in2ebook Chapter 254 Nothing can be done 3
Chapter 254 Nothing can be done 3
The old lady standing nearby turned around, went out for a while, and came back with a wooden box.
Standing at the head, in front of everyone in Sheng Mansion, Princess Pingning Gu opened it with obvious pride in her eyes, and said,
"This kind of South Pearl is Heng'er's favorite."
South Pearls are pearls that are named after the seawater pearls produced in the south.
Nowadays, all pearl management and sales are managed by the imperial court, and there is no technology or awareness of pearl cultivation. The pure and natural Da Ke Nan Pearl is not only a top-level rare medicinal material, but also the most precious luxury product that symbolizes status.
South Pearl is the king of pearls and the most precious of all treasures.
(Dongzhu was given the meaning of nobility and top level because of the rule of the Manchus.
The biggest difference between Dongzhu and Nanzhu is that Dongzhu is freshwater pearl produced in Northeast China and originated from the birthplace of Manchu, which is why it is given a very high status. Since then, Hepu Nanzhu has been the top in the pearl world.
Gu was just showing off and warning the Sheng family about the disparity in status between them.
So she asked her mother to carefully show everyone the Dongzhu in the box, then she proudly curled her lips and said,
"I think it would be a great gift to bring it here today as a gift to my sisters.
Heng'er, take it yourself and give it to your sister."
The tone sounded like alms, and even the maid standing in the back as a background couldn't help but frown.
Before Qi Heng could make any move, Rulan suddenly covered her mouth and laughed. Under everyone's gaze, she began to explain,
“I’m so sorry, Rulan, I’m being rude.
But I didn't expect that the great Young Master Qi would have such a hobby.
Such a small South Pearl, I couldn't let it go, which was very different from the boldness of the private school in the past. Haha, I really couldn't help it. "
Rulan's smile was dazzling, and Wang Ruofu hurried to smooth things over, pretending to scold her own girl,
"Rulan, how can you be so ignorant of the rules?"
Wang Ruofu's instinctive assist was very good. Rulan stood up and bowed respectfully to Gu, apologizing.
“My apologies, Princess. This is the first time I’ve seen such small South China pearls. They are twice as small as the ones my sister gave me.
Rulan is short-sighted, I'm sorry to make you laugh."
Yu Lirulan apologized, but what she said was really unpleasant to hear. However, speaking frankly is not against the law, nor is it considered rude. Gu was furious but could not make a clear decision.
I thought Rulan would leave tactfully, but she insisted on adding an explanation.
"Please don't misunderstand, Princess, Rulan definitely doesn't mean to look down on Young Master Qi.
But...if I think from the perspective of Molan's sister, if her brother can't even come up with a decent gift, I would still feel sorry for our Molan.
After all, when my sister came to ask for recognition of relatives on behalf of the eldest princess's grandson, Master Pei, she was politely rejected by Sister Molan.
Although we have a close friendship with Young Master Qi as classmates, and being siblings is naturally a beautiful thing and there is nothing wrong with it, but the ceremony of recognition of relatives is so shabby. If this matter gets out... I'm afraid our Sheng family will be laughed at to death.
What are you talking about...picking up sesame seeds and losing watermelons, how ugly it sounds."
"Rulan!"
Mrs. Sheng's scolding startled Rulan. She seemed to suddenly realize that she was the fastest and had said the wrong thing. She bowed and apologized again.
"My Lady, I am sorry for my impoliteness. I just spoke my mind without restraint.
I know I was wrong, I will go to the ancestral hall and kneel down as punishment, and then I will leave."
Rulan turned around and ran away, before Princess Pingning got angry.
There is an order of seniority, so Rulan must be "wrong" in what she said, but whether what she said was "right" or not, everyone present knew it.
Wang Ruofu was determined to protect Rulan's biological mother no matter whether she was right or wrong, so Rulan ran out of the banquet hall smoothly without being stopped. Even the thoughtful Mother Liu followed her out and sent more people to carefully "watch over" Rulan.
