CHAPTER 460: CHAPTER 459: NOW, YOU MUST KNEEL AND APOLOGIZE TO THIS YOUNG MISS

Li Chengxiang could not stand it anymore, "Miss Chen, you are going too far!"

"Is it your place to speak?" Surprisingly, Li Chengxiang could still recognize her, Miss Chen sneered maliciously, her eyes filled with venom, "It’s because she stood up for you that she ended up like this. Why don’t you kneel and apologize to me in her place? Then I will let this matter slide for today."

Li Chengxiang’s face grew uncomfortable, but she could not really watch Shen Shuyun kneel down, considering she was a married woman.

With that thought, Li Chengxiang stepped forward two paces, "Alright, I will kneel."

"No!" Shen Shuyun cried out loudly.

Li Chengxiang smiled reassuringly at her and walked over, knowing that today’s issue couldn’t be resolved without kneeling. The group of noble ladies had surrounded them, shielding the outside view of what was happening inside, and the situation had already been controlled by Miss Chen.

"Hurry up, stop dawdling," Miss Chen said impatiently.

The smile on Li Chengxiang’s lips turned bitter, and her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched the fabric of her dress. She slowly bent down, one knee touching the ground...

"Don’t kneel! Sister Li, you mustn’t kneel!" Shen Shuyun was becoming frantic.

"The one who insulted others is me, I should be the one, Sister Li, please don’t do this!"

She watched helplessly as Li Chengxiang’s knees hit the ground, a tear falling from the corner of her eye.

"Today’s mistakes were due to our recklessness; we offended Miss Chen. We hope for your leniency, Miss Chen, to not hold it against us."

Miss Chen looked at Li Chengxiang, her eyes gleaming with pleasure, "As I said earlier, this is the Imperial Palace, not a place where any Tom, Dick, or Harry can casually enter. There are plenty of nobles here. Today it’s me you offended, tomorrow it could be someone else. I’m only giving you a lesson for your own good. Next time you see these nobles, you’d better sneak away with your tail between your legs!"

Li Chengxiang’s face turned ashen, "Miss Chen’s lesson is well noted."

Just as she was about to get up, a woman beside her pressed down on her shoulder.

Li Chengxiang looked up in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"Teaching you a lesson." Miss Chen snickered, "Now, you need to kowtow and apologize to me."

"...Spare others when you can." Li Chengxiang’s hands were clenched tightly, her nails digging into her flesh: "Today is a day of diplomatic chess between two nations. Miss Chen, choosing such a day to take action against us, what do you think the Crown Prince will think of the Chen Family?"

"Li Chengxiang, are you threatening me?" Miss Chen was furious.

"I’m merely stating the facts."

"You really are a tough old bone. I just don’t believe in curses," Miss Chen said sternly, "Someone hold her head down!"

Shen Shuyun was restrained by the hands and shoulders, frantic almost to madness, her cheeks wet with tears.

"Sister Li, don’t..."

The two people forcefully pressed down on Li Chengxiang’s neck, pushing her head violently to the ground. Her forehead struck firmly against the wooden board causing bloody abrasions as she was made to kowtow several times before Miss Chen finally called a halt.

As she was leaving, she showed a rare kindness by personally helping Li Chengxiang up and dusting off her clothes, whispering in her ear: "This dog needs to choose its master well; otherwise, you risk a severe beating from those who despise springing dogs."

Having said that, she left without looking back.

At this moment, the eunuch’s announcement arrived as scheduled.

The kings of both nations entered, the Crown Prince and Chu Qi walking side by side, followed closely by Yan Wanqing and Princess Wuyang, and then it was the fifth and sixth Yan sisters.

From a distance, Yan Lingzhen spotted Li Chengxiang and Shen Shuyun’s positions and made faces at them.

Shen Shuyun and Li Chengxiang immediately mustered smiles in response.

A flicker of confusion crossed Yan Lingzhen’s eyes.

Why does it seem like the two sisters just cried?

She and the fifth sister entered the palace last night to discuss matters concerning Chang Kuan, including the fifth sister’s injury.

Thus, today they appeared alongside Yan Wanqing.

Shen Shuyun and Li Chengxiang had entered the Imperial Palace just today and came straight here.

Once everyone had settled into their seats,

a group of robust men surged into the arena below.They wore only trousers, revealing their well-built upper bodies, red headbands tied around their foreheads, each looking vigorous. They each had a small drum tied around their waist, and with the rhythmic beating of the drums, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Yan Lingzhen took this opportunity to slip to Shen Shuyun’s side.

As soon as she approached, her expression turned cold, "Sister Shen, what happened to your face?"

This slap was all too apparent!

Shen Shuyun had tried to cover it with a handkerchief, but Yan Lingzhen’s hand moved so quickly, she pulled the handkerchief away in an instant.

"No, it’s nothing."

At that time, the banquet had already started, and she couldn’t afford to create a scene.

Besides, between the nations, what was her little grievance?

"And what happened to Sister Li’s forehead? What have both of you gone through?!" Yan Lingzhen’s voice deepened upon seeing the bloodstains on Li Chengxiang’s smooth forehead.

Seeing that the two women hesitated and were unwilling to speak, Yan Lingzhen’s expression became even more distressed.

"I know you two sisters don’t want to cause trouble for my elder sister, but you are her best friends. Now that you two have been bullied, can’t even I know about it? Unless you two never regarded me as a younger sister from your hearts!"

Her words were harsh. Li Chengxiang quickly reached out and grabbed Yan Lingzhen’s hand, "Xiaoliu, what you said could really break your sisters’ hearts. We’ve always treated you like a real younger sister."

"Then why don’t you tell me?"

Li Chengxiang and Shen Shuyun exchanged looks. She sighed lightly, "Sister will tell you, but Xiaoliu, you must promise us not to tell the Crown Princess Consort."

"Okay," Yan Lingzhen agreed readily.

If she could resolve the issue herself, why should she tell her elder sister?

She wanted to see who had the courage of the bear and leopard to dare to bully her sisters like this!

Listening as Li Chengxiang and Shen Shuyun recounted what had just occurred, Yan Lingzhen immediately spotted Miss Chen in the goose-yellow dress among the crowd.

At that moment, she was sitting in front of a plainly dressed young lady, diligently making tea for her.

Like a sycophant.

Yan Lingzhen narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze chilling as she scrutinized.

Unexpectedly, Miss Chen showed no reaction, but the young woman she was attending to looked directly back.

What kind of eyes were those?

It was no exaggeration to say they were as calm as ancient wells, overly serene.

They seemed out of place amidst the chaos around.

Yan Lingzhen instinctively felt that this woman was not to be trifled with.

"Who is she?" she asked.

Li Chengxiang followed her gaze, "That’s Qin Erya, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Qin Family. It’s indeed rare for her to join such an event today."

"Does she not go out often?"

"Very rarely. Miss Qin is the granddaughter of the Grand Tutor of the Qin Family. The family is very strict, so she seldom mingles with the noble ladies of the Capital City. Moreover, with the Grand Tutor’s high reputation in the Capital, the ordinary noble families look up to her. Thus, Miss Chen’s behavior makes sense; by pleasing Miss Qin, she is also currying favor with the Grand Tutor, which only benefits the Chen Family."

Seeing this, Yan Lingzhen commented, "Interesting!" She put her elder sister aside and extolled this Miss Qin to the skies. The people of the Capital truly are interesting.