Jiang Muting didn't know that her wish of becoming the Princess Consort of Wei would fail, so she was totally fine with the current feast and even had a sense of superiority while facing the other beautiful girls.

After socializing for a round, she found time to show care for Song Yixiao, "The sweet osmanthus cake tastes refres.h.i.+ng, but now is not summer yet and it is windy in the mountain. You had better eat less for the sake of your health."

Song Yixiao wanted to say okay when a maid suddenly came from behind. After looking around for an instant, she walked to the front of Jiang Muting and bent over to report, "Miss Jiang, something is wrong with the cottages. Would you like to go over and have a look?"

Jiang Muting was surprised and recognized the clothes of the maid. The maid was from the Zhanchun Venue. Jiang Muting couldn't help asking, "What's wrong?"

The cottages that the maid mentioned were on the both sides of the mountain road below the square. There were ten-plus cottages built leaning the mountain among the trees and flowers.

When they climbed up the mountain, they pa.s.sed by the cottages. These cottages could accommodate people just like other buildings within the Zhanchun Venue, but now as they were near the feast position, they were used as restrooms.

The spare clothes and ornaments that the feast attendants brought were all placed inside and guarded by the servants of the Zhanchun Venue.

Now that the maid came here to inform her, there must be something wrong...

Jiang Muting and Song Yixiao were hesitant. Then the maid put on an embarra.s.sed and frightened look, saying in a low voice, "A servant of Miss Cui knocked down your jewelry box accidentally and a pair of jade dangling ornaments were broken. Someone has gone to inform Miss Cui, so..."

Song Yixiao was still pondering whether this matter was related to Commandery Princess Nanzhang.

Otherwise, no matter how powerful Daiguo Grand Princess was, given that Jiang Muting's family background was impressive and her auntie was the adoptive mother of Prince of Wei, Jiang Muting was said to be the childhood sweetheart of Prince of Wei. There was no reason why she would be defeated by Commandery Princess Nanzhang.

Upon hearing of Miss Cui, she was astounded, "Which Miss Cui?"

"The niece of n.o.ble Consort Cui." The jade dangling ornaments were not broken by the maid but they were in the charge of her. Since there was something wrong with the ornaments, she must be held accountable. As Song Yixiao was a companion of Jiang Muting, the maid didn't dare to hide anything but to say carefully, "The one called Jianlian."

"Sister Muting, look at the servants over there, who are holding the hampers. I suppose that the feast is starting." Song Yixiao felt slightly nervous. She had never heard that Jiang Muting held grudge against Cui Jianlian. Was this matter aimed to be against her? She wanted to propose going over there and having a look with Jiang Muting when she saw the corner of the square. Then she said, "Should you leave later?"

Jiang Muting looked to the direction that she pointed to and slightly raised her head, "Yes. I cannot leave now." Then she ordered the maid, "Go back first and send word that I've been noted and will go over there when I am free..."

Then her face suddenly turned pale, "Which pair of jade dangling ornaments? Are they the ones that my grandma left to me?"

The maid answered in surprise, "I don't know. As far as I saw, they are a pair of jade dangling ornaments with twinned trunks and pearls."

The minute that the maid finished speaking, Jiang Muting turned furious instantly. She took a deep breath and finally held back her anger, saying in a harsh tone, "Leave first. Let's get back to it in a while!"

"My grandma loved me most when she was alive, so she left most of her hairpins and ornaments to me by her deathbed." Jiang Muting was obviously in a bad mood. After the maid left, she stayed gloomy for a while and still couldn't help talking to Song Yixiao, "The pair of jade dangling ornaments were her favorite things when she was a little girl. I asked for them for several times when she was alive but she never gave me. I didn't get them until..."

Then her eyes turned red at once. She bit her lips harshly and reluctantly stopped sobbing.

Song Yixiao really doubted that Jiang Muting was implicated by her so she felt really guilty. She was about to comfort her when Jiang Muting heaved a sigh, waved her hand and said, "It's my fault. I should have worn other clothes instead of bringing them here."

Apparently, Jiang Muting brought the dangling ornaments to match her spare clothes today. Unexpectedly, the dangling ornaments had been broken before she got changed.

Seeing her depressed look, Song Yixiao had no idea what to say at the moment. Luckily, the music suddenly stopped now. People all looked at the seats of honor. As expected, Commandery Princess Qingjiang stood up smilingly and announced the start of the feast.

Commandery Princess Qingjiang was not a talkative person so she finished the pleasantries casually.

Afterwards, the servants took away the fruit and dessert and started to serve the dishes. Then another group of dancers entered to liven things up.

The dishes were good and the dancers performed quite well. Jiang Muting would have enjoyed the feast but now she was worried about the jade dangling ornaments. She really wished that the feast could end soon so that she could leave and find out what happened to her dangling ornaments. Of course she was feeling on pins and needles.

Song Yixiao, who didn't feel better than her, kept wondering, "Why does Cui Jianlian do this? Does she come for me or Jiang Muting? Or maybe she is instigated by Commandery Princess Nanzhang to do this?"

Worried and downhearted, they finally stayed until the middle of the feast. Having looked around and made sure that it was time to leave the feast, Jiang Muting hastened to get up. Song Yixiao also followed her to stand up and said, "Sister Muting, shall I go with you?"

Jiang Muting was anxious to learn about the situation and thought that Song Yixiao must be worried about her, so she hesitated for a while and then nodded her head, "It's okay that you come with me, but you had better not say anything. Cui Jianlian is not a mild-tempered person. I don't want her to vent her anger on you!"

