Wei Zhengyin led her niece into the carriage. When they got into the street, she turned her head and asked, "What's the matter with your mother-in-law? Why she is sick all of a sudden? Man Ting came over yet could not tell the full story. I heard that she was angry with her nephew's wife? Mrs. Pei is only the daughter of the Pei Family. With the power of your mother-in-law, how can she be bullied by someone from the younger generation?"

"I happened to go out after noon yesterday. And by the time I came back, it was all over. I heard from Man Lou and the old maidservants in my mother-in-law's yard that Pei Meiniang, my fourth sister-in-law, made rude remarks, which made my mother-in-law and the eldest sister angry." Wei Changying told her roughly what she had heard from Manlou.

Wei Zhengyin could not help but be moved, "There is such an arrogant and unvirtuous woman in the distinguished family?" Then she said, "No wonder your mother-in-law is so angry. If I remember correctly, didn't your mother-in-law select Mrs. Pei for your brother-in-law herself?"

Wei Changying sighed and said, "Yes. Therefore, when I went to comfort her yesterday, I didn't know what to say."

"Just say a few words as if you feel sorry for her." Wei Zhengyin smiled and said, "This Mrs. Pei is a ready-made example to make a comparison with. Which daughter-in-law will not be considered being tens of millions of times better than Mrs. Pei by your mother-in-law now? People are all compared to each other to make a difference."

"Aunt, you understand it much better than me. I didn't think of this last night. I didn't dare to go in until I asked for instructions from Granny Huang." Wei Changying was worried about the current matter of apology, so she hurriedly responded and asked, "Aunt, so what we should do with today's entering into the palace?"

Wei Zhengyin said, "Don't worry, isn't it just a dowry who collided with the ceremonial match of the Crown Prince?" The Crown Prince has already punished him in the street, and it is impossible to cling to such a trifle for families like us. It's just a formality to go to Weiyang Palace today."

"This thing..." Wei Changying meditated for a moment and saw that the maidservants in the car were all confidants of them. Even if she could not tell her lineal aunt about the rebellion, she could still talk about the matter of Spring Grass Lake. She then talked about the event of the lotus-picking girls. "I'm afraid there is a hatred in the heart of the Crown Prince so that he did this intentionally!"

"Is there such a thing?" When Wei Zhengyin heard this, she was surprised and changed her facial expression. She wanted to say something, but after looking at the people in the car, she only said, "I haven't seen your mother-in-law for a long time. I didn't expect her to be sick for being irritated by a younger generation. I'll go and see her with you after leaving the palace."

Wei Changying knew that Wei Zhengyin would not simply visit her husband's elder sister. She bit her lip and said, "Yes."

She then asked, "Then when we meet the Empress, what should we do?"

"Just pleading guilty as usual." Wei Zhengyin said absent-mindedly, "The Empress has always been magnanimous to families like us, and I think she will be more magnanimous today."

Wei Changying understood, "Yes."

When they arrived at the Changle Palace, as expected, Empress Gu asked them to stand up without waiting for Wei Zhengyin to finish telling her the story for Wei Changying, and said, "I just heard about this yesterday. It was all because the people around the Crown prince were too domineering. When they heard that the person who collided with the ceremonial match obviously did not have the accent from the capital, they should know that he might be the new coming in the capital and met the matching of the Crown Prince for the first time. Thus, he might stand in the wrong place under tension. A small punishment would be enough to make him understand what to do next time. How did they start beating and even kill him? How could they qualify to be the ones that accompany the Crown Prince? Fortunately, when the Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace and knew about this, he drove them all away. I said it was the right thing to do so that these servants would not damage the reputation of the future Emperor."

This time, Empress Gu's voice was not as pleasant as it used to be. She sounded tired and didn't seem to be in good health.

The two did not know that the Empress was so angry that she almost became seriously ill, but they also guessed that Empress Gu's haggardness was caused by sadness after the Crown Prince had beaten Jiang Zheng. Wei Changying subconsciously said, "Your Imperial Highness, thank you for your caring. It's fortunate that Uncle Jiang didn't die."

"He's not dead?" The Empress was stunned and paused before saying, "Then treat him well. He's also pitiful. You haven't been married to the capital for a long time yet, and he must also not understand the situation here. And he met the group of unruly people around the Crown Prince, which beat him so hard for trifles. Isn't they trying to intentionally harm the reputation of the Crown Prince?"

Wei Zhengyin said, "The Crown Prince has always been generous, benevolent, and filial piety. It is also true that Jiang Zheng collided with the Crown Prince. Jiang Zheng made a mistake first in this matter, and the people around the Crown Prince should punish him no matter what. Seeing that Your Imperial Highness and His Royal Highness are so generous, we are very ashamed."

Wei Changying went along with it and said that she did not discipline her servants well.

