These words were so tricky.

When the new daughter-in-law came to serve tea, no one was allowed into the main hall and she was asked to wait outside the hall. To put it bluntly, I want to show off my power. When it came to the words of Queen Mother Zhao, it became “Look at the patience of the bride.”

Empress Qiao was very angry after hearing this. She only relied on her extraordinary self-control to avoid being discourteous on the spot.

Emperor Yongjia, on the other hand, spoke a fair word, “When the new bride comes in to present tea, even if we want to set rules, we should let her enter first before discussing anything. Not allowing her to enter the hall and then blaming her for chatting and laughing outside is a bit too much.”

Was it necessary for Lady Lu to be outside the hall, trembling in fear and trepidation?

Empress Dowager Zhao was unhappy and glanced at Emperor Yongjia: “The Emperor is blaming the Ai Jia?”

What else could Emperor Yongjia say?

Consort Meng enjoyed the spectacle and didn’t mind the commotion. She leisurely covered her mouth with a handkerchief and said with a smile, “The Empress Dowager hasn’t encountered Lady Lu before and doesn’t know her temperament. On that day, during the Empress’s banquet, Miss Lu openly embarrassed Consort Su Zhaorong, undermining the dignity of the Empress. She has quite the audacity!”

Concubine Qin smiled softly and calmly said, “Miss Lu is a tiger girl in the general family. She has amazing powers and martial arts skills that are inferior to many men in the world. It is inevitable for people with ability and power to have a bit of a temper.”

Consort Su Zhaorong unexpectedly joined in the excitement, saying, “In my humble opinion, Miss Lu is deliberately putting on a show for the Empress Dowager!”

Empress Qiao couldn’t laugh anymore and was so angry that she shivered slightly.

She had never liked Lu Mingyu very much.

However, now that Lu Mingyu had married Li Jing and became her daughter-in-law, she was on the same side. When Empress Dowager Zhao made things difficult for Lu Mingyu, she was making things difficult for her and Li Jing, mother and son.

Meng Guifei, Concubine Qin, and Su Zhaorong were not good people. They were all adding fuel to jealousy and their words were full of instigation. In the final analysis, they just wanted to use the hands of Queen Mother Zhao to suppress Lu Mingyu’s limelight.

Emperor Yongjia still knew Empress Qiao somewhat. Seeing Empress Qiao’s expression change, Emperor Yongjia immediately said: “Come here, ask the Second Prince Xuan and his wife to come in.”

As soon as Emperor Yongjia spoke, everyone fell silent.

Even Queen Mother Zhao didn’t say anything.

Hum, sūnxífù comes in. It was a trivial matter for her, a grandma, to make things difficult for her. She had the highest seniority and the most respected position, and she had to hold back whether she accepted it or not.

…

A moment later, the newly married Second prince and Second huángzifēi entered the main hall.

The clothes of the prince and the princess were specially made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and there was nothing special about them. Back then, the Eldest Prince married the Eldest huángzifēi and came to serve tea on the second day, wearing the same clothes.

But for some reason, when Li Jing, Lu, and Mingyu came in, the main hall suddenly lit up.

One extraordinarily handsome, the other stunningly cold and alluring.

One with a slender figure, the other with a graceful posture.

One with a radiant smile, the other with a gentle, subtle grin.

One composed and unruffled, the other calm and unhurried.

They were simply a match made in heaven.

Emperor Yongjia glanced around and nodded secretly in his heart.

This was the first time he met Lu Mingyu.

What you hear from others is inevitably biased. For example, Concubine Meng always said something like “reckless and rude” when talking about Lu Mingyu. When Empress Qiao talked about her future daughter-in-law, she praised her somewhat sincerely. This also made Emperor Yongjia a little curious about this second daughter-in-law.

Today, upon seeing her, Lu Mingyu was even more beautiful and outstanding than he had imagined. Especially that calm and composed demeanor was truly admirable. She truly lived up to being the beloved daughter of King Xingyang. Just with this grace, she surpassed Liang Shi, Meng Yunluo, and Zhao Yu, who had not yet entered the door.

