Chapter 20

Qiao Ling and Lady Liang returned to the Duke of Yue’s mansion together. The latter actually brought up the matter of entering the palace: “The Old Lady is busy, she probably won’t have time. I’ll go with you three days from now.”

Lady Liang was the daughter of the Elder Princessof Wu’an, and the Elder Princessof Wu’an was the emperor’s sister. Therefore, Lady Liang should address the Empress Dowager as “Aunt”, and she should have some connections in the inner palace.

Qiao Ling remembered Zhang Yuying mentioning earlier that Lady Liang was favored by the Empress Dowager and married out of the palace. Her dowry was even comparable to a princess, so she should be a beloved junior of the Empress Dowager.

Hearing Lady Liang mention entering the palace on her own initiative, she thanked her and couldn’t help but ask, “Mother-in-law, what kind of person is the Empress Dowager?”

She lowered her voice for the last sentence: “Is she easy to get along with?!”

Lady Liang snorted through her nose: “Easy to get along with, what does it have to do with you? The Queen Mother doesn’t care to see you. This time she’s calling you into the palace, it’s probably just a formality!”

Qiao Ling was slightly surprised: “I heard from my aunt before that the Queen Mother is old and has rarely seen anyone in recent years. Most of the court ladies who enter the palace just pay their respects outside her palace.”

“She told you everything in detail.”

Lady Liang raised an eyebrow, then nodded: “Yes, this time you go to the palace, it will probably be like that.”

But Qiao Ling said, “Since it’s just a formality, and on the one hand she’s too tired to see people, and on the other hand she’s anxious, why not just abolish this old custom?”

Lady Liang said impatiently, “When you’re in charge, you can abolish this rule, okay?!”

Qiao Ling sighed helplessly: “Mother-in-law, you’re doing it again. Whenever you don’t know something, you get anxious…”

Lady Liang raised her hand as if to hit her, but Qiao Ling didn’t say a word and quickly pulled Zhang Yuying away with her.

When they got to the courtyard, she shouted loudly, “Mother-in-law, I’m leaving! I’ll come see you tomorrow!”

Lady Liang was furious and ordered the servants, “Close the doors tightly, don’t let her in tomorrow!”

The maid laughed and watched the two of them run away, saying, “But I think you’ve been since Miss Qiao came.”

“What are you talking about!” Lady Liang sneered, “Was I a ghost before?”

As evening approached, Qiao Ling still took Jinzi out for a walk.

Zhang Yuying had wanted to go with her before, but Qiao Ling had persuaded her. Seeing that she came back early, just took a short walk outside and then returned, she didn’t say anything anymore.

Qiao Ling took her little dog out the door, first turning east in a circle, then turning south after entering a small alley.

The people on the street were still bustling. Several children were rowing boats on the river, picking early lotus pods.

A middle-aged man was performing in a teahouse. He put a raw egg in his mouth, his mouth was full at first, but suddenly he opened his mouth and spat out a chick!

The crowd around gasped, and money rained down like a shower.

The performance next door was like a competition, and a cheer no less loud than the one here rang out.

Qiao Ling glanced at it, but it was a puppeteer performing. He had gathered a group of children, not quite adults. She hesitated for a moment, but decided that the egg-turning-into-chick was more interesting, so she went over there.

She stood and watched for a while, then went up to him and asked if he would be willing to perform at her mansion.

The man looked at her clothes and demeanor, bowed, and smiled, “Madam, you honor me. How could I refuse?”

Qiao Ling nodded and agreed with him: “It will be within these few days, I will send someone to invite you.” She gave him five taels of silver as a down payment.

The man was slightly surprised, took the money with both hands, and laughed, “Madam is so generous. Aren’t you afraid I’ll run off with the money?”

Qiao Ling also smiled, raised two fingers and pointed at her eyes, then pointed at him: “You can’t run.”

The two parted ways, and Qiao Ling continued forward.

The man also packed up his stall and prepared to go home. As he was leaving, he glanced at the neighboring stall, which was still lively.

The puppeteer’s disciples were manipulating puppets, and two pretty girls were playing music on the side, performing “The Legend of the Eight Immortals.”

