Liu Ruoye unexpectedly mentioned this by herself. Wei Changying thought that she would be willing to see what Liu Ruoye, as a miss of an eminent family who was loved by parents and had brilliant prospects, would say to the former— the wife of the latter's coveted person now. With her identity, Liu Ruoye was not self-possessed but deliberately learnt from the riffraff, fixing her eyes on someone else's husband. Therefore, Wei Changying pretended to be surprised and said, "Was there such a rumor?" But she didn't take it for granted, "Even if you had met him, so what? In fact, our families are relatives. It is common for relatives to see each other."

"I was about to explain this to you next time, Sister Wei. After all, we only met each other for the first time today. If I said too much, you might think that I was a noisy and talkative person so that you wouldn't believe me." Hearing Wei Changying's words, Liu Ruoye sneered slightly, and her face showed that it met her expectations, "But now it seemed that although Sister Wei had just arrived in the capital, some observant people already told you the news."

Of course, Wei Changying did not admit it, "You think too much, Eleventh Miss."

Liu Ruoye ignored Wei Changying's argument. Then, she lowered her voice, and said coldly, "Actually, I am a lineal miss from the Liu Family of Eastern Hu. Maybe you had heard it from my tenth elder sister. In short, I am also a pet in my family. My father and mother regard me as the apple of their eye. Sister Wei, you see, even if I was confused, could my parents allow others to spread the gossip that I fancied a man who already had a fiancée?"

What Liu Ruoye said was quite reasonable. If she hadn't deliberately said something impassioned before to dig the pit, Wei Changying would really have wanted to nod, and discuss with her who had provoked dissension, harming one person and another, which even made the two enemies against each other! At the moment, on account that Wei Changying was guarding against Liu Ruoye, the former perfunctorily said, "Eleventh Miss, you really think too much. I have never heard of such a ridiculous thing…."

"Sister Wei had also suffered a lot owing to the things happened last year." Liu Ruoye suddenly stood still and looked at Wei Changying, whispering, "People believed that I coveted your husband, so I had persuaded my parents to help me and fan the fire, adding insult to your injury. Actually, I am a girl. Although my family doted on me, how could the clan listen to me in such a big event to oppose the two families which were also members of the six gentlefolks within the country? It was said that I abetted them. My father and mother were not unwise people, moreover, there were elders in the clan, how could they fall under a young girl's influence? If I could instigate the Liu Family of Eastern Hu, was it possible that they could still stand among the six gentlefolks in the country?"

At this point, Wei Changying couldn't help but express herself with a severe countenance, "This was indeed ridiculous! Although my husband had a little reputation in the capital, in my opinion, with the talent and beauty of Eleventh Miss, what kind of people didn't you deserve? How could you covet my husband who was already engaged?"

Liu Ruoye laughed grimly and said, "Sister Wei, you didn't know. After the rumor that I coveted your husband came out, my mother had several quarrels with some of my aunts in the clan, and almost began to fight directly in the closed courtyard. It was just that this kind of thing could only be clear in my heart. I couldn't go outside to clarify it to the accompaniment of gongs and drums— Therefore, the most wronged thing of being a girl was that you had no place to argue when you were slandered! Those long-tongued women, with mouth opening and closing, poured out everything, no matter whether it was good or bad. They were very happy as they did so, and they didn't care about what the consequences would be for our girls. They were not virtuous at all! I locked myself in the house for days at that time and didn't dare to go out! Later, my father hurried over and scolded me, saying that I was so timid that I didn't deserve to be his daughter. Consequently, I came out again!"

As she said this, Liu Ruoye's eyes went red, almost shedding a tear.

Wei Changying was finally moved— Was the experience Liu Ruoye had said not the same as Wei Changying's experience in Fengzhou? It was just that Madam Song had no evidence to find someone to quarrel with, so she could only secretly keep it in mind. No one dared to tell this news to Madam Song’s ailing husband....

After a long silence, she whispered in a low voice, "Yeah, a woman, in the aspect of reputation and integrity...always stands to lose!"