"It's not a big deal in the first place." After being angered by the Crown Prince that day, Empress Gu had a high fever that night. After all, she was at the age of being an imperial grandmother. Although there was a confidant imperial doctor in the palace who treated her in time, she still laid down for another day yesterday. And that's why she delayed Madam Su's request for an audience. And even now, she still had to manage with an effort to receive the audience and apology from the people from the Wei Family. Her voice was weak, "After all, the Crown Prince is too lenient so that he indulges everyone around him and makes them want to make their own decisions! This event also reminds the Crown Prince and me that some people really couldn't be indulged because they will be completely out of control! The Crown Prince came to me yesterday and told me that he wanted to sort out all the people in the Eastern Palace. So as not to have people like the ones in this event who, under the name of the Eastern Palace, are doing things that discredit the Crown Prince!"

The Empress spoke in a bit of a hurry. And after two imperceptible breaths, she continued, "I put a few more utensils containing ice in my dormitory two days ago, which makes me not very refreshing these two days. Or I'll have to ask about it myself. I don't blame you for this. With so many dowries, how can you look after every one of them? What's more, after you two got married and became wives, you both stay in the rear courtyard. If the servants don't pay attention in the street, and you can't do anything about it in the rear courtyard. After all, this time it is the servants who are not careful enough."

Wei Changying understood that Empress Gu wanted to put all the blame on the people around the Crown Prince, just like the matter of the lotus-picking girls in Spring Grass Lake. She wanted to imply that the Crown prince did not hold a grudge against the gentlefolks and also euphemistically promised to dispose of all those who instigated the Crown Prince.

Looking from this perspective, Empress Gu was very afraid of the gentlefolks. According to the experience of this Empress, since she entered the palace and her present position, it was clear that the six gentlefolks were indeed very powerful in this country at this time that even Empress could not afford to offend them. Otherwise, Empress was definitely not a cowardly person. Yet, she was now trying hard to keep a good relationship with the Shen Family.

It's just that Wei Changying thought that her husband was now suspicious, and even her father-in-law was alarmed. She was afraid he wouldn't dispel his worries about the matter after Shen Xun succeeded to the throne because of Empress Gu's statement. She was slightly stunned, and Wei Zhengyin has already replied on her behalf, "Your Imperial Highness, you are not well, but we still come to disturb you. We are indeed guilty." And she then asked about the health of the Empress.

Of course, Empress Gu was not in the mood to talk about her health. Without talking too much about other things, she turned the topic back to the matter of Jiang Zheng. She implied again and again that the Crown Prince attached great importance to gentlefolks, and didn’t dislike the gentlefolks, let alone hate them.

It's just that Wei Zhengyin was respectful. She sympathized with the Empress's health, praised the prince's benevolence and filial piety, and said that her niece was young and ignorant... It's all empty talk.

The Empress was very disappointed, but she also knew that Wei Zhengyin could not be the master even if she believed her. After all, Wei Zhengyin was not the head of the Shen Family. When she thought of this, she remembered that it was the dowry of Wei Changying that got into this matter. Then how could it be Wei Zhengyin accompanying Wei Changying instead of Wei Changying's mother-in-law?

Shen then said, "Don't keep asking about my health. I'm fine. But Madam Su, why is she ill these two days? Did she also put too much ice in the room?"

The matter of Pei Meiniang would become a family scandal in front of the Empress, so Wei Changying did not want to give a direct answer. She vaguely said, "Mother is not feeling well these days, so she asked my aunt to accompany me into the palace to plead guilty."

Empress Gu immediately knew that there were some other stories and asked, "In what way that she is not feeling well? Does she need the imperial doctor to have a look? I'll send someone to the Imperial Hospital to tell them about this."

"Thank you, Your Imperial Highness." Wei Changying hurriedly thanked her on behalf of her mother-in-law and said, "But there is no need..." When she was racking her brains to figure out how to answer, suddenly, there was a noise coming from the outside of the hall.

A crisp but sharp cry went from far to near, "You vicious thing! Don't you dare argue! You think you instigated my father in the Xuanming Palace, and I will not know about it? Today we have to go to Mother and make it clear!"

Wei Changying recognized that this was Princess Anji, and she knew who she was scolding without asking. At this time, the sound of sobs also came into the hall. It seemed that Princess Linchuan said something vaguely, and the people in the hall heard a crisp snap. It seemed that the fierce Princess Anji slapped the sister in the face, and then continued to yell, "Have you not? You dare to do something yet you dare not admit? Come in with me. Come on! If you dillydally like this, I'll rip your mouth off!"

Wei Zhengyin, who had been calm before, showed a trace of distress, and the Empress on the vermilion steps twisted the corner of her mouth. She forced herself to uplift her spirit and asked the people around, "It's so noisy outside. Go and have a look. Why are Ying'er and Zhu'er fighting again?"