Inside the hall, Old Lady Sheng was still smiling kindly and trying to smooth things over.
"My Lady, Sixth Miss is outspoken and never thinks before she speaks. She only thinks about the truth. This is really disrespectful."
What does it mean to be "speaking one's mind without thinking" but "focusing on the truth"? !
Gu slammed the table and said angrily,
"Is this how you entertain guests at the Sheng Mansion?!"
Old Madam Sheng was startled and frightened by Princess Pingning's sudden attack. Her mother beside her hurried forward to support her and stood in front of her to protect her.
Old Madam Sheng frowned, feeling helpless and puzzled.
"But how did I offend Her Majesty? That's really disrespectful."
"Humph."
Princess Pingning snorted coldly and didn't give Old Madam Sheng a good look. She thought that if she didn't scold them severely this time, she would never accept the apology from the Sheng family!
But who would have thought that after not getting any explanation, the old lady immediately stood up, and with the help of others, she walked out the door.
"In that case, please do as you please, Madam."
The implication is that we in the Sheng family will no longer serve you.
"Okay! Okay!
I want to see how the Sheng family can survive in Tokyo!"
Facing Gu's scolding, Old Madam Sheng continued to walk steadily and replied nonchalantly,
“This is nothing for you to worry about, Madam.
Perhaps, what your Majesty should consider is how the Qi Mansion should explain it."
Mrs. Sheng's tone was cold, completely lacking the kindness and respect she had shown just now.
Old Madam Sheng gave Gu three chances.
The first time was to drink.
The second time was when Rulan spoke.
The third time was when she asked just now.
There is no such thing as a third time. If Gu still doesn't know what to do, it's not that the Sheng family doesn't know etiquette, but that Gu is going too far by taking advantage of her status as a princess.
They are not commoners, nor are they from small families. How could the scholar-official class allow a princess like you to be humiliated like this?
Are you going to force their Molan to hang herself so that she stays away from your precious little master, will the princess be satisfied?
Ah!
"You disrespected our daughter from the Sheng family. I will remember this.
Mr. Zhuang's course has been completed long ago, and Young Master Qi should not come to the Sheng Mansion in the future to avoid further misunderstandings.
Our Molan is innocent and cannot bear the princess's ridicule and suspicion."
Princess Pingning had always been a rebellious person, so she could not stand such blatant sarcasm and ridicule from Old Madam Sheng. She immediately stood up and left in a huff.
"Heng'er, let's go!"
"Mom, Old Madam Sheng... this..."
Qi Heng stood up and stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do. He could only bow apologetically to Old Lady Sheng and Wang Ruofu, and wanted to explain something to Molan who was still sitting in her seat.
Just then, hearing that Rulan was "punished" to go to the ancestral hall, the four brothers Changfeng, Changbai, Changtong and Changxiu, who were studying in the front yard, came.
If a family has many male members, they will have the confidence to travel around as if they were wealthy.
"This is……"
The group had not heard the full story yet and were puzzled by the strange atmosphere in the hall.
Mother Liu went over and explained a few words in a low voice, and several people frowned.
Especially Chang Feng, who stood directly between Qi Heng and Mo Lan.
"Brother Qi, please stop and be careful with your words."
Please direct to the outside of the door.
In this era, Chang Feng's approach is no different from asking Qi Heng to "get lost".
Qi Heng was about to open his mouth to explain something, but Chang Feng interrupted him.
"Brother Qi, please don't test my cultivation."
Then he turned around and spoke to Princess Gu who had not yet walked away,
"My Lady, Chang Feng has taken note of this matter. I hope you can convey the complete message to the Duke of Qi.
Such a great gift, Sheng Fu Chang Feng will never forget it. "
Sheng Changbai also stepped forward and echoed,
"I will never forget Changbai of Sheng Mansion."
"The long tung trees and long bamboos of Sheng Mansion will never be forgotten."