The puppeteer chanted, “The Heavenly Dog couldn’t imagine that Dongbin was unfolding the painting to save its life. It thought that everyone in this sect was its enemy, how could a savior suddenly appear out of nowhere?”

The man listened, but didn’t think much of it. His gaze fell on the puppeteer’s face, and he suddenly froze.

As he spoke, the teeth and tongue he revealed were black.

As the sun set, Qiao Ling saw the middle-aged man in plain clothes with graying temples that she had encountered a few nights ago.

This time, he was squatting on the street, chatting with a hunter who had a few pheasants at his feet.

Soon, she passed by the same group of pleasure boats again.

The girl was there too, but her expression was much more relaxed than before.

She had taken off her shoes, her bare feet were soaking in the river water, and she was peeling lotus pods with a pure childlike smile on her face.

Qiao Ling looked straight ahead as she passed by the river.

The girl seemed to sense something and turned to look, but she only saw men and women passing by in a hurry.

Someone in the pleasure boat called to her, “Lingci, what’s wrong?”

Dong Lingci retracted her gaze, her furrowed brows relaxing: “Nothing, Master.”

She lifted her wet feet out of the river water, picked up her shoes, and walked into the cabin.

Qiao Ling wandered around, finally stopping in front of a teahouse.

She took out a handkerchief from her bosom and carefully wiped Jinzi’s paws before taking him inside.

The front room of the teahouse was bustling and lively, while the courtyard behind was quiet.

The fat owner creaked across the wooden floor as he opened the door for her, then courteously closed it again.

Qiao Ling said at that moment, “When I came here, I saw that the sign of the shop on the east side was taken down. Did the owner change?”

The owner said, “Old Luo, who ran the cloth shop, left. The shop was leased to a young man.”

He thought for a moment and then said, “I think he’s a doctor? He hasn’t opened yet, I only saw people moving things into the shop. I took a look.”

Qiao Ling “Oh” So that’s how it is.”

There were already a few people waiting inside, two men and one woman.

Qiao Ling led Jinzi in, looked around, and then launched into a full-fledged attack.

“Gongsun Yan, you’re such a useless person! You thumped your chest when you promised, but in the end, you didn’t accomplish anything!”

Then she scolded the other man in white: “Xiang Huitang, you’re a useless person too! You promised to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but you’ve been killing for so long, and the matter isn’t resolved. In the end, I have to do it myself!”

Then she looked at the woman with bright eyes: “Sister, you look so beautiful today, come here and let me hug you~”

Gongsun Yan sighed, looking dejected: “I heard that the King of Lu recently recruited a new retainer, called Lingxiao Taoist. Maybe this matter has something to do with him.”

Xiang Huitang, who was wearing white, didn’t argue, but instead frowned and reprimanded, “People are dying in the Divine Capital, what does it have to do with you? Why do I have to deal with these trivial matters!”

“How can you not care when you know?”

Qiao Ling shouted angrily, “Besides, you didn’t handle it well!”

Xiang Huitang said, “You’re so righteous, why don’t you handle it yourself?”

Qiao Ling’s momentum was even stronger than before: “I’m going to get married! Are you going to marry for me?!”

Xiang Huitang immediately fell silent.

Gongsun Yan looked around, seeing that the two were silent, he dug in his ear and said nonchalantly, “The behavior of those assassins is a bit strange. It’s like they can’t be killed, and they don’t seem to be trying to hide their tracks at all.”

As he spoke, he shook his hand and unfolded a map, which depicted the Divine Capital  of God and marked the locations where cases had occurred with red dots: “Although it’s not really finished, I imagine that the person behind this is trying to convey certain information to specific people through these cases. Look, if you connect all the dots, what does this image look like?”

Several people gathered around.

At the top was a triangle, below it was a square, and at the bottom were three legs, like a tall building.

Except for Gongsun Yan, the other few people looked at each other and said in unison, “It’s a ‘Jing’

 character!”

The evolution of characters has gone through a long process, but the talismans passed down from ancient times still retain their ancient forms to some extent. The shape formed by connecting the red dots on the map was clearly an ancient ‘Jing’ character!

Xiang Huitang said, “Using an ancient character to write ‘Jing’, it makes me think of a surname.”

