The young ladies looked up in astonishment.
They saw Yun Li walk up to Ning Yuewei, lightly flick her cloud-patterned sleeve, and deliver a sharp slap!
The slap caught everyone completely off guard.
Ning Yuewei hadn’t expected it either.
Her delicate face suddenly burned with stinging pain. Indignantly widening her eyes and covering her cheek, she immediately rose to protest, “You…”
But her chin was suddenly gripped.
“Second Miss Ning is truly bold, openly making improper remarks about this Princess Consort at a palace banquet.”
Yun Li’s phoenix eyes shimmered with cool light.
She slightly lowered her gaze, looking at her with disdain. “What an impressive country bumpkin raised in the border wilderness. Why doesn’t Second Miss Ning take a closer look – does this Princess Consort appear crude and unrefined to you?”
Ning Yuewei’s chin ached from the tight grip.
Yun Li’s jade-like fingers appeared those of a delicate maiden, yet no one knew where such strength came from.
Ning Yuewei cautiously looked up at her.
Seeing her up close again, she couldn’t help but be stunned by Yun Li’s breathtaking beauty. “N-No…”
She answered involuntarily, as if possessed.
Even forgetting she had intended to protest the sudden slap.
Yun Li abruptly released her, the remaining force causing Ning Yuewei to stagger backward. Ning Xin’er quickly supported her.
“Please forgive my sister’s offense, Your Highness.”
Ning Xin’er softened her posture and spoke gently. “My younger sister lacks proper etiquette. I beg Your Highness to calm your anger.”
Yun Li raised an eyebrow as her gaze swept toward her.
Then she curved her lips into a light laugh. “Princess Changning truly embodies the merciful Bodhisattva, always the one to plead for others.”
Ning Xin’er’s slender frame trembled slightly.
Yun Li gathered her sleeves, resting her jade-like fingers against her chin. “The last person who spoke disrespectfully to this Princess Consort… ah, that would be Princess Changning’s personal maid Yu Yao. And now it’s your stepsister.”
She turned with a charming smile to look at Ning Xin’er.
Her clear voice carried unmistakable mockery. “It seems the Princess isn’t very capable at managing her subordinates.”
Ning Xin’er clenched the embroidered handkerchief in her hand angrily.
That incident at the Regent’s Mansion had been the most humiliating experience of her life! She had worked hard to prevent gossip from spreading throughout the capital…
She never expected Yun Li to bring it up publicly again!
Struggling to maintain composure, she forced a calm expression. “That’s all in the past, merely a misunderstanding…”
“A misunderstanding?” Yun Li curved her eyes. “Then why doesn’t the Princess tell everyone what became of that misunderstanding?”
The light in Ning Xin’er’s pupils vanished.
She clearly didn’t want to mention the matter, having hoped to skirt around it, but Yun Li showed no intention of letting it go…
Of course she wouldn’t voluntarily speak of such shameful things!
“Lian Qiao.” Yun Li called.
“Your servant is here.”
“Help Princess Changning recall properly.”
“Yes.”
Lian Qiao declared righteously, “Several days ago, Princess Changning came to the Regent’s Mansion to interfere with the Prince and Princess Consort’s marital harmony. Her personal maid Yu Yao disregarded hierarchy, overstepped her position, and even presumptuously claimed the position of Princess Consort should belong to Princess Changning—”
“The Prince was furious and ordered her tongue cut out. The merciful Princess Consort permitted the Princess to personally discipline her subordinate – twenty slaps to the face!”
With each word Lian Qiao spoke, Ning Xin’er’s face grew paler. She bit her lip so hard that the rouge-colored lips lost their hue.
To make matters worse, Lian Qiao deliberately added, “The Princess even slapped her palms red that day.”
The crowd looked at Ning Xin’er with disbelief.There was actually such a thing?
Yun Li curved her vermilion lips as she looked at Ning Xin’er, “What? Does the County Princess wish to personally administer the punishment this time as well?”
Ning Xin’er’s expression had already turned extremely unpleasant.
Ning Yuewei covered her cheek, which bore the imprint of a slap, and panicked for a moment—twenty slaps to the face…
Wouldn’t that completely disfigure her!
“Your Highness, please forgive me!” Ning Yuewei hurriedly knelt to beg for mercy. “It was I who was blind and did not know my place. The Princess Consort is of celestial beauty, surpassing all others. Please spare me, Your Highness!”
Ning Xin’er was nearly driven to a heart attack by her.
Surpassing all others…
That was the phrase she had just used to describe herself.
What a fool!
To be so frightened by such a minor threat! She had even forgotten which side she should be on!
The others also began to whisper among themselves—
“I hadn’t heard of such a thing before.”
“What a bold maid, daring to gossip about His Highness’s marriage affairs. Twenty slaps to the face is already lenient!”
“But the Princess Consort truly is a peerless beauty…”
“I originally thought the County Princess of Changning was the foremost beauty in the capital, but now that I have seen the Princess Consort’s true appearance, how could she be called a wild girl? Clearly, she should take the title of the first beauty!”
Ning Xin’er could barely maintain the smile on her face.
Her manicured fingertips slowly dug into her palm as she softened her posture to apologize, “It was Changning who lacked discretion. My younger sister indeed deserves punishment. Your Highness, please proceed as you see fit.”
Ning Yuewei immediately turned pale with fear.
Although she usually relied on having a County Princess as her elder sister to act arrogantly and domineeringly, faced with the risk of disfigurement, she pleaded, “Your Highness…”
Yun Li’s cool gaze fell upon her.
She took slow, graceful steps, and though she had no intention of punishing her further, each step made Ning Yuewei’s heart tremble even more. Just then, a eunuch suddenly announced—