Song Yixiao smiled bitterly and doubted that Jiang Muting might be the one she wanted to vent her anger on!

However, guilty as she was, she also found that something was wrong. Jiang Muting was not inferior to Cui Jianlian. In fact, without considering the Crown Prince, the Jiang Family was actually superior to the Cui Family. If Cui Jianlian only wanted to plot against Song Yixiao, why did she offend Jiang Muting first?

As Jiang Muting attached great importance to the jade dangling ornaments, the grudge couldn't be easily broken!

Song Yixiao thought it over while leaving with Jiang Muting for the cottages.

When Jiang Muting and Song Yixiao arrived at the front of the cottages together, the maid who sent word to Jiang Muting hurriedly advanced to greet them, "Dear ladies, this way please!"

Having been conducted into a cottage, Jiang Muting saw the silk handkerchief on the table. Above the handkerchief there were a pair of jade dangling ornaments, green all over, which were carved into twinned trunks decorated with pearls on both sides. The pearls were fine but the ornaments themselves were broken into pieces. They were merely put together reluctantly.

"Where are Cui Jianlian and her maid?" Upon knowing that the pair of jade dangling ornaments left by her grandma were broken, Jiang Muting felt hopeless and couldn't help flying into a rage. She questioned the maid harshly.

"Miss Cui came here 15 minutes ago. She didn't see you here and found this place a bit stuffy, so she has gone out for a walk." The maid answered carefully.

"How dare she find the cottage stuffy under this circ.u.mstance?" Jiang Muting, greatly irritated, clenched her fists and asked, "Where has she gone?"

After the maid pointed to the direction, she immediately went out of the cottage. Song Yixiao felt that something was wrong and wanted to ask more from the maid. However, now she had no time to do that and hurried to chase after Jiang Muting while lifting her dress, "Sister Muting, calm down!"

Nevertheless, how could Jiang Muting listen to her?

Song Yixiao chased her out of the door but she was still too late. Jiang Muting, who was furious, had stridden tens of meters afar with her maid and turned a deaf ear to Song Yixiao's shouting.

The cottage they went into was situated at a higher alt.i.tude. Standing at the corridor outside the door and looking down, one could see a girl and her maid picking flowers on the mountain road about 40 meters away. The girl looked slim and graceful with a soft and beautiful profile. Judging from her appearance, she was Cui Jianlian.

When Song Yixiao saw them, they also found Jiang Muting. Ladies didn't shout loudly. Therefore, Cui Jianlian also didn't greet first so she just waved at Jiang Muting with the wild flower bouquet from the distance as a greeting.

Her gesture seemed to be a sign of kindness but Jiang Muting felt terribly awful now. Only one thought occurred to her, "Her maid has broken such an important thing of mine, but they didn't wait in the cottage to apologize to me sincerely. How dare they come here to get fresh air and pick flowers!"

Therefore, when she arrived at the front of Cui Jianlian, she fetched the bouquet from Cui Jianlian and opened it without thinking, "My things were well placed there. How did you maid break it? Tell me!"

Cui Jianlian's smile on her face became rigid and she put on a grieved face, "Sister Muting, it's my fault..."

"Of course it is your fault!" Jiang Muting was not Song Yixiao who lived under others' roof and had no backing. She and Cui Jianlian were on an equal footing. Particularly, she was the justified one now. Out of anger, she showed no respect for Cui Jianlian at all. She just interrupted Cui Jianlian's words and criticized directly, "How do you discipline your maid?"

"How dare you bring such a clumsy maid with you?"

"This is the feast held by Commandery Princess Qingjiang!"

"What do you regard the Shangsi feast held by Commandery Princess Qingjiang as?"

"Are you so badly treated that you cannot even get a few good maids?"

"Or you are just too useless to discipline your maids?"

"If you cannot discipline her well, don't take her with you so that you won't make trouble for others!"

When Song Yixiao arrived in a hurry, Jiang Muting had given both barrels to Cui Jianlian, making the latter one even not dare to raise her head.

Seeing the situation, Song Yixiao got even more suspicious, "Even though I only met Cui Jianlian once, given mother's advice and Ms. An's reminder, this girl can't be a pushover! Especially what happened to Zhiqin has proven her cruelness... Although it is her fault this time, why can she tolerate being scolded by Sister Muting without answering back?"

She was ruminating when Cui Jianlian retorted as if being at the end of her forbearance, "They are only a pair of jade dangling ornaments! Are they so invaluable? Give me a number. I will pay you back later. Don't you just want to ask for a high compensation by taking off the gloves? I will give you what you want then!"

"What... what did you say?" Jiang Muting attached importance to the pair of jade dangling ornaments only because she cherished the memory of her grandmother. How could a high-born lady like her go into her tantrums only for the compensation for the jade dangling ornaments?

Shaking with anger because of Cui Jianlian, Jiang Muting even felt like killing her! Without thinking, she raised her arm to point at the nose of Cui Jianlian, shouting in a sharp voice, "Say it again!"

However, Song Yixiao noticed the disdain and cunning in Cui Jianlian's look and couldn't help feeling nervous. In a hurry she grabbed Jiang Muting's arm, "Sister Muting, don't touch..."

Before she finished her words, Cui Jianlian had leaned backwards neatly along the gesture that Jiang Muting made!

With the hysterical cry of "Your Ladys.h.i.+p" of Cui Jianlian's maid, Cui Jianlian didn't stop until she rolled down along ten-plus stairs in a row. She tilted her head and then pa.s.sed out!

Jiang Muting was struck dumb with fear!

Song Yixiao slowly pressed down her arm with her eyes full of gloom.