Hearing her words, Song Chaoyu also opened her own box and found a whole bolt of Hu silk inside. However, it was in a rather gaudy color, clearly not to Song Chaoyu's taste.
Beneath the Hu silk lay two jade beads inlaid with gold. The contents of this single box alone were of considerable value.
Song Chaoyu looked around and noticed that everyone held a similar box.
The noble ladies from households that were usually on good terms with the Ning Prince's manor seemed to have received even more and better items in their boxes.
After distributing these gifts, the whispers about the Ning Prince's manor lessened.
Song Chaoyu and Song Yanrou hadn't been seated for long when Song Yanjiao appeared.
Her pregnancy was not yet apparent, yet she wore a loose-fitting water-sleeve woven cloud skirt adorned with gold embroidery and jade.
Typically, such dresses were only worn after a lady's pregnancy became noticeable.
Her appearance now clearly signaled her intentions.
As the hostess, Song Yanjiao naturally offered some polite greetings first.
Then, she clapped her hands behind her and announced, "Serve the dishes! Today, I have prepared new and innovative dishes for everyone. I have also invited the side consorts of the manor to perform music and dance for you. Please enjoy."
Wasn't this treating Wu Lingru and the others as mere entertainers?
Song Chaoyu couldn't help but wonder how Wu Lingru and the others would tolerate this.
It appeared that Wu Lingru and the others had no intention of being manipulated so easily.
Although Song Yanjiao had made the announcement, Wu Lingru and the others were conspicuously absent.
"Ahem!"
Song Yanjiao's composure faltered slightly. She coughed lightly and called out to those behind her, "What's going on? Where are they? With so many guests present, are you expecting them to just sit here and wait? Allowing mere side consorts and concubines into the prince's manor is already a show of favor; are you truly so ungrateful?"
It wasn't just Wu Lingru and the others; even the guests like Song Chaoyu, seated there, felt Song Yanjiao was being excessive.
The concubines aside, Wu Lingru and the other two side consorts were daughters of prominent families in the capital. How could Song Yanjiao treat them with such disdain?
Song Chaoyu believed that given Wu Lingru's temperament, she had endured enough of Song Yanjiao's bullying.
She was certainly not someone to be trifled with.
As expected—
Wu Lingru and the others remained hidden behind the scenes.
The noble ladies seated in front began to whisper amongst themselves.
Song Yanjiao's dignity was clearly being undermined.
She almost shouted towards the back, "What is happening? Why aren't they coming out?!"
"Bang—"
Before Wu Lingru could even speak, Concubine Li, who was serving tea to Song Yanjiao, seemed to have reached her limit and smashed the teacup in her hand onto the ground!
"Ah!"
The commotion startled Song Yanjiao.
She immediately stood up and slapped the table, "How can you be so careless in your duties?! With so many guests present today, have you gone mad?!"
"Careless?"
Concubine Li let out a cold snort, "This concubine is truly not careless. I merely wish to ask the Princess Consort, why am I being made to do the work of maids?"
This Concubine Li was known for her sharp tongue. She had been a maid gifted to Prince Ning, Mu Hansu, by others. Not long after entering the manor, Song Yanjiao became pregnant, and naturally, Concubine Li did not have an easy time.
Song Yanjiao trembled with rage, "Are you rebelling?! Even as a concubine, you were elevated by the Prince and myself! How dare a mere maid cause such a scene in the Ning Prince's manor?"
"Guards!"
Song Yanjiao did not want to lose face in front of so many people, "Drag this ignorant and presumptuous wench away! Do not ruin my banquet, do not ruin the reputation of our Ning Prince's manor!"
"..."
However, even after her shouts, there was no movement.
Since the guests invited today were all noble ladies from the capital, to avoid any impropriety, the servants in the rear courtyard were not the official guards of the Ning Prince's manor, but rather young eunuchs and maids.
Normally, young eunuchs and stronger maids or matrons could handle such matters, but at this moment, everyone stood frozen in place.
"Guards!"
Song Yanjiao's slight trembling now made it unclear whether it was from anger or a hint of fear, "Are you not even listening to me? I told you to drag this ignorant and presumptuous wench away!"
"Princess Consort Ning, there's no need to waste your breath!"
At this moment, Wu Lingru, along with another side consort and a few concubines, emerged from the back of the courtyard.
She let out a sneer and rolled her eyes at Song Yanjiao, "You constantly scold and abuse the people in this courtyard; who would still listen to you, the Princess Consort Ning? Don't bother, they won't move!"
With the situation escalating to this point, the noble ladies seated below likely realized that this was the eruption of long-simmering conflicts within the Ning Prince's manor.
Song Chaoyu also observed that Wu Lingru had united those who were bullied in the rear courtyard, intending to "rebel" against Song Yanjiao from this very moment.
But to do so in front of so many people... Wu Lingru was prepared to sacrifice her reputation and leave no room for Song Yanjiao to maneuver!
"You... what are you doing?!"
Song Yanjiao walked up to Wu Lingru and pointed at her as a warning, "Don't go too far! What kind of day is it today? Who are all these people present? Even if you disregard my feelings, you must consider the Prince!"
"Slap—" Wu Lingru slapped Song Yanjiao's finger away from her face.
She sneered, "Face? What face can our Ning Prince's manor possibly have anymore? Doesn't everyone know that you've driven the Prince away from home every day! And you still speak of face? Our Ning Prince's manor has long become a laughingstock in the capital!"
"Nonsense!"
Even though Song Yanjiao knew it in her heart, she would never readily admit it.
She even puffed out her belly, "I am now carrying the Ning Prince's child, the flesh and blood of the imperial family! He is merely busy with state affairs. Not only can you not help him, but you also cause trouble. If the Prince knew, he would surely not spare you!"
"Heh—"
Wu Lingru let out another cold laugh, "At that time, the Prince will personally punish me. But today, I must stand up for the sisters in the manor!"
She stepped forward and suddenly addressed the guests, "I am not afraid of you all laughing. The reason for this commotion today is to ask you all to be our arbiters! As you all can see, the dignified Princess Consort of Ning has turned the Ning Prince's manor into such a mess! She even treats us side consorts as entertainers for her amusement! This is right under the Emperor's nose, and just because she is pregnant, she can treat us this way?"