Du Yiyi also heard the Grand Princess's words. She tugged on Su Xiaoqi's sleeve, her eyes showing a hint of worry.
As for Little Magpie, she had never seen such a grand occasion before. The grandeur of the Grand Princess's manor had already stunned her into silence.
She could only lower her head, clasp her hands, and follow Su Xiaoqi like a little maidservant.
Princess Huian had stopped crying, but her eyes remained vacant, as if she wasn't looking at anything, her gaze unfocused.
Su Xiaoqi knew she hadn't recovered yet.
She sighed, thinking that Princess Huian, from the perspective of outsiders, came from the Grand Princess's manor and appeared very glamorous.
But who truly understood her and knew what kind of life she led?
She supported Princess Huian and said gently, "Your Highness, let's go inside."
Princess Huian, like a marionette, mechanically followed Su Xiaoqi's steps inside.
During this, she almost tripped and fell due to the high threshold.
Fortunately, Su Xiaoqi braced her with her body, allowing her to enter safely.
This scene was caught by the Grand Princess. She frowned displeasedly, but as there were outsiders present, she didn't reprimand her.
Princess Huian happened to see this and was startled. She shrunk back, moving closer to Su Xiaoqi.
Su Xiaoqi quietly observed the interaction between the Grand Princess and Princess Huian.
She seemed to understand why Princess Huian, despite her privileged upbringing, had developed such a personality.
The root cause was within herself, but the Grand Princess was likely not without reason.
With a settled heart, Su Xiaoqi and her group stepped forward to pay their respects: "Greetings to Your Highness, the Grand Princess."
Su Xiaoqi and Du Yiyi's etiquette had been guided by the governesses from the Duke's manor, so it was impeccable.
It was just that Little Magpie had never met a person of such noble status as the Grand Princess, and her etiquette was still far from perfect. Du Yiyi had only given her a few pointers on the carriage.
However, she was very clever. Mimicking her two sisters, she managed to present herself without being impolite.
Besides, the Grand Princess was not in the mood to scrutinize her etiquette. She saw her daughter's swollen, red eyes, and the fear that hadn't been fully hidden in the depths of her gaze.
Her brow furrowed even tighter. Her pointed chin revealed a stern expression, and she said in a very unpleasant tone, "Huian, what is the matter with you?"
Unexpectedly, her words caused Huian to tremble. She dared not speak, and burst into tears with a "wah."
"Huian, do you understand propriety? Guests are here, and you're crying and making a scene. What kind of behavior is this?" The Grand Princess was enraged. She had always thought that Huian lacked the demeanor of a princess and hadn't inherited any of her grace.
Look at her now, crying loudly in front of guests. This was someone who didn't even understand the basic rules of being a hostess.
She couldn't help but reprimand her sternly: "Guards, take her away and have her reflect properly."
Princess Huian cried even louder. She had a belly full of grievances she wanted to pour out, but her mother, whom she should have trusted the most and who should have supported her, couldn't even spare a patient moment to listen to her.
Her mother only cared if she possessed the noble bearing of a princess and could bring her honor.
Princess Huian's eyes suddenly dimmed, as if a light that had just been turned on was suddenly and without warning switched off.
Su Xiaoqi stared blankly at this scene. She felt she didn't need to investigate further. The Grand Princess's temperament was indeed a significant reason for Princess Huian becoming this way.
At least she should have given Huian a chance to finish her words, but she didn't.
Thinking that even her most trusted mother couldn't provide her with warmth, who else could a ten-year-old girl turn to for help?
She didn't know what to do, likely only able to endure it silently.
Moreover, seeing the Grand Princess's impatience, it was likely that Princess Huian had hinted or expressed her feelings to her long ago, but she definitely wouldn't have received support and comfort, but rather a scolding.
She would be blamed for being unable to handle such trivial matters despite her status as a princess.
However, while saying this, Su Xiaoqi was certain that the Grand Princess had not taught her daughter how to properly handle such situations.
Su Xiaoqi's heart ached. She couldn't help but think that if she ever had children, she would give them full trust and support, making them feel secure.
At the very least, if something happened outside, they could confidently tell her without fear of being scolded or blamed.
"Xiaoqi, you haven't been here for a while. Bao Ge'er has been missing you," the Grand Princess said, noticing Su Xiaoqi seemed to be spacing out. She beckoned to her with a kindly attitude.
"Uh, well, it's because my husband is taking the imperial examinations, and I was helping him with some miscellaneous matters, which is why I was delayed." Su Xiaoqi was clearly distracted, and her thoughts had strayed to children.
This made her feel a bit awkward, and her cheeks flushed slightly. But she stood tall, with no trace of subservience.
This was precisely what the Grand Princess liked about her.
Regardless of her humble origins, her bearing and demeanor were far superior to her own daughter's.
"Oh, right. I heard from Granny Xu's messenger that Huian returned without even bringing her maids or servants.
This time, she was only crying, and I didn't get a chance to ask her what happened."
The Grand Princess's words indicated that she hoped Su Xiaoqi could explain the situation.
Su Xiaoqi was about to bring it up and immediately recounted the events at the Heyue Restaurant to the Grand Princess without any concealment.
However, she hadn't yet mentioned Princess Qionghua feeding earthworms to Princess Huian. She only mentioned that she had been dressed in rags, trampled upon, and verbally abused with foul language.
Of course, Su Xiaoqi was not foolish enough to repeat those vulgar curses, lest she soil the Grand Princess's ears.
With a "bang," the Grand Princess angrily slammed the table in front of her.
The small table, carved with patterns of prosperity, longevity, happiness, and joy, wobbled precariously, almost tipping over, showing how furious the Grand Princess was.
"What… How dare they, how dare they!"
The Grand Princess was so enraged that she couldn't speak for a moment.
She had never imagined that her daughter, the daughter most favored by His Majesty the Emperor, would suffer such torment.
The Grand Princess suddenly stood up, flicked her sleeves, and called out loudly:
"Guards, guards…"
She didn't even bother to verify the truth. Firstly, she believed Su Xiaoqi wouldn't lie to her.
No one would dare to fabricate such a serious matter.
Secondly, she didn't have the patience to wait.
She wanted everyone to know that while she could scold and reprimand her daughter, she would not allow anyone else to harm even a single hair on her head.
"Your Highness!" Granny Xu, who had been standing in the corridor, hurried in upon hearing the commotion. Seeing the furious Grand Princess, she was startled and then glanced at Su Xiaoqi.
She was a bit worried, wondering how this usually reliable Madam Shen had offended the Grand Princess to provoke such a great outburst of anger.
Her face filled with concern, she busied herself having tea brought to calm her mistress.
She also wanted to send for Bao Ge'er, but Su Xiaoqi saw through her and stopped her with a look.
At this moment, she didn't dare to mention the earthworm incident. After all, if the Grand Princess was determined to investigate, she would find out.
She wouldn't add fuel to the fire.
Moreover, Little Magpie beside her was already terrified, trembling all over, her teeth chattering.
She quickly patted her back, softly reassuring her not to be afraid.
If anyone should be afraid, it should be the perpetrators.
"Your Highness, I encountered this matter unintentionally. The identities of those two individuals are not entirely clear. Your Highness should investigate first."
The Grand Princess, having vented her emotions, felt slightly better.
Upon hearing Su Xiaoqi's words, she sighed deeply, closed her eyes, and clenched her fists tightly, her long fingernails digging into her flesh.
The intense pain gradually brought her back to her senses. Her teeth gnashed together, filled with intense hatred.
According to her temperament, she would immediately send people to capture those individuals and deal with them severely.