Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 261 - 243: Full of Harvest

Chapter 261: Chapter 243: Full of Harvest

Their original intention was to disgrace Meng Qianqian, but who could have imagined Meng Qianqian had such powerful backing—she turned out to be Yun Xiyao’s personal disciple!

No, thanks to them, Meng Qianqian has now become Yun Xiyao’s closed-door disciple, with her status rising even higher!

The ladies watched with great interest; today’s drama was truly engrossing, with one twist following another—truly thrilling!

Wait a moment, over the past six months, the most sensational twists in the Capital City all seemed to involve Meng Qianqian—even when unrelated to her, she was always present.

All eyes turned to Meng Qianqian, their gazes undergoing yet another shift.

Meng Qianqian: Wait, what kind of looks are those? You’re making me a little uneasy...

The group secretly resolved that at all future banquets, they wouldn’t invite anyone else—they’d only invite Meng Qianqian, as following her meant an endless stream of drama.

"Young Madam Lu, we misunderstood you earlier; we truly apologize."

The daughter of the Minister of Rites was the first to step forward and apologize to Meng Qianqian.

Of course, the family of the Minister of Rites was known for being adept at navigating social circles, always graceful and resourceful.

With her leading the way, the other noblewomen and young ladies followed suit to offer their apologies.

Meng Qianqian graciously accepted their apologies.

Yun Xiyao commented that she wished to take back her disciple’s flawed creation.

Yao Qingluan, however, said, "Lady Yun, I really like this fan."

The fan featured her favorite snowball design, along with a depiction of herself.

Everyone kept reminding her to perform her role as Empress, but only in this fan’s design was she truly herself; it allowed space for her personal preferences.

Besides, the embroidery was exceedingly well done.

Yao Qingluan flipped the fan over and scrutinized it, unable to understand what Yun Xiyao found unsatisfactory.

Even Meng Qianqian chimed in, "Master, don’t be so demanding."

Yun Xiyao replied coolly, "No ambition."

Though her tone suggested disapproval, who couldn’t detect the satisfaction in her voice?

Only the wounded pride of Changning Marquis Mansion and the displaced embroiderer Wu Xiuniang remained unmitigated.

Wu Xiuniang had been expelled.

Though the mother-daughter pair of the Changning Marquis family had not officially been thrown out, the humiliation they experienced today would provide months of gossip for the people of the Capital.

Lady Yun was unexpectedly gracious today, sitting in Jingren Palace for quite a while. The noblewomen sought her advice on embroidery, and she patiently taught them.

She was practically the perfect master, bringing great honor to her disciple.

Meng Qianqian, brimming with pride, patted Yun Xiyao’s shoulder: "Master, keep making your disciple proud."

Yun Xiyao replied coldly, "Did you get that backwards?"

Meng Qianqian instantly transformed into a timid chick: "Disciple understands her mistake."

Upon leaving Jingren Palace, the group encountered Wu Xiuniang kneeling on the roadside.

They disdainfully walked past her, even the Changning Marquis’s wife, avoiding her like she was a snake, pulling her daughter along hurriedly.

Wu Xiuniang couldn’t help but recall those days when the Marquis’s wife humbled herself, begging her to admit her daughter as a disciple.

Her so-called good disciple hadn’t even spoken a single word of defense for her today.

But she wasn’t waiting for their attitude—what she truly awaited was Yun Xiyao.

Yun Xiyao spoke indifferently, "I don’t want to see her."

Meng Qianqian said, "Master, you head on back. I’ll go have a word with her."

Yun Xiyao did not stop her and headed back to the Supreme Empress’s Kunning Palace with Kang Youcheng.

Meng Qianqian approached Wu Xiuniang and shook her head: "Why bring this upon yourself? In the world of schemes among the powerful, family backing serves as the safety net. Losing once won’t break them, but you? One misstep can mean utter ruin. You don’t even have the chips needed to compete!"

Wu Xiuniang realized this far too late.

Yun Xiyao’s protection and the aura of Yanyu Pavilion had deluded her into thinking she was superior.

But once Yun Xiyao retracted her favor, she was left with nothing.

Bracing herself against the ground, she endured the pain in her knees as she slowly stood up: "Isn’t it just because you have a better family background?"

