Months before, Su Ziyu and Li Qianfan had obtained their marriage certificate in Qingyun.
However, their marital status did not count in Longxu.
Only when she officially held a grand wedding with Li Qianfan in Longxu would he be universally addressed as the Young Madam.
Before she and Li Qianfan were married in Longxu, even though Yang Xiao and Li Xiao had acknowledged her as the future Dragon Lord's wife, in official settings, she could only be referred to as "Eldest Young Lady."
This was a long-standing rule, a "bloody" reminder to Su Ziyu: "You have only been preliminarily approved by Longxu, but if you wish to manage Longxu's internal affairs, it depends on whether you can have the wedding in Longxu."
Su Ziyu was unaware of this rule. Yang Xiao had also not informed her.
In fact, this was another small test for her.
Su Ziyu's eyebrows twitched slightly, then she placed her right hand on her chest and bowed deeply to everyone.
No words were needed.
She only needed to reciprocate the greetings according to her understanding of etiquette.
When she raised her head, Yang Xiao took her left hand and said, "Come, Ziyu. Grandmother will take you home."
The most formal moment had passed, and Yang Ziye had also returned to the living. He hugged Mo Hongti's arm and asked with a smile, "Happy? Surprised?"
At this moment, Su Ziyu and Mo Hongti finally understood the "purpose" of Yang Xiao and Ziye: to lead them along the red carpet from the main entrance into Longxu after their greetings.
The hundreds of men, women, old, and young who had originally lined up at the main entrance also moved to the sides in a timely manner, allowing them to scrutinize Miss Su with unbridled gazes.
Su Ziyu immediately sensed approximately four types of gazes among these hundreds of eyes.
The first was envy.
The second was warmth.
The third was indifference.
The fourth was hatred.
Su Ziyu understood clearly. All the gazes from the hundreds of people were actually directed at Li Qianfan. She was merely "testing and bearing" these gazes on behalf of Li Qianfan in this formal occasion.
Envy—accounted for nearly half. These people knew clearly that no matter how hard they tried, no matter how much taller they grew than the sky, they could not dominate Longxu.
Warmth—accounted for one-third. These people hoped Li Qianfan would become the future Dragon Lord and would actively support him.
Indifference—accounted for one-fourth. These people might have ambitions to compete for the position and the strength to do so, but they dared not make a move, so they maintained a neutral stance.
Hatred—accounted for a staggering one-fifth! These people harbored ambitions, possessed the strength to compete, and were constantly seeking opportunities to replace Li Qianfan!!
"I didn't expect the internal strife in Longxu to be no less than that of ordinary local influential families."
"Qianfan must have known this long ago, yet he has been so lackadaisical and unambitious domestically all these years."
"No wonder my mother-in-law always scolds him as a prodigal son."
"No wonder my in-laws previously hoped for the strong Du Junlin to take charge of Longxu."
"Because Du Junlin could provide Qianfan with the greatest help."
As Su Ziyu walked slowly under Yang Xiao's lead, her mind raced faster than ever. Her overall intelligence seemed to have greatly increased.
As for Mo Hongti, if Ziye hadn't held her arm and provided sufficient support, she might have stumbled while walking. This was because of the hundreds of scrutinizing eyes, 90% of which carried disdain!
This was sufficient proof that everyone had seen through her role as Su Ziyu's "maternal family" and as a future assistant if Su Ziyu were to rule Longxu. 90% of the people felt Mo Hongti was unworthy of the position Yang Xiao had bestowed upon her!!
This was a normal phenomenon. Twenty years ago, when Li Xiao was conquering the world, his followers could be "commoners." But twenty years later, Longxu had become one of the world's four major powers, more powerful than any affluent family. Naturally, those qualified to reside permanently in Longxu would have higher standards.
To put it more bluntly—if Du Junlin were here today, accompanied by his Shen Yun, few would dare to look at them with indifference, disdain, or even hatred.
Matching social status. This concept, whether in ancient times or the present, in the East or the West, would never disappear.
Finally, led by Yang Xiao, Su Ziyu and the others arrived inside Longxu's conference hall. The hall covered an area of over a thousand square meters, easily accommodating hundreds of people.
Along the walls were low cabinets displaying delicious food, red and white wines, and other refreshments. To help Su Ziyu relax as much as possible, Li Xiao had decided to hold a Western-style reception.
"Sister-in-law, let me introduce you to the ladies around Old Li." Ziye's role manifested again as she took Su Ziyu from her grandmother, preparing to introduce her to the important figures of Longxu one by one.
"Twenty years ago, someone ranked the ladies around my father." Ziye said with a casual smile.
Roughly: Lu Da (Lu Ziqi), Li Er (Li Wujiang), Feng San (Feng Meizhu), Ding Si (Ding Xiaolang), Qin Wu (Qin Yujie), Bai Liu (Bai Hong), Su Qi (Su Qiqi), Shangguan Ba (Shangguan Rourou), Li Jiu (Li Yan), Su Shi (Su Rina), and so on.
There were simply too many people; Su Ziyu couldn't remember them all even if she tried her best. Ziye, however, knew them like the back of her hand. From Lu Ziqi to Su Rina, from Ye Wushuang to Yin Susu, from Yu Minmin to Roma, from Anna to Dongdongmei.
Miss Ziyu's forehead began to sweat. She instinctively glanced back at her father-in-law. She had always heard that her father-in-law was a bit of a scoundrel, but she never expected him to be so excessively so! The Young Master Qianfan, whom Du Junlin called a petty hooligan, was like a pure innocent compared to his father.
