Chapter 471 - 469 Princess Fu
Maternal Aunt Liu thought back to the incident that occurred two years ago at Duke An’s sixtieth birthday banquet. Their mother-daughter scheme had leveraged Ye Xinyan’s arrangements, leaving behind no obvious loopholes, but idle gossip among people still spread widely.
Intra-household strife was common in every family, where winning was a testament to one’s abilities. However, her daughter had always presented herself as generous and well-mannered. Should people discover that she plotted against her legitimate elder sister, showing no regard for her grandfather’s sixtieth birthday celebration or the reputation of her maternal family, she would likely face significant doubts regarding her past conduct. Her in-laws would be especially vigilant and disgusted.
But who could have anticipated that Ye Xinyan, being in such dire straits at the time, could have made a comeback and even garnered the attention of many, with the Emperor himself recognizing the fact of her fleeing and returning to her family at court.
With the situation as it was, they could only look on the bright side. Maternal Aunt Liu said, "Don’t worry, she would be the last person to bring up such a humiliating event. She likely said what she did just to scare you."
Ye Xinyi considered this and felt somewhat reassured. "That makes sense." Yet she remained visibly dejected.
"Are you worried about how to explain this to your mother-in-law?" Maternal Aunt Liu asked.
Ye Xinyi nodded and then shook her head. "Of course it’s difficult to explain things to my mother-in-law and elder sister-in-law. But what disturbs me more is that Ye Xinyan has changed from before; she’s become patient, sharp, and coherent in her speech. Mother, do you think that Princess Fu personally inviting her to the banquet is a sign that the rumors about her are true, and that she could indeed accomplish great things now?"
Maternal Aunt Liu showed disdain, "Even if the rumors are true, those are not the sort of affairs a woman should involve herself in. A woman among a bunch of rough laborers and artisans—what respectable family would accept her? No matter her capabilities, she is but a laughingstock in the eyes of noble households."