readytorunbook Chapter 167 Attending the Banquet
Chapter 167 Attending the Banquet
Su Yinyin stopped in front of Regent Zhou Yuan, glanced at him, and then walked up to Prince Yong'an and his wife.
She said, "Your Highness, it's too cold here, and the Princess Consort is pregnant. The ladies and young misses are also having a hard time. Why don't we wait in the banquet hall?"
Before the Prince of Yong'an could answer, the Princess gently tugged at his sleeve and said softly, "The Princess is absolutely right. It is indeed not advisable to stand here for long in this cold wind."
Upon seeing this, Prince Yong'an nodded. Just as everyone was about to move to the banquet hall, Regent Zhou Yuan spoke up leisurely: "I think the scenery here is excellent. Since we are all gathered here today, why don't we compose some poems and enjoy the scenery before going into the hall?"
Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. Su Yinyin was secretly annoyed, thinking that Zhou Yuan was clearly making things difficult for her on purpose. However, no one dared to refute him.
Yes, Zhou Yuan did it on purpose. Here, he could see Su Yinyin up close. If they went to the banquet hall, which was quite a distance away, it would feel incredibly far to him.
But she still wore a polite smile and was about to speak when the princess said softly, "Uncle, have you forgotten that most of the young ladies are good at needlework and embroidery? It would be difficult for them to write poetry. If you insist on doing so, I would like to offer my humble poem to avoid spoiling your mood."
Zhou Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Oh? Then please."
Princess Yong'an pondered for a moment and slowly recited a short poem appropriate to the occasion.
With everyone around praising him, Zhou Yuan couldn't say anything more and could only follow the crowd to the banquet hall.
Lady Hou and Su Yinhan were also taken to the banquet hall. They were thrown to a corner by the entrance of the banquet hall.
The ladies and young women present glanced at Su Yinhan from time to time. Among the young women present were many who had been frequently bullied by Su Yinhan in order to curry favor with her. For the sake of their families, they could only swallow their anger.
But now, they're overjoyed. They get to witness Su Yinhan's scandal firsthand and see her downfall.
Those nearby whispered about Su Yinhan. Then the whispers grew louder and louder. Everyone was revealing what they knew.
After the information was exchanged, everyone realized how cunning Su Yinhan was.
Su Yinhan heard everything everyone said clearly. Looking at her contorted face and furious eyes, it was clear she hadn't given up. She was probably waiting for someone to rescue her. Waiting for whom? She wondered if anyone would appear today.
Su Yinyin's leisurely approach to dealing with Su Yinhan was intended to make her experience despair, and incidentally, to eradicate those behind her.
Su Yinyin's gaze swept intentionally or unintentionally towards Su Yinhan in the corner by the door. Su Yinhan's angry eyes had just turned into eyes full of resentment.
At this moment, a maidservant brought out some exquisite pastries. Su Yinyin picked up a piece, took a small bite, and exclaimed, "The chefs in this Prince's mansion are indeed exceptionally skilled." All the young ladies echoed her sentiment.
Zhou Yuan's gaze remained fixed on Su Yinyin, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
Su Yinhan, observing this, hatched a plan. She suddenly stood up, pointed at Su Yinyin, and said loudly, "Princess, how can you enjoy this delicious food so easily? We've both fallen to this state, don't you feel any remorse?"
All eyes immediately turned to her. Su Yinyin put down the pastry in her hand and said calmly, "What do you mean by that, Su Yinhan? You should be punished for your mistakes, why are you blaming me? Don't act crazy, the way you act crazy scares us!" Su Yinhan was speechless for a moment.
Zhou Yuan spoke up at the right moment: "Don't spoil the enjoyment of the banquet. Someone, take them away."
Su Yinyin interrupted, "Wait, Regent, there's no rush. My dowry hasn't been calculated yet."
Su Yinyin stood up and said to everyone, "I know that Su Yinhan's appearance is extremely ugly right now, and it is an eyesore for everyone, but please bear with me for a moment. After I have dealt with this, I will immediately have someone throw this garbage out."
Hearing Su Yinyin call her "trash," Su Yinhan trembled with rage and shouted, "Su Yinyin, you're too smug! My fate today will be your fate tomorrow!"
Su Yinyin sneered, "Don't worry, you won't see my fate."
Just then, the maid who had gone to Su Yinhan's courtyard was walking into the main hall. She was followed by more than a dozen maids and servants. It was a grand and impressive procession.
The maids and servants entered and knelt before Prince Yong'an and his wife. Sobbing and wailing, they cried, "Your Highness, Your Highness, please save our lives!"
The Prince of Yong'an said angrily, "Enough! What kind of behavior is this, crying and wailing? Speak your mind."
Today, his royal residence has been utterly disgraced, even by the standards of another country. Thinking of the rumors and gossip that will circulate outside the residence tomorrow, he felt an urge to kill Su Yinhan.
"I ask you, has Su Yinhan's dowry been settled?"
The head maid, who had been ordered to go, said tremblingly, "Your Highness, Consort Su's storeroom is empty. I led people to check, and Consort Su only has five taels of silver at the moment."
At this moment, the maid felt like dying. Of course, the desire to kill Su Yinhan was even greater. In front of so many people, a concubine of the Prince's mansion only received five taels of silver. For the Prince, it was truly humiliating!
The maidservant thought for a moment and realized that the prince could accept even more shameful things, so compared to that, these things were nothing.
Prince Yong'an looked at his princess. The princess immediately understood. "Is everything you said truly true?"
“Your Highness, everything I said is true, and I brought all the things that served the concubine. They can testify to that.”
Suddenly, a maid kowtowed and said, "Your Highness, we can all testify. Consort Su is extravagant and has sold all the treasures that the Prince and Princess bestowed upon her. She has also sold all her dowry, and she beats us whenever she is slightly unhappy."
The maids and servants quickly rolled up their sleeves, revealing their arms. Each of their arms was covered in scars, new and old wounds overlapping.
Everyone present gasped. Although they might scold or beat their maids, they would never mistreat them like this.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, you must stand up for us! That concubine is a freak. Besides beating us, she also made us and other servants have sex in front of her."
Sometimes she would even bring in beggars from outside and force us to have sex with them. If we resisted, she would sell our families into prostitution.
The maidservant tearfully explained everything.
Upon hearing this, everyone gasped again. Those who were close to Su Yinhan were especially terrified.
If they displease Su Yinhan, she'll probably try to get them thrown into a brothel.
At this moment, the steward of the Prince's residence came to report that the Marquis's residence requested an audience with the Prince and Princess.
Upon hearing that the visitor was from the Marquis's residence, Prince Yong'an was so angry he could hardly breathe.
When they saw that the newcomers were several frail women, everyone frowned.
The women knelt on the ground, and the woman in the lead said, "Greetings, Regent, Prince Yong'an, and Princess Consort. We are the concubines of the Marquis of Yongyi's household."