"My younger brother of the same mother, who ranks twenty-third in the clan, is young but talented." Liu Ruoye laughed at herself and said, "Originally, sixteenth elder brother was placed with the greatest expectations in the family. He was a good person and I believed he wouldn't commit such degrading acts. It was just that sixteenth elder brother had been cultivated for many years. Many people had already regarded him as a good bet and they naturally didn't want anything to happen. In fact, I was just implicated...The bigger the family, the more people. Naturally, the good and the bad are intermingled. Sister Wei, you also come from the Wei Family. You must know more about it than me as you are older."

"There are always some people who don't dare to compete openly and honestly. They just like to play devilish tricks on others!" Wei Changying showed her disgust between her eyebrows.

Liu Ruoye identified with that, "It is said that Sister Wei's younger brother is the most talented person of his generation of the Wei Family. Moreover, fifth young master is the lineal son of the eldest branch, so it is perfectly justifiable for him to obtain the title. He is unlike my younger brother, who is merely a son of the fifth branch."

Although Wei Changfeng could be described as right and proper, Wei Zhenghong was susceptible to diseases and he couldn't attend to his business. Wei Changying's second uncle Wei Shengyi born by a concubine was so capable and he had plenty of children— Though twenty-third young master of the Liu Family was young, he was supported by his parents. His opponent Liu Xixun had been cultivated by his family for many years, but Liu Xixun and twenty-third young masters were of the same generation. If Wei Changfeng was compared with twenty-third young master of the Liu Family, Wei Changying really didn't know who was more relaxed.

Perhaps it could only be said that each of them had his own difficulties.

In this way, Wei Changying and Liu Ruoye compared their experiences and sympathized with each other. The gap before imperceptibly melted to nothing in their communication back and forth. And the two poured out their heart devotedly….

Later, as Liu Ruoye was about to leave, she said with a serious countenance, "Originally, I shouldn't have said so much as I just met you for the first time, my Sister Wei. It was just that I thought I couldn't give in. There was no hatred or enmity between us and we were both harmed by the same group of people. Now if we fought with each other, those murderers behind-the-scenes would laugh at us! How could they do that?"

Wei Changying also disgustedly said, "What you said could not be more correct, Sister Ruoye! We girls observed the boudoir rules to live and dwelt in deep seclusion before getting married. Who had been hindered by us? The battle in the front yard dragged us out and slandered us willfully— They had gone too far in insult! Really too far!"

Therefore, the two sharing bitter hatred against the enemy were like lineal sisters. They made an appointment to reunite next time and waved goodbye....

Seeing that Liu Ruoye's carriage disappeared, Wei Changying's face clouded, "What a glib tongue Eleventh Miss had! It was really eloquent! As I heard her words, if I were two years younger, I would knead the clay into incense with the fingers and make her my sworn sister of different surnames without hesitation!"

Mrs. Huang looked around, and saw that the guards stood not far away. So she whispered to Wei Changying, "Here is the draught. Let's go back into the courtyard to talk."

At about the same time, Liu Ruoye asked someone to put down the curtain, "Turn around at the corner of the street, then we won't be seen over there anymore. And I don't have to reach out and make a show of being reluctant to part."

The chief maid Baihua smiled and said, "I thought that the woman whom third young master of the Shen Family insisted on marrying to was unmatched in the world. It turned out that she was not more beautiful than our miss."

"What do you know?" Liu Ruoye was contemptuous of these flattery words and said, "How could Shen Yaoye be those who would easily be attracted by the beauties? If he was such a person, I wouldn't let my mother inquire about the news that whether his engagement with the Wei Family could be broken up. How could a man addicted to sensual pleasure have good prospects? Was it worth my pains? The one in the Eastern Palace only cared about woman's beauty. You see, the former soon-to-be Crown Princess, First Miss of the Song Family, would rather be disfigured and inauspicious than be willing to marry him— In our family, except for tenth elder sister, which lineal daughter in the near branches would be reconciled to be the Crown Princess?"

She continued in a disgusted way, "I deliberately took you to see Wei Changying. Did you only pay attention to whether she was beautiful? Let me tell you. In those years, Mrs. Li was just from a family of musicians and actors, and she still understood the principle that ‘If a woman serves the man by virtue of her beauty, the man's love will reduce as she ages.’ Did you really think that as long as you were born beautiful, you would be able to do everything you wanted? Hadn't you heard of the idea that a beautiful girl had often an unfortunate life?!"

