Chapter 387 Unexpected

Chapter 387 Unexpected

Listening to gossip about herself and Jiang Yuan all the way back to the capital, Xie Wanniang made a grand entrance into the city, letting those who were interested know that she had returned.

After the news spread, those who had once coveted Jiang Yuan all wisely retreated, not wanting to be dealt with one by one by Xie Wan Niang, who now had the power to deal with them.

After all, it's not so scary for someone to be capable or have time. What's truly terrifying is the combination of both: someone who has both time and ability, who can use their intelligence and ruthlessness to scheme against you to the death.

Xie Wanniang, coincidentally, is someone who has both the time and the ability.

This kind of person is much more difficult to deal with than Jiang Yuan, who is always busy with official duties. Being dealt with by her is indeed much more painful than being dealt with by Jiang Yuan.

With countless examples of past mistakes to be learned, no one wants to end up losing more than they gain by trying to steal a chicken, becoming one of those she ruthlessly punishes.

Aside from the three who targeted An'an and Linlin, Jiang Yuan didn't even bother to investigate the others; they still had a good chance of remaining undetected.

What this group of people, clinging to this侥幸心理 (a sense of wishful thinking) didn't know was that Xie Wanniang wasn't as carefree as they imagined, nor did she take them seriously as much as they thought.

Xie Jingshu has recovered, and Xie Wanniang should get back to her own business.

She has many things to do. First, she wants to reduce the production cost of glass and cement so that they can be widely used. Second, she wants to "unintentionally" provide some ideas for improving firearms, helping craftsmen who are skilled enough but whose thinking is limited to break through their mental limitations.

After all this time, even if those foreign tribes who still harbored ill intentions towards the Great Wei could not surpass it by developing their own firearms that were more powerful and of higher quality than those of the Great Wei, they must have already stolen some important information through bribery, threats, and the planting of spies.

The crude version of firearms was not difficult to make. As long as they had some key information and were willing to risk their lives to try, they could quickly master the manufacturing method and produce a certain number of firearms.

In addition, the rise of the Great Wei Dynasty has long made these foreign tribes feel threatened.

Those who wanted a peaceful life and dutifully paid tribute and submitted to the emperor every year need not be mentioned. Those whose ambitions remained undiminished, although they had outwardly yielded, secretly joined forces at some unknown time, planning to coordinate with each other and launch a heavy attack on the Great Wei when the time was right.

Xie Wanniang couldn't control what lay ahead, but in her lifetime, she still hoped that the Great Wei would be peaceful, prosperous, and strong.

Improving the living conditions of ordinary people is one aspect, while deterring or even subduing foreign tribes from all directions is another.

Back home, Xie Wanniang met with Jiang Yuan and the two children. First, she had a long-awaited reunion dinner with Jiang Yuan and the children. Then, she listened to the two children chattering about their lives and studies during this period, as well as some new things they had encountered.

As for Xie Jingshu, Xie Wanniang only mentioned that "she has recovered well" and didn't say anything more.

Jiang Yuan wisely refrained from pressing for answers. He knew Xie Wan Niang's unresolved feelings towards Xie Jing Shu, and he also knew that Xie Wan Niang wasn't the type to forget past hurts once the wound healed.

Only after the two children got tired and went to sleep were Xie Wan's mother and Jiang Yuan finally able to enjoy some time alone together.

In the dim light, Xie Wanniang asked Jiang Yuan about the rumors she had heard.

Of course, he didn't forget to make a joke about Jiang Yuan's popularity during the conversation.

Jiang Yuan was somewhat embarrassed, but he still tried to appear calm. "They're just a bunch of scheming guys who want to use this kind of method to get hold of my secrets or leverage."

Have you not seen how many officials in the court, who originally had bright futures, ended up becoming puppets in the hands of others because of a moment of being blinded by evil, or were completely brought down, even dragging their whole families down with them?

To climb to the top, one needs merit, achievements, and seniority; but to fall from grace, one only needs a fatal flaw.

Jiang Yuan didn't want his years of hard work to go to waste, nor did he want his wife and children to suffer with him.

He asked Xie Wanniang, "Did any of the caravans traveling to foreign lands help you find that thing called rubber?"

