"Yes, Master." Someone immediately responded.
The man had a gentle expression and bright eyes, which flashed with a glint in them: "Hmph, it's good that it's true. If he dares to play tricks on me, I will make him pay the price." This man was none other than Baili Jian, who was now a noble prince. Earlier, he had suddenly received a letter in his mansion, which specifically invited him to this place, saying that it could provide Baili Jian with what he urgently needed right now.
What Baili Jian wanted was, of course, the throne. This man spoke boastfully but without any greed, and there was nothing he couldn't say in the letter. Moreover, the words were ambiguous, and he wasn't afraid that someone would deliberately harm him. However, this matter made him very curious.
"Open the door!"
Upon finding the reserved room, the attendant opened the door, and Baili Jian stepped inside. Upon seeing who it was, he exclaimed in surprise, "It's you!"
This isn't Ouyang Yue's...
☆、189、Deliberately picking a fight!
Baili Jian narrowed his eyes. When the people in the room heard someone open the door, they all turned around and stood up when they saw that it was Baili Jian.
"Greetings, Your Highness," one of the men, dressed in a light blue robe, greeted.
Baili Jian nodded indifferently, got up and entered the room. The door opened immediately. Several of his attendants stood guard outside, and several others stood guard inside to prevent them from harming Baili Jian. Baili Jian's expression was somewhat gloomy: "So you want to see me. Speak quickly and don't waste my time."
There was actually a man and a woman standing in the room. They glanced at each other and were slightly taken aback. After looking at Baili Jian, the man couldn't help but say, "I suppose Your Highness came here because you saw my note."
Baili Jian's face immediately darkened: "Did you really send that thing? How dare you trick me into coming out! Tell me, do you have some kind of secret you're hiding?"
The man was about to say something more, but was immediately silenced by Baili Jian's rebuke. The woman beside him, however, taking a few steps forward and smiling alluringly, said, "Your Highness, since you've come here because of such an ordinary note, you must care deeply about that matter. Even if you want to test us, don't frighten the master like this. He'll be so easily frightened that he'll forget what he wanted to say." Although the woman was delicate and charming, her mouth was incredibly sharp, almost threatening Baili Jian. Baili Jian's eyes narrowed further, his gaze towards the woman filled with coldness.
“I recognize you. Aren’t you Ouyang Rou, the second sister of General Xuanyuan Yue’s mansion?”
Ouyang Rou laughed, her voice soft and slightly seductive, saying, "Your Highness has a good memory, it is indeed me."
"Oh, my concubine, you're married." Although Baili Jian said this, his eyes swept over the man beside him. Baili Jian had seen this man before. He was Huang Yu, the one who dared to snatch the bride from Baili Mao in the main hall. Today, he was wearing a dark green robe, with a jade belt and his hair tied up. He had a handsome face and looked quite elegant and outstanding.
Ouyang Rou couldn't help but glance at Huang Yu: "Your Highness, I am already a concubine in your household."
Baili Jian nodded slightly, but his eyes clearly showed a hint of disgust as he looked at Huang Yu. Back when Ouyang Rou was in the Ning Mansion, no one with any connections would be unaware of the fact that she had been defiled by a man. If she were truly Ouyang Yue's biological sister, that would be one thing, but it was only because of the matter of adopted children that she had such a thin, almost negligible, nominal sisterly bond with Ouyang Rou. To Baili Jian, Ouyang Rou was an insignificant figure, a woman of utter lowliness. However, he did think that Ouyang Rou had some ability. Given her circumstances, the fact that she could become Huang Yu's concubine in the Huang Mansion meant that she must have some cunning. Although Huang Yu was still a commoner, Huang Qi, the Director of the Military Equipment Bureau, was a position that could be both powerful and insignificant, and it was not to be underestimated. It wouldn't be difficult for Huang Yu to enter the court as an official in the future.
"Speak quickly if you have something to say. You should know the consequences if you waste my time." Thinking of this, Baili Jian had long lost his patience, but he had other thoughts in mind.