Except for Qiao Ling, the other few people looked at each other and said in unison again, “The Jing family of Yuancheng Jing Clan!”

After discussing the main matter, Gongsun Yan sighed sincerely, looked at Qiao Ling’s face, and said sarcastically, “Oh, A-Ling, you’ve become so wealthy now, you don’t even care about your relatives coming to stay!”

The master and mistress looked at each other.

Qiao Ling’s face flushed: “You’re the one who’s going crazy outside and getting caught. How can you blame me?”

“What? You’re exaggerating!”

Gongsun Yan looked indignant and said unfairly, “When have I ever gone crazy?!”

The master and mistress both looked away.

Seeing this, Gongsun Yan couldn’t help but feel even more desolate: “The richer you get, the more stingy you are, and the more stingy you become, the richer you get…”

Night had just fallen, and the city gates had already been closed, but inside the city, it was still a scene of singing and dancing, peaceful as ever.

Jinzi held his leash in his mouth, following the brick wall along the street, his steps steady and determined, heading home.

As he passed a certain shop, he suddenly stopped.

A shadow fell in front of him, followed by a pair of cloth shoes.

Jinzi was a little uneasy at first, sniffing the air twice with his nose, then suddenly relaxed and barked happily, “Woof woof!”

Bai Ying squatted down, picked up the leash that had fallen from his mouth when he barked, and looked at him with some surprise: “It’s a little girl. How could…”

Jinzi barked again.

People kept passing by them, but no one looked twice.

Indeed, what’s there to look at when someone is squatting on the ground playing with a dog!

Bai Ying stayed squatting for a while, a rare gentle smile appearing on his usually gloomy face: “Jin Zi, you’ve met a good person.”

He handed the leash back to Jin Zi’s mouth: “Go, goodbye.”

Jin Zi wanted to bark at him, but remembering what he was holding in his mouth, he finally gave up. He wagged his tail reluctantly, soon disappearing into the human smoke and fire.

“Yuying, do you know the Jing family of Yuancheng Jingshi?”

After returning to the Duke of Yue’s mansion, before going to bed, Qiao Ling asked this question.

Zhang Yuying was clearly taken aback: “The Jing family of Yuancheng?”

Seeing her expression, Qiao Ling felt like she might have asked a stupid question.

However, the gentle and considerate Yuying didn’t say anything to embarrass her. After a brief moment of shock, she told her in detail: “The ancestor of the Jing family of Yuancheng was a prince during ancient times. He was enfeoffed in the Jing region, so his descendants took that as their surname.”

“It’s said—just a rumor—that during the age of gods, the Jing family of Yuancheng was an extraordinary family, with many talented people. Even in the non-mythical era, the Jing family of Yuancheng produced many famous figures.”

“They were particularly good at classics and history. During the previous dynasty, many members of the family served in the Secretariat, the Ministry of Rites, or the Imperial Academy, and they even produced several experts in divination!”

Qiao Ling looked at her eagerly: “Then what?”

Zhang Yuying was a little amused by her stare, and her tone was a bit complicated: “There’s no ‘then’ anymore.”

She said, “The Saint, The Emperor Gao, when he founded the dynasty, the Jing family of Yuancheng sided with his enemies and repeatedly put him in danger. After The Emperor Gao established his rule, he exterminated the entire Jing family of Yuancheng.”

Qiao Ling was shocked: “Ah? They’re all dead???”

Zhang Yuying nodded: “That’s what the history books say.”

Qiao Ling let out a long “Oh”, pulled the blanket over her, and lay down.

But her mind was in turmoil.

The Jing family of Yuancheng had been exterminated by the The Emperor Gauzo’s Clan at the beginning of the dynasty.

Then who is the person who is secretly issuing challenges, stirring up a bloody storm in the Divine Capital  of Glod?

What is their relationship with the Jing family of Yuancheng?

Or, from the beginning, they guessed wrong, and the map was just a coincidence. It wasn’t actually pointing to the Jing family of Yuancheng at all?!

Qiao Ling couldn’t figure it out, so she stopped thinking about it and closed her eyes to sleep.

The next day, as soon as she got up, the girls in the courtyard started helping her change clothes.