Li Xiao happened to look over. Their eyes met—Li Xiao's old face suddenly flushed. He turned, picked up a glass of wine, and downed it in one gulp. This way, when others saw his red face, they would think he was flushed from drinking, not from being too much of a scoundrel.
Ziye continued, "Auntie Ziqi and Auntie Meizhu, along with several other aunts, are at the Marco family's residence and haven't come. My mother Wujiang and Ding Xiaolang are in the country and don't need to join the fun for now."
As she said this, Ziye quietly told Su Ziyu, "If Mother Wujiang were here today, all the hostile gazes would disappear! Let me put it this way: even your father-in-law is afraid of Mother Wujiang."
Su Ziyu, curious, also asked in a low voice, "Why?"
Ziye chuckled, "Your father-in-law was beaten up by Mother Wujiang since he was a child."
Su Ziyu, filled with confusion, thought, "This is my father-in-law being afraid of his wife. If he weren't afraid, wouldn't he be a scoundrel to the extreme?"
"Alright, I'll formally introduce you." After Ziye gave Ziyu a brief introduction, she prepared to begin the formal introductions.
But before Ziye could select the first person to introduce—a graceful young woman approached with a young lad. Extending her hand, with the affectionate demeanor of an elder, she said, "Ziyu, hello. Let me introduce myself, my surname is Ye, Ye Wushuang. When I was young, your mother-in-law Li Wujiang and I were colleagues for many years and good闺蜜 (girlfriends/best friends)."
Yang Xiao, standing in the distance, immediately thought to herself, "As I predicted, this fearless one is the first to step forward."
Ziyu quickly bowed and extended her hands, "Auntie Wushuang, hello."
"Heh heh, you're quite pretty. You and Qianfan are a perfect match." Ye Wushuang chuckled lightly, withdrew her hand, and turned to say, "Liangxiao, come and meet your sister-in-law."
The young lad behind her immediately stepped forward and bowed to Ziyu, "Longxu's Ye Liangxiao, greets Sister-in-law."
A look of seriousness appeared on Ziye's face as she added, "Brother Liangxiao is the second-ranked male of the Li family. He is a few months younger than Brother Qianfan and was born in the South Pole. He is also one of the top five young masters in Longxu."
According to Ziye's introduction plan, in the absence of Lu Da and Li Er, Ziye had intended to introduce Bai Hong to Su Ziyu first. Bai Hong was not only a staunch supporter of Li Qianfan but also the chief steward of Longxu, holding considerable influence internally.
The second person Ziye planned to introduce to Su Ziyu was Li Qianfan's "godmother," Helan Xuejing. Helan Xuejing was an ironclad supporter of Li Qianfan.
The third person to be introduced was Longxu's chief secretary, Xiu Zi. In short, Ziye had repeatedly pondered and refined her plan on who to introduce to Su Ziyu first and who to introduce later.
However, Ye Wushuang's proactive approach completely disrupted Ziye's plan. Why was she being so proactive? It was to announce to everyone at today's event: "Before Li Qianfan officially takes charge of Longxu, my Ye Liangxiao will also compete for the position of Dragon Lord in the most legitimate way!"
Yang Xiao was present. She was showing her allegiance to Su Ziyu. But Ye Wushuang was not afraid. She knew very well that even if Empress Xiao was displeased with her, she would not make a scene on the spot! As for Li Xiao, he was even less likely to reprimand Ye Wushuang on such an occasion, as both his children were dear to him. Without these two formidable figures—Ziye alone, a mere girl, was no match for Ye Wushuang and others!
Indeed, just as Ye Wushuang had taken the initiative to introduce herself and her son to Su Ziyu, someone else couldn't wait to step forward.
"Sister-in-law, this is Qin Yujie's mother from Jinta Country." Seeing Qin Yujie, Ziye's forehead began to bead with sweat. She further realized that she was unable to handle her current task. Because behind Qin Yujie were Jing Ran, Yu Minmin, Su Qiqi, Lu Xuening, Roma, Katjalia, and other unruly individuals.
Ziye couldn't help but look back at her grandmother with pleading eyes. Yang Xiao's expression was cold, with no reaction. She truly could not intervene!
"What should I do?" Yang Ziye looked at Bai Hong again. She hoped Bai Hong would step forward and help her. Bai Hong, within the crowd, also frowned, looking at the unruly group and stamping her foot lightly.
If it were any other matter, Bai Hong, as the chief steward, would have absolute authority. But when it came to the competition for the successor of Longxu, even if Bai Hong maintained a fair stance, she dared not step forward without authorization.
"What's going on?" Someone in the crowd, taking advantage of the chaos, started to stir things up: "Is it so difficult for us to formally meet Miss Su?"
"This situation seems to be getting out of control."
Even if Su Ziyu were a fool, she could see this. But what could she do? All she could do was feign composure, maintain a faint smile, and stand by Ziye's side.
Ziye bit her lip hard—suddenly, she heard someone from outside the crowd say coldly, "What, it's just my daughter introducing her sister-in-law to everyone. Is everyone's reaction a bit too enthusiastic?"
WHOOSH— Everyone instinctively turned to look, and Ziye's eyes instantly lit up with joy. She exclaimed, "Mom, hurry! I can't handle it anymore!"
——
Those unruly individuals were starting to bully Princess Ziye.