The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

Chapter 328 Conflict

In the Imperial Garden, colorful flowers bloom in a riot of colors, like a magnificent painting, vying for attention.

Red like fire, pink like the sunset, white like snow, yellow like gold, and then there are purple, blue, orange... one by one, cluster by cluster, a breathtaking sight that is intoxicating.

These flowers emit a captivating fragrance, attracting countless bees and butterflies.

The bees busily flitted among the flowers, diligently collecting pollen and nectar; their buzzing sound was like a beautiful melody.

The butterflies fluttered gracefully, sometimes resting on the flowers, sometimes dancing, complementing the flowers and creating a vibrant scene.

Upon hearing the sound, Shen Cao and Wan Yue turned around simultaneously as if by reflex.

Their gazes met and landed on a figure not far away.

That's Zhao Ruhui, the star of tonight's banquet, Princess Wanming.

She was dressed in a brand-new palace gown, the bright red of which was particularly dazzling in the candlelight.

The craftsmanship of this palace dress is exquisite, with every stitch revealing the maker's ingenuity.

However, this magnificent palace dress did not enhance Zhao Ruhui's appearance much.

On the contrary, the bright red color made her already somewhat dark face look even more dull and lifeless, even appearing somewhat dark.

Standing next to Zhao Ruhui was a nanny who looked to be about forty years old.

Judging from her attire and demeanor, she should be the wet nurse from back then. Besides the wet nurse, Zhao Ruhui was accompanied by four palace maids, all dressed in uniform, standing respectfully to the side.

Looking at Zhao Ruhui's face, although her skin tone is dark, her eyebrows and eyes are still quite pretty.

However, the ornate jewelry she wore on her head made her otherwise pretty face look somewhat strange.

The gold and silver jewels on her head shone brightly, but they did not match her overall temperament and instead gave the impression of being ostentatious.

It was particularly strange because she wore so many jeweled hairpins that, from a distance, they shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, as if she were wearing a dazzling starry sky above her head. The sheer number of these hairpins caused them to intertwine, forming a peculiar shape that resembled the tail feathers of a peacock in full display—gorgeous and flamboyant.

"Greetings, Princess Wanming." Shen Cao was the first to react. She quickly adjusted her posture and respectfully bowed to Princess Wanming according to the palace etiquette that Old Madam Shen had just taught her.

"Sister Wanming." Wanyue called out to her somewhat awkwardly, her voice slightly low.

However, Princess Wanming completely ignored Shen Cao and Wanyue's greetings. She didn't even stop walking. She just gently touched the hairpin in her hair and walked straight past Shen Cao as if she didn't exist at all.

As Shen Cao watched Princess Wanming's retreating figure, a strange feeling welled up in her heart.

She felt that Princess Wanming was like a proud peacock; although she was incredibly beautiful, she gave off a sense of unapproachability.

"Sister Wanyue, you are too young to understand."

"You can't see into someone's heart."

“Especially those country folk from remote and impoverished areas, they are not only bad, but they also have a peculiar smell!” Zhao Ruhui said with a look of disgust, as if the smell of those country folk had already entered her nose.

After saying that, she deliberately put her hand under her nose, as if she really smelled something unpleasant, and frowned.

"Can't you smell it? It reeks of poverty and squalor," Zhao Ruhui continued, her tone full of disdain and sarcasm.

As she spoke, she laughed exaggeratedly a few times, seemingly finding her words very amusing.

Upon hearing her words, Wan Yue turned pale with anger. She glared at Zhao Ru Hui with wide eyes, wishing she could rush up and argue with her immediately.

However, just as she was about to take a step forward, Shen Cao suddenly reached out and grabbed her.

"Wanming, don't go too far. Sister Cao'er is a distinguished guest invited by Mother." Wanyue turned her head and looked at Shen Cao, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes.

She knew Shen Cao was reminding her not to act impulsively, lest she anger Zhao Ruhui.

Wanyue took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

She looked at Zhao Ruhui and said, "Sister, it's really impolite of you to talk like that. Sister Cao'er is our guest, and we should treat her with courtesy."

To everyone's surprise, Zhao Ruhui didn't take Wanyue's words to heart at all.