Ouyang Rou smiled faintly: "Your Highness, how could this humble concubine dare to play tricks on you? This humble concubine has come with my master to offer Your Highness a plan."
Baili Jian sneered, "Oh, offering a plan? What kind of plan do you want to offer?"
Ouyang Rou could clearly sense that Baili Jian was not convinced, but she was not in a hurry. It was indeed not easy to make a high and mighty prince believe in a concubine in a minor official's household. Since she had come here, she had never thought that it would be successful in one go, so she said, "Your Highness, it is a grand plan."
"Yeah?"
Ouyang Rou immediately replied, "Your Highness, this matter concerns Xuan Yuan Yue, as well as Your Highness's grand plan."
"Xuanyuan Yue? What are you planning? Don't keep me in suspense!" Upon hearing this, Baili Jian was taken aback and immediately ordered. If it was truly what he was thinking, then it was like finding a pillow when you're sleepy—it came without any effort at all. Ouyang Rou smiled and said, "Your Highness, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but the plan I'm about to discuss involves great risks. If there were no benefits or guarantees, how could my master and I dare to speak of it?"
A cold glint flashed in Baili Jian's eyes, but he smiled and said, "If you can truly help me accomplish great things, you will naturally be great contributors. How could I treat you unfairly? Just tell me what you want, and I will find a way to grant it to you."
Ouyang Rou and Huang Yu exchanged a glance. Huang Yu then said, "Your Highness, our demands aren't high. It's just that the success of this plan concerns the safety of myself and Rou'er. Another thing is that we want to see Xuan Yuan Yue die with our own eyes!" As he spoke, a venomous glint appeared in Huang Yu's eyes. Baili Jian seemed thoughtful. Although Huang Yu hadn't walked, his posture was still somewhat strange. He had heard that Huang Yu's leg was crippled and that the character for "prisoner" was painted on his face. Although Huang Yu's face wasn't clear now, it was noticeably pale, even paler than Ouyang Rou's. Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be some marks on his cheeks. Ouyang Yue couldn't say that Huang Yu's condition was entirely unrelated to this, but Baili Jian also knew very well that Huang Yu deserved it!
If Huang Yu hadn't been so greedy, trying to compete with Baili Mao for Ouyang Yue, the later situation wouldn't have occurred. Ouyang Yue's original status wasn't high, but she was still a royal princess and the younger sister of Xuanyuan Chaohua. How could Huang Yu, a greedy man with nothing, possibly have gotten her? Even Baili Mao wasn't really qualified. In fact, Baili Jian had some regrets back then. If they had settled things earlier, perhaps there wouldn't be so much trouble now. With the support of the Xuanyuan Army, he might even have subtly suppressed the Crown Prince in the court. Unfortunately, when Ouyang Yue was the most beautiful woman in Langya Continent, her status wasn't high enough. Before long, her background changed drastically, which was beyond his control.
Ouyang Yue is now the Princess Consort of Chen, something a despicable person like Huang Yu could only dream of. Baili Jian felt disdain, but Huang Yu's hatred for Xuanyuan Yue, Baili Chen, or any of them would benefit him, so he naturally wouldn't show it. He said, "Xuanyuan Yue? I've suffered greatly at her hands several times. Even if you don't say it, I won't let her off easily after the deed is done. But what exactly do you want to say? If it's some underhanded scheme, then don't say it. I'll pretend I never saw you today, but if there's a next time, I definitely won't let you off easily!"
A flicker of fear crossed Huang Yu's eyes, while Ouyang Rou sneered, "Your Highness, this lowly concubine dares to guarantee that Ouyang Yue will be utterly annihilated." As she spoke, a venomous look flashed across her face, her eyes seeming to be coated with poison, causing Baili Jian to pause in surprise. "Oh, tell me the details. You can rest assured, I will ensure your safety. You are in the same boat as me, and I have always intended to win over Lord Huang. As long as the plan is good and works, you will be great contributors. In the future, I will vouch for Huang Yu, and it will be easy for you to enter the court and take up an important position."
