Chapter 138 Pride

Words : 1399 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

"What did I do wrong?!" Princess Nanzhang repeated. Her face suddenly turned colder by several degrees. She said coldly, "It seems you didn’t think there was anything wrong with robbing the Empress Dowager at all!" Su Jin looked at her and blinked, "The news from the palace came back too quickly, didn’t it? I haven’t even returned yet, and the news has already arrived." "But the news was wrong. I didn’t rob the Empress Dowager; I earned merit, and the Empress Dowager rewarded me," Su Jin corrected. "..." Reward? Second Madam and Third Madam exchanged glances. They didn’t know what words could accurately describe the Eldest Young Madam anymore. Brazen, shameless, or thick-skinned... none of these fully encompassed her. Not getting Princess Shouning stung to death was considered earning merit, and she wanted a reward from the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager didn’t give her anything, yet she took whatever she saw and wanted. If that’s not robbery, what is? "Could it be that you’re afraid of the Old Madam’s blame and don’t dare to admit robbing the Empress Dowager?" Third Madam said with a half-smile. "Third Aunt, do you think that’s possible?" Su Jin retorted. "..." Third Madam was choked on her words. If she didn’t even care about the Empress Dowager, let alone the Old Madam. Seeing Third Madam’s face turn green, Second Madam stifled a laugh. Knowing the Eldest Young Madam was hard to provoke, why deliberately rile her up? "Third Aunt, no need to provoke me. Robbery is the most common thing we do at Qingyun Mountain. If I did it, there’s nothing I wouldn’t admit. However, I won’t confuse rewards and robbery, especially since the Emperor was present today," Su Jin said calmly. "The Emperor was present, and he’s protecting you!" Princess Nanzhang was furious. "..." "Knowing the Emperor is protecting me, yet you rebuke me. Are you trying to oppose the Emperor?" Su Jin glanced at her. "...!!!" Princess Nanzhang gritted her teeth. Xie Jinyu stared at Su Jin, "Just because you saved the Emperor once, he favors you in everything, ignoring even his own daughter, Princess Shouning! Did you feed the Emperor some kind of mind-altering potion?!" Su Jin was speechless. Can you all not think with your feet? Their brains were left unused like decorations. "What mind-altering potion? The Emperor is wise. If there really was such a potion, I would have fed you a barrel of it by now, and would you still be glaring at me?" Su Jin said. "Besides, it was the Empress Dowager who hit your palm today. Is the Empress Dowager also biased in my favor?" Su Jin asked. Not mentioning it was fine, but at the mention, Xie Jinyu shook with anger. She was almost eager to pounce and bite Su Jin to death right there. Su Jin enjoyed seeing others so enraged yet helpless. But even so, she couldn’t hold a grudge. Su Jin also admired it. "I’ll say this up front: in the future, I’ll take my path, you take your bridge, everyone minding their own business, peace and harmony naturally follow. But if you can’t think straight and rob my pig gut, don’t blame me for truly robbing you," Su Jin said. "..." Xie Jinyu’s face turned red and purple with anger. A suppressed snicker leaked out from the surroundings. Princess Nanzhang cast a cold glance over. The maids and wives, whose shoulders shook with laughter, quickly lowered their heads. The room suddenly fell silent. The wind blew in. The fragrance of sandalwood wafted up, making one feel delighted. Of course, the only ones delighted were Su Jin and Xingxing. The Old Madam fiddled with her Buddha beads, saying, "What kind of poison did the young master of Duke Chong’s Mansion get? Give me the antidote." Su Jin blinked, "Old Madam, you wouldn’t want to send the antidote to Duke Chong’s Mansion, would you?" Feigned ignorance! If not to send it to Duke Chong’s Mansion, would the Old Madam want it for herself? Everyone harbored these thoughts internally. "Why are you fussing with a six-year-old child?" The Old Madam had a hint of coldness in her gaze. "It’s not that I’m fussing, but that you, Old Madam, haven’t understood the