"That phrase—where have I heard it before? Ah, I remember now."

Lin Wan’er had once said those exact words to her.

But she distinctly remembered that, back when she was part of the Lu Family, her origins were always a point of criticism.

They’d belittled her as a merchant’s daughter, tainted with the stench of copper and utterly unsuitable for the upper echelons.

So, was her background good or bad?

Meng Qianqian didn’t bother arguing with Wu Xiuniang. After all, however Wu Xiuniang chose to view her, it didn’t matter—she wasn’t about to waste her breath changing her mind.

Instead, she aimed to convey a single truth.

"You’ve always felt Master was partial to me, haven’t you?"

Wu Xiuniang responded bitterly, "Is that not true? I followed Master for ten years, but I only learned the basics of double-sided embroidery. And even then, she praised me faintly, as if she thought I’d reached the limits of my talent. But you? Despite your impressive skills, she still isn’t satisfied; she believes you can do even better!"

Engaging in debate over this was pointless. Meng Qianqian shook her head: "Wu Xiuniang, do you know why Master asked you to go to Kunning Palace but didn’t tell you she was going too?"

Wu Xiuniang replied coldly, "How would I know?"

Meng Qianqian met her gaze directly: "She wanted to introduce you to the Supreme Empress. With the experience of tailoring for her, your reputation in the Capital City would skyrocket. She was like a protective elder watching over you from the shadows, ensuring you were ready before letting you stand on your own."

"One cannot choose their family origins, but Master did everything within her power to elevate you to the highest place. She paved a bright path for you, and you were the one who destroyed it."

Wu Xiuniang’s eyes reddened as she desperately shook her head: "No... that’s not true... that’s not true... that’s not true..."

She hugged her head, collapsed to the ground, and cried silently in her pain.

Meanwhile, Tan’er had finally gotten her much-anticipated braised pork at Jingren Palace, but to her utter surprise, it wasn’t delicious!

"Sister."

In the carriage, she whined, "I want braised pork."

Ban Xia asked, "But didn’t you just eat it at Jingren Palace?"

Tan’er pouted, "It wasn’t tasty. I want something delicious! Chef Liu’s version!"

Who could understand this? After tasting something so mediocre, only the very best braised pork could make up for it!

Meng Qianqian chuckled: "What can we do? Chef Liu just requested leave last night. He’s returning to his hometown for a month!"

Chef Liu was one of the chefs at the mansion, and his braised pork was a masterpiece.

This news was a complete shock!

Tan’er said, "Then-then let’s eat dishes made by Madam Du!"

Madam Du had learned the recipe for braised pork from Chef Liu and could make a decent version.

Ban Xia replied, "Madam Du burned her hand and can’t cook these days."

Tan’er slumped hopelessly onto the bench in the carriage: "My braised pork—"

-

On the way back, Meng Qianqian reflected carefully on the day’s events at the palace.

Today had brought significant gains—not only did she gain insight into Tao Shiyu’s character, but she also indirectly confirmed that Yun Xiyao’s identity was anything but ordinary.

But what was her true background?

It seemed that next time, she needed to find an opportunity to pry into her Master’s story.

"Miss, we’ve arrived."

Brother Wu stopped the carriage.

Meng Qianqian gathered her thoughts and tapped Tan’er’s cheek: "Let’s disembark."

Tan’er gazed soullessly at the carriage ceiling: "Braised pork, braised pork, braised pork."

Meng Qianqian couldn’t stop laughing and got off the carriage first.

Ban Xia stayed behind to pull Tan’er out.

At that moment, another carriage stopped at the gate of the Governor Mansion.

A heavily pregnant woman was helped out by her maid.

It was none other than Lin Wan’er and Lu Luo, whom they hadn’t seen in days.

Lin Wan’er’s belly appeared ready to burst, yet her demeanor was that of someone seeking confrontation.

She blocked Meng Qianqian’s path.

Meng Qianqian immediately took a step back: "No playing the victim here!"

Lin Wan’er gritted her teeth as she glared at Meng Qianqian.

Lu Luo supported her arm and addressed Meng Qianqian: "My lady wishes to know—where is our General?"

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