Everyone with long ears understood what was happening.
Princess Wuyou had previously hosted a poetry gathering, and this Miss Qian Er had lost face at it. She, who was originally skilled in poetry, was crushed by the infamous Miss Li. Thus, she was unwilling to accept it and now wanted to find a way to regain her honor.
Her feelings were understandable, but shouldn't she consider the occasion? Princess Wuyou's body was barely cold, and she was already causing a scene in her home. Wasn't that pushing her luck too far?
"Miss Qian Er, the banquet is about to begin. There's no harm in discussing matters later."
"Exactly!" someone who was not on good terms with Madam Xu immediately chimed in, "Madam Qian, you should be more sensible at this moment. Advise your daughter not to let a small matter lead to a great loss and damage her reputation."
Many were waiting to see the mother and daughter in an embarrassing situation.
Madam Xu's head was buzzing. She pulled Miss Qian Er aside and whispered sternly, "You'd better behave yourself. This is the Princess's manor. What do you think you're doing?"
If Madam Xu had still harbored the idea of her daughter outshining Li Man'er at the poetry gathering, then the trip to the Medicine King Temple had made her completely abandon that thought. If even Madam Guo, who was so calculating and cunning, could not outwit Li Man'er, why should they dwell on the poetry gathering? They had leverage over Li Man'er, after all.
This was not something she could let Miss Qian Er know, so Madam Xu had to find another explanation.
Miss Qian Er suppressed her anger and said, "Mother, don't worry, I won't."
Madam Xu thought her daughter was usually sensible and felt relieved. Little did she know that Miss Qian Er's resentment had piled up like a mountain, and she paid no heed to Madam Xu's admonishments.
The ladies were seated one by one.
Li Man'er did not sit with Cui Shi. Their table was filled with elderly ladies of high rank and title, with no juniors. Thus, Li Man'er sat with a few young ladies. Among them was a round-faced girl who kept showing favor to Li Man'er. It was the same Miss Huang who had ghostwritten "Qing Ping Diao" last time.
Li Man'er did not have any deep friendship with her, so she merely smiled and nodded in response.
Those who sat at the vegetarian tables were served cold food and vegetarian dishes. Li Man'er was a meat-lover and felt her mouth was completely flavorless, so she put down her chopsticks.
Qian Fangruo at the next table saw this and immediately spoke up, "Miss Li, are the dishes not to your liking? I see you haven't eaten much..."
She spoke as if she had something more to say, appearing very concerned about Li Man'er.
Madam Xu saw this and her brows immediately furrowed. She knew her daughter too well. When she said such things, it meant she was about to stir up trouble.
Qian Fangruo was beautiful and had enjoyed scholarly pursuits since childhood. She was very doted upon at home, and her numerous siblings always indulged and tolerated her.
Yet, even so, Qian Fangruo was not satisfied. In her perception, she was the pearl of the Qian family and deserved such treatment. Therefore, whenever her siblings achieved something outstanding, Qian Fangruo would secretly undermine them, making them look foolish or incompetent, so as to make herself appear more accomplished and outstanding.
To put it bluntly, Qian Fangruo was vain and pretentious, unable to stand others being better than her, not even her own siblings.
"I am feeling a bit melancholic, so I can't eat much," Li Man'er responded calmly, without any intention of losing her temper. If it were the original host, would she have argued with the Qian woman?
"I see. That's understandable. After all, the Princess treated you with special favor. It's only natural for you to be sad. Now that the Princess is gone, your backer is gone too, and you've become a public enemy. Shouldn't you be sad?"
Madam Xu could hardly believe these words were coming from her own daughter. She reprimanded Qian Fangruo and then got up to go to her daughter's side, glaring at her fiercely, "You shut up and stop talking nonsense."
"Miss Li, I am truly sorry. This child might have eaten something wrong and is speaking nonsense. Please don't take it to heart." Madam Xu's face had turned pale, afraid that Li Man'er would reveal what they had done at the Medicine King Temple because of this incident.
In fact, Madam Xu was overthinking.
Li Man'er stood up, met the gaze of Madam Xu and her daughter, and said slowly, "Miss Qian Er is worrying too much. Backers will fall, and people will leave. I believe that at any time, people should rely on themselves. Take me, for example. Everyone outside says I am arrogant and rude, but so what! Everyone has eyes, and they will eventually know the truth. If those people speak lies with their eyes open, there's nothing I can do."
She was clearing the original host's name.
"Moreover, I never thought of the Princess as my backer."
As soon as she said this, it gave people the impression of arrogance. Who didn't know how much weight Princess Wuyou held in the Empress Dowager's heart?
"The Princess and I hit it off immediately. I treated the Princess's leg, wrote poems for the Princess, and the Princess saw me as a confidante. How could I be as calculating as Miss Qian Er says?"
Qian Fangruo immediately sneered, "You really know how to flatter yourself." The implication was that Li Man'er was shameless, profiting from the deceased. After all, the Princess was already dead, and who knew if they were truly confidantes.
"Speaking of backers, I'm sure everyone knows that when my birth mother, Madam Ning, passed away, the Empress Dowager, pitying my young age and orphaned state, bestowed a marriage upon me. However, the young Duke and I were not fated to be, and this marriage has now been dissolved by the Empress Dowager's decree. Therefore, having the Empress Dowager as my backer is more than enough."
The hall fell silent. Everyone knew Li Man'er was not bragging. As powerful as Princess Wuyou was, she owed her current status to the Empress Dowager.
"My maternal grandfather was from the Ning family. I, Li Man'er, am the legitimate eldest daughter of the Iron Gallant Marquis's manor! These are my foundations." Li Man'er looked at Miss Qian Er with a half-smile, then suddenly placed her hand on the table. She channeled her internal energy, and with a crack, she broke off a corner of the table.
All the ladies were startled by her move, their eyes wide and their hearts racing irregularly.
Good heavens, this table was made of the finest ash wood, and it was so thick. She just snapped off a piece as if it were nothing. How much strength did that take?
Qian Fangruo also shuddered in fear. Her gaze towards Li Man'er now held a hint of dread.
"Miss Qian Er, do you think I still need any backers?"
Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, Madam Xu immediately said, "Miss Li, please don't stoop to her level. I will take her away immediately and will surely bring her to apologize another day."
Madam Xu roughly pulled Qian Fangruo, who reluctantly followed her.
After the mother and daughter left, the atmosphere in the hall relaxed somewhat.
"Old Madam, I didn't expect Miss Li to know martial arts. She truly comes from a military family, a fierce daughter of a general."
"That's not surprising. I always felt this little girl was intelligent. Her words are not timid, and yet, they can slap people in the face."