Chapter 1372 – The Grapevine Collapses (Part One)
Lady Han was momentarily taken aback, then her face twisted into a scowl.
Jiang Pengji’s metaphor clearly struck a nerve with Lady Han, and her usual dignified demeanor became quite disheveled.
Using Huang Song and his wife as a metaphor—was that not blatant humiliation?
“Young Master Lan Ting, as the leader, are you really going to gossip about your subjects’ household affairs like a busybody?”
So what if she maintained contact with her family?
From start to finish, she had no rebellious thoughts; instead, it was this leader who seemed to harbor a petty spirit.
Lady Han couldn’t quite articulate her feelings at that moment; she simply felt a shameful anger at Jiang Pengji for intruding into her affairs with Han Yu, as if her freedom was being monitored and restricted. In a fit of rage, she let her voice rise, and the mention of “Young Master Lan Ting” fell clearly into the ears of the other ladies present. The nearby ladies froze like deer in headlights, staring blankly at Jiang Pengji and Lady Han, their gazes darting back and forth.
They hadn’t heard what Jiang Pengji had said to Lady Han, but they certainly caught what Lady Han just said to Jiang Pengji!
Although it’s rare for leaders to meddle in the household affairs of their subjects, it’s not unheard of; for instance, Huang Song used to enjoy sending gorgeous women to his subjects.
However, with Jiang Pengji being a female leader and most of her subjects being male, any involvement would certainly feel awkward and ambiguous.
Even if the relationship was perfectly innocent, the gossip-hungry folks could concoct countless tales of love and betrayal.
A single unmarried leader and her married subjects…
Tsk, tsk, is it not juicy, melodramatic, and explosive? Even more enticing than a novelist’s fiction?
The moment Lady Han finished speaking, she regretted it. With a pale face, she hastily bowed in apology, trying to make up for it.
“My words lacked propriety; I humbly ask Young Master Lan Ting for forgiveness.”
With her movement, the other ladies at the tea gathering quickly paled and followed suit, bowing in apology.
Lady Dou recognized that Young Master Lan Ting was the same roughwoman who had been noisily snacking earlier, causing her face to go ashen. She desperately lowered her head, sweating profusely, inwardly praying that Jiang Pengji wouldn’t hold a grudge for the earlier incident. Gossip was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now.
Jiang Pengji frowned; she was about to speak when her peripheral vision caught the livestream chat going wild.
【Vini’s Green Hat】: Don’t just say anything, streamer! Based on my years of watching palace drama, if you don’t handle this well, you might end up with a scandal. You need to distance yourself from Han Yu at once; otherwise, these gossipmongers will concoct stories overnight, and by tomorrow it’ll be news that “Young Master Lan Ting is infatuated with Han Wenbin, and the tea gathering mocked Lady Han”!
【Head of Abortion Squad】: Han Wenbin’s wife looks like an elegant beauty, good-looking with great poise. However… she doesn’t seem as likable as one would expect… maybe it’s because of the way she looks at others?
The audience, like dried fish, started buzzing with chatter. Jiang Pengji casually skimmed the comments, turning her gaze elsewhere.
She addressed Lady Han, “You have a valid point; this is indeed a personal matter between you and Wenbin, and outsiders shouldn’t interfere. But do remember, Wenbin is also a subject I rely upon; if he becomes distracted by family matters and cannot dedicate himself to serving me and seeking the welfare of the common people, then it’s not only his fault but also yours for not keeping your household in order. As the saying goes, ‘When husband and wife are of one mind, their benefits are as solid as gold.’ If Wenbin is fortunate enough to receive your full support and not have any worries, that would be his blessing. Do you agree with this, Lady Han?”
With just a few words, Jiang Pengji cleared the air between everyone; upon hearing this, the ladies presumed that she was merely acting as a mediator.
“Young Master Lan Ting is absolutely right.”
Lady Han forced out a few dry laughs, her expression strained.
Jiang Pengji gestured for her and the other ladies to rise, and after a moment, she took her leave.
She was just there to snack and take a break; now everyone knew she’d been slacking off at work.
Staying in the room felt like she was the teacher watching the students during after-school hours—everyone was silent, and it was so quiet one could hear a pin drop. As soon as she left, the previously silent tea gathering erupted into chatter.
The ladies exchanged complicated glances at Lady Han.
Having the Young Master Lan Ting personally mediate the household matters of Han Yu and Lady Han suggested their relationship was on the verge of collapse, significantly affecting Han Yu.
However, since Lady Han was the host of the gathering, the others didn’t feel comfortable speaking freely.
They couldn’t discuss that topic, but there were other things to talk about.
“Was that really Young Master Lan Ting just now? Such a handsome person; I heard she’s still unmarried, and it seems to be true.”
Jiang Pengji’s hairstyle had always been that of an unmarried young lady, though she looked a bit more mature than a young girl.
A certain lady in her forties confidently remarked, “Of course it’s true; those eyebrows yet to bloom, definitely a prime flower of society.”
The others gasped in surprise, then pondered after a moment.
Before seeing her true self, they had doubts whether Jiang Pengji was just hideously ugly, hence no man wanted her, leaving her single at this age. Now that they saw her in person, her looks and aura were remarkable; not only men, even ordinary women would feel their hearts flutter.
With such excellent attributes, why was she still single?
Jiang Pengji anticipated becoming the topic of ladies’ discussions, but she did not expect this to become the catalyst for Han Yu and Lady Han’s quarrel. After the tea gathering concluded, the word of Jiang Pengji’s sudden appearance spread quickly.
Han Yu rushed home under the stars, and upon hearing this news, hurried straight to the house.
Lady Han was sitting in the main hall, her profile flickering in the dim candlelight, occasionally accompanied by the crackling sound of the flames.
Seeing Han Yu return, she remarked sarcastically:
“You haven’t returned for six straight days, and I offend Young Master Lan Ting today—so you rush back, huh…”
Upon hearing this, Han Yu paused at the doorstep, his initial tension morphing into a suffocating frustration.
“Lady, if you have something to say, just say it outright. Why beat around the bush?”
Between him and the leader, it was a pure master-subject relationship. Lady Han’s insinuations insulted both of them!
A loyal servant would die for their confidant, and the leader was that confidant; Han Yu certainly wouldn’t allow such malicious slander to go unchecked.
“Han Wenbin, are you here to make a scene?”
Lady Han’s fury ignited; although she had been rude during the day, it wasn’t enough for Han Yu to rush home just to scold her, right?
“Unreasonable commotion!” Han Yu retorted, “When have I ever intended to make a scene?”
He had hurried back home with great difficulty, only to find he couldn’t even stay with his family, leaving him no choice but to find an inn to spend the night, huh?
“Not making a scene? I’m the one being unreasonable?” Lady Han countered, “I want to ask, has my husband and Young Master Lan Ting become so close that they share a bed and have intimate relations? If not, then why did she publicly humiliate me and meddle in my household affairs? She has her eyes on the world; she’s the backbone of the common people, while I’m merely a household wife. But I know well enough what avoiding suspicion means!”
At this point, Han Yu’s patience snapped.
Lady Han suddenly reined in her anger, her delicate hand brushing her cheek.
She asked Han Yu, “So my husband finds my jealous visage abhorrent and ugly?”