“Today, not only are you going to the palace to pay your respects to the Queen Mother, but your two aunts are also coming back. You can’t be disrespectful!”

Seeing her puzzled expression, Zhang Yuying explained with a smile as she helped her adjust her collar, “After paying your respects to the Queen Mother, you will have completed the last step recognized by the court. Even if the wedding hasn’t happened yet, you can use the title of ‘Duchess of Yue’ on your official letters and documents. So this is a very important day.”

“Your aunts who are married out of the mansion will also come back to visit their niece-in-law on this day. Otherwise, when the wedding day comes, you’ll be so busy that you won’t know who’s who.”

Qiao Ling nodded knowingly.

The Old Lady had three daughters, none of them biological.

Her eldest daughter had followed her husband to a post outside the Divine Capital  and was not in the city now. This time, the Duke of Yue’s mansion was in a hurry to prepare for the wedding, so she naturally couldn’t make it back.

Her second and youngest daughters were in the Divine Capital .

Her second daughter was quite remarkable. She was now the wife of the Marquis of Guangde. Her youngest daughter’s husband had a lower official position, a Secretary of the Secretariat, a rank six official.

Qiao Ling tidied herself up, first went to find Lady Liang, and waited for her to finish getting ready. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law went to the Old Lady’s place together to pay their respects.

The two aunts came together, arriving very early. This was also a way of showing that they valued their family and their niece-in-law, Qiao Ling.

Lady Liang introduced her: “This is your second aunt.”

The Marquis of Guangde, Lady Jiang, was quite beautiful, a dazzling kind of beauty. Perhaps to balance out that vibrant brilliance, she had an exceptionally dignified demeanor.

When she saw Qiao Ling, she smiled and complimented her a few times, giving her a very generous gift.

Qiao Ling thanked her.

Lady Liang then introduced her to another: “This is your younger aunt.”

Lady Xiao Jiang, the Secretary’s wife,is more delicate and gentle than her sister, a kind of petite and elegant beauty. But whether it was due to an unhappy life or something else, although she was younger, she looked several years older than the Marquis of Guangde. Her brows and eyes had a hint of weariness and depression.

When she saw Qiao Ling, she was also very polite, giving her soft compliments and a generous gift.

Qiao Ling thanked her again, secretly taking note of her kindness.

Although they were sisters, they had both been married for several years, and they knew their own lives. Lady Xiao Jiang’s husband was only a rank six official, so he probably wasn’t as wealthy as the Marquis of Guangde. But even so, he still gave a generous gift.

Because of this good impression, when they went out to get some fresh air a while later, Qiao Ling couldn’t help but ask, “I see that my aunt has a troubled expression. Did something happen?”

Lady Xiao Jiang was startled at first, but when she understood, she immediately burst into tears: “I, sigh! Don’t laugh at your niece-in-law, my life is truly unbearable…”

After saying that, she quickly wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

Qiao Ling saw a reflection of Lady Ruan in her, and couldn’t help but ask, “What happened? You have to tell me, so I can understand.”

Lady Xiao Jiang felt ashamed, but she was also troubled. After hesitating for a moment, she finally revealed some of the grievances she had been holding in her heart: “It’s just the usual family matters, my husband and I don’t get along, and life isn’t smooth. That’s fine, what couple doesn’t argue? But I never imagined that after decades of marriage, with several children, he would actually hit me…”

“Ah?” Qiao Ling’s eyebrows furrowed: “He actually hit you? That bastard deserves to die!”

Lady Xiao Jiang remained silent, tears streaming down her face. Her maid also started to cry: “Master treated Madam very well in the early years. He took a concubine a few years ago, and she instigated him, so he gradually treated Madam badly. At first, he only spoke harshly, but now he even hits her!”

The maid looked miserable: “It’s only because we’re desperately protecting her that she hasn’t been killed. Madam has a big gash on her head, the blood soaked her hair…”

Qiao Ling’s eyes widened in anger: “How could he do this?! You have to separate from him, sue him!”

“On such a good day, why are you bringing this up?” Lady Xiao Jiang wiped her tears and said with embarrassment, pulling Qiao Ling’s hand, “There are not only unhappy couples in the world, but also those who are deeply in love. Don’t let my situation make you think that marriage isn’t a good thing.”