Liu Ruoye stretched her fingers and scratched on the delicate cheeks of Baihua, causing a bright red mark. She coldly said, "As for woman's beauty, you are also not bad. If you are compared with my tenth elder sister, each of you has your own merits. Though she is not liked by mother, she can still be the Crown Princess. However, if you enter the Eastern Palace, will you play tricks on even a child? Let me tell you this. People who focus on appearances are not destined to achieve great things! If you still want to follow me in the future, you should be smart! Don't let me hear that you, just like ordinary maidservants, are always talking about trivial matters, for example, which miss is more beautiful or which maidservant has a big mouth all day and night! You should use your brain!"

Baihua only felt the burning pain on her face, but she didn't dare to dodge or touch it. She begged forgiveness timidly, "I admit my mistake!"

Another chief maid Bai'ling saw that Baihua's flattery was wrong and thought for a moment before she dared to speak, "I think that young madam Wei is not like that smart. Today, my miss, after you played some tricks, didn't she just turn her coat for your words? It was ridiculous that Seventh Miss and Tenth Miss thought that they could be able to fight with you when they won young madam Wei over?"

"In which way did you see her turn her coat?" Liu Ruoye responded by asking.

Bai'ling also confessed immediately, "I am stupid. I just saw that young madam Wei later…."

"Later?" Liu Ruoye was exasperated at Bai'ling's words and reached out her hands, giving Bai'ling's face a pinch. It was extremely painful and Bai'ling bore it while gritting her teeth. Then, she heard Liu Ruoye said coldly, "I asked sixteenth elder brother before. Wei Changying's martial arts were not weak. She could shoot hairpins to kill snakes, and behead the assassin's chief in public. Moreover, she even escorted her younger brother to retreat with the guards together— I originally thought that those criticizing and discussions she had encountered before would leave shadows in her heart. At the time, I repeatedly complimented her force and courage, as well as instigated her in terms of defending the homeland and the country. I believed that she could be affected more or less. But you had also seen that although Wei Changying's force was strong, she was not that kind of woman of prowess who only knew fighting and killing, ignoring the intelligent stratagem."

After taking the tea from Baihua and sipping it, Liu Ruoye closed her eyes and leaned on the back of the carriage. Then she continued, "Wei Changying was indifferent to my words, including the ancestral principles, the rivers and mountains of the Great Vi and so on. This alone showed that she was not a person without shrewdness. No matter whether it was her nature or she was taught by her elders, how could you feel that I would draw her over to my side as she was so calm before and today was her first time to meet me? Moreover, she was a little older than me. Maybe she was planning to draw me to her side!"

Baihua asked cautiously, "Then... should we do the same thing to young madam Wei as we did to Tenth Miss before? Next time when we have the chance to meet young madam Wei, shall we take the medicine?"

"Stupid!" Liu Ruoye opened her eyes, sneered and glanced at the two chief maids who deemed themselves as being thoughtful. Then she reproached them in a low voice, "If Wei Changying hadn't entered the door of the Shen Family yet, as I had chosen Shen Yaoye, of course I would have got rid of her by all means! But now she has been married to him, even if she gets a divorce, I will just be a second wife and I will always be lower than her— Why should I do so?"

Baihua had been reproached twice for her flattery. She couldn't help but bow her head embarrassedly in the corner of the carriage and didn't dare to make a noise. Bai'ling asked with reverence and awe, "Then... my miss, how should we treat young madam Wei in the future?"

"After all, it's impossible for me to be the second wife," Liu Ruoye snorted coldly and said, "Under the circumstances, there's no need to deal with Wei Changying. Today I had removed her hostility and doubts. We can treat her politely at first. She may be useful for us in the future!"

Then she scolded the two maids again, "You should use your brain before acting! Though it is unethical to benefit oneself at other people's cost, there's always an advantage! But it can only be done when the advantage is better than being unethical; harming others without benefiting oneself— This is definitely an absurdity! Even the merchants all know that they can't do business at a loss, let alone us?!"

Baihua and Bai'ling respectfully accepted her words, "As my miss commands!"