Chapter 66 – Competing with Us is a Sign of Respect!

Xia Tian was deeply immersed in watching a show when three elegantly dressed young women approached, saying they wanted to challenge her to an ice-skating competition.

She was momentarily stunned.

Who are you? Why are you suddenly asking me to compete?

She stood up, confused, and asked, “May I ask who you ladies are?”

One of them, wearing a pink outfit, looked at her disdainfully, “You don’t even know who we are, yet you still dare to claim you’re the wife of the heir to the Marquis of Wu’an’s family!”

Xia Tian was even more confused now. How can I know who they are when they haven’t even introduced themselves?

“Are you ladies famous in the capital?” she asked, puzzled. Is not recognizing someone a crime?

Ning Xue, standing behind her, quickly tugged at Xia Tian’s sleeve and whispered their identities.

“You don’t even know the famous Misses of the Wen Yibo Mansion, the legitimate daughters, do you? Truly someone from the countryside, never seen the world,” the young woman in pink sneered.

Only then did Xia Tian realize that the young woman in pink was Hu Mengli, the legitimate second miss of the Ministry of War’s chief official, and the “famous” lady she spoke of was Wen Jin, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Wen Yibo Mansion.

It was said that Miss Wen not only had exceptional beauty but was also a Master of Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She was a household name in the capital, a dream figure for many noble young men.

Xia Tian took a closer look at Wen Jin and could see that she truly lived up to the reputation of a woman of unparalleled beauty. She looked gentle and poised, with an air of haughty pride that matched her status.

The other young woman, with a more heroic appearance, was Lin Sayu, the fourth miss of the Tiger General’s Mansion. She was also a well-known figure in the noble circles of the capital, famous for her spirited character and willingness to fight for justice.

Now that she knew who they were, Xia Tian smiled politely, “I must admit, I was unaware of your status. Please forgive me, ladies!”

Hu Mengli pouted, “I asked you to compete with us in ice-skating. Are you afraid?”

“I’m not afraid, I just don’t know how to skate,” Xia Tian replied calmly. “You ladies should find someone else.”

“Hmph, letting you compete with us is already showing respect to you,” Hu Mengli said arrogantly.

Xia Tian remained calm, “Thank you for your respect, but unfortunately, I can’t skate.”

She hadn’t expected them to be looking for trouble. Had she done something to offend them?

“Hmph, you have no say in this,” Hu Mengli sneered.

“Yao, maybe we should just let it go. She might really not know how to skate,” Lin Sayu couldn’t help but speak up.

Xia Tian raised her eyes slightly, surprised to find that this righteous young lady from the General’s Mansion was actually a reasonable person.

As for Miss Wen Jin, she hadn’t spoken a word the entire time.

Xia Tian couldn’t help but feel that Miss Wen’s gaze toward her seemed unfriendly, as though it carried an inexplicable hostility.

“Hmph, if she hadn’t taken my sister’s suitor, I wouldn’t have…”

“Enough, Mengli,” Miss Wen Jin finally spoke, stopping Hu Mengli from continuing.

Xia Tian understood now. The inexplicable hostility stemmed from this situation!

She had suspected that her husband, Shen Nian, being so handsome, must have had a girl who liked him. It turned out that this was the reason! She rarely went out, which had kept her rivals from challenging her.

Now, it seemed like it was time to confront this.

“May I ask what you mean by ‘stealing the suitor’?” Xia Tian asked humbly.

“Shen Nian is the man Miss Wen has set her sights on. If it weren’t for you, would Shen Nian have refused the Emperor’s marriage proposal?” Hu Mengli said angrily.

Wait, there was a marriage proposal from the Emperor? Shen Nian hadn’t mentioned anything about it!

Right at that moment, Shen Nian was being called away by the Emperor, so Xia Tian couldn’t verify it. Even if the Emperor had made a marriage proposal, Shen Nian had refused it, which still meant they had no grounds to claim anything.

“Oh? May I ask, has Miss Wen Jin already been engaged to my Shen Nian?” Xia Tian asked slowly.

“If you hadn’t meddled, they would have been engaged by now,” Hu Mengli insisted.

“Oh! So they haven’t gotten engaged yet,” Xia Tian continued calmly. “Then, ladies, please be careful with your words. Since they haven’t been engaged yet, the word ‘steal’ might not be appropriate.”

“But both families have tacitly allowed their relationship. My grandmother even privately said they would propose once my brother is well,” suddenly, Shen Lan interjected.

When Hu Mengli heard this, she became even more smug, “See, I was right! Shen Nian and Miss Wen are a perfect match. You, a countryside girl, have no right to compare with Miss Wen!”

“Did both families make an oral agreement? Or did they exchange tokens?” Xia Tian asked, her tone slightly cold as she turned to Shen Lan.

“Well, no… my brother just returned and hasn’t had the chance yet,” Shen Lan replied sheepishly.

Xia Tian’s expression grew cold. “So, after all this, there’s still no relationship between them? There’s no engagement, no oral agreement, no exchanged tokens. How can you say I stole someone’s suitor?”

“Xia Tian, you really are good with words,” Wen Jin finally spoke. “We were the ones who were rude!” She then reached out to pull Hu Mengli and Lin Sayu to leave.

Hu Mengli turned around angrily, “Sister Wen, you’re too kind, that’s why everyone dares to ride over you. Let’s go and ask the Empress for an explanation!”

As she watched the three of them walk away, Xia Tian squinted her eyes. The Empress? So, Miss Wen Jin was the Empress’s niece?

Shen Lan, still by her side, smirked, “Sister-in-law, do you know the connection between Miss Wen and the Empress?”

“Shut up!” Xia Tian snapped in a harsh tone.

“You…” Shen Lan stomped her foot angrily, but before she could finish, a maid by Liu’s side pulled her away. Shen Lan turned and shot her a glare, but then sulked into silence.

Xia Tian ignored her and sat down, thinking about what to do next.

Shen Nian hadn’t returned yet, and she had no one to discuss it with.

It seemed like she would have to improvise!

After a while, a maid who Xia Tian had never seen before came to invite her, saying the Empress wanted to see her.

Xia Tian took a deep breath, adjusted her clothes, and followed the maid. Ning Xue quickly followed behind her.

The maid led Xia Tian to the Empress’s viewing platform.

Xia Tian knelt and bowed, “This humble woman greets the Empress, long life to the Empress.”

After finishing her bow, Xia Tian didn’t hear the Empress speak, so she remained kneeling, waiting patiently.

After a few moments, the Empress’s voice finally rang out.

“Raise your head and let me take a look,” the Empress’s voice was slightly commanding.

Xia Tian raised her head and stood tall.

“Oh, quite a pretty girl!” The Empress said with faint praise, before quickly changing the subject. “I heard that just now you were unwilling to befriend my niece and her companions because of your status?”

Xia Tian was stunned. These girls really knew how to twist the truth!

“Your Majesty, just now Miss Hu wanted to challenge me to an ice-skating competition, but I don’t know how to skate, so I refused,” Xia Tian explained calmly.

The Empress paused for a moment. It seemed the young ladies hadn’t told the full story.

But since the words had been said, she would continue along the same line.

“Ice skating is meant for everyone’s enjoyment. Not knowing how to skate is no big deal. The important thing is participation. Since the young ladies wish to befriend you, Xia Tian Madam, you shouldn’t refuse. Come, let’s enjoy together!”

The Empress spoke with an unquestionable tone. Xia Tian knew that she was going to have to skate after all.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will follow your instructions,” Xia Tian replied, giving a bow.