As a father-in-law, it was inconvenient to pay too much attention to his daughter-in-law.

Emperor Yongjia took one look and then looked away.

Empress Dowager Zhao, on the other hand, looked at her carefully for a moment. She wanted to find fault but could not find one, so she opened her mouth and said: “The Ai family got up early in the morning and waited for the sūnxífù to kowtow and serve tea. They waited for more than half an hour.”

Clearly, it was she who prevented her from entering the hall, and now she’s turning the situation around, blaming the newlyweds for arriving late.

Li Jing originally thought that he was completely mentally prepared, but at this moment, his anger unexpectedly surged.

Li Jing’s eyes flashed, and he opened his mouth to defend his newlywed wife.

Lu Mingyu was one step ahead of him and opened his mouth to respond: “My sūnxífù has been here a long time ago. If the Royal Grandmother wants to see her, just call her. Who is the palace servant who is so bold that she conceals the news and makes the Royal Grandmother wait in vain for so long? This kind of unscrupulous slave must not stay any longer.”

Empress Dowager Zhao: “…”

Lu Mingyu looked at Emperor Yongjia and said seriously, “Father, as a new bride, your daughter-in-law shouldn’t speak too much. However, witnessing the Empress Dowager being put in a difficult situation and being deceived, my heart is truly indignant. The Empress Dowager, being the queen mother, holds the most esteemed position in Great Wei, and everyone respects her. In the harem, the Empress Dowager is the most revered.”

“Now, in the Shouning Palace, there is actually someone from the palace who dares to deceive the Royal Grandmother, so this sūnxífù will never sit idly by.”

“I beg my father to issue an order to punish this palace member severely!”

Emperor Yongjia: “…”

Look!

Before you want to take advantage of someone, you have to think carefully. Lu Mingyu was not a soft persimmon that was easy to pinch, but a caltrop covered with sharp thorns!

Seeing Lu Mingyu displaying her power, the suffocation in Empress Qiao’s chest suddenly dissipated. What replaced it was a hearty pleasure.

Meng Guifei’s smile paused. Concubine Qin took out her handkerchief and pretended to wipe the corners of her mouth. Su Zhaorong felt cold in her heart as she looked at the familiar scene.

In her previous life, Lu Mingyu, her daughter-in-law, fought for her and faced difficulties from all directions.

Now, Lu Mingyu married the Second Prince and became Empress Qiao’s daughter-in-law. With how powerful Lu Mingyu was, everyone had to be careful in the future.

The Eldest huángzifēi Liang was also shocked by Lu Mingyu.

It turns out that a sūnxífù could still deal with mean and annoying elders like this!

The Eldest Prince and others also looked shocked. The new bride had just entered, and there wasn’t even time for her to display her grace and courtesy. Lu Mingyu, unexpectedly, spoke so sharply—her boldness was beyond belief! Wasn’t she afraid that Empress Dowager Zhao would make a scene, provoking Emperor Yongjia’s anger on the spot?

Facing the complicated looks of everyone, Lu Mingyu showed no sign of guilt or cowardice, and her black eyes were so bright that they were almost sharp. She just looked at Emperor Yongjia, waiting for his father-in-law’s response.

Empress Dowager Zhao finally came to her senses at this time and was about to get angry.

Emperor Yongjia took a deep look and said, “What Miss Lu said makes sense. However, there is no need to take such trivial matters so seriously. Let’s kowtow and serve tea first!”

That was about it for the Empress Dowager! If things get too ugly, how will it end? How could it sound good when it spreads? Empress Dowager Zhao’s confidence comes entirely from her son.

Seeing that Emperor Yongjia was not too happy, Empress Dowager Zhao had to suppress her anger and said firmly: “The Emperor said that tea should be served first.”

The palace maids serving in the main hall all felt fortunate to have escaped unscathed.

God, this new Second huángzifēi was too fierce and domineering. She was so difficult to mess with, so they had to be careful when serving her. They could be scolded and severely punished if they were not careful.

…

(End of chapter)