Chapter 767: Hitting a Sensitive Spot (Part One)
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Mingzhu couldn’t recall ever making the Wusun Princess faint from anger, so she looked to others for confirmation, “Is this true? Why don’t I know about it?”
An Xiaogu, Huayang Wangfei, and others smiled slightly, “We’ve never heard of it.”
Huayang Wangfei kindly said, “Ninth Sister-in-law, why didn’t you let us know when you were ill? I would have gone to see you.”
However, Qi Wangfei frowned slightly, and the other noblewomen of the royal family showed strange expressions. Mingzhu noticed their reaction and felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint it.
Dai Wangfei tactfully changed the subject, “Ninth Sister-in-law, I’ve always heard that the Wusun people enjoy drinking. Since you arrived late, shouldn’t you punish yourself with three cups? Servants, fill her cup. Everyone must drink happily today before leaving!”
The maids promptly filled the Wusun Princess’s cup with wine. She raised her cup and said to Mingzhu, “Sixth Sister-in-law, there’s no poison in this, is there?”
This blatant provocation made Mingzhu lose her temper. Even though she wasn’t of a good temper to begin with, she managed to calm down quickly. However, she couldn’t help but speak coldly, “Ninth Sister-in-law, are you here to cause trouble today?” No wonder she brought the Wusun warriors in, she was afraid of being dealt with.
The Wusun Princess chuckled lightly, “Sixth Sister-in-law, why would you say that? I’m just joking. Speaking of which, I feel really sad. What if I drink this wine and it only adds to my worries? What if I get drunk and lose control? What should I do?”
No one responded to her words, so she continued, “I didn’t know before. Our Highness and Sixth Sister-in-law actually had such a past. At that time, you were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love, and even had your marriage arranged. You were almost inseparable…”
Seeing her getting more and more out of line, Dai Wangfei and others immediately stopped her, “Ninth Sister-in-law, are you drunk before you even drank?”
The Wusun Princess sneered, “Who said I’m drunk? I’m very sober! Sixth Sister-in-law, if you dare to do something, you should be prepared to face my harsh criticism! Tell me, what have you been up to in the past year? Why did our Highness give something intended for me to your b*stard child? Why does our Highness often seem lost in thought after returning, missing his sister-in-law?”
When these words came out, everyone was stunned. What was this about something intended for her being given to Mingzhu’s child? Was she calling Millet a b*stard? Was she questioning Millet’s parentage?
Mingzhu was furious, trembling with anger. She almost jumped up and grabbed plates and dishes to hit the Wusun Princess, but she quickly calmed down. Any idle talk involving romantic affairs between men and women was always the hardest to handle, unlike other matters that could be directly suppressed with force. Perhaps others were waiting for her to lose her temper, so she had to be careful not to fall into their trap.
Qi Wangfei and the other noblewomen frowned so hard they could have crushed mosquitoes. Someone wanted to stand up and stop this, but Qi Wangfei stopped her, whispering, “Don’t be hasty. It’s not yet time for us to act. Let’s see how she responds first.”
Lady Qian and others had lost color in their faces. Li Shumei stood up calmly and said lightly, “It seems Linan Wangfei has gone mad. Shall I take her to see a doctor?”
“Thank you, Fourth Sister-in-law, but it’s unnecessary.” Mingzhu waved her hand to signal Li Shumei to sit down, then ordered the music and dance to stop. She said calmly, “Dirty things are dirty, clean things are clean. Things that have happened cannot be denied, and things that haven’t happened, no one can force me to acknowledge. A long time ago, I knew that the princess harbored animosity towards me. In a situation where I didn’t know where this animosity came from, I still tried my best to treat her with courtesy. Today, I understand, so let’s clear this up in front of everyone.”
Mingzhu stood up, left her seat, and walked towards the center. The Wusun Princess thought she was going to attack, so she nervously shrunk into her chair, and the Wusun warriors surrounded her, protecting her in the middle.
Who knew that when Mingzhu walked to the center, she stopped and didn’t look at her, but instead bowed respectfully to everyone present, speaking earnestly, “Today, I originally wanted to invite all the elders, sisters-in-law, and ladies to our house for some enjoyment and merriment, but I didn’t expect to cause trouble for everyone. It’s my fault, so let me apologize to everyone first.”
Qi Wangfei, who enjoyed great respect among the royal family, immediately spoke with authority, “You had good intentions. No one could have anticipated such an occurrence. It’s not your fault. You don’t need to be so formal; we won’t blame you.”
Mingzhu looked gratefully at Qi Wangfei, her eyes reddening as she spoke, “I’m unlucky to encounter such malicious slander that cannot be explained. Whether I defend myself or not, it will cause great harm to both me and Millet. Every time someone discusses this matter, it’s like an invisible wound. I know none of you here are troublemakers. Some of you may even want to leave now to avoid this gossip. But I hope you’ll bear with me and stay to witness this. Because you’re all women and mothers, you understand the immense harm such slander can cause to women and children!”
Even those who were usually arrogant and fearless suddenly felt a bit compassionate. Those who wanted to see a joke dared not show it and echoed, “We won’t leave. We won’t leave. When you’re upright, you’re not afraid of shadows. Don’t worry, maybe there’s a misunderstanding here.”
Mingzhu spoke softly but firmly, “Regardless of any misunderstandings, I will pay whatever price it takes today, even if it costs my life, to cleanse myself of this dirty water splashed on me! Because I am a mother, a wife, a daughter, and I won’t allow my loved ones to suffer any harm because of me.” So the Wusun Princess had touched her sore spot and crossed her bottom line!
Seeing that Mingzhu wasn’t going to attack her, The Wusun Princess breathed a sigh of relief but also felt a strange disappointment. Why was she so prepared, yet Mingzhu didn’t retaliate? Otherwise, she would have made everyone see how ruthless and shameless Mingzhu was.
After comforting the crowd, Mingzhu returned to her seat and looked down at the Wusun Princess, saying, “Just now, Wangfei mentioned that I and Linan Wang were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love, almost inseparable. I only acknowledge the childhood part, but I deny everything else. Almost inseparable? That’s a big joke. Everyone knows he beat me in the Jade Emperor Temple and later confronted me with weapons because I withdrew from the engagement. We severed all ties. Where is the childhood sweetheart? Where is the closeness between us? It’s nothing more than the enmity between enemies.”
The Wusun Princess retorted, “That was in the past!”
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