Chapter 317: Rich and Willful
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After walking quite far away, an old royal consort asked, “Who was that? He looks unfamiliar.”
Another person said, “I don’t know. It’s the first time I’ve seen him. He looks good.”
The guide from the princess’s mansion respectfully replied, “He’s a distant relative of our princess consort. He came from a distant place to attend our third prince’s wedding and help out. It’s a fault to disturb you all.”
The old Wangfei said, “It’s not much of a disturbance. With so many people, it’s normal to bump into each other. He seems very courteous. How’s his status? Is he married?”
Everyone laughed. This old Wangfei was known for being a matchmaker. Whenever she saw someone neat and tidy, she would want to make a match for them. The people from Wangfei’s mansion knew her temperament and didn’t take it seriously. They casually answered her questions and led them to their seats.
Longsheng Great Eldest Princess valued her reputation, so the banquet was well arranged. There was a wide variety of delicacies, including bird’s nest and abalone, and seasonal fruits and vegetables were abundant. The honey oranges were brought from afar, and even the leaves on top were still green. The containers were all made of glass and matched with fine porcelain, very exquisite.
Mingzhu sat down at her seat and suddenly realized that there was nothing in front of her. Everyone else had bowls, chopsticks, and plates, and each person had a bowl of bird’s nest and abalone, except her. So she laughed. She had heard that Longsheng Great Eldest Princess was arrogant and held grudges. Now, here was her retaliation, so childish!
She found it amusing, but the people at the table didn’t. They were all embarrassed, staring at the food in front of them without touching it.
Zheng Momo was furious and sneered, “What does this mean?”
The maidservant beside her forced a smile and said, “Our princess said that Ying Wangfei is particular about her diet and doesn’t know if these dishes are suitable. So… since Ying Wangfei has brought her own utensils and food, please help yourself.”
Zheng Momo sneered, “This is eye-opening. She received so much gift money and still behaves so stingily.”
This was too harsh. The maid from the princess’s mansion couldn’t bear it and forced a smile, “Isn’t it for the sake of Wangfei? It’s a waste to serve the dishes if Ying Wangfei won’t eat them.”
Zheng Momo said aggressively, “It’s supposed to be a waste. If our Wangfei doesn’t eat it, it’s our business. If you don’t serve the dishes, it’s disrespectful and stingy. Don’t keep bringing up the princess. Is the princess so petty?”
The maid was very upset and genuinely aggrieved. At the right moment, Mingzhu spoke up, “Stop arguing. We’re here to congratulate Auntie. Now, because of a bowl of bird’s nest, it’s become a mess. It’s embarrassing. What did you bring? Just serve it.”
Zheng Momo then grumbled and directed the servants to arrange the bowls and chopsticks. When Mingzhu saw their setup, she almost burst out laughing again. It was a full set of gold-inlaid jade bowls and plates, ivory-embedded gemstone chopsticks, splendid and dazzling. It almost blinded her eyes. Thinking about how at home, she and Yuwen Chu would only use fine porcelain bowls and silver-inlaid ebony chopsticks, she had never seen anything so dazzling. Why did Yuwen Chu come here? To show off his wealth?
Mingzhu sat up straight, trying to keep a straight face, pretending that these things were nothing special and not worth mentioning. But Zheng Momo directed the servants to arrange the utensils and then didn’t move. She stood beside Mingzhu like a door god, only occasionally looking up at the sky.
Longsheng Great Eldest Princess, sitting high at the table, looked coldly at Mingzhu’s gold-inlaid jade bowls and ivory-embedded gemstone chopsticks, sneering repeatedly. No matter how beautiful and luxurious the tableware was, without dishes, it was just decoration. Let’s see what Mingzhu would do when the banquet started. No matter how extraordinary she was, she could only watch them eat with resentment. Those who know what’s good for them should leave quickly!
Madam Min, feeling extremely satisfied, smiled and quietly reminded Longsheng Great Eldest Princess, “Your Highness, it’s time to make a toast.”
Longsheng Great Eldest Princess tidied her hair and stood up vigorously. With deep affection, she was about to thank all the relatives and friends when a team of maids entered, carrying various dishes. They were all beautiful and neatly dressed. Longsheng Great Eldest Princess didn’t recognize these people and thought they were maids borrowed from other mansions to help out. Little did she know that these maids went straight to Mingzhu’s side, and in no time, they orderly placed the dishes in front of her and then bowed neatly before withdrawing.
Zheng Momo proudly removed the covers from the dishes, and the steaming hot aroma of the food filled the air. It looked as if the dishes had just come out of the kitchen and been served to the table, just like eating at home, where dishes were brought straight from the kitchen to the table. No one knew how the Ying Wang Mansion managed to send such hot and delicious food from such a distance. Each dish was not inferior to those at Wangfei’s banquet; in fact, they were even more exquisite and precious.
Everyone was dumbfounded. This competition was truly eye-opening. One side came prepared, with thick skin and arrogance, while the other side, despite being older, was so petty and calculated, trying every means to make trouble with the younger generation. Unfortunately, they miscalculated and lost their momentum just like that.
Everyone speculated in secret. They only knew that Longsheng Great Eldest Princess had a grudge with the Fu family, but they hadn’t heard of any feud between Longsheng Great Eldest Princess and the Ying Wang Mansion. This conflict was like enemies meeting. Could it be that Ying Wang married a daughter of the Fu family and also changed his attitude?
Only Dai Wangfei, who sat with Mingzhu, and others sighed in relief at the same time. They were Mingzhu’s sisters-in-law and would never let her eat alone and enjoy themselves; if they refused to eat with Mingzhu, it would be like forming an alliance with her against Longsheng Great Eldest Princess. Now that Mingzhu had something to eat, they could act more conveniently.
The atmosphere at the banquet became strangely quiet. Longsheng Great Eldest Princess was stifling her anger, unable to release it, nor could she swallow it. Her face turned purple, and she wanted to drive Mingzhu away or cause trouble with the bowls and dishes sent by the Ying Wang Mansion. However, she was the one who started it, and the other party just took advantage of the situation without even provocation.
Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, her daughter-in-law quickly ordered music to be played and subtly signaled to her, advising, “The guests from the He Mansion are all waiting. We can’t ruin our family’s affairs for the sake of one person.”
Longsheng Great Eldest Princess took a deep breath, forced a smile, and made a toast, signaling the start of the banquet. However, her appetite had already been exhausted, and she couldn’t eat anything. Others didn’t know why Mingzhu suddenly challenged her, but she had some idea. It was probably because someone found out about her involvement in the death of Eunuch Rong. But so what? She just hated the Great Empress Dowager and couldn’t stand her controlling the country’s political power, not giving her enough respect and benefits. Let her wait for her death!
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