Qiao Ling didn’t pick up on that, but continued, “You have to separate from him! According to the law, a husband hitting his wife is grounds for separation! You can also fight for more property! Move around a bit, maybe you can even get him thrown in jail!”

Lady Xiao Jiang said helplessly, “It’s easy to say, but how easy is it to do? Especially since your cousin is about to get engaged. If I make a fuss and ruin his engagement, how can I face him?!”

Qiao Ling then changed her approach, saying, “But you can’t let that bastard get away with it! I”

Zhang Yuying was behind her, afraid that she would shout out “I’ll find someone to deal with him!”, so she quickly grabbed her sleeve.

Qiao Ling turned around, but misunderstood. She looked confused and said, “What, I can’t go after him?”

Then she said indignantly, “He hit my aunt, are we just going to pretend it didn’t happen and let her suffer in silence?!”

Zhang Yuying secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, “According to the customary rules of The Divine Capital when a couple has a dispute, they can go to court, which is seeking justice, or they can handle it within their own families, which is a family matter. Lady Jiang is the aunt of the Duke of Yue, and you are the future wife of the Duke of Yue. As a daughter-in-law of the Jiang family, you can naturally speak up for your married aunt.”

Qiao Ling immediately promised Lady Xiao Jiang, “I’ll go after him!”

Lady Xiao Jiang was grateful, but also apologetic: “How can I accept this? Not to mention, you have to go to the palace to see the Empress Dowager today…”

So Qiao Ling revised her statement, saying, “I’ll go after him as soon as I come back from the palace!”

Lady Xiao Jiang held her hand, tears in her eyes, “This is truly… It’s only family who you can rely on!”

After she went back inside, Zhang Yuying said in a low voice, with a hint of disapproval, “Madam shouldn’t have promised so easily.”

Qiao Ling widened her eyes and said, “She’s the Duke’s aunt, and she was bullied by her husband. I know, how can I not care?”

“Lady Xiao Jiang is different from Lady Ruan you met before. The Old Lady hasn’t said anything yet. And based on your understanding of Lady Liang and Madam Jiang, are they the kind of people who would stand by and watch?”

Zhang Yuying said, “They’re not saying anything, which means there might be something fishy going on.”

She added, “And as far as I know, the eldest son of the Li family—your aunt’s eldest son—is not a very decent person.”

Qiao Ling shook her head: “What others do is their business. But if I know someone is being bullied, and I can help but choose to ignore it, then I’m not a good person.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yuying couldn’t help but laugh, then gave up: “If you weren’t this kind of person, how would you have saved me back then? Sigh, just do as you please.”

Qiao Ling then remembered something else, so she gestured to Zhang Yuying: “Go run a leg for me, go ask the Duke, get his approval…”

While Qiao Ling and Lady Xiao Jiang were talking outside, the Marquis of Guangde was also chatting with the Old Lady in the hall, talking about ordinary things.

Lady Liang and Madam Jiang sat beside them listening.

Fangyi and several maids brought in fresh fruit. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Madam Jiang quietly told Lady Liang, “Third Sister and Miss Qiao are talking outside.”

Lady Liang used a silver toothpick to pick up a piece of apple and ate it: “Let them talk. Can we stop her mouth?”

Madam Jiang was a bit worried: “If we don’t tell Miss Qiao, she might agree to something foolishly. If we specifically go and tell her, it will seem like we’re gossiping and stirring up trouble as elders.”

Lady Liang didn’t even move her eyelids, saying, “She’s a busybody. If you go and stop her, she might think you’re up to something. Let her bump into a wall, she’ll learn her lesson.”

Madam Jiang looked a bit troubled, and finally sighed: “Sigh, I guess that’s the only way.”

The two sisters-in-law spoke in low voices, but the Old Lady and the Marquis of Guangde probably heard something, but they acted as if they hadn’t heard anything at all, and didn’t say a word. When Qiao Ling and Lady Xiao Jiang came back inside, the Old Lady, judging the time, urged Lady Liang to take her to the palace quickly.

“At this time, it’s better to arrive early and wait than to be late and lose respect.”