This is a feud from which there is no turning back.
But when Gu walked out of Sheng Mansion, she just felt it was ridiculous and had no idea what kind of revenge was waiting for her.
Soon, the news spread throughout the Sheng Mansion.
Sheng Hong paced to Lin Qinshuang's residence. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Lin Qinshuang hugging Molan with red eyes and crying bitterly.
"My poor daughter... it's all my fault, it's all my fault..."
Seeing his wife and daughter wiping tears, Sheng Hong was filled with rage. His anger towards Princess Pingning and the Qi family reached its peak.
He has always been smooth and good at networking, and has never made political enemies unless he could crush someone to death with one foot.
but!
"Shuang'er, Molan... Dad will definitely seek justice for you!"
*
When the small group of Zhuang Xuejiu's private school learned about this, they all sent letters to the Sheng Mansion.
Both men and women came to visit Sheng Mansion, carrying gifts or bringing their parents.
The male guests visited Sheng Hong and his four brothers, while the female guests went straight to the backyard.
The An family of the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion moved the fastest and came most frequently.
After An Qingyan met her, he directly held Molan's hand and asked with concern,
"Molan, I've been wronged."
This was the girl they had admired since she was a child in their private school, and whom they had never been willing to say a harsh word to.
An Qingyan's heart couldn't help but twitch when he thought of Molan listening to Princess Pingning Gu's inexplicable troubles and ridicule.
Looking at An Qingyan, Molan forced a smile and even said playfully,
"It's okay, Rulan helped me out.
Sister Qingyan, it would be nice if you were here, but seeing our beautiful Rulan, she would be moved to tears."
When Rulan heard Molan praising her like that, her face turned red.
Thinking back to her impulse at that time, and the things that made her feel unhappy when she reflected on them later, Rulan felt her cheeks burning with shame and anxiety, and hurriedly said,
"Sister Molan, please don't say that. I'm so embarrassed."
"Really, Rulan has grown up, I..."
Molan sighed with emotion, but as she spoke, tears began to flow before she could speak. She didn't know whether she was moved or felt wronged as she recalled the tragic situation at that time.
An Qingyu could no longer sit still.
"Princess Pingning is really going too far! This is not something a well-educated person would do!
Young Master Qi just stood there and said nothing?"
"Not a word."
"He's such a wimp."
Although An Qingyu was only the niece of the Duke of Fuguo, the education she received was just a little less about the overall perspective of the head of the household than An Qingyan, and her upbringing was no worse than An Qingyan's.
The fact that she blurted out the word "coward" is enough to show her dissatisfaction and anger about the matter.
"What about Zhao Ceying?"
"After entrusting the matchmaker to come, he returned to his hometown in Yuzhou."
"what??"
An Qingyan and An Qingyu were both shocked. After looking at each other, An Qingyu commented,
"Although the idle royal family has a poor background, if a man does not take responsibility, he is really worse than a dog."
At this critical moment in history, he specially returned to his hometown in Yuzhou to bring his parents to Beijing.
Proposing to marry the daughter of the Sheng family in a high-profile manner... was a deliberate slap in the face of the Duke of Qi's Mansion.
Moreover, nowadays, girls from high-class families basically marry down to lower status or marry richer people. Molan marrying into an idle royal family member would be beneficial to the Sheng family politically.
An Qingyan also smiled and said,
"Waiting for your good news. I want to take Qingluo with me to think about how to send you makeup."
"It has to be beautiful!" Rulan opened her mouth and made her request without any hesitation.
"Hahaha, you."
An Qingyan smiled and nodded Molan's head.
"Do you really think you are out of this?"
"what?"
Rulan was stunned for a moment, then she realized what An Qingyan meant, "So fast?"
"Of course~, my sister-in-law Rulan~"
"Sister Qingyan!!!"
"Hahahahaha."
