My sister became the empress, but I'm still growing vegetables and raising chickens

Chapter 238 Argument

The two people were startled and looked back. Gui Yuan's face was even paler.

She has always been known for her gentleness and dignity. Today, someone eavesdropped on her. If the news gets out, what will happen to her reputation?

Zhao Ning raised his head in dissatisfaction and asked, "Who are you? How dare you comment on what I'm saying?"

"I'm Si Mutong, the second daughter of the Anle Marquisate. I didn't mean to listen to you. I just happened to be passing by and found your words unbearable to hear, so I came here."

Zhao Ning stood up and asked angrily, "Why is it so unbearable to listen to? Are we wrong?"

The second sister said sternly, "Gossiping behind people's backs is no different from a country woman. Since ancient times, heroes have not been judged by their origins, but you keep talking about who is worthy and who is not. It's really disrespectful!"

Zhao Ning, who was already short-tempered, immediately shouted upon hearing this: "What do you mean by 'a hero doesn't ask about his origins'? Would you take a person of such unknown bloodline?"

"So, this young lady is planning to break off the engagement, right?" The second sister didn't respond, only saying, "Since you despise my background, why not just break off the engagement directly? Why bother playing dirty tricks behind my back?"

Zhao Ning's face turned purple.

Gui Yuan lowered her eyes slightly and pulled Zhao Ning's sleeve: "Sister, sister, don't be angry. It's my fault today. I shouldn't have said nonsense to you. It's not Miss Si's fault that she is angry..."

Zhao Ning was speechless because of his second sister, and seeing Gui Yuan so scared, his anger grew even more.

"Silly girl, what are you talking about? Everyone knows you have good intentions and are trying to comfort me when you see me sad, but there's that ignorant dog who doesn't even shy away when he hears someone whispering, but instead comes up and barks at you."

The second sister frowned, took a step forward and said, "How can this young lady speak so harshly?"

She had a lot of truths to say, but her younger sister's voice came from behind her.

"Second sister, what are you doing?"

The younger sister strode forward, took her second sister's hand, squeezed it in her palm, and then pulled her behind her.

Then he said to Zhao Ning, "My Lady, I'm very sorry. It's my second sister's fault. She's always been straightforward and didn't understand the situation. I hope you won't blame me."

Zhao Ning looked her over and asked, "Are you the third daughter of the Si family, the newly appointed county lady by the Empress Dowager?"

"Yes." The younger sister said openly, her eyebrows raised and she smiled. "County Lady Zhao Ning, when Her Royal Highness the Princess summoned me just now, I saw you from afar. From afar I knew you were a beauty, and up close I realized you were truly stunning."

What girl doesn't like being praised? Zhao Ning's expression softened a lot and she said, "You sisters are the most beautiful. I'm just so-so."

The younger sister plucked a crabapple blossom from a branch, walked over and pinned it to Zhao Ning's bun, then took two gold hairpins from the bun and said, "I think flowers are the perfect match for beautiful women. The county lady is more beautiful than flowers, but these two gold hairpins make her look a little older."

"Really?" Zhao Ning took the hairpin, looked around, and saw a small puddle next to it, so he went over to take a closer look.

Although the puddle was not clear, she had already confirmed what her younger sister said.

"You are really good at talking and have good taste. No wonder the Queen Mother likes you."

The younger sister smiled and said, "My Lady, you are too kind. I grew up in the countryside. Although I have a nanny to teach me now, I am still far behind you noble ladies in Kyoto."

Zhao Ning was in a better mood, so of course he didn't care about it anymore. He immediately picked up a gold hairpin and handed it to his younger sister: "This hairpin doesn't look good on me, but I think it looks good on you, so I'm giving it to you."

Ordinary sisters wouldn't give each other such expensive jewelry. If they did, it would be something like a purse or handkerchief. Jewelry was mostly given by superiors to those of lower status, so Zhao Ning's move was inappropriate.

But Zhao Ning himself didn't feel anything at all, and happily extended his hand.

The younger sister didn't mind and smiled: "It's a gift from the county lady, so I would be disrespectful to refuse it."

After taking the gold hairpin, the younger sister put it on herself. Zhao Ning saw that she didn't put it on properly, so he called her over and put it on again, then nodded with satisfaction.

So, Zhao Ning was in a good mood and left with Gui Yuan.

After the second sister saw the man leave, she asked, "Little sister, what are you doing? There's nothing wrong with what I just said. If you hadn't hinted at me not to speak, I really wanted to continue arguing with him."

"You're lucky you figured out my hint," the younger sister said unhappily. "Have you forgotten what my elder sister said? I hope we can get through this flower viewing party safely. Don't do anything out of the ordinary."

The second sister was unhappy: "I didn't do anything out of line, and she is the county lady, and you are also the county lady, why do you have to appease her?"

The younger sister said, "Second sister, it's not worth wasting your energy on other people's affairs. They can do whatever they want. What does her marriage to Prince Ning have to do with you?"

The second sister sighed deeply. "My cousin told me about His Royal Highness Prince Ning before, and I've gotten to know him quite well lately. I've heard that he's a very capable and excellent man, and he shouldn't be looked down upon."

"Kyoto is different from the places we've been before. Any controversy surrounding Prince Ning's status will inevitably be discussed," my younger sister said. "He's a man, and the discussion is private, so it's nothing serious. But we, on the other hand, face far more controversy than Prince Ning. How can we make enemies with him in this situation?"

The second sister then stopped talking and followed the youngest sister away.

But in fact, they didn't know that there was indeed no one nearby, but there was someone on the other side of the wall.

Recently, some foreigners have been arriving near Kyoto. They're acting mysteriously, not as merchants, but as if they're plotting something. Originally, this wasn't the jurisdiction of the Dali Temple, but a prostitute was assaulted by several men, and she filed a complaint directly with the Dali Temple.

In the eyes of others, women in red-light districts can be obtained by paying money.

This woman was a prostitute who sold her art but not her body - of course, the reason she was a prostitute was simply because the brothel owner felt that no one was paying enough for her at the moment, so she chose a suitable day to sell her off.

Now, before the date even arrived, she had already been humiliated. It was a huge loss. That was not enough, but the woman was tortured beyond recognition and fell ill upon returning. She couldn't even dance or sing, let alone receive guests.

The brothel owner was so angry that she reported the case to the police as if she were a decent virgin.

It is said that the people who violated this woman were several foreigners. The Dali Temple does not deal with foreign affairs, but has to deal with many major cases. The Jingzhao Yin cannot handle them, but the Dali Temple can.

Today, upon learning that foreigners were lurking around the two villages ahead, Prince Ning immediately set out to investigate. Unfortunately, he found no useful clues and decided to return to the capital immediately.

But somehow the news of him coming out to investigate the case was heard by the eldest princess, who sent someone to tell him that Princess Zhao Ning was ill and she was unable to leave as she was ordered by the Empress Dowager to hold a flower-viewing banquet, so she wanted to ask him to send Princess Zhao Ning back.