bestfiction Chapter 222 The Madam Takes Charge
Chapter 222 The Madam Takes Charge
"Your Highness, I'll have someone take you to change your clothes. We can talk about it when you're back," the Empress instructed the maids behind her to escort the princess to her new attire.
The eldest princess also felt unwell and said coldly, "Thank you, Your Majesty," before leaving the hall with her maid.
"Rui-ge, how do we handle this?" Although Wen Yuxia denied that the chicken soup came from their table, it was a fact that Nangong Wenrui had splashed the eldest princess's soup. She didn't know how Xia Yichen would deal with it.
Nangong Wenrui said nonchalantly, "I can say whatever I want, anyway, the soup bowl isn't from my table."
After changing her clothes, the eldest princess walked into the main hall with her head held high and stood beside Nangong Wenrui's desk demanding an explanation. Nangong Wenrui coldly replied, "The soup bowl isn't from my table," and then focused intently on serving food to Wen Yuxia.
Although the eldest princess was domineering, she knew who she could mess with and who she couldn't. The Nangong family was someone she dared not offend, but she was not afraid of the Emperor of Great Xia.
"Your Majesty, I, the princess, have traveled a thousand miles to Great Xia to deliver congratulatory gifts. Can you bear to watch your subject bully me?" The eldest princess turned to Xia Yichen and asked angrily.
Xia Yichen calmly replied, "I didn't see anything. Did anyone see anything?"
“Your Majesty, I saw it,” stepped forward to answer, it was the eldest princess’s maid. “Your Majesty, I also saw it,” the two envoys from Lanzhu Kingdom stepped forward as witnesses.
Xia Yichen said, seemingly in a difficult position, "Princess, they are all your people. It's unreasonable for them to testify for you!"
The eldest princess pointed to the envoy from Yunxiao Kingdom sitting at the table next to her and said, "As you all saw, I also heard Yun Miao's exclamation."
Nangong Wenrui's lips curled into a cold smile. Heh, they really think that just because he holds a sinecure in the Great Xia Dynasty, he can be bullied? Everyone's either trying to arrange a marriage with him or wanting him to marry into their family.
Yun Zhiqian and he were good friends. Yunxiao Kingdom was the only country that hadn't made any marriage proposals. Why did the eldest princess have to choose Yun Miao as a witness?
Yun Miao said lazily, "Does the eldest princess want me to explain why I exclaimed? Zhang Tao, you tell me why I exclaimed just now."
Zhang Tao stood up, bowed respectfully to Xia Yichen, and said in a respectful voice, "The Second Prince saw the First Princess throw the soup bowl and was afraid it would hit someone on the other side, so he spoke up to warn them."
Zhang Tao spoke very skillfully. Sitting opposite them were not only Nangong Wenrui and his wife, but also other court officials and their families. Hearing Zhang Tao's words, the officials were furious.
The family members were terrified, their faces pale with fright. It was a close call; they had almost been disfigured. Apart from Nangong Wenrui and his wife, everyone else stood up, pleading with the Emperor to intervene and help them.
Yun Miao said casually, "Is the eldest princess satisfied with the reason why I exclaimed?"
"Your Majesty, the soup bowl thrown by the eldest princess did not hit anyone; it was deflected by the Marquis of Zhennan," the envoy from Lanzhu Kingdom argued forcefully.
Nangong Wenrui could have easily caught the soup bowl, so why did he let it return the way it came, splashing chicken soup all over the eldest princess's face? He expressed his dissatisfaction.
Xia Yichen frowned slightly, glanced at everyone, and then slowly said, "Although the eldest princess did not actually throw anything, her behavior was inappropriate first. Marquis Zhennan's action of blocking the soup bowl was instinctive."
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess's face turned bright red. She was about to retort when Xia Yichen raised his hand to stop her. "However, the Marquis of Zhennan's actions were also ill-considered," Xia Yichen continued.
Nangong Wenrui rose, clasped his hands in a salute, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I only wanted to avoid danger at the time and did not think much of it. I would like to apologize to the Princess."
Wen Yuxia stood up and said softly, "Your Highness, Mu Hua apologizes on behalf of her husband." The princess snorted coldly, but dared not retaliate further.
At this moment, Meng Xiaoyi, who had been silent until now, stepped forward and said, "Princess, there was a lot of misunderstanding today. The Marquis of Zhennan and his wife have already apologized. Why don't we just let it go and not let this small matter ruin our harmony?"
Everyone agreed, but the eldest princess's eyes darted around, and she said, "We can drop the matter of splashing chicken soup, but what about the marriage alliance?"
"A marriage alliance? Who does the eldest princess want to marry?" Xia Yichen asked in surprise. Just now, the eldest princess said that Nangong Wenrui should divorce his wife and marry into her family. Now, who has she taken a fancy to and wants to marry into?
The eldest princess said somewhat embarrassedly, "Marquis Zhennan, I don't want him to divorce his wife and marry into the family. I just want him to marry me as his secondary wife."
Polygamy is common, and the eldest princess felt she had already taken a step back; the emperor certainly wouldn't refuse her proposal, and Nangong Wenrui should gladly accept it as well.
Unfortunately, Xia Yichen gave the same reply as before: "I cannot make decisions about the marriage of the Marquis of Zhennan. The person involved is right in front of you; you should speak to him yourself."
The eldest princess looked at Nangong Wenrui with some disappointment: "Marquis Zhennan, you're not going to say that the marriage is entirely up to your wife to decide, are you?"
Just now, Nangong Wenrui used this sentence to fob off all the envoys who requested marriage alliances. As for her request to divorce her and marry into her family, Nangong Wenrui completely ignored it.
Nangong Wenrui said coldly, "You already know, why ask?"
Wen Yuxia slowly stood up: "The Zhennan Marquis's mansion has no need for concubines, mistresses, or maids," she said, making her stance clear in one sentence.
The eldest princess looked at Wen Yuxia in disbelief. Had this woman gone mad? She wouldn't even allow a concubine! "You...you're just a jealous woman!"
Wen Yuxia smiled slightly: "Congratulations, you're right, this princess is indeed a jealous woman."
The eldest princess was furious and swung a palm strike at Wen Yuxia. Wen Yuxia calmly raised her palm to meet it, and the two palm strikes collided.
Wen Yuxia stood rooted to the spot, her expression unchanged. The eldest princess was sent flying more than ten steps before barely regaining her balance. *Pfft!* The eldest princess coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Princess! Princess!" The princess's maids rushed over and surrounded her, while the two envoys from Lanzhu Kingdom stood there stunned, unable to accept the fact that their princess had been sent flying.
"Let's go," the eldest princess whispered. The envoy from Lanzhu Kingdom bowed to Xia Yichen and followed the princess out of the hall.
Xia Yichen smiled and rose to leave. The Empress and the Imperial Concubine followed suit. The court officials and envoys, knowing the banquet was drawing to a close, rose to their feet, some offering toasts, others cultivating relationships.
An Chiyu, Meng Xiaoyi, and Wen Yunhong, along with their wives, arrived at Nangong Wenrui's place. After having a couple of drinks, the four couples parted ways.
The guests, having enjoyed a good show, left reluctantly, their chatter still lingering in the quiet night air.
Back at the princess's residence, Wen Yuxia stretched languidly and said, "So tired."