Chapter 249: Volume 1 Chapter 249 This Wedding Has All Fallen Apart

"How did Madam Xiao end up going?" Rong Luoge was surprised; she hadn't expected Ming Yuhua to join the bustle.

"I don't know, milord. I was hidden in the crowd and couldn't show my face, nor did I speak with Madam Xiao, but I saw Madam Xiao interacting with Liu Yuniang quite naturally," Rong Xin said.

Rong Luoge nodded slightly, guessing that it was likely Liu Yuniang who went to find Ming Yuhua, hoping Ming Yuhua would join forces with her, though she didn't know what conditions Liu Yuniang had offered to move Ming Yuhua to help.

"Please continue," Rong Luoge said, looking at Rong Xin.

Rong Xin nodded and continued: "The wedding at Zhen Guo Gong Fu was handled with great caution; the court even sent congratulations."

Rong Luoge nodded; after all, the bride was a marriage‑alliance princess, Han Xinglan would not appear personally, and the Ministry of Rites would follow the proper procedures, as the diplomatic relations between the two states were no trivial matter.

"There were many ladies from various families attending the wedding; I scanned around and found that almost everyone had arrived," she said.

"Putting aside whether Di Yue Nu is respected, if Di Yue Nu sent invitations in Princess Nan Kang's name and Rong Heng sent invitations in Zhen Guo Gong Fu's name, most families now can't discern the details and won't easily spare face; they still have to attend."

"The more people, the better; that's exactly what Rong Luoge wants."

"When it was time for the Heaven‑worship ceremony, Liu Yuniang burst in, holding a contract, repeatedly demanding that Princess Nan Kang give her justice. The ceremony halted, Liu Yuniang caused a scene, and in front of all those noble ladies she sat down on the ground, a tear rolled down her eye, and I was stunned."

Rong Luoge laughed outright, "She probably smeared ginger juice or something on her finger; otherwise those tears wouldn't flow so easily."

Que Cai laughed beside her, "Your Majesty makes a good point; some people in the palace do such little tricks, it's nothing. But Aunt Liu really put effort into this; it seems she planned it carefully."

Rong Xin nodded, "Exactly. Liu Yuniang was truly ruthless; she described in vivid detail how Princess Nan Kang had once tried to win her over, even involving Di Yue Nu's petty schemes against Your Majesty. At that time Princess Nan Kang's expression was horrendous, demanding that Liu Yuniang be removed. Then Madam Xiao stepped forward to protect Liu Yuniang, questioning why Princess Nan Kang had helped Liu Yuniang become her father's concubine. She herself was a concubine, but she dragged others into it, causing her parents to quarrel and almost ruin a good family."

Rong Luoge chuckled, "Back then, Rong Dai, to learn Prince Qi's preferences, flattered Madam Xiao, Prince Qi's cousin, a lot. Many of Di Yue Nu and her mother's affairs might not be known to others, but Madam Xiao might not be unaware."

"Your Majesty is right; Madam Xiao is also formidable, publicly exposing the scheming of Princess Nan Kang and her mother against you. Though rumors abound, no one has confronted the matter so directly. Moreover, Madam Xiao pressed on step by step, with solid arguments; even when the Protector Duke came out to rebuke her, she paid him no mind."

Rong Luoge sneered, "The Protector Duke now only has a title; his actual authority was never much, and now it's been reduced to almost nothing. He's just a figurehead, how can he compare with a real power holder like Xiao Shen? What happened next?"

"Later, I didn't expect Madam Chu to also go."

"Hm?" Rong Luoge was startled, "Madam Chu later rushed over?"

"Yes, I think perhaps Madam Chu received news of someone disrupting the wedding, so she hurried over. Madam Chu is even more formidable than Liu Yuniang and Madam Xiao combined; she truly harbors a grudge of taking a husband and a vendetta of killing a child, and she even exposed on the spot that Lord Rong had his leg broken, that Second Miss Rong was forced into marriage, and also revealed the circumstances of her forced divorce. Your Majesty didn't see this; this is no longer a wedding—it has become a courtroom confrontation in the Ministry of Justice hall, and the wedding is completely ruined," Rong Xin said, feeling especially vindicated.

Rong Luoge hadn't expected Chu Ke to get the news and rush over so quickly; it's like beating a downed dog, truly a delightful piece of news.

Que Cai laughed, "Now all of Princess Nan Kang's veil of shame has been torn off and trampled on the ground; see how she'll have any face left to carry the princess's bearing while strolling among the capital's noble families."

"It's hard to say; some people never care about their reputation. If someone truly knows shame, being a concubine is one thing, but to also scheme against legitimate children—one isn't enough; they want to take everything. For such a ruthless person, unless her face is torn off, one truly can't swallow that grievance." Rong Xin looked at her own lady, saying she was the suffering victim.

Their lady was so pitiful back then, being schemed by that mother‑daughter pair; if she hadn't been strong, anyone else would probably never climb out of the pit and would be ruined for life.

Que Cai laughed, "I heard Princess Nan Kang is now looking for a husband for her son. With such a wicked mother‑in‑law, which family's daughter would dare to enter? This marriage is bound to be doomed." Indeed, evil meets its retribution.

"That's nothing; it's just the beginning," Rong Luoge chuckled. "A single strike settled those two, which was satisfying, but with diplomatic ties between the two states, Di Yue Nu is, after all, the Qingjing Kingdom's princess; her life can't be sacrificed to the Owl Kingdom, so we must find another way."

Killing with a soft knife—Rong Luoge had never done that before; she always felt it was a bit immoral, but now she thought it wasn't impossible against such a person.

"Your Majesty, what if Princess Nan Kang writes a petition to the Qingjing Kingdom's ruler?" Rong Xin said anxiously, "If it affects diplomatic relations, the court might seize the opportunity to act."

Que Cai replied, somewhat resentful, "These are facts, not fabricated accusations. It's because Princess Nan Kang refuses to behave properly; who can blame her? How can she have the face to complain?"

"It doesn't matter; even if Princess Nan Kang files a complaint, what can she achieve? Could the Qingjing Kingdom's ruler raise troops again for a sister who married far away? With Qingjing's current strength, there is no capacity for a second mobilization for now."

"That's a fair point."

Rong Luoge heard Han Xinglan's voice coming in, felt a bit surprised and looked toward the hall entrance. She stood up, holding Rong Xin's hand, took a few steps outward; Han Xinglan took off his snow‑flaked cloak and tossed it to Shi An, then strode in, "Why are you getting up?"

Rong Luoge smiled, "Of course I'm here to receive His Majesty."

Rong Xin pursed her lips and laughed; the two quickly served hot tea, then hurried back out to guard outside the door.