Chapter 298: Cousins Brawling
Chapter 298: Cousins Brawling
At this moment, Madam Xu and Madam Xie stood there, looking slightly flustered.
To be more accurate, it was Madam Xie who seemed at a loss.
Madam Xu stood with her hands on her waist, a proud and arrogant look on her face, appearing rather haughty.
Witnessing this scene, Lu Xinglan's face turned cold.
Madam Xu was actually proud after causing such a ruckus in someone else's home?
Lu Xinglan took two steps forward and instructed two sturdy maids, "Quickly pull them apart. Is it so glorious to create such a scene?"
The maids obediently stepped forward and separated the two girls as if they were picking up little chicks.
Xu Yueleng, the eldest Miss Xu, was clearly not willing to back down. She continued to flail her limbs wildly, shouting, "Let me go, let me go! She's the older one, why should she bully me? Why?"
Previously pinned down and struck by Xu Yueleng, Xie Yujiao was now also furious, her face pale. She pointed at Xu Yueleng, her teeth chattering, but for a long while, she couldn't get any words out.
Madam Xie watched this unfold, her lips pressed together. She quickly walked to her daughter's side, intending to comfort her, but Xie Yujiao pushed her away, exclaiming, "Get away! This is all your fault!"
After shouting, Xie Yujiao struggled free from the maid's grasp and turned to run.
Concerned for her daughter, Madam Xie wanted to chase after her, but Madam Xu grabbed her arm, "You can't leave! After bullying our Ling Jie'er like this, do you think you can just walk away? If you don't give me an explanation, I'll go create a scene at your mansion!"
Madam Xie was left in a difficult position, unsure whether to stay or leave. She stood there, her face filled with worry, before finally turning to Lu Xinglan.
Lu Xinglan: ?
So now that you've shown yourself to be weak and easily bullied, you expect others to make decisions for you?
In the past, Lu Xinglan had helped Madam Xie on more than one occasion.
However, after helping, she received no gratitude. Instead, Madam Xie complained that she had interfered too much, and by being lenient, she had harmed her own family's interests.
Over time, who would be willing to involve themselves in their messy affairs?
Thus, Lu Xinglan chose to ignore Madam Xie's pleading gaze and addressed Madam Xu, "Madams, please control your children's behavior."
Lu Xinglan had no intention of saying more. Now that the commotion had ended, she turned to leave.
However, Madam Xu was displeased with her comment, "What do you mean by controlling our children? If my child has been bullied, someone should take responsibility!"
In recent years, Madam Xu's behavior had become increasingly outrageous.
Lu Xinglan was not surprised by her words.
She was not one to meekly endure mistreatment. Before her marriage, she was the eldest daughter of the Assistant Duke of Fuyang. After marrying, she became the wife of the Duke of Cheng'en.
Facing the Marquis of Jinyang, Lu Xinglan felt no fear.
She had already turned to leave but now paused, a cold smile on her face, "If Madam Xu can't manage her own family affairs, I don't mind paying a visit myself and asking the matriarch. If the head of the household can't manage these matters, perhaps Xu Manor should consider replacing that person."
At these words, Madam Xu's face darkened, and she tried to say something, but Lu Xinglan had already turned and walked away, refusing to give her any more attention.
Madam Xie wanted to speak, hesitated several times, but ultimately didn't utter a word.
Su Su, cradled in the Empress Dowager's arms, craned her neck to watch, but she couldn't make sense of what was happening. All she saw were two disheveled young ladies, one flailing her limbs wildly, and the other covering her face as she ran away.
Su Su didn't understand, and the Empress Dowager didn't offer any further explanation.
Facing the Marquis of Jinyang, she felt somewhat apprehensive.
Thus, she soon returned, still holding Su Su.
On their way back, they encountered Zhou Shi, and the Empress Dowager quietly asked, "Why did they start fighting again?"
The relationship between the Xu and Xie families could not be described as harmonious. The siblings from the two mansions had little affection for each other, and their interactions were often tense.
And like today, it wasn't the first time the two young ladies had caused a scene.
The Princess of Qi sighed inwardly, thinking that if Madam Xie had been stronger, things might have been different.
The Empress Dowager had lost count of how many times she had flown into a rage over this matter and regretted not intervening when Minister Xie remarried.
However, it was too late to regret now.
Minister Xie and Madam Xie had been married for many years and already had children. Surely he couldn't be expected to divorce his wife?
Upon hearing the Princess of Qi's inquiry, Zhou Shi gently shook her head. "I haven't gotten the full story yet, but when young ladies quarrel, it's usually over jewelry or clothes."
After speaking vaguely, she glanced around and lowered her voice further. "I heard that a few days ago, the Xu Manor held a family banquet and invited all the concubines' daughters back. I suspect Miss Xu's outburst today might be related to that."
Anyone would likely be upset to suddenly gain so many half-sisters.
Especially considering Xu Yueleng's temperament...
Zhou Shi shook her head at the thought.
She had thought Madam Xu's attitude was already outrageous enough.
But her daughter seemed to have outdone her in that regard.
Upon hearing that the Xu Manor had invited all the concubines' daughters back, the Princess of Qi's eyes narrowed slightly, and a glint flashed in their depths.
Zhou Shi knew that the Princess of Qi probably didn't want to hear more about this matter, so she quickly changed the subject.
Su Su, nestled in the Empress Dowager's arms, couldn't understand what her mother and aunt were talking about. She simply snuggled closer to her mother.
Soon, the other ladies returned, each quietly discussing the matter with their close friends. No one dared to mention names, lest Madam Xu lose control and fly into one of her famous fits of rage.
After all, she had a reputation for being unpredictable and explosive.
These noble ladies had no desire to provoke a madwoman, so they carefully avoided mentioning names, hinted at the situation, and eventually moved on to other topics.
They could gossip elsewhere, so there was no need to stir up trouble here.
The Princess of Qi didn't say much either. She simply asked Su Su if there was anything she wanted to eat.
When Lu Xinglan returned, she mentioned the incident to Lu Furen.
Lu Furen frowned slightly upon hearing the news.
However, as the matter concerned the affairs of two families, she didn't feel the need to get too involved.
Although she felt somewhat displeased, it didn't dampen her mood significantly.
Besides, if she complained to her mother or father-in-law, it wouldn't benefit either the Xie family or the Xu family.
The Xie family had to consider the Empress Dowager's influence, but the Xu family had fewer constraints, even if they wouldn't go so far as to do as they pleased.
Still, they could at least vent their frustrations.
In the afternoon, after watching the opera, the noble ladies began to feel weary and took their leave one by one.
Due to the kinship between the two families, the Princess of Qi didn't rush to leave. She handed Su Su to Xiang Gu and stayed to see the departing ladies off, along with Lu Furen and Lu Xinglan.
By the time they finished their duties as hosts, evening was approaching.
Fortunately, the days were getting longer, so it wasn't yet dark.
After seeing the last of the guests out, Lu Furen heaved a sigh of relief and pulled Lu Xinglan and the Princess of Qi's hands, expressing her gratitude.
The Princess of Qi gently shook her head, reminding her that family need not stand on ceremony, and then took her leave. "The baby is tired, and we should return as well."
(End of Chapter)
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