570 Turn the tables on her
Madam Zhu did not expect Shi Qingluo to brazenly mock her for being an evil mother-in-law and look down on her son.
She naturally had a lot of tactics up her sleeves in her backyard, but she rarely bickers with others.
As a result, her entire body trembled with rage, but she had no idea how to respond.
She raised her finger and pointed at Shi Qingluo. “You’ve gone too far. You’re simply impudent!”
Shi Qingluo suddenly threw the teacup in her hand onto the ground.
“Madam Zhu is disrespectful to me. Someone come and slap her!”
Didn’t these people look down on her identity? Then she had to use her status as a princess to suppress them.
As soon as she finished speaking, the two maidservants behind her suddenly stepped forward. One of them pulled Madam Zhu up from her seat, while the other expressionlessly slapped Madam Zhu ten times in front of everyone.
All of this happened too quickly.
Everyone only reacted when the maidservant finished beating and returned to Shi Qingluo’s side.
Madam Zhu covered her face and glared at Shi Qingluo in disbelief. “Did you really hit me?”
Shi Qingluo sneered. “You’re a madam who doesn’t even have a rank. I’m a first-rank princess. Why wouldn’t I dare to hit you?
“Besides, I didn’t hit you without a reason.
“Not only did you point your finger at me, but you’re also insulting me by saying that I’m presumptuous.”
Shi Qingluo raised an eyebrow and looked at her. “Tell me, who is being impudent?
“These two are the maidservants the emperor placed by my side to protect me. Why would I not dare to hit you?”
It felt good to bully others with one’s rank.
For someone like Madam Zhu, who wanted to push her sister-in-law into the fire pit, it would be too easy on her if she just criticized her.
It was good to slap her in public.
Let’s see who would dare to have any ideas about her sister-in-law.
Madam Zhu choked. “You, you…”
She didn’t know how to retort.
Although she despised this village woman, Shi Qingluo, in her heart, this wretched girl’s identity was that of a princess.
She had not expected Shi Qingluo to embarrass her so much when she only mentioned the marriage.
She felt that she couldn’t stay here any longer as she felt the gloating, sympathetic, and well-deserved gazes from the people around her.
Hence, she covered her face and glared at Shi Qingluo. “You watch out.”
Then she quickly left with her maidservant. She would remember this.
Shi Qingluo did not care that she had drawn some hatred.
In the face of absolute strength, all schemes and intrigues were as transient as floating clouds.
She was not afraid of the Zhu family.
And as long as the head of the Zhu family still had a clear mind, he would not let his wife do as she pleased.
“Tsk, tsk. a lady from an influential family. She really has no manners.”
She looked at Madam Zhu’s back and continued, “You are disrespectful to the princess the moment you arrived, and now you’re leaving without saying a word. You are clearly waiting for a slap on your face!”
His words made Madam Tu, who was standing not far away, pull a long face.
When Madam Zhu spoke just now, she had just walked over, so she deliberately didn’t continue walking closer and chose to watch the show.
Madam Zhu had always been difficult to get along with, so she was perfect to use against Shi Qingluo.
However, she had not expected Shi Qingluo to be so arrogant and overbearing.
She had scolded and beaten up a lady from an aristocratic family as she pleased.
Her arrogance was almost on par with Princess Zhen’s.
However, Madam Zhu had been beaten up.
If she really wanted to pursue the matter, it would be her fault.
No matter what, Shi Qingluo’s status as a princess was legitimate.
Although the head of the Zhu family was a third-rank official, Madam Zhu wasn’t bestowed an official rank by the imperial court.
Not to mention that her status was lower, she was also stupid, so she was used as an example by Shi Qingluo as a warning to the others.
Madam Tu was already unhappy, and hearing Shi Qingluo’s sarcasm made her feel even more uncomfortable.
Not to mention that Madam Zhu did not have a rank, she didn’t either.
Perhaps on purpose, the wives of the officials in Northern City were not given an imperial decree.
This meant that, with the exception of the former Prince Jin’s princess consort and former Princess Zhen, the other madams had no ranks.
Now that the two of them had been demoted to commoners by Prince Jin, Shi Qingluo’s status was actually the highest among all the madams in the entire Northern City.
Madam Tu took a deep breath and walked over with her maidservants.
Shi Qingluo turned to a maidservant and ordered, “Send someone to tell the head of the Zhu family that his wife was disrespectful to me and told me to watch out.
“I’ll wait and see how the Zhu family will deal with me.
“A lady who doesn’t even have a rank actually dared to go against a first-rank princess personally appointed by the emperor. Is the Zhu family even more powerful than His Majesty?”
These words caused many of the madams present to have ugly expressions.
Although Shi Qingluo was referring to Madam Zhu, she also looked down on them. After all, they were all ladies who didn’t have a rank.
Moreover, Shi Qingluo was making a mountain out of a molehill by sending her people to the Zhu family.
The last sentence was even more heartbreaking.
Although everyone knew that the Zhu family had sided with Prince Jin, the world still belonged to the emperor.
What did it mean that they were more powerful than the emperor? Would the Zhu family dare to admit it?
Before Prince Jin succeeded, Madam Zhu’s humiliation by Shi Qingluo would definitely not be avenged, and the head of the Zhu family might even scold her.
At this time, the madams who originally wanted to probe Xiao Baili’s marriage decided otherwise.
At the same time, they also had a common understanding that Princess Fubao was not to be trifled with.
The maidservant left quickly, obviously heading straight to the Zhu family.
For a moment, the madams did not know what to say.
Madam Tu walked over and broke the awkward silence.
A lady from Prince Jin’s faction immediately said with a smile, “Madam Tu is here!”
Madam Tu smiled. “I’m sorry, I was making arrangements for the flower viewing, so I’m late!”
“We’ve just arrived too,” the madam said with a smile.
Madam Tu walked up to Shi Qingluo and Xi Rong and bowed. “Greetings, princess. Greetings, marquis!”
Shi Qingluo smiled half-heartedly at Madam Tu. “It seems like only Madam Tu knows her manners.”
Then she changed the topic. “But you suddenly bowed to us. This would cause the other madams to be a little embarrassed, right?
“After all, since the marquis and I arrived for this flower banquet, from the maidservants all the way till the other madams, none had actually greeted us.” She smiled meaningfully.
These words were somewhat sarcastic.
If they were so respectful to her, a princess, and Xi Rong, a marquis, why didn’t the Tu family’s maidservant greet them when they entered?
What was the Tu family implying by greeting them now?
At the same time, it also pushed Madam Tu to the opposite end of the fence away from the other madams.
As expected, the other madams were also unhappy.
Madam Tu, was really too much.
As soon as she arrived, she greeted Shi Qingluo and the Southern marquis.
Wasn’t she embarrassing those who didn’t greet them?
If Shi Qingluo didn’t explain it clearly, everyone would just pretend that they didn’t know.
But now that she had been called out and it had been especially emphasized that only Madam Tu knew her etiquette, it seemed that they were not polite.
Madam Tu had bowed to Shi Qingluo and the marquis on purpose and was implying something else to the other madams.
Shi Qingluo was arrogant because of her status as a princess. She was not an easy person to get along with.
This caused everyone to have a bad impression of Shi Qingluo, and they even kept their distance.
In Northern City’s circle of power, it was naturally important for the madams to socialize.
She just wanted to lead the other madams in Northern City to let Shi Qingluo, a magistrate’s wife, be left alone.
Who would have thought that Shi Qingluo would turn the tables on her?