After the argument between Wei Changying and Mrs. Huo broke down, they went back to Qianqiu Pavilion with an angry expression. Wei Changying walked toward Su Yuli while Mrs. Huo toward her cousin, Fourteen Miss of the Huo Family.

Su Yuli knew the conflicts between Zhiben Hall and Ruiyu Hall from her mother, Wei Zhengyin, earlier. Now, according to the furious faces of Wei Changying and Mrs. Huo, she guessed the unpleasant conversation between them. As they went out, they were polite to each other. Therefore, she secretly asked Wei Changying, “What’s up?”

“Nothing serious,” mumbled Wei Changying, winking at her cousin. “Grandmother hates Song Mianhe. Last year, when Song Mianhe came to visit grandmother with the women of Zhiben Hall, she made her sister lose face, and I was also present. Today, when I saw Wei Lingzi, she provoked me in private, but did not defeat me. So, Mrs. Huo argued with me for her.”

Old Madam Song was lineal grandmother of Su Yuli. As a child, Su Yuli once saw her, but now she couldn’t clearly remember that. Because they were families, Su Yuli naturally supported Old Madam Song and disliked Mrs. Huo, “How ridiculous they are. Mrs. Huo provoked you after her sister-in-law failed to do so. Do they think that what they have said is all right? They have insulted someone, but not allow him or her to fight back?” She added, “I will ask her on your behalf.”

“No, it is not necessary to do so,” said Wei Changying, pulling to stop her. “It doesn’t matter, I will not be bullied.”

When Su Yuli was about to answer her, Shen Cangning who originally chatted with Su Yufei and Su Yuyin nearby came here to seriously ask, “You and Sister-in-law Huo looked angry, and did she insult you?”

Pointing her forehead with a finger, Wei Changying said with a smile, “No, she didn’t. It is merely because of our disagreeable talk.”

“Aunt Zhang had a happy talk with mother, but if Sister-in-law Huo was impolite to you, you could fight back her,” said Shen Cangning, waving her fist. “Father has told me that our family could not be bullied by people outside. Third sister-in-law, if you were not convenient, I could help you argue with them. What’s more, I’m not only young but also familiar with the princesses, so Sister-in-law Huo would be no match for me.”

Wei Changying was embarrassed to say, “What a nice sister! You are so kind to me. However, today is Princess Linchuan’s birthday, so we had better not spoil the pleasure. Doesn’t she start writing?”

“Min Yinuo asked servants to fetch her drawing,” said Shen Cangning, sticking out her tongue. “If you were not bullied, I would not look for troubles on her. Otherwise, I would argue for you. You might not know that father and third brother dislike that we don’t help our families who have been insulted by others in time. Don’t worry, mother would agree with me if she were here.”

Nodding her head, Su Yuli said, “First aunt always supports our families. So, you should tell it to her, and she will espouse you.”

Wei Changying originally planned to refuse to acknowledge it and made people from Zhiben Hall unhappy. Now, cousin and sister-in-law were friendly to her, so she was moved, and quietly said, “It is nothing serious. You should know that these two weak girls, from Wei Lingzi to Mrs. Huo, cannot insult me, right?”

Shen Cangning remembered that her sister-in-law who was good at material art once had killed the leader of the Rong Tribes and was even braver than many men. So she was satisfied to say, “It is OK. Father told me that if we insulted others, he would be responsible for it, even if he would be criticized or would hand in a report of apology. If we were offended by others, and even those who bullied us apologized to us, he would still be unhappy. Therefore, you could fight back someone at any time, lest you would feel wronged.”

So, as Fourth Miss of the Shen Family, she became a scapegoat of Mrs. Deng last time, but she indirectly sent the parrot of Su Yuwu to the kitchen for cooking. Besides, she even threatened Su Yuwu then. Did she insist on the faith of her father that she would never be insulted by others?

Wei Changying was a little embarrassed to secretly wipe out her sweat, and said with a smile, “Don’t worry, I will not hide my suffering.”