Huang Yu and Ouyang Rou couldn't help but show a hint of joy on their faces. Of course, taking revenge on Ouyang Yue was one of their plans, but a large part of their purpose was also to express their loyalty to Baili Chen and thus gain some benefits. The most straightforward one was Huang Yu's official position. They also believed that Baili Jian was not a fool. If he really wanted to destroy the evidence after the job was done, he would have to consider that if they dared to do so, they must have a backup plan. In any case, they were all Baili Jian's people, working for him. If Baili Jian really became emperor, they would be great heroes. They would be rich and powerful. Smart people would choose to keep quiet. Similarly, Baili Jian also understood that cooperation was the best way.
Ouyang Rou then said softly, "Your Highness, this matter begins with my marriage to you..."
As Baili Jian listened, his eyebrows furrowed higher and higher. He couldn't help but squint at Ouyang Rou. Ouyang Rou was slender and graceful; before Huang Yu took her into his household, she still possessed the air of a young girl. Now, however, she had become increasingly voluptuous, exuding the charm of a mature woman. This transformation didn't surprise him at all. However, while Ouyang Rou appeared gentle and weak, her eyes were unusually cold, and her words sent a chill down Baili Jian's spine. This woman was truly extraordinary, and her heart was incredibly ruthless. But from the outside, one couldn't possibly see such a vicious nature. However, this didn't matter to Baili Jian. On the contrary, he quite liked Ouyang Rou's ruthlessness, because it was highly advantageous to him.
"Oh, so this is your plan," Baili Jian said calmly.
Ouyang Rou nodded and said, "Your Highness, this matter has been discussed and studied by my husband for a long time. It is indeed a solution. At that time, Xuanyuan Yue will be unable to attend to everything, and she will surely die anyway."
Baili Jian remained silent for a moment, then looked up at Huang Yu and Ouyang Rou, who were filled with anticipation. These two were truly despicable and shameless villains, but to achieve great things, one must have such people by one's side. If they weren't despicable, how could they clear the way for him? Some things didn't require a big shot like him to handle; instead, they needed those small figures, even those who seemed exceptionally malicious to outsiders. To them, such people were treasures: "It is indeed a good plan, but I still need to think about the specifics. This matter must be interconnected."
"Your Highness..." Huang Yu was a little anxious upon hearing this, but Ouyang Rou grabbed his hand and shook her head slightly. Huang Yu stopped in his tracks. Baili Jian raised his eyebrows, quite interested. It seemed that Ouyang Rou was indeed quite capable. Ouyang Rou then said softly, "This plan is just a cooperative plan. I'm sure Your Highness understands that if my Huang family doesn't intervene, Your Highness won't achieve much even if you carry out this plan on your own. The Huang family is willing to submit to Your Highness, and we hope Your Highness will take good care of us."
Baili Jian smiled and nodded, even extending his hand: "Of course, Young Master Huang, our cooperation in the future will be very pleasant." Huang Yu felt relieved and quickly extended his hand, "Your Highness is too kind. I will do my best to defeat Xuan Yuan Yue and make her suffer a terrible death."
Baili Jian smiled and nodded, then turned and extended his hand to Ouyang Rou: "With the Ouyang family's talent, we can't do without you as their strategist this time."
Ouyang Rou was taken aback and reached out her hand as well. As soon as their hands met, she felt a light tickle on her palm, a sensation like a tickle on her heart. Her body immediately felt a tingling sensation, and she couldn't help but look at Baili Jian, her cheeks slightly flushed and her eyes like spring water. Baili Jian had already withdrawn his hand, but his eyes were gazing at Ouyang Rou with a vague look. Huang Yu, however, pulled Ouyang Rou back. Actually, there are different rules for men and women, and such a handshake is against etiquette. But because Baili Jian was of noble status, and Ouyang Rou was already a wife and Huang Yu's concubine, there were no such rules in front of Baili Jian.
Baili Jian had already turned around: "Alright, it's getting late, I must go back now. Let's proceed as you have suggested in the early stages, and I'll await your good news."