Xie Wanniang shook her head, "Not yet."

Perhaps it was because she had come to the capital, and her location was too far from the two ports open to the outside world of the Great Wei, that she waited and waited, but never received any news about rubber.

Unfortunately, she had no choice but to focus on promoting other things first.

At this moment, Xie Wanniang was unaware that she would soon receive some great news from Dinghai County.

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, Jiang Yuan continued to attend court and perform his duties, while the two children continued their martial arts practice before heading to the Xie family. Xie Wanniang, for the first time in a long time, began to handle household chores.

During her absence from the capital, all the trivial matters of her household were handled by the officials and stewards of the Princess's residence. Now that Xie Wanniang has returned, they naturally have to report to their master the major and minor events that have occurred during this period as soon as possible.

In particular, there's this thing about some clueless guys trying to force women onto their son-in-law!

To their disappointment, Xie Wanniang showed absolutely no interest in the matter. They had barely begun to talk when Xie Wanniang waved her hand, interrupting their conversation.

At her request, everyone had to skip this part and continue telling her some important news that happened in the capital, whether related to or unrelated to the princess's residence.

Xie Wanniang listened very attentively. These major and minor events that occurred in the upper circles of the capital, even if at first glance they seemed unrelated to the princess's mansion and not particularly important or noticeable, were actually not necessarily unrelated to their family, nor were they necessarily unimportant or insignificant.

She wanted to grasp all the information as quickly as possible so that she wouldn't fall into traps or suffer losses due to a lack of understanding. However, not everyone in this world can learn to put themselves in others' shoes and respect and understand them.

Just like that Lady Yuan who was rudely kicked out of the mansion by her, and then offended Princess Dekang by trying to stir up trouble.

Normally, unless it's something extremely urgent, people won't visit someone within the first two days after they return from a long trip. Even if they send a letter, they'll wait two or three days to give the person some time to rest and handle their household affairs.

However, the very next day after Xie Wanniang returned to the capital, Madam Yuan immediately brought people to her door, requesting a meeting with Xie Wanniang.

This time she did not forget to send the invitation, but the problem was that she sent it yesterday evening. Firstly, she was not favored by Xie Wanniang, and secondly, she did not indicate in the invitation what she wanted to see Xie Wanniang. Naturally, the person in charge of screening the invitations would not present the invitation she sent to Xie Wanniang for a decision immediately.

That post is still lying in a small bamboo basket in a room in the front courtyard of the princess's residence, along with several other posts submitted by others.

So when the doorman came to report that Madam Yuan had come again and insisted on seeing her, Xie Wanniang was completely bewildered.

The gatekeeper was speechless. He really didn't want to help this person report, after all, she had been kicked out by their princess before. He didn't know how she, a noble lady of the Marquis's Mansion and a member of the royal family, could be so shameless.

No matter what he said to the other gatekeeper, the other man refused to leave. Although Madam Yuan did not personally appear, the steward she brought fully demonstrated his profound skill in pestering. No matter what the gatekeeper of the princess's residence said, he insisted on seeing Xie Wanniang.

The gatekeeper of the princess's residence was so annoyed by their persistent harassment that he lost even his most basic manners. His tone and attitude had unknowingly deteriorated, but the other party seemed completely oblivious to their change in attitude. Whether the two asked them to leave politely or sternly, the other party maintained his overly enthusiastic and insincere, mask-like, unchanging warm smile.

Most importantly, his master simply sat quietly in the car and waited, showing not even the slightest intention of feeling humiliated and turning back in anger.

The two doormen were truly at their wits' end, so they sent someone to report the matter to Xie Wanniang.

They also knew that Xie Wanniang was in the front courtyard flower hall at that time, meeting with the officials and stewards of the mansion, so they reported the matter directly to the front courtyard flower hall.

The doorman was also very aggrieved. It wasn't that they didn't try to get rid of the person; it was just that the other party was incredibly shameless.

Despite the fact that there were many people watching the spectacle openly and secretly, Madam Yuan was not afraid of losing face at all. This was the first time the doorman had ever seen such a noblewoman.