After Shen Cangning skipped away, Su Yuli asked, “Shall we come closer to have a look? We are here, and why not look more fervently?”

The reason why they came here was to show their enthusiasm to Princess Linchuan, so Wei Changying nodded to say, “Right.”

When two cousins came to wait for Min Yinuo’s picture and Princess Linchuan’s characters, Mrs. Huo and her cousin also talked with each other. She was poised in front of her fourteenth sister, as if she hadn’t argued with Wei Changying before, “Fourteenth sister, I’m sorry to disturb you just now.”

“It doesn’t matter. I didn’t greet her just now, and is she third young madam of the Shen Family?” whispered Fourteen Miss of the Huo Family, lightly waving the fan for Mrs. Huo. “Do you not get along well with her?”

Mrs. Huo sighed, but said, “It is because of Wei Lingzi, my sister-in-law who always makes troubles for me.”

When talking with her cousin of the Huo Family, Mrs. Huo was totally different from the appearance that she showed as she argued with Wei Changying for Wei Lingzi. Now she complained with a deep frown, “Last year, in Fengzhou, when our grandmother had a quarrel with the counterpart of Ruiyu Hall, Wei Lingzi spoke for her grandmother, but she was orally repulsed by Wei Changying, which made her nearly cry. It was not alone. As a young generation, why did she meddle in the conflicts between the two elders? Moreover, Fengzhou is a headquarter of Wei Family, so our grandmother didn’t want to visit her sister in Ruiyu Hall. However, she had to do so. I didn’t know why Wei Lingzi piped out at that time. Although she spoke for her grandmother, she ended up losing face. Unexpectedly, it was I who was scolded by grandmother. She said that I was so numb that I did not speak for her.”

Fourteen Miss comforted her, “Don’t be angry about that. It has happened. Today, what did Wei Lingzi do?”

“Who knows that what she has talked to Wei Changying in pubic?” said Mrs. Huo in disgust. “When Wei Changying pulled her, I knew that something bad would happen. And she didn’t dare to speak out the truth before Wei Changying. However, outside Weiyang Palace, as Wei Changying and Madam Su came into the palace to greet His Majesty, Wei Lingzi pulled me and told me what she had experienced. However, today, as my mother-in-law didn’t come to the palace, Wei Lingzi didn’t tell it to second aunt, but found me. Her behavior forced me to argue for her, right?”

She sighed again and said, “Although I have argued with Wei Changying, after returning home, how would Wei Lingzi complain about me before her mother? She is so disgusting.”

Fourteen Miss persuaded, “Don’t worry, eighth sister. Your sister-in-law is old enough to get married. At that time, she would not go back her mother’s home to seek help from you.”

“I didn’t stand up for her, not because I feared matter,” Mrs. Huo grumbled. “She is overly narrow-minded. If I don’t help her, she will tell her parents and brothers that I don’t care about her. If I am to do so, she will think that I’m better than her and she will lose face. To be honest, she is raised by her grandmother who is a common person.”

She lowered her voice, “Last year, in Fengzhou, after Wei Changying’s mother shouted that our grandmother, whose mother is a prostitute, is a common person, grandmother often suspects that people around her don’t respect her sincerely, so she doesn’t like them. Having been brought up and deeply affected by her, Wei Lingzi also becomes suspicious. My mother-in-law fully believes her daughter while my husband is sensible, fortunately. Otherwise, I would have a worse life there. Last year, Wei Lingzi spoke for her grandmother, but my mother-in-law blamed me for not doing so. I retorted with a few words, but she became angry and then changed into the topic on children. My husband, under thirty years old, now has two lineal children and two common ones, and does my mother-in-law want more grandchildren? What’s more, she then did not speak for grandmother, either. She scolded at me after that out of her fear that grandmother would denounce her. Finally, she only bullied me to show her attitude.”

