Chapter 56 Piercing the Heart

What a heavy accusation to throw around.

Truly, as expected of the Prime Minister's wife. Look at that silver tongue of hers; it hasn't been long, yet with a mere flick of her lips, she has conjured up a brand-new excuse out of thin air.

Everyone present knew that Liu Qingmei was lying.

Yet no one could pierce through this lie.

After all, first, it was impossible for them to go and confront Prince Xuan. Second, even if they did confront Prince Xuan, they would never get the answer they wanted.

As Ji Shulan's betrothed, Prince Xuan would undoubtedly stand unconditionally on Ji Shulan's side and cover up for her when faced with outsiders' skepticism.

As for whether he would settle accounts with Ji Shulan and her mother afterward... well, that was their own private business, which outsiders would never get to see.

Besides, they had nothing better to do than to go interrogate Prince Xuan for no good reason. Why on earth would they want to offend an imperial prince? Especially one deeply favored by the Emperor.

Nobody was that out of their mind.

Therefore, after Liu Qingmei used Prince Xuan's authority to bully and pressure everyone, regardless of what they truly thought in their hearts, they all had to obediently swallow her words on the surface.

Especially the two matrons standing beside Liu Qingmei.

As if they had finally found a stepping stone, they immediately went along with it, every word they uttered serving to smooth things over for Liu Qingmei.

"Oh my! So that's how it is? It's rare to see Prince Xuan care so deeply for a young lady. It seems Prince Xuan truly values Shulan!"

"Indeed. Shulan is merely a bit young and lively; how could anyone accuse her of lacking decorum or being overbearing? Who hasn't been a young girl once? Can't people have a little more tolerance?"

"Quite right. Shulan is a fine young lady, polite and sensible in her dealings with others. Perhaps she was just too overjoyed today and momentarily lost her measure, but they are all children after all, quite understandable!"

The two matrons chimed in one after another, and within a short while, they had enlivened the previously awkward atmosphere once again.

The onlookers exchanged glances with one another, some showing amazement, some disdain, but most wearing expressions of gloating schadenfreude.

Because they knew the show was far from over!

"Humph!"

Madam Qin suddenly let out a cold snort, instantly confirming these people's suspicions.

Of course, Madam Qin wouldn't dare to easily offend Prince Xuan either, but she could certainly find other ways to prick at Liu Qingmei.

As adversaries of so many years, if Madam Qin didn't know what Liu Qingmei's soft spots or weaknesses were, she wouldn't be fit to be a General's wife.

Seeing Madam Qin suddenly curve her lips into a meaningful smile, she slowly began to speak.

"What do you mean, 'just a child'? She is about to be married off immediately; that makes her an adult. Since she is an adult, and the daughter of the Prime Minister's residence to boot, she ought to understand etiquette and know the proper bounds of advancement and retreat."

"If she can lose her measure just because she's happy, well, Eldest Miss Ji is the future Crown Princess! Yet we haven't seen Eldest Miss Ji commit any improprieties. Her etiquette and decorum are the very model of young ladies in the capital."

Watching the frozen smile on Liu Qingmei's face, Madam Qin felt a rush of satisfaction, so she continued to elevate one while stepping on the other.

"If you ask me, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has an eye for talent! Eldest Miss Ji also has good judgment. They have taken a fancy to each other—simply a golden boy and jade girl, a perfect match!"

"It's just a pity for Prince Xuan. With a Princess Xuan who is lively to the point of losing all decorum, who knows how lively the Prince's estate will become in the future."

"I only hope that when this Princess Xuan stirs up some laughable trouble in the future, Madam Ji can also stand nearby to smooth things over, and say once more that 'she is still just a child' to see if she can bluff her way through!"

"Pfft!"

Someone failed to hold back and burst into laughter out loud.

These words were too vicious!

Setting aside the fact that she had pulled out Ji Hua to compare with Ji Shulan, she had even preemptively prophesied the chaos Ji Shulan might cause after marrying into the prince's estate.

The crucial point was that everyone actually didn't think it was nonsense at all.

Given Ji Shulan's past behavior, everyone believed she was entirely capable of doing the things Madam Qin had described.

If Ji Shulan truly lived up to expectations and caused trouble in the prince's estate, it would certainly be impossible to let Liu Qingmei step in to smooth things over.

Their statuses differed; Liu Qingmei would even have to bow upon seeing her own daughter!

It simply stirred up everyone's curiosity.

If there was no Liu Qingmei nearby to smooth things over, what on earth would they do about the trouble Ji Shulan stirred up?

Could they just wait for Prince Xuan to clean up the mess himself?

Tsk!

For a moment, quite a few people began discussing this topic with considerable enthusiasm.

Madam Qin stared at Liu Qingmei's face, curved her lips, and continued.

"However, this is only normal. Eldest Miss Ji is clever, sensible, and knows propriety, but her virtues didn't just appear out of thin air—they all rely on her having a good mother!"

"Isn't today's Eldest Miss Ji an exact replica of Miss Cui Yuxi from back then? An orchid seed naturally blooms into an orchid. It's just a pity that certain people couldn't bear to see it and somehow ground that orchid down behind the scenes."

Hearing these words, the crowd could not help but recall the peerless and brilliant Miss Cui Yuxi from those years.

She truly was an extraordinary woman!

Not only was she exceptionally striking in appearance and ethereal in temperament, but she also possessed consummate social grace.

Her popularity wasn't gained through slick and sycophantic dealings; she relied entirely on genuine strength and eloquence!

Young and old, men and women alike, everyone adored her. It was simply a pity that heaven is often jealous of surpassing beauty.

Thinking of the prematurely deceased Cui Yuxi, they all collectively felt a pang of regret while simultaneously generating profound sympathy for Ji Hua.

They had all witnessed Liu Qingmei's attitude toward Ji Hua just now.

Eldest Miss Ji had spoken with trembling caution right in front of Liu Qingmei; one could easily imagine what kind of life she led within the household.

Even if a stepmother could never match a birth mother, those born into prominent noble houses as they were still understood the importance of maintaining basic decency.

It was one thing for a mistress of the house to remain emotionally distant from her predecessor's daughter in private—matters of the heart could never be forced.

Yet as the mistress managing the household, she should at least extend basic care toward the children who came before.

To claim that Liu Qingmei didn't know how to teach or cherish children? That was utter nonsense!

Didn't they all see how arrogant and overbearing her own daughter had been raised to be?

By comparison, Ji Hua appeared all the more like a pitiful little creature.

In an instant, the gazes many matrons cast toward Liu Qingmei were laden with undisguised contempt.

Involuntarily, they began comparing Liu Qingmei to the former Cui Yuxi, and the outcome was an overwhelming victory for Cui Yuxi!

Liu Qingmei's face turned livid with rage.

She truly had not expected that this bitch, Madam Qin, would dredge up Cui Yuxi.

After becoming Madam Ji, how much effort had she expended to gradually make the capital's elite forget that woman's existence?

Yet today, in front of so many people, Madam Qin had dragged that woman back into the light!

Detestable!

Damnable!

Trembling all over with fury, Liu Qingmei forced down her rage, twitched the corners of her mouth, and spoke.

"Madam Qin certainly has a remarkable memory, still remembering Sister Cui. It's just a pity that I never had the fortune to lay eyes upon her radiant countenance. But however much Madam Qin misses Sister Cui, the deceased is already gone. To keep bringing up the dead in conversation is rather inappropriate, isn't it?"