Huang Yu and Ouyang Rou respectfully saw Baili Jian off, but the next moment Huang Yu angrily said, "How can you, as a woman, shake hands with other men? What kind of behavior is that?"
Ouyang Rou then gently leaned against Huang Yu's chest: "Master, what are you saying? Isn't this a gesture of cooperation? This humble concubine doesn't understand those things. This humble concubine only knows that we have succeeded in this plan, and it won't be long before Xuan Yuan Yue dies a terrible death. Isn't this what this humble concubine and you have always hoped for!" As she spoke, she even rubbed against Huang Yu's body slightly.
Huang Yu was stunned for a moment, then blushed immediately: "You slut, you're seducing me again."
Ouyang Rou looked completely innocent: "What are you saying, sir? I am your servant, shouldn't I serve you?"
Huang Yu snorted and shoved Ouyang Rou onto the table. Ouyang Rou groaned in pain, and the next moment Huang Yu was already pressing down on her. A cold and disgust flashed in Ouyang Rou's eyes. Huang Yu didn't care whether she was hurt or not; all he wanted was her body. But Ouyang Rou didn't care. For her plan, she not only wanted Xuan Yuan Yue dead, but also wanted the general's mansion that had mistreated, humiliated, and trampled on her to be buried with her. She wanted to avenge Aunt Hong!
As Baili Jian walked along the road, he couldn't help but rub his palms. Although there weren't many women in the Prince's mansion, Baili Jian had never stopped having women since he came of age. He just changed women frequently so that no one would have the opportunity to hurt him, and at the same time, he wouldn't let anyone say that he was lecherous. With Baili Jian's discerning eye, he could certainly see how dissolute Ouyang Rou was in private. However, such a woman was of great benefit to him. He suddenly asked the two attendants beside him, "So, what do you think of Ouyang Rou?"
One of the men, whose face was as black as charcoal, said, "In bed, she's probably no worse than a prostitute in a brothel." This man's words were extremely vulgar. A brothel was a brothel, and even if Ouyang Rou was a concubine, such a comparison wouldn't be made. In fact, many people witnessed Ouyang Rou being defiled by ten men. Her actions and the scene were something even some prostitutes in brothels couldn't do. Of course, that was due to her drugged body and instincts, but in these men's eyes, she was just a prostitute. This man was only good at it; he even became a concubine in a court official's household—that was quite an achievement.
Of course, given Ouyang Rou's circumstances, even though she was not well-off, it wasn't impossible for her to marry into an ordinary family. Moreover, Huang Yu had acted very discreetly, and not many people knew about Ouyang Rou's entry into the mansion. Huang Yu was also gradually satisfied with Ouyang Rou's constant affection and dependence on him. However, in any case, to Baili Jian and those around him who were used to such things, Ouyang Rou was just a prostitute. Baili Jian laughed and said, "That's right, she'll probably be quite charming."
One of the attendants couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that the prince has feelings for her?"
Another person immediately retorted, "What nonsense! How could someone as crippled as that be worthy of the prince? She's not even fit to lick his feet. Why would the prince even look at her?"
Baili Jian nodded with a smile: "That's right, it's just for you brothers to play with, it's not bad to be a bed warmer."
The attendant behind Baili Jian immediately understood what Baili Jian meant: "But Your Highness, aren't you in a cooperative relationship with them?"
Baili Jian sneered, "Cooperation? Of course, it is. However, they are not worthy to be on equal footing with me. I merely tested Ouyang Rou slightly, lightly scratching her palm. This slut actually tried to seduce me. I'm afraid even if you don't care, she'll still come running. I'm just telling you, don't refuse what's offered to you. Get me some information later. As for Huang Yu and even his father, I don't care about them at all. But this plan really can't be done without them. To appease people, you need women, understand?"