Lady Liang got up and agreed.

The Duke of Yue, Jiang Mai’s wet nurse, was startled when she saw Zhang Yuying come: “Miss Zhang, what brings you here?”

Zhang Yuying said, “Our Madam has a matter she’s hesitant about, and she asked me to come and ask the Duke’s opinion.”

She very tactfully explained Lady Xiao Jiang’s situation: “Our Madam said she wants to use the Duke’s name to seek justice for Lady Jiang. Would this be a hindrance to the Duke?”

Luo was surprised to hear this, then felt admiration. She instructed someone to offer Zhang Yuying tea and went to the inner courtyard to ask.

After a while, she came back with a message: “The Duke asked me to thank Madam for her kindness, saying that if it leads to conflict, he is willing to take full responsibility.”

Zhang Yuying replied, said goodbye to Luo, and quickened her pace, heading towards the Old Lady.

Luo watched her leave, then turned back. Seeing Jiang Mai lying leisurely on a bamboo chair, basking in the sun, with a rare smile on his lips, her tone softened: “Miss Qiao is truly kind and warm-hearted!”

Ordinary ladies, when they encounter this kind of thing after getting married, would most likely refuse to get involved. Who would jump in headfirst?

Jiang Mai also said softly, “Yes.”

Qiao Ling received Jiang Mai’s reply from Zhang Yuying and felt relieved. She was sitting in the carriage going to the palace, but she was already stretching her muscles, preparing to go find her unseen brother-in-law to cause trouble after she came out of the palace.

Lady Liang probably guessed something, and she had a bit of a desire to watch the show. She didn’t say a word, nor did she ask.

As a result, Qiao Ling was the one who was curious: “Mother-in-law, aren’t you going to advise me?”

Lady Liang leaned back on the pillow and said leisurely, “Why should I advise you? If you turn the world upside down, it has nothing to do with me.”

Qiao Ling said, “You said, Mother-in-law, if I really cause a big fuss, you can’t scold me!”

Lady Liang sneered: “I said, if you really cause a big fuss, I won’t scold you!”

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law looked at each other and didn’t speak again.

They arrived at the palace gate in silence. Servants came forward to check their credentials and identities. After confirming that there were no problems, they were finally allowed to change carriages and continue forward.

They passed through a palace gate, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got off the carriage and got into a sedan chair to continue forward.

After passing through another palace gate, even the sedan chair couldn’t enter and they had to walk.

They walked all the way to the Qianqiu Palace, where the Empress Dowager resided. Sure enough, there were already female officials and servants waiting outside. They politely chatted with Lady Liang for a few words, then informed the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law of the situation.

The Empress Dowager was unwell and wouldn’t see guests. According to the old custom, they would just pay their respects outside.

According to the old custom, they also received many gifts.

A female official from another place came to invite them: “The Elder Princess said that if the Lady and the Duchess of Yue are free, you can go and visit her for a while, and then we’ll send you two out of the palace.”

Qiao Ling was a bit surprised—it was said that the Elder Princess had her own mansion, why was she still living in the palace?

As for whether to go or not, it was naturally up to Lady Liang to decide.

Lady Liang readily agreed.

The female official who came to invite them walked ahead. Even though Qiao Ling was curious, she didn’t dare to ask. She could only ponder in her heart: Living in the palace after establishing her own mansion, it seems that Yuying’s earlier statement was true. This princess really has the ability to claim the throne!

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law rode in a sedan chair for a while, finally stopping in front of a certain palace.

Qiao Ling looked up and saw three large characters written on the palace gate Wensi Hall.

A female official led the way, inviting the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law inside.

After entering the hall, Qiao Ling saw a woman with a delicate appearance sitting on the left side of the upper seat, wearing casual clothes. When she saw the two guests arrive, she smiled and stood up to greet them.

Behind her, half a step away, stood a man about her age. Qiao Ling guessed that he was probably the Grand Princess’s husband.

“I’ve heard that the Duke of Yue has taken a wife, and that she’s a very dignified person. It’s a pity that I didn’t get to meet her until today!”

The Elder Princess was a cheerful person, and her words didn’t show any arrogance due to her status. When she saw Qiao Ling, her expression was quite sincere.