If it were just a minor steward sent by Madam Yuan to negotiate, the doorman would have been furious and ordered the guards to drive him away. But Madam Yuan is a noblewoman and a member of the Yuan family. Unless the doorman has a death wish, they wouldn't dare to make decisions for their master halfway through.

After hearing the doorman recount the events with a pained expression, Xie Wanniang was both impatient and speechless.

She asked, "Did she say what her purpose was in contacting me?"

"He said he was apologizing for his momentary lapse in judgment last time."

Xie Wanniang rubbed her temples. "Go tell them that there's no need for an apology. Just don't come to our door again. That's the greatest sincerity she can show us."

If she didn't have ulterior motives, Xie Wanniang didn't believe that Madam Yuan would stoop so low as to apologize to her.

She's very busy right now, and doesn't have much time to play mind games with someone like Madam Yuan who clearly has ulterior motives.

The doorman responded with a "yes," then cautiously asked, "What if they still refuse to leave...?"

"Then you should send your guards to the palace to explain the situation to His Majesty in detail."

She rose to the position of princess through merit, not through her blood relation with the Yuan clan. Therefore, she never intended to consider herself a "royal noblewoman" from the very beginning.

As someone who had no intention of acknowledging her ancestry, Xie Wanniang had absolutely no intention of dealing with the Yuan clan.

Through her series of actions, she clearly expressed her firm belief that she would only ever be Xie Wanniang, not a member of the Yuan family.

She didn't know how the other members of the Yuan clan viewed this matter, but the emperor and the retired emperor had clearly tacitly approved of Xie Wanniang's self-positioning.

Now that a woman from the Yuan clan is causing trouble in front of her mansion, she can't very well openly drive her away and slap the face of the "Yuan" surname. She also doesn't want to argue with the Yuan clan members and listen to their meaningless nonsense like "we're all family," "as a junior, how can you be so disrespectful to your elders," and "the face of the royal family is paramount." So what can she do but go to the emperor to seek justice for her, a princess from a different surname who rose to power through merit.

Having received Xie Wanniang's clear instructions, the doorman was immediately relieved.

He left the flower hall and jogged to the entrance of the princess's residence to deliver a message.

Because she was really annoyed by the group led by Madam Yuan, the doorman spoke loudly. Not only did the steward who had been bothering them for so long hear it clearly, but Madam Yuan and her other attendants also heard it clearly. The other "passersby," "people behind the door," and "people behind the wall" who were secretly watching the drama also heard Xie Wanniang's words of driving away the guests without missing a single word.

Madam Yuan was embarrassed, but considering her husband's purpose in getting close to Jiang Yuan and Xie Wanniang, she gritted her teeth and decided to let the steward pester her for a while longer.

She believed that as long as she was thick-skinned enough, Xie Wanniang would eventually have to let her into the mansion.

The steward she brought was clearly a trusted subordinate with whom she had a high degree of understanding. Since he hadn't heard her say to go back, even though his smile was about to crumble, he still tried his best to keep his expression from looking too ferocious.

With a stiff smile on his face, he planned to continue using his persistent and nagging skills to get the guy to go and relay the message for them again.

However, the doorman was already completely afraid of him. As soon as he opened his mouth, the doorman decisively summoned two guards from the princess's residence.

“Brothers, the princess said that if they refuse to leave, she requests that you two come to the palace and report to His Majesty in detail what happened at the gate of our mansion, and ask His Majesty to uphold justice for the princess.”

Madam Yuan and the others: !!!

Those secretly watching the drama unfold—the "passersby," the "people behind the door," and the "people behind the wall": ...

Madam Yuan was so angry she almost ground her teeth to powder, but she still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that Xie Wanniang was just bluffing to scare her.

After all, what kind of good person would go to the Emperor to complain about such a trivial matter? Does the Emperor think he's some kind of matriarch who's there to mediate all the big and small conflicts among the women of his clan?

However, Madam Yuan soon discovered that Xie Wanniang was not bluffing. This madwoman genuinely intended to report her to the Emperor!

Why did Madam Yuan make this judgment?

Because, after hearing the gatekeeper's message, the two guards nodded in unison and said "Good!"