These were all trusted confidants who had served Baili Jian for years, and they naturally understood his hidden meaning. They knew that they had done this many times before: they would make Ouyang Rou obey them and then control the Huang family. As they left the room, they could still vaguely hear voices inside, clearly those of Huang Yu and Ouyang Rou. A surge of excitement rose in their hearts; it seemed they could only hope that Ouyang Rou would come to them willingly.
Instead of returning to the Prince's residence, Baili Jian went directly to Consort Sun's Mingxiang Pavilion in the palace. As soon as he arrived, he heard angry shouts coming from inside. He quickly ran a few steps and saw Baili Le with her face flushed red, angrily shouting something. He couldn't help but say, "Royal sister, who has angered you this time? Look how angry you are."
When Bai Baile saw Baili Jian approaching, she quickly ran over, grabbed his arm, and complained, "Who else could it be but those people from the Xuanyuan family? It's one thing for Xuanyuan Chaohua to refuse this princess in court, but I just heard that Xuanyuan Yue is actually planning to hold a banquet at the Chen Prince's mansion."
Baili Jian nodded: "Your Majesty also knows this. That's because back then, all the princes' relatives were in the palace, and the banquets held in their residences were very simple. Usually, a supplementary banquet was held to complete the event. At that time, the seventh prince's banquet was not held, so this is a supplementary banquet."
"What kind of banquet is this? What a coincidence! They're clearly trying to use this opportunity to find a woman for Xuanyuan Chaohua. Do they think they can fool me? Royal brother, the Xuanyuan family is completely disregarding me. I can't swallow this! What do they take me for?" Baili Le was still furious.
Baili Jian was slightly taken aback and asked, "Why is my royal sister so interested in this Xuanyuan Chaohua?" But then he saw Baili Le pause for a moment, then blush slightly. He thought to himself, "Really?"
Baili Le snorted: "Of course I don't particularly like Xuanyuan Chaohua either, but there are indeed very few in the Great Zhou Dynasty who are worthy of this princess. Back then, the three young masters of the capital, I thought they were alright, but Leng Caiwen was too unrestrained, Dai Yu was too dull, and Hong Yicheng was even worse. As for someone who could become a general at such a young age, and be the number one general in the Great Zhou Dynasty, whose talent and looks are second to none, I really don't know who else could be worthy of me. Even so, I still felt that this young master was condescending, but Xuanyuan Chaohua actually dared to refuse, which is an insult to this princess. This young master must get revenge, royal brother, you must help me."
Baili Chen seemed to be deep in thought: "I never expected that my younger sister would fall in love with Xuan Yuan Chaohua." Baili Le looked somewhat unwilling, but did not refute him. Baili Jian's eyes flickered when he saw this. He hadn't really valued the deal with Ouyang Rou and Huang Yu that much. They had brought this matter to him. Taking the initiative at this time would mean losing the initiative, while everything was in his hands. Whether he cooperated with Ouyang Rou or directly married his younger sister to Xuan Yuan Chaohua, the final result would be similar. He didn't need to make a final decision until the very last moment.
“Xuanyuan Chaohua’s actions were indeed unethical. It’s understandable that my sister is so angry. What does my sister want me to do?” As he spoke, Baili Chen patted Baili Le’s head. Baili Le was favored, and over the years, Baili Chen had benefited greatly from her and usually treated her with great affection.
Baili Le immediately said, "Hmph, does Xuanyuan Yue want to use this opportunity to choose a woman that Xuanyuan Chaohua likes? Does she think I don't know? Then I will make sure that this banquet doesn't happen. Even if it does happen, it will be a wasted effort."
Baili Jian chuckled and said, "It seems my younger sister already has a decision in mind. Why should I ask for your help?"
Baili Le laughed and said, "With my brother's help, there's no chance of anything going wrong."
Consort Sun, who had been sitting there, laughed at this moment: "Oh, your imperial sister is just so willful, but she's not wrong in doing so. We need to let the people of the Xuanyuan Mansion know that I am not someone they can ignore or disregard. Let the Chen Prince's Mansion be thrown into chaos."
Baili Jian raised an eyebrow and said, "It seems that Mother Consort already has a plan."