Qiao Ling exchanged a few words with her, noticing that she didn’t ask about Zhang Yuying, nor did she mention the Duke of Lu. She couldn’t help but feel a little fondness for her.

At this moment, a palace servant came from outside with tea, first serving Lady Liang, and soon someone brought some to Qiao Ling.

She was distracted by her conversation with the Eldest Princess and didn’t look closely. She picked it up and took a sip, then immediately spat it out and started coughing!

Lady Liang was beside her, startled at first, then said, “Is there something wrong with the tea?”

Qiao Ling thought, no wonder Grandmother said that Mother-in-law is a bit clumsy but clever!

Seeing her daughter-in-law behaving improperly, she didn’t say “What are you doing?” in a condemning tone, but instead defended her first, saying it was the tea that was wrong, not my daughter-in-law.

But that would make the host seem inhospitable.

Or maybe Mother-in-law actually knew, but because she had already categorized Qiao Ling as one of her own, she said that.

Qiao Ling felt touched, but didn’t hesitate to say, with embarrassment, “The tea is very bitter, it’s like it has licorice in it…”

She looked down again: “Eww, it really does have licorice!”

The Eldest Princess’s face turned pale, and she stood up abruptly, looking at the prince behind her with anger: “What did you do?!”

At this moment, a suppressed laugh came from behind the curtain.

Two hands lifted the curtain that was hanging low, and a young couple walked out laughing.

The young lady, who was about Qiao Ling’s age, giggled and called out, “Big Sister!”

Then she called to the prince, “Brother-in-law.”

The young man also called out, “Sister-in-law, Big Brother.”

Lady Liang frowned at the two of them and told Qiao Ling, “That’s the Fourth Princess and the prince’s younger brother, the Third Young Master of the Yu family.”

Qiao Ling “Oh”

The Eldest Princess didn’t pay attention to the young couple’s address, but looked at the Prince Consort and asked, “Do you know?”

The prince’s brows were furrowed, he shook his head at first, then looked at his younger brother and said sternly, “Sanlang, these are the Princess’s guests, how dare you be so presumptuous?!”

Seeing this, the Third Young Master’s smile disappeared.

The Fourth Princess, however, interceded for him: “I did it, it has nothing to do with Sanlang.”

She then looked at Qiao Ling nonchalantly and asked, “Miss Qiao, you wouldn’t be so petty as to not even be able to take a joke, would you?”

Qiao Ling glared at her angrily, not answering, but covering her mouth, she quietly asked Lady Liang, “Can I scold her?”

Lady Liang: “…”

Lady Liang understood her anger, but still said kindly, “It’s best not to, right?”

“I understand.”

Lady Liang thought Qiao Ling would make a scene, but she surprisingly nodded understandingly: “If we make a scene now, it will easily cause trouble for the family.”

Lady Liang looked relieved.

But she heard Qiao Batian’s voice lower even more: “I’ll find someone to deal with her after we leave the palace!”

Lady Liang’s eyes went black.

After pondering for a moment, she took a deep breath and told her daughter-in-law, whose connections were strong: “This little matter doesn’t require you to take action yet.”

Then she pulled Qiao Ling behind her and said sharply, “The Fourth Princess’s mother is, after all, the daughter of a famous scholar. The daughter she raised doesn’t even understand the word ‘Etiqutte’? A joke—today the Eldest Princess and the prince are the hosts, my wife and I are the guests. You came uninvited, what kind of status do you have to make jokes?!”

Liang Batian repeated Qiao Ling’s forceful rhetorical question word for word: “If you dared to make such a joke to the Emperor, or to the Empress Dowager, then you’d be truly joking!”

Glancing at the Fourth Princess’s face, which suddenly turned pale, Lady Liang sneered: “If you don’t dare, you only bully those with lower status than yourself, and you rely on your princess status to cover up your arrogance and rudeness, waiting for your elder sister to clean up after you!”

Qiao Ling sighed inwardly—My mother-in-law’s personality is so intense, making a scene like this in the palace is easy to cause trouble!

Then she stuck her head out and said, “Haha, Fourth Princess, you wouldn’t be so petty as to not even be able to take a joke, would you?”