Before the palace people who were ordered by the Empress went out of the hall, the figures at the entrance of the hall flashed and they walked quickly behind the screen. Princess Anji, dressed in a semi-old colorful dress, came in with an angry face and a hand holding on to the shoulder of Princess Linchuan. Princess Linchuan was staggered across the screen by her, and they walked into the hall!

After entering the palace, the poor Princess Linchuan tightly covered one side of her face because she had just been beaten by Princess Anji. She was dragged by her sister for a few steps and almost directly fell.

When they reached the position of the salute, Princess Anji let go of her with a gloomy face. Without waiting for Empress Gu to scold and ask her the reason that she beat her sister, she first saluted and said, "Mother, Sister talked bad words in front of Father that she wanted to marry me to a faraway place. Father and Mother, as well as my brothers, are still here. How can she be the one in charge of my marriage? Sister clearly hates me and doesn't want me to stay close to her! If so, she can directly explain it to me. And how dare I hinder her eyes? But Sister went to father to instigate and wanted to borrow the father's hand to drive me away! How despicable! I think this is unfair! I hope Mother can uphold the justice for me!"

When they came close to Empress Gu, Princess Linchuan finally choked up and said clearly, "I didn't!" After shouting first, she realized that there were imperial madams here and hurriedly changed the formal wording, "I never wanted to instigate in front of Father! It's just when I was preparing Father's pen and ink, I heard father praised Mr. Ju, the state governor, for being young and promising, coming from a distinguished family and not yet married. I remembered that Anji had not yet chosen her husband, so I joked and said 'How about Anji'. I was only joking!"

"Bah!" Princess Anji was furious when she heard this. Had it not been for the fact that the Empress on vermilion steps had hurriedly sat up and stared down, she almost went up on the spot to continue to beat Princess Linchuan, "When my father praised Mr. Ju once, you asked him how about me. If Father praises a dead man next time, do you want me to marry him as well? All in all, you are just not happy when I am in this palace! Isn't it?"

Wei Changying saw that Princess Linchuan was almost asked to speechless by Princess Anji, and she was trembling yet dared not say the word "yes". Looking at her pitiful look, Wei Changying sighed deeply in her heart.

Empress Gu sighed deeply, and said slowly, "You are so noisy. Do you want me to uphold the justice, or do you want to add on the people from the Wei Family so that you intentionally come and quarrel in front of me?"

Princess Linchuan wiped her tears and was about to speak, but Princess Anji, who did not cry, bowed faster than her and exclaimed, "I dare not!"

Then she cut off the opportunity for Linchuan to open her mouth and asked, "Please, Mother! Uphold justice for me! My parents and my brothers are still alive. How can you allow a sister, who is neither my real sister nor lineal princess, to be in charge of this important event for me?"

She then sneered again, "Sister, do you want to be the master of your own house so bad that you are confused? Even if I am the kind of person you can bully, Mother is not the one who will let you break the rules!"

Princess Anji blocked Princess Linchuan so much that she didn't know what to say but could only cry and say she didn't instigate. Empress Gu was already worried a lot about the Crown Prince. How could she get the mood to tell right and wrong for the two princesses who were not born by her? She kept a cold face and stopped calling the Princesses by their maiden name, "Anji, you said that your sister instigated your father. Do you have any proof?"

"Sister first encouraged Father to read the chapter, and when she listened Father praised someone, as long as he was far away and did not marry, she wanted to marry me over without asking the man's character. Mother, if you don't believe this, you can ask people to go to Xuanming Palace to find out!" Princess Angie cunningly avoided telling her own way of getting this news.

Empress Gu had no interest in asking the origin of the news. She then looked at Princess Linchuan, "Linchuan, did you do all of these?"

"Mother, Sister is talking nonsense!" Linchuan eagerly said, "How can I have the ability to make Father read the chapter? It was just when I was preparing ink for Father that I heard Father praised Mr. Ju, so I only made a joke!"

"If you think Mr. Ju is so good, why don't you marry him yourself!" Anji immediately said, "Haven't you chosen your husband yet? You are the elder sister! If you like Mr. Ju so much..."

"Anji!" Empress Gu had to stop the sharp-tongued and shrewish princess. She had finally made her nephew be Princess Linchuan's husband secretly, so she didn't want it to be ruined by Princess Anji! Besides, the people from the Wei Family were still here!

The Empress decisively decided to let go of Wei Zhengyin and Wei Changying, "You have been here for a while, and Madam Su is ill. I think you are also worried about her, so I will let you go."

Wei Zhengyin and Wei Changying had no interest in sitting here and watching the two princesses' fight. When they heard this, they breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the Empress before they left.