Zhao Mingyan’s words struck directly at the heart, instantly changing Zhao Mingzhu’s expression!
Nan Yan, aside from his honorary title as Grand Secretary, was a genuine Second Rank official of the court. For officials of Fifth Rank and above, their wives were granted the status of titled *guoming* ladies.
Such women were invited to palace banquets, flower gatherings, and tea parties hosted by imperial consorts. They also had the right to strike the *Dengwen Drum* to petition the court.
As Nan Yan’s legitimate wife, Wang Shuang was a true Second Rank titled lady.
How could Zhao Mingzhu dare to mock her publicly? At its worst, such behavior could be considered disrespect to a superior—tantamount to treason!
No wonder Zhao Mingzhu’s face turned pale. She had only just shed her slave status, still branded as the daughter of a criminal. If Wang Shuang chose to pursue the matter, Zhao Mingzhu’s fate would be sealed.
At once, Zhao Mingzhu’s expression shifted, and the laughter in the cloth shop died away.
“Fifth Sister, I didn’t mean it like that. We both came from the Minister’s household—you know my temperament, and our family raised us strictly. I only misspoke. Please don’t accuse me of such a crime in public.” Zhao Mingzhu’s face changed quickly, adopting a delicate, pitiful look.
Her words leaned on their past relationship, reminding Zhao Mingyan that they were both Zhaos, of the same family. If she fell, surely Zhao Mingyan would fall too.
But Zhao Mingyan’s gaze hardened, giving her no face at all. “Second Miss Zhao, you remember you were once a lady of the Minister’s household. Then you must also remember the Zhao family’s great crime. His Majesty, in mercy, spared our lives. Now that you’ve shed your slave status, shouldn’t you be all the more cautious in speech and conduct?”
Zhao Mingyan refused to indulge her. If Zhao Mingzhu dared to invoke the Zhao family to pressure her, then she would turn that blade back on her. She must not forget—she was the daughter of a criminal. If people outside knew her identity, they would despise and shun her.
As soon as Zhao Mingyan’s words fell, the onlookers’ expressions shifted, their whispers rising.
“So she’s the daughter of a criminal minister!”
“When I heard the shopkeeper call her Second Miss Zhao, I wondered which Zhao family still had such a grand young lady. I never imagined it was the Zhao family guilty of treason!”
“How dare she! Her whole clan was condemned, yet she flaunts herself in such finery!”
“She even dared to mock Lady Nan just now! That’s utterly outrageous!”
The murmurs swelled, wave upon wave, all directed at Zhao Mingzhu.
Zhao Mingzhu immediately panicked. She had never imagined Zhao Mingyan would be so formidable—just a few sharp words had torn apart the carefully constructed image of wealth and nobility she had tried to maintain. Nor had she expected that Zhao Mingyan’s temperament had truly changed, that she would dare confront her so directly!
A flicker of resentment passed through Zhao Mingzhu’s eyes, but tears quickly welled up instead. She looked at Zhao Mingyan with watery eyes.
“Mingyan, I misspoke just now, but I truly didn’t mean it that way. We grew up together—please don’t hold it against me.”
She was frightened now, cowed by Zhao Mingyan’s rebuke, and could only bow her head and admit fault.
“Then apologize to our lady.” Zhao Mingyan stood firm, backing Wang Shuang without yielding an inch.
Wang Shuang’s heart bloomed with joy at Zhao Mingyan’s words. She turned to look at Zhao Mingyan, her eyes shining. Ever since she had come to the capital as Nan Yan’s wife, she had endured endless humiliation. She knew she was a village woman from the countryside, uneducated. Even when she didn’t understand the insults hurled at her, she could tell from people’s reactions that she was being mocked.
Nan Yan never defended her—they were only partners. She shielded him from the scheming women who tried to insinuate themselves into his household, and in return, he gave her and her daughter a place of shelter. Wang Shuang never expected him to stand up for her; she didn’t want to trouble him. For years, she had relied only on her own blunt courage to push through the world. But today—today, she felt someone standing up for her.
Zhao Mingyan, how could she not adore her? How could there be such a wonderful Mingyan in this world!
Wang Shuang’s heart was overflowing with gratitude and delight, while Zhao Mingzhu was collapsing under pressure. Driven into a corner by Zhao Mingyan, she now faced the unbearable demand to bow her head and apologize to this rustic village woman. Heavens, it was like being killed outright!
Zhao Mingzhu instinctively turned to Chen Xingwei for help. Only then did she realize that from the moment they had entered, he had been silently watching Zhao Mingyan. And the way he looked at her was growing more and more astonished.
Zhao Mingzhu’s heart skipped a beat. A surge of unease and jealousy rose within her.
When Zhao Mingzhu followed Chen Xingwei back to the Marquis Xuanping’s residence, it was nothing like what she had imagined. On the very first day, she was harshly scolded—indirectly but unmistakably—by Chen Xingwei’s mother, Madam Jiang.
The reason was that Zhao Mingyan had not returned with them.
When Chen Xingwei went to the Pleasure Bureau to redeem people, the most important person to bring back was Zhao Mingyan, not Zhao Mingzhu.
Zhao Mingyan was Chen Xingwei’s rightful fiancée, the future daughter‑in‑law of their household. How could she not be rescued, while two unrelated women were brought back instead?
Even though Madam Jiang knew her son favored Zhao Mingzhu and tolerated him bringing her back from the Bureau, the crucial point was that Zhao Mingyan should have come too.
Without Zhao Mingyan, the Marquis Xuanping’s household lost all claim to honor. Worse, their future daughter‑in‑law had run off with another man, leaving their family disgraced and mocked behind closed doors.
The Marquis’s household had no choice but to remain silent, pretending they had annulled the engagement the very day the Zhao family fell. But the loss of face was immense, and Madam Jiang laid all the blame on Zhao Mingzhu. On that first day, she scolded her from head to toe. She called her a seductress, a calamity, a wicked woman who had corrupted her son. As a result, even after two days in the Marquis’s residence, Zhao Mingzhu had not been given any proper status. Fortunately, Chen Xingwei still protected her. He cared for her, held her tightly at night, and told her he would love her for a lifetime.
But today, he actually…