The Blessed (Book 5)

512. Palace Banquet (10)-Old Lady Zheng

Translator: Guy Gone Bad

"The kids' pets..."

Out of his expectations, Crown Princess Hua's face instantly sank, like he totally didn't hear his next words, but only lingered on the word kids. Then Ling Jingxuan remembered that Zeng Shaoqing had ever said Crown Princess Hua's son had caught some strange illness two years ago, and his skin was like the willow bark. Eyes flickering, as Ling Jingxuan was about to say that maybe he could cure his kid, Her Empress Dowager's voice suddenly sounded.

"Crown Princess Sheng, I heard that you emptied the mansion as long as you came. Is there such a thing?"

What an annoying old witch! A trace of annoyance flashed across that pair of long and thin phoenix eyes. After patting on the back of Crown Princess Hua's hand to soothe his feeling, Ling Jingxuan raised his head and said smilingly, "Yes, My Empress Dowager. You know, my lord has been away from the capital these years, so those people directly took themselves as the masters and didn't even put me and my kids in the eyes. Of course I can't keep them."

"Aren't you trying to cover the crimes you've committed? One or two, it might be possible. How is it possible all of them defied you and your kids?"

The speaker was not Her Empress Dowager, but an old woman who sat below the Big Grand Princess. Looking at her first-rank costume, and the heavy make up on that wrinkled face, Ling Jingxuan blinked, pretending to look confused, "If I may ask, you are?"

The old woman instantly darkened her face, and the hand holding her dragon-head walking stick tightened. After quite a while, she said angrily, "My husband is the Imperial Duke Wen!"

So, that was to say, she was family of Her Empress Dowager. No wonder she dared to confront him in his face.

"So it's Old Lady Zheng! I'm afraid I can't agree with what you said. You don't belong to my mansion. How would you know things that happened in my mansion? You planted someone in my mansion?"

As he said so, his phoenix eyes narrowed. Old Lady Zheng got stoned there, but soon exclaimed, "Don't try to slander me? How is it possible I would do such things?"

Even if it was true, in front of so many people, she dare never admit it. For this kind of things, everybody knew, but no one would put it above the table. But this Crown Princess Sheng tried to put it bluntly, making them who were all harem fight masters find it inadaptable. Those means before, they just didn't know which one to use on this now.

"How dare you lose your manners before your imperial aunt-in-law? You really think you have the privilege since you are aged?"

"I dare not."

Before Ling Jingxuan said anything, Crown Princess Hua cut in first. Through the whole capital, who didn't know his bad name? Old Lady Zheng hurriedly shook her head. Ling Jingxuan only felt so funny. So only evil people could subdue evil people? Those proud and arrogant old women may be bossy before others, but in front of the noble Crown Princess Hua, they were like a bunch of turtles. So hilarious!

"Xiaohua's wife, don't be mad. After all she is sister-in-law of Her Empress Dowager, my senior. It's ok even if she did not use honorific."

Xiaohua's wife might sound piercing to the years, or even kind of rude to those 'noble' people there, but Crown Princess Hua instantly wore a smile. Having been struggling for so many years and taken so much grievance, wasn't it all for becoming Yan Xiaohua's wife? Only for this, he liked this straightforward ninth imperial aunt-in-law more.

Obviously not expected that he'd speak for her, although she was still upset for him calling him old lady, it was true that he was speaking for her now. Old Lady Zheng slightly opened her mouth with a complicated expression. But the next second, Ling Jingxuan's voice was heard again,

"Old Lady Zheng doesn't take herself as an outsider before me, and poised as an elder before me, actually I don't mind at all, but for some private things of my mansion, I guess you'd better keep your mouth shut. To be blunt, that's my family affair. Whoever did anything wrong, as the hostess of the whole mansion, I have the final way. It's never anyone else's turn to judge. Someone at your age, I guess I should know to hoe your own potatoes, right? Or, you dare say there's no such things in your mansion? If I step into things of your mansion, how will you feel?"

The more Ling Jingxuan said, he more stern his tone became, with his eyes sweeping across Old Lady Zheng and everyone there. Usually, however they badmouthed him, he had no problem with it, for the mouths grew on their heads, it was impossible for him to stitch them all. But if they still dare throw their weight around in his face, then don't blame his rudeness. For things inside his mansion, let alone her, he even wouldn't allow Her Empress Dowager to judge!

Old Lady Zheng looked indescribably frustrated but just didn't know how to argue back. Those beauties he had sent to those big families a few days ago had already turned their backyard into a mess, which was also the main reason she abruptly stood out today. In the court, there was His Highness Sheng. Plus Censor Zhu's death, their men no longer dare to ask His Majesty to hold justice for them. Today, seeing he acted so silly, she thought she got a chance, but...

Was he really stupid or only faking it?

That was a common doubt in the minds of all the people there. They could say they could read people. But not knowing why, they just couldn't see this Crown Princess Sheng through.