"Let them taste what it's like to let wolves into the house." Baili Jian was somewhat puzzled, but did not ask any further questions.
Two days later, a banquet was held at the Prince Chen's residence. The Prince Chen's residence was extremely busy from early morning. Because of Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue's status, who would dare not give them face? Even high-ranking officials of the first or second rank in the court would bring their families to visit the residence if they were not really unable to get away. Half of the street outside the Prince Chen's residence was filled with all kinds of gorgeous carriages. Ordinary people could sigh for a long time just looking at these gorgeous carriages, let alone the men and women of extraordinary status. On this day, the Prince Chen's residence was the most lively place in the capital.
The guests brought their prayer rooms and found that the servants of the Prince Chen's mansion were well-trained, quick and efficient, and spoke very sweetly. Even those of Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen's status could not greet people at the mansion gate and needed servants to lead them into the hall to greet each guest. However, these servants were very tactful and did not make the guests feel that the Prince Chen's mansion was neglecting them in the slightest. For a time, the guests in the Prince Chen's mansion were all happy.
Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue sat in the main seats of the hall, with Xuan Yuan Chaohua, Leng Caiwen, and Dai Yu seated below them. The other guests were seated at the back or left out according to their status or to the left. Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue were entertaining guests from various residences in the hall. However, everyone present glanced at Xuan Yuan Chaohua, Leng Caiwen, and Dai Yu sitting opposite them, especially Leng Caiwen. Although he had been treated at the Chen Prince's residence with various precious medicinal herbs, which had reduced the bruises on his face considerably, some marks were still visible. People couldn't help but discuss what the Second Young Master Leng was up to. Why was he showing up at such a banquet with such a face? However, everyone was mindful of their behavior and didn't want to offend Leng Caiwen out of curiosity.
"Madam Xie, the matriarch of the Leng family, has come to pay her respects with her two branches of the family." The announcement rang out from outside, and the hall quieted down a bit.
Then, Xie Shi, dressed in a dark brown auspicious cloud-patterned outfit and adorned with auspicious gemstone jewelry, strode in with great presence. Behind her followed the members of the Leng family's eldest and second branches, including not only the two masters and mistresses but also their sons and daughters. The procession was quite grand. Since Ouyang Yue intended to choose a wife for Xuan Yuan Chaohua, normally male guests would greet male guests and female guests would greet female guests. However, this was not absolute. For example, some people might meet with guests from the same household at the same time for convenience. Baili Chen's banquet was ostensibly a belated wedding banquet, so there would inevitably be many guests. No one would object to this arrangement. If they were to greet guests one by one, the banquet would probably take a long time to begin.
The entire household arrived together, and the hall was unusually quiet. Everyone knew the relationship between the Leng family and Ouyang Yue, but it seemed that neither side had any intention of reconciling, making the meeting awkward.
As Xie approached with the Leng family, they all knelt and bowed, saying, "Your subject/daughter/greet Prince Chen and Princess Chen."
Ouyang Yue smiled at the group of people from the Leng family. Her expression did not change at all because of their sudden appearance. She waved her hand and said, "Please get up. It is really tiring for Madam Xie to personally bring the two gentlemen from the Leng family here. Please have a seat, Madam Xie."
Madam Xie smiled and responded, but sighed almost imperceptibly. She had heard the title "Old Madam Xie" many times, but it shouldn't have been used by her own granddaughter. Back then, Leng Yuyan had left the capital without permission and made a private engagement with someone. This was something that a thousand-year-old family like the Leng family, a family of scholars for generations, could not allow. Under those circumstances, even if Leng Yuyan wanted to enter the Leng family, it would have been impossible. As the matriarch of the Leng family, Madam Xie, despite being the most senior, had too many considerations. She couldn't ruin the Leng family's thousand-year-old reputation for the sake of a woman. Little did she know that this separation would lead to a thousand people being separated. When Ouyang Yue was recognized by Xuan Yuan Chaohua, Madam Xie had considered acknowledging her as well. However, Leng Yuyan hadn't gone through the normal process of parental consent, and in some wealthy and noble families, their relationship wasn't considered recognized. Princess Shuangxia didn't care about this; she had even recognized Xuan Yuan Chaohua as her grandson, so how could she not recognize Leng Yuyan as her birth mother? But it wasn't easy for the Leng family to recognize Ouyang Yue. Madam Xie had many considerations, so the matter of recognition was delayed again and again, inevitably leading to a greater sense of estrangement.
