Favoring a concubine and destroying the wife? I'll abandon my husband and children and wipe out

The purpose of attending the Spring Banquet was to meet the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister. However, upon suddenly hearing that Zhao Huaiyu had actually beaten the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister, Ye Ruyue panicked.

Now, can they still persuade the Left Prime Minister's eldest daughter to help them see Abbess Fang?

But upon hearing Lady Wu'an's words, Ye Ruyue frowned: "What do you mean, 'we need a written explanation'? It's still unclear who hit whom first, and who started the trouble. Why are you pushing the blame onto us first!"

A hint of amusement flashed in Cheng Nanzhi's eyes. She deliberately put on a stern face and whispered, "Cousin, shut up!"

Then he looked at Lady Wu'an, "Madam, I'm so sorry, we'll go and take a look now."

Lady Wu'an glanced at Ye Ruyue with a sullen face and hurried off. The other ladies also quickly went to see her with their entourage.

Just as Cheng Nanzhi was about to follow, Ye Ruyue suddenly grabbed her.

"Sister-in-law, what are you saying?"

"Yu'er is your daughter. Why aren't you taking her side now, instead of speaking up for outsiders? You're not going to make Yu'er suffer later, are you?"

"What kind of mother are you?!"

Ye Ruyue questioned, and all her pent-up dissatisfaction burst forth.

Cheng Nanzhi remained calm, only asking, "Do you know who this Left Prime Minister's eldest daughter is?"

"Nonsense, didn't you already say she's the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister? So what if she's the Left Prime Minister's daughter? Yu'er isn't bad either; she comes from an official family, and she has her cousin and you as her mother, doesn't she?" Ye Ruyue retorted.

Cheng Nanzhi sneered, "It seems my cousin is really new to the capital and knows nothing?"

"The eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister has been pampered since childhood. Her father is the current Left Prime Minister, her eldest daughter is the only daughter of the Marquis of Changning, her aunt is the current Empress, and her uncle is the current Emperor!"

Ye Ruyue was suddenly startled.

"She was pampered since childhood, doted on by the Left Prime Minister's family, and deeply loved by the Emperor, who would frequently visit the Empress. Once, the son of the Imperial Censor Jiang merely mentioned her in a restaurant, which was innocuous enough, but when the Emperor found out, he was demoted three ranks for defaming the Imperial Censor's reputation and sent to a local post, never to return to the capital!"

After Cheng Nanzhi finished speaking, Ye Ruyue's face paled slightly, and she said in disbelief, "She is so favored by the imperial family, even more so than you?!"

“Cousin, you flatter me. I wouldn’t dare compare myself to the Left Prime Minister’s eldest daughter. Besides, if that weren’t the case, why do you think Zhao Ye would want to get involved with the Left Prime Minister’s family?”

"But if we offend the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister now, and if we don't handle it well, let alone being able to see Abbess Fang, it's hard to say whether Zhao Ye's official position will be affected."

Cheng Nanzhi flicked her sleeve, turned around, and quickly followed.

Ye Ruyue's face turned deathly pale. Just thinking about it filled her with fear, and she hurriedly chased after him.

Let's rewind to a short time ago.

Led by the servants of the Marquis's residence, Zhao Huaiyu arrived at the seats arranged for the Zhao family at the banquet, and curiously glanced around the venue.

The daughters and young ladies brought by each lady gathered here for the time being, chatting with their familiar friends, and having a very happy and lively time.

However, in recent years, because Cheng Nanzhi was not in the mansion, the Zhao family had no mistress to attend banquets, and the old lady of the Zhao family rarely received banquet invitations. Zhao Huaiyu had never participated in similar occasions, so he had no opportunity to make close friends with similar temperaments.

Sitting here all alone now, Zhao Huaiyu felt incredibly envious.

Suddenly, Qingdai said, "Miss, why don't you go and make some friends too? It's easy. You just need to talk to them about things they're interested in, and you'll become familiar with them in no time." Qingdai suggested with a smile.

Zhao Huaiyu shook his head and said, "But how would I know what they're interested in? What if I say the wrong thing and offend them instead?"

“Then praise others. For example, say that your rouge is very nice today, and ask where you bought it, or how well your clothes and jewelry match. These are things that all young ladies would say. Look, there are people over there saying it too, so it can’t be wrong,” Qingdai said.

