It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

The others seemed to sense something and made way at the same time, leaving only Madam Zheng. She lowered her head, sweat dripping down her temples, and her feet seemed to be bound by invisible shackles, unable to move a single step.

At this time, Madam Tan noticed this scene and walked over quickly, with a stern tone: "Where did this servant come from? How dare you block the princess's way?"

Before she finished speaking, Madam Zheng had already knelt down and said, "I am rude, and I accept the death penalty."

She buried her head deeply. No one would have thought that this humble servant kneeling on the ground was the once prominent old lady of the Zheng family.

The irony and reversal of fate are really sad.

When Mrs. Cheng heard this, she recognized the old lady and her expression became complicated. She hurried forward to help, with a hint of displeasure and helplessness in her words.

After saying this, the man gently but firmly tried to pull Madam Zheng away from this crowded place, as if he was eager to avoid the coming storm.

Madam Zheng lowered her body and almost curled up. Her face, hidden by her white hair, was buried deeply in her clothes, leaving only a trembling strand of silver hair. It seemed as if she was afraid of being recognized by any sharp-eyed person in the crowd, especially Su Wanyu.

Her heart was beating like a drum, and every rise and fall of her chest was accompanied by an indescribable panic.

At this moment, Su Wanyu seemed to have caught a godsend opportunity. Her clear and high-pitched voice pierced through the surrounding noise, like a sharp dagger, accurately stabbing into the crowd: "Hey, isn't this the highly respected Madam Zheng from the Marquis of Changping's mansion?"

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like dropping a huge rock into a calm lake, causing ripples to spread quickly. The noble ladies around all turned their eyes at the same time, with a bit of curiosity and inquiry, and looked at the old woman who was lowering her head and almost disappearing in the crowd.

Madam Zheng felt that countless eyes were staring at her, so she quickly turned her face away, trying to minimize her presence. But even so, her old and frail body still could not escape the scrutiny of everyone.

It felt like being dissected bit by bit through a magnifying glass; every inch of skin and every expression were infinitely magnified, leaving no place to hide.

"Oh! It's really Madam Zheng! Where has the glory of the past gone?"

A lady was surprised, but more astonished.

"That's right. Even though her clothes and appearance are not as good as before, her face and unique temperament cannot change."

Another person echoed, with a hint of regret and a bit of gloating in his tone.

"Hasn't the Zheng family fallen into decline? How dare she show up at this Hundred Flowers Banquet?"

Another person spoke with disdain, and as soon as he finished speaking, there was a whisper around, full of confusion and discussion.

There was doubt mixed in with the sighs of the crowd, like a cold winter wind blowing across Madam Zheng's no longer straight back.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd lowered their voice, but it was clearly audible: "Didn't you notice? She is dressed so poorly, just like a servant. She doesn't look like Madam Zheng at all. She is clearly just a poor creature who follows her master to make a living."

These words were like a blast of cold arrows, piercing one's heart.

In the past, Madam Zheng was so glorious. As the old lady of the Duke's Mansion, she always unconsciously revealed her arrogance towards those women from officials who came from humble backgrounds.

However, as time passed, when she fell from the clouds to the dust, her past arrogance became a ruthless laughing stock in the mouths of others, and ridicule and contempt followed.

These words were like sharp blades, cutting into Madam Zheng's heart. Her former dignity and pride collapsed in an instant. Her face turned as pale as paper, and the arrogance emanating from her bones seemed particularly ironic at this moment.

The people around seemed to be enjoying this rare "good show", with smiles on their faces, either obvious or hidden, waiting for the development of the situation.

At this time, Mrs. Fang, the wife of the Minister of Revenue, spoke at the right time. Her words were both derogatory to Mrs. Zheng and cleverly showed goodwill to the newly promoted princess: "Mrs. Zheng, as a servant, you must abide by the duties of a servant. It is the rule to stand back. You are so ignorant that you dare to be disrespectful in front of the princess. Have you forgotten your status?"

Before she finished speaking, she had already attracted a wave of agreement.

Madam Zheng's face was wrinkled even deeper, and her shaking hands could barely hold the edge of her clothes. She could only kneel down again and plead with Su Wanyu: "I know I was wrong, please forgive me, Princess."

This gesture was more of a gamble than an admission of guilt. She was betting that Su Wanyu would not really attack her because of their old relationship.

However, Su Wanyu's eyes were deep, as if she had seen through everything. She gently glanced at Yun Yi beside her.

Under such meaningful gaze, Madam Zheng became more and more uneasy. She lowered her head and clutched the corner of her clothes tightly with both hands. The sweat on her palms seemed to soak the corner of her clothes.

At this moment, Yun Yi slowly stepped forward. Without any warning, there was a crisp sound and her hand had landed on Madam Zheng's face. The slap was so loud that it echoed throughout the garden, as if even the air was shaken.

The slap made Madam Zheng's cheek numb and her teeth trembled, almost falling out.

"you you……"

She covered her burning face, her eyes filled with shock and unwillingness. She raised her head suddenly, trying to regain a bit of dignity, and cast a warning look at Su Wanyu and Yun Yi.

But Yun Yi showed no fear in the face of her reaction, and said in a cold and direct tone: "Ms. Ding, you have offended the princess. The princess only slapped you out of consideration for our old friendship. If you are rude again next time, don't blame the princess for being ruthless."

This sentence not only shows the tolerance of the royal family, but also reveals the inviolable majesty. The punishment of a slap seems merciful, but in fact it is the greatest humiliation to Madam Zheng.

Madam Zheng's body was stiff, she seemed to want to say something but hesitated, with mixed feelings.

Yun Yi's words were like cold water poured over her head, extinguishing the last spark of resistance in her.

Just when the atmosphere was at a stalemate, Madam Fang spoke again, and her suggestion was exactly what Yun Yi wanted: "The princess is really kind and benevolent, but for such a guilty slave, a slap in the face is not enough. Why not let her clean the toilet in the backyard until the banquet is over? Isn't it more reasonable?"

She knew clearly that by saying this, she could both teach Madam Zheng a lesson and save the princess's face, thus killing two birds with one stone.

Upon hearing this, Madam Zheng was extremely anxious. She wondered how she had fallen to this point in the past few decades, doing such rough and dirty work. It was a great shame and humiliation.

She begged hurriedly: "Your Highness, I am truly repentant. Please have mercy on me and forgive me this time."

Su Wanyu was obviously satisfied with Madam Fang's suggestion, so she went with the flow and handed the decision-making power to Madam Tan: "Madam Tan, you will be in charge of the Hundred Flowers Banquet, and it is most appropriate for you to make the judgment on this matter."