003: Do you still want this face?

Princess Dongli was quite displeased. The way Fourth Mrs. Su addressed her made it hard for her to maintain her dignity. Was a country bumpkin, reclaimed from the sticks, really worth all this protection?

However, even though Princess Dongli was upset, she didn't dare openly confront the Qi Country Duke's Mansion. Given that she was in a precarious position, she maintained her smile and explained, "Miss Xu was shaken, and I got held up. Fortunately, Miss Suliu is strong and was able to swim back. Otherwise, it would indeed be my fault."

You can tell from her words that she was mocking Su Xinyi for being rustic enough to be strong enough to swim. All the city-bred girls are delicate and tender, who could swim themselves back to shore? Just look at Miss Xu and you'll see.

Country-bred is simply not the same as those pampered elite maidens.

Su Xinyi knew Princess Dongli. She was a petty, competitive, intolerant, and face-saving person. Su Xinyi didn't want her mother to lose face because of her, so she tugged on her mother's sleeve.

Fourth Mrs. Su hadn't initially planned to make a fuss, but Su Xinyi's sneaky sleeve-pull tugged at her heartstrings. The child had just returned and was probably worried about causing trouble for her. She patted Su Xinyi's hand to reassure her but became even more resolved to not let this incident slide.

If she doesn't take a stand for Su Xinyi now, wouldn't that mean anyone could step on her in the future?

"When visiting Dongli Palace, one must be not only strong and robust, but also meet the Princess's affinity and proximity criteria. It seems to me that ordinary people like us don't earn a place in the Princess's good esteem. Whether we live or die is entirely up to the Princess's mood," said Fourth Mrs. Su.

Fourth Mrs. Su's words hit the nail on the head, practically tearing the Princess's face off and trampling on it. If Prince Dongli finds out, he'd probably faint on the spot.

The Lord of the Su Family had just sacrificed himself for the country, and now they're bullying a widow and an orphan? What will happen if word gets out? Will they even have any face left?

The guests felt a jolt of shock. Fourth Mrs. Su had gone mad, risking a conflict with Princess Dongli for some bumpkin bastard!

Su Xinyi was also startled. She was about to stand up but was held tightly within her mother's arms. She knew what her mother was getting at - she was to stay down. She didn't want to disrupt her mother's plans, so she stayed still.

But... she felt somewhat embarrassed.

Princess Dongli was about to explode with anger. Mrs. Gao didn't have any children herself, but she was treating her late husband's illegitimate child like a treasure. Bah!

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Mrs. Jiang stepped forward and said, "Let's all take it easy, Princess and Fourth Lady. The most pressing matter now is to call a doctor to check up on the two girls. It's late autumn and the water is cold. We must ensure they haven't harmed themselves."

At this advice, Fourth Mrs. Su immediately agreed out of concern for Xinyi.

Princess Dongli was stuck between a rock and a hard place. As the host, she had to swallow her pride and send a notice using her husband's name to invite the Imperial Physician to examine the girls.

Xui Yurong and Su Xinyi were settled in the rooms, bathed in warm water, and dressed in clean clothes. The palace also sent them bowls of freshly made ginger tea.

After drinking the ginger tea, Su Xinyi finally felt a bit more comfortable. Her eyes never left her mother.

Seeing this, Fourth Mrs. Su softened, patting her hand and saying, "Xinyi, don't worry. I won't let you be wronged for what happened today."

Su Xinyi felt like crying again. Why was she so weak-willed? Despite being reborn, her tear ducts seemed shallower, unable to hold back the tears.

"Mother, it was Xui Yurong who pushed me into the water," Su Xinyi said, knowing what mattered most at this point. She put aside all resentments for the moment. In her past life, she missed the best opportunity because she didn't trust her legitimate mother. She wouldn't let Xui Yurong escape so easily this time.

"Why would she push you into the water?" Fourth Mrs. Su's face turned grim. "Humph, Xui Yurong is generally well-regarded. I never thought she could be so malicious in private. Tell me everything in detail."