Li Man'er had always been blunt, and none of the women present were unaware of her character. Even if she were to curse someone in public, it wouldn't be considered a rarity.
However, Tong Qiuwu was the legitimate daughter of the second branch of the Duke of Rong's mansion, and her paternal aunt was the Grand Princess. In public, people would usually show her some respect. Even Li Man'er, when encountering her before, would at most express her displeasure or engage in a few light verbal sparring matches. She would never go as far as she did now, directly asking why she wasn't dead yet.
Tong Qiuwu was so enraged that her pretty face turned pale. She wished she could immediately tear Li Man'er's mouth apart. Yet, in front of everyone, she still retained a sliver of reason. This was the Princess Wuyou's poetry gathering; no matter what, she couldn't afford to be reckless and cause a scene.
She was not like Li Man'er; she still cared about her reputation.
"Li Man'er, don't be ungrateful. For the sake of our acquaintance, if you leave now, we'll pretend we never saw you. Otherwise, if a scene is made later, don't say we didn't warn you."
Li Man'er smiled charmingly, a smile that sent shivers down people's spines.
"I haven't just met you today. Bring on whatever tricks you have. But if we're talking about embarrassing scenes, can it be worse than the one at the Grand Princess's mansion last time? People like you would do anything for your own selfish gain. I'll wait and see."
Her words almost drove Tong Qiuwu to her death. "You, you are simply..."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot that people surnamed Tong don't really like hearing the truth."
The onlookers, enjoying the spectacle, were quite startled. How had Miss Li suddenly gone mad again, saying anything that came to her mind?
Some ladies, who had been playing with parrots under the nearby corridor, turned their attention when they heard the argument.
"What's wrong with Miss Li? Has she gone mad again?"
"Who knows?" Madam Pei, the wife of the Ministry of Rites' Assistant Minister, remarked, "I heard earlier that when Miss Li was just born, a wandering Taoist priest read her fortune and said she was a 'lone wild goose leaving the flock.' I think that was putting it mildly."
This lady had witnessed Li Man'er's defiance of the Grand Princess, so her words were quite pointed.
"Should we go and try to mediate? If it really comes to a fight, it wouldn't look good on the Princess."
"They are all young ladies from the capital; they should have some sense of propriety." A fight? It shouldn't come to that, should it?
Madam Pei smiled sarcastically and said, "Others might not, but that Miss Li is hard to say. I'm telling you, last time at the Grand Princess's mansion, she kicked her steward嬷嬷 in front of the Grand Princess. It angered the Grand Princess so much that her headaches flared up."
"She's that bold?"
"She actually resorted to violence in front of the Grand Princess?" How could this be tolerated?
What was most surprising was that no news had leaked to the outside world. It was likely that the Grand Princess had suppressed the information to avoid a widespread scandal and loss of face.
Yet, even so, Miss Li didn't seem to have faced any punishment?
As Madam Pei was basking in her own cleverness, she suddenly noticed the terrifying silence around her. The arguing voices had disappeared, and the other ladies wore awkward expressions.
Madam Pei had a bad premonition. When she glanced to the side, she was so terrified that her hands and feet trembled, looking as if she had seen a ghost.
"Heavens above," Madam Pei clutched her chest and glared at Li Man'er, "Miss Li, you are too rude. What if you frighten someone to death?"
Li Man'er looked as innocent as ever and said loudly, "Madam, are you feeling guilty? What does it have to do with me?"
"You..." Madam Pei's face turned green, then white. "Nonsense, what do I have to feel guilty about?"
"If you're not guilty, why are you so scared?" Li Man'er deliberately looked up at the sky. "The sun is so bright, the ghosts haven't even come out yet."
Her words made Madam Pei even more flustered. "Stop talking nonsense, what ghosts?"
"Not ghosts, but a gossiper."
The other ladies felt extremely awkward, wanting to laugh but not daring to, so they could only force themselves and look away.
Madam Pei's features were about to fly off in anger. "Miss Li, what excellent upbringing! Are you not afraid of bringing disaster to the Marquis Tie Dan's mansion?"
"Madam, you have such a sharp tongue, speaking of gossip so vividly. Aren't you afraid of bringing disaster to Assistant Minister Qin?"
*Pfft*
A nearby lady couldn't hold back. The word "sharp tongue" was too common, too vivid.
"You..." Madam Pei's tongue failed her at the crucial moment. She was old, and being embarrassed by a young girl made her angry. Her slightly plump hand was raised.
Li Man'er didn't move, as if she were stunned. Li Zhaor and Tong Qiuwu, seeing this from a distance, were overjoyed, wishing Madam Pei would slap her a few more times.
Just as Madam Pei's palm was about to descend, a spider the size of a cup's rim slowly lowered itself by its thread, landing right on Madam Pei's hand.
Madam Pei, having come from a wealthy family, had never seen such a terrifying creature. She shrieked and shook her hands, but the spider seemed to be stuck to her hand, refusing to come off no matter how hard she shook it.
Those around didn't know what was happening, only to see Madam Pei jumping as if possessed.
Her maids and servants rushed forward. "Madam, what's wrong with Madam?"
"What happened?"
"Could it be an insect?"
Perhaps Madam Pei's scream startled the spider. For some reason, the spider bit her fiercely. Madam Pei felt a sharp pain in her hand. In pain and fear, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot.
"Madam, Madam."
"Someone, quickly! The Madam has fainted!"
"What happened?"
"Quickly send for an imperial physician!"
When Princess Wuyou heard the news and arrived, Madam Pei had already been carried to a side room. Fortunately, the doctor was in the mansion and arrived quickly, already attending to Madam Pei.
"What exactly happened?"
Before anyone else could speak, Tong Qiuwu stepped forward, bowed to Princess Wuyou, and said, "Your Highness, this Miss Li is speaking and acting without restraint. I don't know what she said or did to Madam Qin, but she frightened Madam Qin so much that she jumped up and down and fainted."
Li Zhaor bit her lip and remained silent. The incident at the Grand Princess's mansion last time had left a significant shadow on her. Even a meticulously planned scheme could fail, so it was better for her not to speak rashly.
Besides, internal strife was truly unsightly.
Li Zhaor's inaction was somewhat surprising to Li Man'er, and she looked at her half-sister with a bit more respect. Had she finally learned her lesson?
"Man'er, what's going on?"
The entire hall was astonished. No one expected Princess Wuyou to call Li Man'er by her given name, which was a sign of intimacy.
When did Li Man'er get so close to Princess Wuyou?