yuyan was wrong. Since this is a palace banquet, I assume Prince Ji is here as well.”
“For someone from Prince Ji’s household to insult the sacred academy and defame the scholars of the world, it seems the household’s behavior reflects its leadership. I’ll seek Prince Ji myself to settle this. Right and wrong will be clear to someone.”
Hearing that Tang Ning was serious about confronting Prince Ji, Princess Ji panicked.
After the Lingyun Temple incident, though Princess Leyang and the Fourth Prince’s Consort took the brunt of the blame, sparing Prince Ji’s household from direct scrutiny, the Privy Council had caused them no small amount of trouble, both openly and covertly, leaving Prince Ji overwhelmed for quite some time.
Prince Ji had grown displeased with their mother-daughter pair, scolding them harshly and even elevating a concubine to take away some of her household management authority.
If this incident blew up and caused Prince Ji to lose face in the palace, he would surely grow even more fed up with them.
Princess Ji, no longer caring about her dignity, quickly changed her tone. “The Princess’s words are too harsh. Prince Ji’s household has no such intentions. It was Yuyan’s reckless speech.” She grabbed Xie Yuyan. “What are you standing there for? Apologize!”
“Mother?”
“Apologize!”
Seeing Xie Yuyan stiffen her neck in defiance, Princess Ji raised her voice in a sharp rebuke.
“This is the palace, and today is your imperial uncle’s banquet. Your father warned you countless times before you came not to cause trouble. Who gave you permission to speak so recklessly?”
With a warning glance at Xie Yuyan, she used Prince Ji to remind her.
Princess Ji said sternly, “Hurry and apologize to Princess Xiangning!”
Xie Yuyan’s face looked like a dye shop, flushed red with embarrassment. The silent stares around her made her feel as if her dignity was being trampled underfoot.
She clenched her palms so hard her nails dug in, seething with resentment. But facing her mother’s stern urging and recalling her father’s near-punishment last time, she gritted her teeth and muttered, “Sorry.”
Qian Qiyue, still holding Tang Ning’s arm, said, “What did you say? Your voice is like a mosquito’s. Who can hear that?”
Xie Yuyan’s face burned red, glaring venomously at Qian Qiyue. Only after a pinch from Princess Ji did she raise her voice. “I said I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have spoken nonsense and insulted Princess Xiangning and Rongsheng Academy. I was wrong. Please, Princess, be magnanimous and don’t hold it against me.”
Her eyes were red with anger as she spat, “Is that enough?!”
Tang Ning said coldly, “No, it’s not.”
Xie Yuyan’s fury erupted. “Song Tang Ning, don’t push your luck!”
But Tang Ning was unmoved. “You didn’t just insult me and the academy. You also insulted Miss Wang. Unlike you, who’s content to bask in the glory of your family’s power, she has ambition and wants to study at the academy. Yet in your mouth, that became a smear on the Wang family’s honor.”
“As a woman, instead of praising her noble character and steadfast resolve, you viciously insulted her and the Wang family’s reputation. Don’t you owe her an apology?”
Miss Wang, standing nearby, hadn’t expected Tang Ning to demand justice for her. Xie Yuyan’s earlier words had humiliated her deeply, but they reflected the views of most people: a woman studying alongside men was bound to invite gossip, and a single misstep could ruin her reputation.
Yet Tang Ning openly framed her desire to study as self-reliance and independence, free from relying on her family’s protection, praising her character as noble and resolute. If Xie Yuyan apologized to her today, no one would dare bring this up again in the future.
Tang Ning was clearing obstacles for her and preventing others from using this to attack the other women of the Wang family.
Miss Wang’s eyes welled with gratitude toward Tang Ning.
Meeting the hostile glares of Princess Ji and her daughter, she didn’t flinch. Instead, she stepped forward, echoing Tang Ning’s words. “The Wang family may not be as illustrious as Prince Ji’s household, but we won’t tolerate such casual insults. Please, Miss Xie, apologize for your earlier words.”
“You!”
Xie Yuyan was livid. Song Tang Ning was one thing, backed by that eunuch Xiao Yan. But the Wang family? How dare a mere Wang family girl humiliate her like this?
Though Miss Wang felt a pang of fear under her glare, she stood her ground. Xie Yuyan wanted to tear that face apart, but the sharp pain in her arm forced her to swallow her anger. Gritting her teeth, she spat out, “Sorry,” then shot Miss Wang a vicious look before turning to leave.
“Hey, what’s with that look?!”
Qian Qiyue, seeing her attitude, started rolling up her sleeves, only to be pulled back by Lady Qian.
A slap landed on her back, and Lady Qian scolded softly, “Calm down!”===============
You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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