situation. Those who delivered the message certainly haven’t told you. Wasn’t the young master of Duke Chong’s Mansion instructed by his mother to bite me?" Su Jin asked. "You pity that he’s just a six-year-old child, but the Duchess of Duke Chong was willing to use her own six-year-old son to bite someone," Su Jin sneered. "That’s impossible!" Princess Nanzhang denied. "The young master of Duke Chong’s Mansion confessed it himself," Xingxing said. "If the young master of Duke Chong’s Mansion lied, then it’s a good opportunity to teach him a lesson so he doesn’t lie fluently when he grows up," Su Jin stated calmly. "..." In short, dreaming of getting the antidote from her to send to Duke Chong’s Mansion was wishful thinking. The Old Madam, unable to speak further, sternly said, "Are you trying to make Duke Zhen’s Mansion enemies with Duke Chong’s Mansion and the Empress Dowager?!" Such an accusation was overwhelming. Su Jin’s neck felt stiff. Su Jin massaged her neck and looked at Xie Jingchen, "Is the Duke Zhen’s Mansion so weak as to fear Duke Chong’s Mansion and the Empress Dowager, and let me, a rightful Eldest Young Madam, apologize to the unreasonable Duke Chong’s Mansion?" "If you’re so spineless, so different from the unyielding character of Qingyun Mountain, fine. If Duke Zhen’s Mansion wants to curry favor, it’s not my business. But I won’t suffer such a grievance. Divorce me then." "..." Xie Jingchen held his forehead. The Old Madam’s face turned purple with anger. Being so spineless and fearing trouble then divorcing a wife—Duke Zhen’s Mansion couldn’t bear such disgrace. How would Duke Zhen’s Mansion stand tall in the court afterwards?! If this news spread, it might even affect the Duke Zhen’s military prestige. If Duke Zhen’s Mansion feared Duke Chong’s Mansion so much, why shouldn’t those generals simply switch allegiance to Duke Chong for a prosperous future? Xie Jingchen looked at Su Jin, saying, "Grandfather was proud and unyielding. He despised those who bowed to power. The Old Madam knows his temperament well and would never do such a thing. She was just testing you, and she would be proud to have a granddaughter-in-law like you who fears no power." Su Jin, "..." She twitched the corner of her mouth. The stair offered by this one was even shabbier than the ones her brother made himself. If the Old Madam stepped on it, she would fall off immediately. But. She was pleased. Su Jin looked at the Old Madam and blinked, "Is what my husband said true?" The Old Madam’s chest heaved violently. Several words burst through her clenched teeth, "Chenchen knows his grandmother best." "I’ll definitely become an Eldest Young Madam that Duke Zhen’s Mansion is proud of!" Su Jin promised. "..." The Old Madam was trembling with anger. Mrs. Zhao stood beside Princess Nanzhang, looking at Su Jin, "Duke Chong’s Mansion is like half the family of the Commandery Princess. If the Eldest Young Madam has a grudge with Duke Chong’s Mansion, won’t the Commandery Princess be stuck in between feeling wronged? Can’t the Eldest Young Madam think of the Commandery Princess?" Su Jin didn’t answer her and instead turned to Xie Jinyu, "I thought after a maid’s suicide yesterday, the matter of the Purple Jade Bracelet would be settled. Why did you have to bring it to the Empress Dowager? Can’t you think of me as your sister-in-law? Such a small issue, you insisted on pursuing it." Mrs. Zhao, "..." Her face burned fiercely with embarrassment. Xie Jinyu’s lungs exploded with rage. Su Jin sighed, "If you hadn’t complained, the Empress Dowager wouldn’t have called me into the palace. Then, the hornet’s nest from the tree in the Imperial Garden wouldn’t have fallen by my feet, wouldn’t have gone mad, wouldn’t have stung Princess Shouning unconscious, or even stung the Empress Dowager. Lastly, the Duchess of Duke Chong wouldn’t have visited the palace and instructed the young master of Duke Chong to bite me, ending up with a swollen mouth...." "Taking another step forward leads to a dead end, taking a step back opens up a vast horizon. I hope you can remember this lesson," Su Jin said.

Chapter 138 Pride

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