The eunuch’s words struck Wu Xiuniang like a bolt of lightning on a clear day. She shuddered, her face turning completely pale!
However, as she knelt on the ground in front of Tao Shiyu, Tao Shiyu could only see her back and not the panic flashing in her eyes.
Moreover, since ng Qianqian’s voice earlier was not loud, Tao Shiyu did not hear her address of "Senior Sister."
Tao Shiyu was exceedingly pleased: "Perfect timing! Young Madam Lu, the key figure is here. Let’s see how you talk your way out of this now!"
Once more, the ladies and daughters began whispering among themselves.
No one had anticipated the situation to take such a dramatic turn.
Just now, when ng Qianqian had argued with Tao Shiyu and said, "You’re Wu Xiuniang’s disciple? Well, I say I’m the grand-disciple of Yanyu Pavilion’s matron!"
Anyone could tell it was an exaggeration made in a mont of desperation. But who could have imagined the two she ntioned would both appear in the palace?
This was a slap in the face that couldn’t be more solid.
Never had they seen soone get humiliated so swiftly.
ng Qianqian was truly unlucky.
Now, not only the female onlookers but even Yao Qingluan believed ng Qianqian would have no chance to recover her standing.
That infamous Mistress Yun of Yanyu Pavilion, renowned for being unapproachable—if soone dared boast and impersonate her disciple... Even though it was re bragging, she would likely not hesitate to expose them ruthlessly, even if ng Qianqian had the entire Governor Mansion backing her.
Yao Qingluan recalled an incident from several years ago in the Capital City, where an embroidery shop had purchased embroidery pieces from Yanyu Pavilion and claid the work as their own.
Upon learning of this, Mistress Yun showed up, unmasking the shop’s deception entirely, and even hired storytellers to reprimand them publicly in the Capital City for a full month.
It was evident just how terrible ng Qianqian’s fate might be.
"Your Majesty the Empress, we’ve long heard of Mistress Yun’s great na but never had the opportunity to et her in person."
"Indeed, Your Majesty the Empress, we too wish to have a glimpse of Mistress Yun."
You just want to watch the drama unfold!
Yao Qingluan felt a headache coming on.
It wasn’t that she wanted to shield ng Qianqian, but humiliating ng Qianqian wouldn’t serve her any benefit, would it?
A bunch of won eager to fan the flas of chaos—how vexing!
Being the Empress wasn’t an easy job after all.
"Mistress Yun of Yanyu Pavilion requests an audience."
Once again, the eunuch outside announced.
Generally speaking, a eunuch would only announce once.
But this second announcent made Yao Qingluan recognize the voice—it was Kang Youcheng, the trusted eunuch of Kunning Palace’s Supre Empress.
Was Mistress Yun summoned by the Supre Empress?
Then Yao Qingluan had no choice but to grant the audience.
Additionally, it seed she couldn’t make any moves or apply pressure on Mistress Yun to excuse ng Qianqian.
The situation... was utterly dreadful!
The Marquess of Changning’s wife raised her eyebrows in satisfaction. While her son may have been disappointing, her daughter was doing well.
That wretched girl—just wait to lose all face and beco the court’s laughingstock!
Yao Qingluan said, "Announce her."
The eunuch beside her responded, "Announce—Mistress Yun, please enter—"
Yun Xiyao entered with composure, as if a vivid ink painting unfurled gracefully before the crowd.
In terms of features, Yun Xiyao was not breathtakingly beautiful. Yet no one who saw her would find her anything but attractive, for she carried an innate elegance that felt like a refreshing breeze.
"Yun Xiyao of Yanyu Pavilion pays her respects to Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy everlasting peace and health."
She curtsied gracefully, standing precisely beside Wu Xiuniang. "This humble one is unwell and cannot perform a full ceremonial bow. I ask for Your Majesty’s understanding."
Kang Youcheng smiled and said, "The Supre Empress has exempted Mistress Yun from kneeling."
Yao Qingluan nodded.
ng Qianqian thought to herself, "Unwell? Yet when the entire courtyard was chasing Bao Shu earlier, she ran faster than a rabbit."
But from this, ng Qianqian beca even more certain of one thing—Yun Xiyao’s status was anything but ordinary. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have received such favor from the Supre Empress.
"This humble one has a gift to present to Your Majesty the Empress."
As Yun Xiyao spoke, she opened the brocade box Kang Youcheng had been holding.