Meanwhile, Sun, the second wife, saw that Leng Caiwen was sitting to the lower right of Xuan Yuan Chaohua, while a high-ranking official was sitting to the upper left. Naturally, they had to sit further back, some distance away from Leng Caiwen. She felt very resentful. After all, they were elders. Leng Caiwen had beaten someone in the mansion and then ran away. Now Leng Caixi was still in bed and would need some time to recover. How dare this man with this painted face swindle people here!
Sun felt a chill in her heart and couldn't help but say, "Caiwen, look at you, you came to the Prince Chen's mansion without telling the family. The old lady was very worried and hasn't been eating or sleeping well these past few days. She looks quite haggard."
Leng Caiwen looked at Madam Xie, whose face was indeed pale. He immediately bowed and said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Grandmother. It's all my fault."
Madam Sun immediately chimed in, "Indeed, you really are something. It was just a little argument with your brother, how could you hit him so hard? He's your cousin, Cai Xi. He usually admires you so much, but you beat him so badly he can't even get out of bed now. He's really heartbroken. I went to see him today, and he's become so thin. This has really hit him hard. Who would have thought that I was just trying to comfort him, but my brother didn't appreciate it and instead beat me up? Sigh, that kid is so stupid, how can you comfort someone like that?"
When Madam Sun spoke like that, the people from the Leng family all changed their expressions drastically. Madam Xie even shouted, "Alright, this is a banquet at the Prince Chen's residence. Why are you saying such irrelevant things?"
Sun was startled, then realized that she had spoken without thinking, and hurriedly said, "Look at my mouth, it's just that Caixi is such a pitiful child, I didn't realize that I had spoken my mind. Caiwen, please don't blame your second aunt for being so talkative."
Leng Caiwen remained calm, merely observing Sun's pretentious behavior and shaking his head slightly. Several other families, all of high status, were already seated in the main hall of the Prince Chen's residence. Any argument here would only make him a laughingstock, so even if he was unhappy, he wouldn't say anything.
Looking at Madam Sun's sorrowful sighs and distressed expression, Ouyang Yue's face darkened: "Madam Leng, please accept my condolences."
Everyone in the hall was stunned upon hearing this, looking at Ouyang Yue in confusion. Madam Sun was also taken aback for a moment before reacting: "Princess Consort Chen, aren't you going a bit too far? Are you perhaps cursing Cai Xi?"
Ouyang Yue asked with great confusion, "Who is this so-called Caixi that Madam Leng is talking about? I'm getting more and more confused."
Sun Shi felt a surge of anger looking at Ouyang Yue. The Imperial Concubine had indeed sent word that, given the connection between the Leng family and Ouyang Yue, marrying her would greatly benefit Baili Jian's ascension to the throne. Who knew so many unexpected events would occur, and Baili Chen would reap the benefits of this marriage? She had tried to persuade him, but the Leng family was incredibly stubborn and unwilling to take the step. As the second wife of the Leng family, Sun Shi couldn't make the decision on her own. Besides, Ouyang Yue was a junior; shouldn't such matters be handled by a junior personally visiting to persuade her? To resolve the conflict from back then? Who knew that Ouyang Yue would wait until now to formally meet her? Madam Sun was also angry with Ouyang Yue: "Isn't Caixi the cousin of the Princess Consort of Chen? He is my eldest son. In the end, Caixi is also the Princess Consort of Chen's cousin. It's not good for you to curse your own family like this." Madam Sun didn't hold back much when she spoke. Firstly, she thought Ouyang Yue was a junior. The Leng family was one of the five great families, and she had Consort Sun backing her up. Even when she was in the Leng family, she didn't give face to her uncle sometimes, let alone someone she considered a junior.