Amidst the laughter and joy, the few of them tacitly agreed to cut off all ties with the Qi family, and told Molan's parents in detail about her manners and grievances.
As a result, led by the Mansion of the Duke of Fuguo and the Mansion of Princess Qingning, the Mansion of Princess Qingchang, the Han Mansion (the Han family, which married Princess Qingchang, had a legitimate son, Han Chen, who studied in the private school of Zhuang Xuejiu), the Mansion of the Duke of Yingguo, the Mansion of Cui, the Minister Ge, and the Mansion of Cai, they joined forces to bring the matter to court.
The protest was not organized by these people, but they put on a good show.
Each family had its own difficulties, but without exception, they were all forced to fall into despair due to Princess Pingning's "map cannon".
For example, the Cai family and the Fuguogong family sent their daughters to study in private schools.
"If we don't rectify this filthy ideology, what will happen to the country?!
Could it be that all the girls who were sent to private schools were either for the purpose of marrying into a rich family or for private instruction with men? !
Private schools are holy places for learning! The friendship between classmates is even more precious! How can we allow the arrogant Princess Pingning to treat us so badly! ?
According to Princess Pingning, girls are not allowed to go to private schools, otherwise they would be plotting against some boy? ! "
They spoke out for their daughter's reputation.
It was an exaggeration, but the tearful accusation and the quotations from classics made the officials frown.
The Pei family, represented by Princess Qingning's Mansion, spoke out for the Sheng family.
The eldest princess complained that the daughter of the Sheng family, who had raised such an outstanding daughter, was treated unfairly, bullied, and humiliated, and that the girl was almost driven to death. She was overly worried and even called in the imperial physician for a diagnosis. She felt even more guilty towards her granddaughter-in-law, Sheng.
As for other families, they urgently hope that the government can prove their sons' "innocence".
Princess Pingning made groundless accusations that the atmosphere in Mr. Zhuang's private school was corrupt. Their son has been studying for a long time and is now going to take the palace examination. They cannot bear this responsibility!
Besides, gentlemen love beautiful ladies, so their sons will not be able to marry the daughters of Sheng, An and Cai families. Otherwise, they will be the bad guys who are "long-planned, shameless and ungrateful" in the words of Princess Pingning!
What's going on?
The friendship between classmates and childhood friends was cruelly torn apart like this! !
These guys are just fooling around and joining in the fun.
They had already heard the news about the marriage of the daughter of the Sheng family, so of course they were acting to take sides.
Anyone can see how prosperous the Sheng family is now. Why don't they rush to get on board and instead think about making a move on the most precious daughter of the family?
Today, the literati and the emperor jointly rule the world, and what the literati care about most is nothing more than "reputation".
Princess Pingning relied on the royal grace and disregarded the Sheng family, who worked diligently to help the government.
Today, the one being bullied is the daughter of the Sheng family, but what about tomorrow? Will it be me?
The Sheng family is so powerful now, but this could force their daughter to the point of almost hanging herself, let alone them?
The officials in the court, under the instigation of these eloquent officials who had climbed to high positions, all felt insecure. Although they did not make many statements, they knelt when they had to, demonstrating their physical honesty.
The official pondered for a moment, finally spoke and made a decision.
"Pingning is indeed arrogant this time. Even if we consider his ancestors' kindness to the country, he must be punished this time to serve as a warning to others."
The title of Pingning was conferred by the late emperor.
Demotion is a bit too much, but demotion is very reasonable.
Princess Pingning’s arrogance must come to an end.
Otherwise, the people in the court will become demoralized.
For a princess who is not related to you in any way, there is no need to consider whether to sacrifice or not.
"Princess Pingning has acted recklessly, made rude remarks, spread rumors, bullied noble ladies, and has lost her moral integrity. She is not fit to be a role model for the royal family. Her title will be revoked, her restaurant will be confiscated, and she will be demoted to the rank of county lord to serve as a warning to others!"
After receiving the imperial edict, Gu never imagined that this was just the beginning.