A radiant five-colored glow burst forth, dazzlingly bright and eclipsing everything around it.
It was a golden phoenix shawl. Though not double-sided embroidery, the phoenixes crafted on the shawl seed imbued with divine vitality. Just looking at it made one feel as though they could hear the soaring cry of phoenixes among the nine heavens.
Even though they wouldn’t have the chance to possess it, just witnessing it was enough to call their lives complete.
Yao Qingluan took a deep breath, suppressing her overwhelming admiration and desire for the embroidery. "Mistress Yun, your kindness is deeply appreciated. However, this shawl is far too precious—I dare not accept it."
Yun Xiyao replied, "Your Majesty, this shawl is not a matrimonial gift but rather an offering to compensate for my disciple’s misconduct in Jingren Palace."
Large beads of sweat appeared on Wu Xiuniang’s forehead, trickling down her trembling cheeks and falling to the ground with a dull thud.
The wife of the Minister of Rites thoughtfully interjected, "Mistress Yun, you are mistaken—the one who caused trouble was not your disciple!"
Tao Shiyu stood up, curtsied, and said with a smile, "Disciple Tao Shiyu greets Master! Master, you arrived at the right ti. Soone has been flaunting your embroidery, falsely claiming it as their work, and even lying about being your disciple! Thankfully, my teacher was in the palace to expose her lies!"
Hearing this, Kang Youcheng glanced around.
The palace maids of Jingren Palace, keenly perceptive, imdiately presented the double-sided embroidered fan.
Yun Xiyao took the fan, glanced at it indifferently, and turned to Wu Xiuniang. "Is this what you told them?"
Wu Xiuniang trembled like a leaf.
The crowd imdiately noticed sothing wrong with her behavior.
Mistress Yun had arrived, yet even Tao Shiyu addressed her as Master. And yet Wu Xiuniang hadn’t greeted her teacher, looking instead as though she was deeply uncomfortable.
"Teacher, are you feeling unwell?"
Tao Shiyu inquired with concern.
Wu Xiuniang did not respond to her pupil. Instead, she turned on her knees toward Yun Xiyao. "Ma-Master... I only said... it was like yours..."
Yun Xiyao said coldly, "Like mine? Ten years by my side, and you still don’t know I would never embroider this way? Such skills—and you dare to present them to others? I’m speaking to YOU."
The last remark was directed fiercely at ng Qianqian.
ng Qianqian blinked and innocently stood up. "I just started learning. For a beginner, this isn’t so bad."
Yun Xiyao pointed at the fan. "This is your idea of ’not bad’?"
The crowd was utterly confused. What was happening?
"Master... I didn’t an to... I didn’t know you’d also co to the palace today..."
Wu Xiuniang stamred in a panic.
Last night, her teacher had instructed her to deliver a garnt to the Supre Empress and make adjustnts on-site if it didn’t fit.
She truly hadn’t expected that her teacher would also visit Kunning Palace.
Yun Xiyao’s voice turned icy. "So what you’re saying is, if you had known I was there, you wouldn’t have slandered your junior apprentice sister?"
"Junior apprentice sister?" The wife of the Minister of Rites exclaid. "Young Madam Lu... is really Mistress Yun’s disciple?"
Tao Shiyu was thunderstruck, staring at ng Qianqian. "Master... how could she be your..."
Was ng Qianqian truly Yun Xiyao’s disciple? Wouldn’t that make her Tao Shiyu’s junior martial aunt?
How could this be?
After painstakingly leveraging every connection, Tao Shiyu had managed to beco Wu Xiuniang’s apprentice. That alone was a monuntal feat.
What virtues and talents did ng Qianqian possess that she could directly beco Yun Xiyao’s disciple?
Yun Xiyao said rcilessly, "Don’t call Master—you’re not worthy!"
Tao Shiyu’s face flushed with embarrassnt.
Yun Xiyao stated firmly, "If a child is unruly, it is the fault of the parent. If a student is unworthy, the teacher is to bla for lax discipline. To have trained a disciple like you, I bear responsibility—and so, from this day forward, I will accept no more students."
"Master!" Wu Xiuniang cried out.
Lady Xing murmured quietly, "Little Nine, the final disciple."
Yun Xiyao said to Wu Xiuniang, "Our master-disciple bond ends here. Do not address as your teacher again."
Both Wu Xiuniang and Tao Shiyu felt as if the sky had collapsed!
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