She chuckled softly and said, "A distinguished guest?! Today's banquet was specially prepared for me." Her tone was full of arrogance and conceit, as if she didn't take Shen Cao seriously at all.

Wanyue's face turned even uglier, and she gritted her teeth.

"Sister? Don't forget, I am your biological sister, while she is just a lowly commoner."

"Hahaha!" Zhao Ruhui suddenly heard Shen Cao burst into wild laughter. The laughter was particularly abrupt in the quiet Imperial Garden. She was so frightened that she almost jumped up and cursed inwardly, "Has this person gone mad?"

After she calmed down a bit, she glared at Shen Cao and asked coquettishly, "What are you laughing at? What's so funny?"

Shen Cao raised the corners of her mouth slightly, looking at Zhao Ruhui with a half-smile, and said slowly, "I just heard that His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Xia Kingdom is a wise ruler who is revered by all people, and that the Imperial Concubine is even more kind-hearted, like a bodhisattva reborn."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I've heard that the Imperial Concubine spends an unknown amount of her own money every year on charitable deeds! The people speak highly of her!"

As Zhao Ruhui listened to Shen Cao's words, her face grew increasingly gloomy. She snorted coldly and said, "That's for sure. My mother has always been charitable and is deeply loved by the people."

Shen Cao's smile widened, and she said softly, "However, I am a little curious, what would Her Highness the Imperial Concubine and His Majesty the Emperor think if they knew that you referred to their beloved subjects as lowly commoners?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ruhui was struck dumb. Her eyes widened as she stared at Shen Cao in disbelief, pointing at her, but she couldn't utter a word for a long time.

Seeing this, Shen Cao chuckled inwardly, but pretended to be worried and said, "Princess Wanming, you must be careful with your words! There are quite a few people watching around the Imperial Garden. If your words today get out, it might not be good for your reputation."

Zhao Ruhui snapped out of her daze and hurriedly looked around. Sure enough, she saw some people gathered not far away, pointing and whispering at them, clearly watching the spectacle.

"By the way, I've also heard a saying that a person will be shaped into a certain way depending on where they grow up."

"I wonder if Your Highness, having grown up on the frontier, has been exposed to the barbaric customs of the borderlands."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ruhui's face darkened, and she was about to reprimand him when Shen Cao's words came in rapid succession: "However, I think Your Highness will certainly not be influenced by such customs. After all, how could such a unique hobby be cultivated in a border region?"

After saying that, she casually looked Zhao Ruhui up and down, and anyone could see the contempt in her eyes.

Seeing this, Zhao Ruhui trembled with anger. She stared at Shen Cao with wide eyes, but for a moment she couldn't find the right words to refute him.

At this moment, the suppressed laughter coming from all around was like knives piercing her heart.

Zhao Ruhui's face turned from pale to white, then from white to red. Her hands were clenched tightly, and her nails dug deep into her palms.

Finally, as if she could no longer bear the humiliation, she suddenly pulled several hairpins from her head and held them tightly in her hand.

However, holding this hairpin in my hand, I couldn't just throw it away, but continuing to hold it was also really awkward.

Zhao Ruhui felt as if her hands didn't belong to her, and she had no idea what to do.

"You just wait!" Zhao Ruhui gritted her teeth and squeezed out these words. Then, like an enraged cat, she and her maid fled in a hurry.

"That's it?" Shen Cao's lips curled up slightly, revealing a contemptuous smile, and she gently shook her head.

She had thought the other person would be incredibly capable, but to her surprise, after only a few words, the other person turned and left in a hurry, like a startled rabbit.

Seeing this, Wan Yue was secretly delighted, but on the surface she pretended to be anxious and called out loudly to Zhao Ru Hui's receding figure, "Sister, sister, why are you leaving?" Her voice revealed a hint of urgency and worry.

However, as soon as Zhao Ruhui's figure completely disappeared from sight, Wanyue immediately burst out laughing as if she had become a different person.

She turned around, grabbed Shen Cao's hand tightly, and laughed so hard she almost fell over.

