CHAPTER 266: CHAPTER 266: DO YOU WANT TO TASTE WHAT IT’S LIKE TO HAVE YOUR FACE SMASHED TOO?

Uh... the Empress Dowager is returning from the Da Xiangguo Temple?

Long Yue felt as if she had been struck by lightning, her whole being was out of sorts.

No way, just her luck, she had just offended the Lady of the Southern Country, and now the Empress Dowager was coming back?

"Cough... cough, cough, cough..."

Long Yue inhaled sharply, accidentally choking, and started coughing violently.

"Sister Yue, are you okay? Oh dear, pat yourself, catch your breath, Treasure Bead, quickly get a glass of water."

Yang Zhuoya hurried forward to help Long Yue catch her breath and instructed her maid Treasure Bead to pour her some water.

Long Yue felt a bit overwhelmed inside. After catching her breath for a good while, she finally calmed down a little, drank a sip of water, and said, "The Empress Dowager... wasn’t she always at the Xiangguo Temple eating vegetarian and reciting Buddhist mantras? Why does she suddenly want to come back?"

This Empress Dowager was not the Emperor’s biological mother. The Emperor’s birth mother had passed away due to illness in the fourth year after he ascended to the throne. This Empress Dowager was the former Emperor’s Empress, and now she held the position of Empress Dowager.

The relationship between this Empress Dowager and the Emperor was not very harmonious. When Qi Yun ascended to the throne, he was still young, and the Empress Dowager wanted to rule from behind the curtain. The two sides had fought for several years, which ultimately ended with the failure of Empress Dowager Xue. Knowing her place, she went to the Da Xiangguo Temple and rarely showed her face.

And now she’s coming back?

"Her sixtieth birthday is coming soon, no matter how many disputes there were between her and the Emperor, but for the sake of the Imperial Family’s face, shouldn’t a birthday celebration be held for her?"

"Once she returns, I’m afraid trouble will arise again!"

Long Yue pursed her lips, looking unhappy, to which Yang Zhuoya was surprised, "Sister Yue, you..."

"Ah, it’s nothing, just feel that if she and the Emperor aren’t on good terms, trouble is bound to arise!"

Long Yue said somewhat insincerely, placing the blame on Qi Yun.

Yang Zhuoya, upon hearing this, felt it was reasonable and wasn’t worried anymore.

"Come on, accompany me to buy some jewelry and dresses. For the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, it’s not appropriate to dress too shabbily, right?"

Women love to compare, even if you are not vain, don’t you have self-respect? It’s one thing to be outdone by others, but if they mock and ridicule you, wouldn’t that be unbearable?

When Yang Zhuoya was with the Yang Family, she had many sisters, and being a concubine-born daughter, she often got teased by some of them. Now married and with some silver at her disposal, she couldn’t resist the urge to shop.

After all, those sisters would also appear at the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, right?

Under no circumstances could she be underestimated then!

"Let’s go to the Su Jinxiu Workshop! Pick a few satisfactory dresses, and then no one will look down on us."

"Okay, but this time, I must pay with silver, can’t take advantage too much!"

"Okay, okay, whatever you say!"

The two women laughed and went to the jewelry store, bought some jewelry, then went to the fan shop, bought two exquisitely made round fans, and finally went to the Su Jinxiu Workshop.

"These, these, wrap them all up for me, I’ll take everything!"

The Embroiderers’ Pavilion was crowded, with customers coming and going, very noisy, but a voice overpowered the crowd, piercing through the air.

Long Yue looked towards the voice, feeling a bit speechless.

It was Chang Lexi, the fourth lady of the Chang Family.

She was picking embroidered dresses when Long Yue saw her, and turning around, she saw Long Yue too.

Chang Lexi immediately tossed aside a dress and walked over.

Yang Zhuoya, a bit worried they’d start a dispute, glanced at Long Yue.

"Oh, isn’t this the landlord of the Embroiderers’ Pavilion? Looks like with the owner here, no matter how much money we have, we won’t be able to buy the good clothes today, huh?"

In recent years, the property prices in the Capital City were insanely high, especially for such a large store, the rent needed no mention. So often those merchants had to mind the landlord’s mood.

Chang Lexi’s words really put Long Yue on the spot, implying that she, as the landlord, was quite unkind, and trying to incite resentment against Long Yue.

And it worked quite well; the women nearby picking dresses looked at Long Yue with unfriendly eyes.

"To do business, one must keep their word, what’s with changing your mind on a whim? You’ll just be the laughingstock!"

"Exactly, I saw her last time arrogantly saying here she was going to raise the rent. If it weren’t for my family’s shop doing well and can’t be transferred, I really would have given that shop to Aunt Yun!"

"Enough, don’t say more, this woman is just arrogant, with no manners, who knows how she even got a titled position? Tsk tsk, it’s all because of a man!"

A group of noble ladies gathered, looking disdainful, speaking ill of Long Yue. Especially a petite girl with some spots on her face said with a jealous tone, as if Long Yue were some brothel woman, rising to her position by relying on a man?

Long Yue couldn’t stand such sharp-tongued women. She said coldly, "My husband fought enemies in Xinan, achieved merits, and was rewarded by the Emperor. What’s wrong with that?

Saying I rose to my position by relying on a man? Ha, let me ask you, if we women don’t rely on men, should we rely on you?

If your own man is incompetent, does that mean others’ men aren’t allowed to be competent? Ha, where’s your face? Where did it all go?"

Long Yue said coldly, her gaze sweeping past with icy coldness, making those women retreat in fright, some even lowering their heads, not daring to meet her gaze.

After all, her words spelt out the truth—unable to see others doing well!

But people, they can’t help having a good opinion of themselves, and a woman quietly snorted, "Let’s be honest, your man’s reputation isn’t that great either! Cruel and ruthless, bloodthirsty by nature, he’s bound to become a tyrannical official!

Hey, sisters, if anyone’s family has officials, be sure to be careful in the future, best keep a low profile to avoid being caught on the smallest mistake, almost driven to a state worse than death!"

"Yes, recently, that person had his leg broken, tormented until his body was wounded all over, it was so tragic, it would make one cry to see it! In the end, it just passed like that, ugh, where’s the justice?"

"That Imperial Censor Li even set fire to a mountain before, wouldn’t know how many died..."

These wealthy ladies were gathered there, whispering amongst themselves.

Long Yue looked coldly at the girl who first spoke up, then suddenly walked over.

"Got a nasty mouth, don’t you?"

The girl was having a good chat with her handkerchief friends nearby, but hearing Long Yue’s cold voice, she suddenly panicked a bit, but, not wanting to appear weak, she couldn’t back down, her friends were all there?

She forced herself to suppress the fear in her heart, stiffening her neck and said, "Who are you calling a nasty mouth? You shameless countryside bumpkin, wicked woman, you think just because you’re fierce, others will fear you..."

"Smack!"

The girl had just said this when a hard slap fell on her face.

Her fair little face instantly turned red.

Long Yue sneered, saying, "Knowing I’m a wicked woman, you still dare provoke me? Not long ago, I just disfigured my good sister’s face, how about you, want to taste the feel of a ruined face?"