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Hongling was so infuriated by Ye Xinxin’s words that she stomped her foot, although she was well aware that her status was questionable. But with General An’s name to back her and no other woman by his side, outsiders were unaware of her situation in the General’s Mansion, thus even someone of her standing was treated with courtesy. Now, being so bluntly humiliated was a huge embarrassment.

“Don’t overstep your bounds!” Hongling, her face somewhat contorted with anger, had some wits about her and knew she couldn’t win an argument against Ye Xinxin, so she turned to the Governor’s Wife with a threatening tone.

“Governor’s Wife, I attended this banquet in light of your reputation, only to be insulted by others. If I don’t get an explanation today, I will not let this matter rest, and the General won’t stand idly by while I am bullied. No matter what my status, I am here representing the General’s Mansion today. Are you slapping the face of the General’s Mansion?”

For Hongling, bullying others with power was nothing new, and her words did indeed cause the Governor’s Wife’s heart to tremble. Although the Governor’s Wife was infuriated that a mere wild woman, not even fit to be a concubine, dared to threaten her like this, she had to acquiesce to Hongling’s pressure. Hongling hadn’t spoken falsely; by attending, she indeed represented the General’s Mansion, and General An was not someone the Governor’s Wife could afford to offend.

“Having some wild woman out of nowhere represent the General’s Mansion, you’ve already lost all face; what dignity is there to speak of? Besides, as I understand, isn’t General An currently dispatching people everywhere to look for his wife and child? She is the rightful Mistress of the General’s Mansion. What place do you, a wild woman, hold in the hierarchy to claim representation of the General’s Mansion? When I see General An someday, I truly want to inquire what he means by sending a wild, unmanageable woman to wreak havoc at the Governor’s Wife’s banquet!”

The Governor’s Wife wanted to intervene several times but failed to say anything effective. After all, neither of the two disputants was someone she could afford to offend, making her quite agitated internally.

Mrs. Pei wasn’t known for meddling, but since she had come to the Governor’s Wife’s banquet, her purpose was mostly to support her niece. She was well aware of the feud between her niece and the Magistrate’s wife, and the most beneficial course was to curry favor with the Governor’s Wife. Seeing that the Governor’s Wife was unable to control the situation, Mrs. Pei spoke up.

“Enough, this is a banquet. What kind of conduct is this shouting and brawling, where have the decorum and manners gone? Those who want to stay should speak properly, or don’t blame me for asking you to leave!” Mrs. Pei’s cold reprimand showed the authority of a Marquess.

Seeing that Mrs. Pei had spoken, Ye Xinxin didn’t say anything further, continuing to attack her delicacies instead. After all, she had already lashed out at that wild woman, venting her feelings and now enjoying her food in a wonderful mood.

As for Hongling, even though she was very dissatisfied, she didn’t dare say anything more. She was just flaunting the General’s reputation outside, but it was only because the General couldn’t be bothered with her. If the Marquess really sent word to the General, she would definitely not end up well.

The Governor’s Wife breathed a sigh of relief seeing the Marquess take control of the situation. The continuing commotion could only lead to a loss of her authority and dignity. Grateful to Mrs. Pei, the Governor’s Wife also knew she had intervened for a reason and decided to look after Su Wenyue more in the future. As for Pei Yuhan, the Governor’s Wife chose to overlook her, not only because Yuhan’s actions were unbefitting a smart person but also because Mrs. Pei’s demeanor suggested no particular fondness for her maternal niece.

The situation for Han Yu was not as favorable as for Su Wenyue. There was no one like the Marquess to back him up, yet fortunately, the Prefecture governor took care of him for the sake of the Marquess, and with Deng Chen introducing him, many people were willing to show face to Han Yu on behalf of the governor and Deng Chen, though it went no further than just not making things difficult for him. Their attitudes could not be described as overly friendly.

To those from the opposing faction, their words were not so kind. For such a young upstart, disdain and difficulties were inevitable; however, Han Yu dealt with each circumstance with aptness, which made everyone realize that although he appeared young, he was not someone to trifle with. With the Prefecture governor present, they had to stifle their schemes, waiting for a future opportunity to give this arrogant young man a lesson.

“Xiu Qi, don’t take these people’s actions to heart. After all, achieving so much at such a young age will naturally make them uncomfortable, and some reaction is to be expected,” Deng Chen patted Han Yu’s shoulder as a word of comfort, knowing Han Yu’s temperament could withstand it, but still offering advice since Han Yu was still young and wasn’t as accustomed as him to growing up in such circles.

Han Yu nodded, understanding Deng Chen’s implication, suspecting that it wasn’t just because he had risen too fast or had too much luck, but also because he lacked a powerful backing; that probably made people even more resentful. This was, after all, a common sentiment.

Seeing Han Yu truly didn’t care, Deng Chen found himself admiring him: “Come on, let me introduce someone to you.”

Han Yu looked at Deng Chen, curious as to whom he wanted to introduce. But knowing Deng Chen’s character, anyone he thought was worth meeting would surely be a decent person.

Deng Chen, as if catching on to Han Yu’s thoughts, glanced at a seat closer to the front where a striking Young Master sat drinking alone, his every movement and expression exuding a noble and unique charm. He seemed somewhat aloof, a quality that drew a line between him and the rest, making people feel distant.

Han Yu couldn’t have overlooked such an outstanding person. From the moment he entered, he had taken notice. Throughout, except for the few words spoken when the Prefecture governor came over, this Young Master responded to nobody else, his attitude truly arrogant. Yet when others tried to speak to him and got ignored, they only managed to show embarrassed expressions without anger or dissatisfaction, indication enough of the Young Master’s status to deter such thoughts in others.

“This mess at Yiyang Prefecture is quite murky. I know you don’t want to join either side of the two factions, but this makes your situation even more dangerous. Meeting this person can only be beneficial to you, although he is a little stubborn and quirky and not easy to get along with.”