"Sister Cao'er, when did you become so amazing?" Wanyue looked at Shen Cao with admiration, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Shen Cao did not respond to Wan Yue's praise; her expression remained somewhat gloomy.

Actually, she didn't want to be so harsh on Zhao Ruhui, but the thought of Zhao Ruhui being so arrogant and rude to her despite her status made her anger like a lit powder keg that she couldn't suppress.

"Do you think she might go to Mother Consort to complain?" Wanyue suddenly stopped laughing and asked with some worry.

Shen Cao shook her head slightly and replied, "I don't know." Her tone was calm, as if she didn't care whether Zhao Ruhui would complain.

"Is your mother the kind of unreasonable person?" Wanyue pressed.

Shen Cao shook her head again and said firmly, "No."

"That's settled then." Wanyue breathed a sigh of relief, and the worry on her face disappeared.

Inside the Moonflower Palace, Shen Shuhua was having a pleasant conversation with her mother when suddenly a series of whimpering sounds came from inside. Immediately afterwards, Zhao Ruhui rushed in like a gust of wind.

"Mother, you must stand up for me! Someone is bullying me!" Zhao Ruhui shouted at the top of her lungs as soon as she entered the room. Her cries were so heartbreaking that they brought tears to the eyes of anyone who heard them.

Upon hearing this voice, Old Mrs. Shen frowned.

She looked closely and saw a little girl in a red dress running towards her daughter, crying and sobbing, completely unaware of her grandmother's presence, let alone greeting her.

Seeing this, Shen Shuhua couldn't help but frown. She turned to Zhao Ruhui and said softly, "This is your maternal grandmother. Quickly greet her."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ruhui was visibly taken aback. She then pouted and reluctantly bowed to Grandma Shen, muttering, "Hello, Grandmother."

After performing the ceremony, Zhao Ruhui didn't look at Old Madam Shen, but went straight to Shen Shuhua's side and continued to cry, "Grandmother, someone is bullying me."

Seeing Zhao Ruhui's appearance, Old Mrs. Shen's already furrowed brows furrowed even more deeply.

She thought to herself, "Didn't we say we'd already sent someone to teach this child manners? How come he's still so ill-mannered?"

Although Shen Shuhua felt that her daughter was somewhat ill-mannered, she still cared about her and quickly asked.

"What's wrong, who bullied you?"

"The one that Wanyue brought with her, what's her name, Shen Cao?"

“She insulted me, said things about me, said I came from a barbaric place.”

"Grass?"

"Is there some misunderstanding? Cao'er isn't that kind of person."

Grandma Shen never expected that the person who clashed with Zhao Ruhui would be Shen Cao; this was completely unexpected!

Seeing this, Shen Shuhua quickly comforted him in a soft voice, "Ming'er, are you perhaps misunderstanding something? I know this young lady Shen Cao, and she is not the kind of rude person you described."

Zhao Ruhui had never expected that Shen Shuhua and Old Madam Shen would be so biased towards Shen Cao. Although she suppressed her anger, she couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Is that so?"

Seeing this, Shen Shuhua quickly continued to persuade, "It must be a misunderstanding. When Cao'er arrives later, we can ask her in person to clarify things. We don't want any real misunderstandings."

Upon hearing that Shen Cao would be questioned, Zhao Ruhui felt a little uneasy. She was afraid that her previous actions would be exposed, so she quickly said, "Since Grandmother says it's a misunderstanding, then it must be me who misunderstood Miss Shen Cao! When I see her later, I will definitely apologize to her properly, so there's no need for Grandmother and Mother to trouble yourselves any further."

After saying that, Zhao Ruhui seemed to suddenly remember something and quickly added, "Oh, right! I think there are still some places I haven't finished looking around. I'll go out and continue looking around now, so I won't disturb Mother and Grandmother's chat." Before she finished speaking, she hurriedly left with her people.

Shen Shuhua, with a stern face, ordered, "Go and find out what happened."

After a while, Shen Shuhua listened to the palace maid's words, her gaze deepening.

"Why don't we wait a bit before the reward? This child has been spoiled since he was little. Let the nanny teach him a lesson again," Old Madam Shen suggested from the side.

Shen Shuhua sighed heavily and remained silent for a long while before nodding.