Su Xiaoqi clearly remembered that Shen Yun had told her personally last night that he did not want to enter the Ning Prince's mansion if he could help it.
He said that his current life was very good, and he would strive for his future by himself, without the need for this so-called Ning Prince's mansion to boost his prestige.
Shen Yun's words clearly indicated his unwillingness to enter the Ning Prince's mansion.
Perhaps in the eyes of others, the Ning Prince's mansion was very powerful, with noble status, and entering it would grant him things he could not even imagine before.
But Su Xiaoqi believed that Shen Yun did not care about it.
He was destined to become a powerful minister in the Daliang Dynasty.
Real power was no less glorious than the so-called princely mansion.
He could completely rely on himself to become the person he wanted to be.
Because she had no expectations or thoughts about the Ning Prince's mansion, Su Xiaoqi did not hold back any courtesy when confronting the people of the mansion.
After only a few words, she angered the Ning Princess Consort to the point of near death.
She considered herself to be well-mannered, but in front of Su Xiaoqi, after just a couple of sentences, she was so thoroughly blocked that she couldn't speak.
She said that others all said how good the Ning Prince's mansion was, but she and her husband understood the truth.
As the saying goes, "It is lonely at the top." If they did not have thick enough clothes, they would not aspire to climb so high.
Once they had thick clothes, they would naturally ascend.
It was clearly such a fortunate thing to enter the Ning Prince's mansion, and she wondered how many good deeds Madam Zhao had done in her past life to gain such luck.
But in Su Xiaoqi's eyes, it not only held no value but also seemed like a burden.
This was not only a veiled refusal to enter the mansion but also a provocation.
"Madam Su, how dare you..." The Ning Princess Consort was accustomed to her high status and had never been directly confronted like this, so she glared at Su Xiaoqi with a face full of anger.
She clenched her handkerchief tightly, as if she would slap Su Xiaoqi at any moment.
Su Xiaoqi was not afraid of her. They had not wanted to come today in the first place.
It was because Shen Yun had accepted the Ning Prince's invitation that they had come.
It was considered giving face to the Ning Prince.
Shen Yun had said that although the Ning Prince was not in the same faction as him in the imperial court, he had indeed taken good care of him in the early days.
And another point, since they had been openly invited, what was there to fear?
They simply came openly to attend the banquet.
Shen Yun had already made arrangements and was not afraid of them causing any trouble.
"The current Ning Prince's mansion is in a precarious state, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they can barely protect themselves.
How would they dare to cause trouble?
If they don't cause trouble, that's their good fortune.
If they do cause trouble, it would be a ready excuse delivered directly to His Majesty."
That's right, Su Xiaoqi came to the Ning Prince's mansion at Shen Yun's behest, not to befriend them or build relationships.
She intended to cause trouble.
Previously, when dealing with Princess Qionghua and her sister, she had shown a more reserved and reasonable demeanor.
That was only in front of many guests.
She had to maintain her public image to some extent.
There was no need to ruin her reputation just to provoke the Ning Prince's mansion.
But now it was different.
Besides each other and their servants, there was no one else around, so there was no need to fear rumors spreading.
Therefore, Su Xiaoqi's attitude was no longer as gentle and indifferent as before.
Her attitude became somewhat sharp.
As long as the Ning Princess Consort said anything that made her uncomfortable, she would retort every single word.
"Madam Su, you have such audacity and such a temper. You truly come from a small place, without parents, and with no upbringing..."
Su Xiaoqi could not tolerate this. Before the Ning Princess Consort could finish, she interjected:
"Stop right there, Your Highness the Ning Princess Consort. What kind of person I am has nothing to do with you. Have I eaten your family's rice?
My mother-in-law is standing here, and she hasn't said anything, yet you are so gossipy.
Those who know will say you, Your Highness the Ning Princess Consort, are bored to death and looking for trouble.
Those who don't know would think you are a gossipy old hag, specifically picking on people's tongues."
The Ning Princess Consort had never been spoken to like this before. Although every word made her blood surge, there was not a single vulgar word in them, leaving her with no room to retort.
She could only clutch her chest, which ached from anger, and point at Su Xiaoqi while reprimanding her:
"Silence... Silence... Madam Su, you, you, you are such a sharp-tongued girl..."
Su Xiaoqi said, "My mouth is on me. You can rule heaven, earth, and air, but you probably can't control my mouth.
However, your ears are on you. If you find it unpleasant, you can simply choose not to listen."
The Ning Princess Consort's chest heaved rapidly with anger. She really wanted to take off her shoe and slap Su Xiaoqi's little mouth with it.
"This Princess Consort... this Princess Consort, I... you've angered me to death!"
The Ning Princess Consort finally succeeded in making herself so angry that she toppled backward. Her attendants quickly rushed to support her.
This commotion finally attracted people who were strolling in the garden nearby.
Su Xiaoqi instantly transformed into a gentle and caring official's wife. She walked forward slowly, stopped three steps away from the Ning Princess Consort, and said with a worried expression:
"Your Highness the Princess Consort, what's wrong with you? Oh dear, your complexion doesn't look very good. Perhaps you didn't sleep well last night.
Are you feeling a bit dizzy? You look like you might have low blood sugar. Should I prescribe some medicine for you..."
The Ning Princess Consort was so angry that she couldn't speak. She couldn't hold back anymore, disregarding her status, and cursed first: "Silence, you wretch, wretch..."
Su Xiaoqi saw Madam Zhong and her party approaching from the corner of her eye, lowered her head, and instantly became a submissive wife being wronged.
She pulled out a silk handkerchief and pretended to wipe her eyes.
Her acting was superb; her large eyes widened round and unblinking, and she managed to shed a stream of tears.
In an instant, from someone who had been like a fighting cock, she transformed into a pitiable figure being bullied.
Madam Zhao, even though she was present and had been watching Su Xiaoqi the entire time, was startled by her rapid change of demeanor.
However, her reaction was also swift.
As soon as she saw Su Xiaoqi with teary eyes, she immediately stepped forward to support her, patting her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.
"Alright, alright, child, let's not cry anymore, okay?
It's my fault for being incompetent, for letting you suffer such injustice out here.
But she is the Princess Consort, you have to be more understanding!"
Su Xiaoqi leaned on Madam Zhao's shoulder, listening to her calm and elegant voice, and her simple yet sincere words, which further deepened the understanding of the truth of the matter among the approaching official's wives.
Especially Madam Xu, who was at the forefront, seeing Su Xiaoqi's appearance and hearing Madam Zhao's words, understood immediately.
She thought that the two princesses must have suffered a hidden loss at Madam Shen's place earlier.
The Ning Princess Consort, relying on her status, had come to defend her two daughters and was bullying Madam Su and her daughter-in-law.
She felt quite displeased with the Ning Princess Consort, but she couldn't say anything. She stepped forward to support Madam Zhao, saying sympathetically:
"Madam Shen... oh, greetings to Your Highness the Ning Princess Consort."
She deliberately spoke half a beat slower, as if just noticing the Ning Princess Consort.
This already expressed her significant displeasure towards the Ning Princess Consort.
The people present were all as astute as spirits; how could they not understand?
This further deepened the impression of the Ning Princess Consort bullying others with her power.
After Su Xiaoqi finished her performance and saw that the effect was good, she was about to wipe away her tears.
But then she heard the sounds of men's voices.
Some were reciting poetry and composing couplets, while others were talking and laughing.
In short, compared to the extremely oppressive atmosphere among the female guests, their side was harmonious and natural.
This was probably the difference between men and women.