Chapter 90: Arrogant
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Mingzhu thought that her words were very rascally and would surely drive Jiang Shanshan away, but Jiang Shanshan just smiled and said, “Sister Mingzhu is so humorous. You just have a bit more innocence than others, you’re lively and naive. In my eyes, you’re much stronger than those who pretend to be someone they’re not and dare not speak their minds.”
These words struck a chord in Mingzhu’s heart. She finally understood why everyone liked Jiang Shanshan. Elegant, knowledgeable, gentle, generous, elegant, beautiful, noble-born—what’s not to like? If Changxing Marquis’s mansion had as much power as the Fu family, Yuwen Chu would have married Jiang Shanshan long ago, right?
Thinking of this, Mingzhu despised herself. What was she always thinking about? Could it be that she couldn’t forget him after being hugged and kissed by him? She had been married before, what did that count for?
Beside her, Jiang Shanshan’s intimacy didn’t diminish at all as she continued to chat, “Have you seen the Wusun princess?”
Mingzhu shook her head, “Never.”
Jiang Shanshan was very surprised, “Wusun people look quite different from us. Many noble ladies have secretly ridden in carriages to observe. I remember you love this kind of excitement the most. Didn’t you ask Brother Ling to accompany you?”
Mingzhu was embarrassed to tell her that she had been under house arrest for these past few days, so she asked instead, “Have you seen her?”
Jiang Shanshan smiled faintly, “Of course I have.”
Mingzhu saw her confident smile and felt something was off. She pretended to be curious and said, “I heard she’s a great beauty. Since you’ve seen her, you’ll know if the rumors are true.”
“She is indeed a great beauty, different from the beauties here. You’ll find out soon.” Jiang Shanshan teased her and pointed ahead, “Look, isn’t that An Xiaogu from Duke Yue’s family? I remember you two were very close.”
Sure enough, three noble ladies were walking ahead. One of them, wearing a sky-blue dress, was taller than her companions by half a head, walking with a stern face.
“Xiaogu!” Mingzhu hadn’t seen her friend for a long time and was overjoyed. She quickly apologized to Jiang Shanshan and ran up to pat An Xiaogu’s shoulder, “You heartless girl.”
She wasn’t short among women, but compared to An Xiaogu, she was still a bit short. An Xiaogu turned around and easily pinched her neck, staring at her and saying in a low voice, “You still dare to blame me? Because of you, I was locked up at home for several months!”
Mingzhu felt happy in her heart and begged for mercy, “Good sister, I was wrong.”
An Xiaogu let go and shook her sleeve disdainfully, looking down at the palace maids and noble ladies nearby, who were shocked, with a cold smile, “Do you think my actions are rough and uncultured, damaging to etiquette?” Seeing the disdain on the faces of the two noble ladies, she sneered and pointed at one of them, “Are you cursing at me?”
Even if that noble lady cursed her, she could only curse in her heart. Seeing her trying to pick a fight in public, she turned pale with fear, “N-no, no such thing! You can’t wrong a good person.”
Duke Yue’s mansion had a military background, so even the girls from the An family were much rougher than those from other families. Mingzhu liked An Xiaogu’s style the most. She held An Xiaogu’s arm and advised her softly, “Forget it, the Empress Dowager values rules and etiquette the most. Don’t anger her.”
The implication was that today’s decision-maker was the meticulous and petty Empress Dowager Min, not the Great Empress Dowager. Be careful not to get caught by Empress Dowager Min. An Xiaogu let go and reached out to pinch Mingzhu’s arm, gritting her teeth, “You’re living a good life, but you’ve made me miserable.”
Mingzhu knew why she was under house arrest. It was because she was friends with her, and Madam An was worried that her own grandiose misdeeds would drag her down. She innocently widened her eyes and said, “Oh, then you’re getting close to me again. Won’t you be punished to kneel and wash the washboard when you go back? Or should you stay away from me?”
An Xiaogu was also a bold person. She snorted, “You’re thinking too beautifully. You’ve made me so miserable, I have to take back some advantage.” She glanced at Jiang Shanshan, who had already successfully met with the other noble ladies, and said in a low voice, “How did you end up with her?”
Mingzhu said, “Don’t hit a smiling face. She’s so polite. I can’t ignore her, can I?”
An Xiaogu curled her lip disdainfully, “I don’t know why everyone says she’s the best. Even my parents and sister-in-law want me to interact with her more and learn from her. But I just don’t like her. I always feel like she’s very sinister.”
Mingzhu laughed, “Have you been hurt by her? Or did you hear someone was hurt by her?”
“Not really. She’s very kind to me. And I haven’t heard of anyone being hurt by her. But nobody’s perfect. She doesn’t have any flaws at all. Don’t you think she’s too fake? Forget about her, tell me, how did you beat Linan Wang? I heard you gave him a big hole in his stomach!” An Xiaogu pulled Mingzhu along, leaving behind the elegant noble ladies, and walked quickly ahead.
Mingzhu sneered at her, “I gave him a big hole in his stomach? Did I end up covered in blood, face and hands, like a female demon?”
An Xiaogu laughed awkwardly, “Not really, but I couldn’t stand his arrogant attitude long ago. I just wish he’d suffer a big loss.” Then she gave Mingzhu a thumbs-up, “You’re really amazing! You can correct your mistakes and change your ways. You’re determined and courageous!”
Mingzhu laughed heartily. “That sounds flattering! Give me another compliment, and I’ll tell you how to deal with Yuwen You.”
An Xiaogu immediately hugged her arm and coquettishly pleaded, “Young master, you’re so handsome, this maid fell in love at first sight, please have mercy…” The two of them exchanged smiles.
The laughter reached the back, and the noble lady who had been threatened by An Xiaogu couldn’t help but say, “Look at their arrogant demeanor!”
Another noble lady advised, “Don’t be angry. One is the Great Empress Dowager’s niece, the beloved daughter of the Prime Minister, and the other is the daughter of the Duke’s mansion. Even if they don’t necessarily care about us, how can we compare?” She glanced at Jiang Shanshan and added, “I’m tired of being with them. Second Miss Jiang is much better, considerate and friendly.”
Jiang Shanshan looked at Mingzhu’s graceful figure and smiled faintly, “That’s just their personality. Don’t take it to heart.”
The two were dissatisfied, “Second Sister, you’re too good-natured. They just rely on their fathers and brothers, right? Who can guarantee a lifetime of wealth? They don’t know how to behave, and their future won’t be any better!”
“Alright, alright, don’t be angry with them for my sake. Don’t say those words again, lest it causes trouble for the family.” Jiang Shanshan advised for a few moments, then suddenly saw a palace maid walking over and handing her a purse, saying, “Second Miss Jiang, you dropped something.”
Jiang Shanshan could clearly see that the purse wasn’t hers, but she wasn’t surprised. She simply said, “You must have made a mistake, it isn’t mine.”
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