Fourteen Miss knew that her cousin didn’t get along with her mother-in-law. Their poor relation was largely caused by Wei Lingzi who often accused her sister-in-law. However, as a wife of the Wei Family, she didn’t dare to condemn Wei Lingzi for her unkindness. Therefore, she increasingly disliked this sister-in-law.

Now as Wei Lingzi was insulted by others, Mrs. Huo didn’t feel sympathy for her, but thought that she would bring troubles to her.

Mrs. Huo was still irritated after so much complaint, so she started recalling how Wei Lingzi had annoyed her in the past. After seeing this, Fourteen Miss hurried to interrupt her, “Now, what should we do?”

Mrs. Huo said, “What else could I do? She didn’t immediately speak out at that time. However, she didn’t tell it to me until Wei Changying greeted the Empress and Honored Consorts in Changle Palace with Madam Su. Should I pull Wei Changying out of the palace? Today is Princess Linchuan’s birthday, should I beg for the Empress to seek fairness without any rules? Even if I destroyed this birthday party at all costs, I would not do so for Wei Lingzi, an official’s daughter with a bruised wrist.”

She took a breath and said, “Now, Wei Changying didn’t acknowledge what she has done because she has her own excuse. People all saw Wei Lingzi first greet Wei Changying, and then Wei Changying told her sister-in-law that it was because Wei Lingzi wanted to be close to her. My sister-in-law was so naive that she took it seriously. People at present almost heard it. Now, she suffered from it, but Wei Changying said that we did it on purpose, so she will seek fairness from her mother-in-law. Madam Su and Grand Preceptor who always support their families don’t allow them to be bullied. Madam Su gets along with the second aunt who brought us to the palace, but how could she disobey her husband’s willingness only for the sake of an ordinary friend?”

After thinking for a while, Fourteen Miss said, “As a sister-in-law, you have done everything you should do.”

“I think so. Although I dislike Wei Lingzi, I still try my best to give her a hand whenever she seeks help from me. Now, we don’t have any clues, so who would believe Wei Changying, a lineal daughter-in-law of Grand Preceptor and a lineal daughter of Wei Family in Fengzhou insulted Lingzi?” said Mrs. Huo hatefully, letting out a sigh. “However, my mother-in-law would not think so. It is a pity that the Huo Family is not better than Zhiben Hall in status. Otherwise, I would plead with my mother’s family to have my husband change a position far from this Capital City. If so, I would be totally free.”

“What about pretending that you also are bullied later?” Fourteen Miss originally didn’t want to meddle in it, but her cousin had complained about Wei Lingzi for so long, so she had to offer some advice, “Now you cannot spoil the pleasure of Princess Linchuan. Later, you had better weep out your grief to Wei Lingzi, she would....”

Shaking her head, Mrs. Huo said with a bitter smile, “Fourteenth sister, you don’t know how difficult it is to deal with her. In the past, I used this trick, but she laughed at me and told families that I was too weak to protect her. However, as she dealt with the matter on her own, she lost her face. She is so….”

Fourteen Miss was shocked to say, “How petulant she is!”

“It is none of my business,” snorted Mrs. Huo. After pouring out all her complaint to her cousin, she felt relieved although there were not any good ideas. “Wei Lingzi is pickier but less sophisticated than her grandmother. Now, she could be protected by her families at home. As a sister-in-law, I cannot quarrel with her. However, after her marriage, what would her mother-in-law be like? And will her mother-in-law spoil her like her mother?”

After seeing her sister’s angry face, Fourteen Miss persuaded, “If you thought so, you should realize that she would not trouble you if she married soon.”

When Mrs. Huo was about to nod, a clear and sweet voice sounded not far from them, “Sister-in-law Huo and Sister Qingling, why are you talking in this place? I knew that you are there after asking Sister Wei.”

Two cousins looked up to watch Liu Ruoye, a lineal daughter of fifth branch of the Liu Family in Eastern Hu, come up to them with a big smile. She wore a white upper shirt with a crossed collar, and a yellow dress. On top of her head was a double-bun tied with a colorful ribbon.