Zhao Huaiyu was somewhat tempted.

Qingdai added, "Reciprocity is key, and others will praise you too. Just keep going with the conversation, and it will be even better."

Zhao Huaiyu liked to hear others praise her, so she immediately stood up. However, when she saw the elegantly dressed and noble young ladies around her, she looked at herself and began to have second thoughts.

Qingdai seemed to have seen through her and said, "Are you worried that compared to them, you don't have anything to offer?"

Zhao Huaiyu bit her lip and nodded.

Qingdai seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

Zhao Huaiyu immediately grabbed her arm, "Sister Qingdai, you have a way, don't you?!"

“Yes, yes…” Qingdai seemed to have made a great decision, and said, “Actually, Madam also prepared a gift for today, a pair of crabapple blossom hairpins that were once bestowed by the palace, which is extremely beautiful. But when she arrived, she heard that the Lady of Wu’an Marquis did not like extravagance, so she did not take it out and it is still in the carriage.”

Zhao Huaiyu's eyes lit up: "Then I want it! Sister Qingdai, please go and get it for me!"

"But Madam said it's incredibly precious and must be carefully kept, perhaps as a gift for another lady next time. Besides, there are only two of these hair ornaments in the world; the other one is in the palace, so it's best not to damage it even slightly..."

Zhao Huaiyu became more and more interested as he listened, and before Qingdai could finish speaking, he forcefully ordered her to go and get it.

Qingdai had no choice but to go. She returned quickly and went to a corner with Zhao Huaiyu. She carefully put the hairpin on her hair and said, "Miss, this is also a favorite of Madam. You must be careful."

Zhao Huaiyu was only interested in showing off, so he nodded haphazardly and rushed out. Sure enough, as soon as he appeared on the first floor, many young ladies from official families noticed him and took the initiative to come over and ask about his hair ornaments.

Upon hearing Zhao Huaiyu say that it was a gift from the palace, the people around her exchanged glances and asked familiarly which family's young lady Zhao Huaiyu was.

Zhao Huaiyu proudly introduced himself, emphasizing the identities of Zhao Ye and Cheng Nanzhi.

This made the people around him even more enthusiastic, showering him with praise one after another, making Zhao Huaiyu feel quite flattered.

Then suddenly someone said, "Hey, why does your hair ornament look exactly like Jin Tang's? Could it be a fake?!"

Zhao Huaiyu was furious when he heard this.

"What fake? You're the fake one! This was a gift from the palace. It must be that Tang Dai's that's the fake!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent. The young ladies of the officials stared at Zhao Huaiyu in shock.

Zhao Huaiyu turned around for no apparent reason and saw a beautiful woman, about fifteen years old, with a radiant and bright appearance like the sun, being surrounded by a crowd.

The moment it appeared, it stole the spotlight from everyone present.

Zhao Huaiyu was also stunned.

A cold laugh drew her attention back.

"Are you saying I carry counterfeit goods?!"

Zhao Huaiyu then noticed the hair ornament in the other woman's hair that was exactly the same as hers. The hair ornament, which was only used as a finishing touch on her, made the other woman radiant and made her look like a graceful and noble peony fairy.

"What else could you be carrying if not a fake?" Zhao Huaiyu retorted, sticking out his neck.

The woman scoffed, "This was bestowed upon me by the Emperor himself; it's one of a kind. With my status, why would I need a fake? But you—"

She glanced at Zhao Huaiyu with disdain, the meaning of which was self-evident.

The other young ladies from the Guan family surrounding her covered their mouths and chuckled: "Just because you wear the exact same jewelry as Jin Tang doesn't mean you can have Jin Tang's demeanor. Some people are just imitators, talking big without even worrying about hurting their backs."

Zhao Huaiyu retorted angrily, "I was bestowed upon you by the palace! I think you're just jealous and pretending! Even if you wore the same one as me, it wouldn't be any better!"

The woman's face immediately darkened, and she snapped, "What a big mouth you have! Who do you think you are?! Guards, strip her of her jewelry and let her see clearly how she dares to compare herself to me!"

People around immediately went over.

Zhao Huaiyu was now enraged.