Baili Chen squinted at Madam Sun, not speaking immediately, but his displeasure was already quite obvious. When Leng Yuren, the second master of the Leng family, saw this, he couldn't help but tug at Madam Sun's sleeve and glare at her to shut up. Even if Ouyang Yue still cared about the aspect of family ties, Baili Chen had always been unscrupulous and extremely arrogant. With the favor of Emperor Mingxian, how could Madam Sun possibly provoke him?
Sun, however, tugged at her sleeve and glared back. Leng Yuren was an anomaly in the Leng family, choosing martial arts over literature. Although his official rank of third grade wasn't too low, it wasn't high either, and this was only because Sun had followed him around. Among the five great families, the Leng, Lin, and Ning families were all scholarly families, mostly focused on literature. The Sun and Bai families, on the other hand, were known for their martial prowess. Back then, the old master of the Bai family had countless elite soldiers and generals under his command, enjoying immense prestige. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been easy for the former empress to enter the palace as empress. Now that the Bai family had fallen on hard times, the Sun family had risen. There were many protégés of the Sun family in the court. Although their military power wasn't as great as that of the first general, Xuan Yuan Chaohua, their intricate network of connections in the court was something even Xuan Yuan Chaohua couldn't match. Because of this, Sun was never afraid of anyone in the Leng family, and she was even quite arrogant towards her husband. If it weren't for her help, Leng Yuren would still have to climb up slowly from a lowly soldier.
Ouyang Yue smiled faintly: "Oh, so the Third Young Master Leng is still alive. I thought he had been beaten to death by the Second Young Master Leng. Otherwise, why would the Second Madam Leng be sighing and frowning as soon as she entered my Prince Chen's residence? Could it be that the Second Madam Leng has come to the wrong residence? Did she go to some funeral and end up here at my Prince Chen's residence?"
When Ouyang Yue spoke, everyone in the hall lowered their breathing. Ouyang Yue's words showed no respect for Madam Sun. However, Madam Sun deserved to be talked about. After all, Leng Caiwen was a member of the Leng family. No matter what happened in the mansion, even if they were very curious, they dared not ask. Did Madam Sun not understand the principle that family scandals should not be aired in public?
Furthermore, this banquet held by the Prince Chen's residence was ostensibly a belated wedding celebration. It was a joyous occasion, and for Madam Sun to arrive and immediately mention that Leng Caixi had been beaten so badly she couldn't get out of bed was indeed quite inauspicious. Ouyang Yue was even more blunt, directly accusing Madam Sun of wailing and implying that Leng Caixi wouldn't live much longer. This was also invoking the reputation of the Leng family and the second branch of the Leng family. Leng Yuren's expression changed slightly, but he remained silent, while Madam Sun was furious, her face turning red.
"Princess Consort Chen, how can you speak to your elders like that? Even though you are now the esteemed Princess Consort Chen, you cannot forget your roots. This is a family matter, a family matter. To curse someone to death is really going too far." Madam Sun was scolding Ouyang Yue for being unfilial and disrespectful to her elders. In addition, Ouyang Yue's relationship with the Leng family was not good to begin with, so if these words got out, they would probably not sound good.
Ouyang Yue disagreed: "Where do the terms 'elder' and 'junior' come from? Elders are those who are older, who have lived many years longer than these ignorant juniors, and who know better how to behave and what not to say. Elders should set a good example by their own conduct, not by spouting nonsense and making themselves a laughingstock. If elders don't act like elders and are used to disgrace the family, and if juniors are also stubborn and incompetent, allowing them to ruin the family, that would be truly disrespectful and would push the elders into an embarrassing position. Madam Xie, don't you agree?"
Madam Xie was taken aback, then smiled and said, "What Princess Consort Chen says is true. It is my fault for not disciplining her properly. I will certainly teach her well when we get back."