Chapter 968: Chapter 819, Adultery Chapter 968: Chapter 819, Adultery In the gentle warmth of the spring in March, flowers bloomed all over.

Within the Hundred Flowers Garden of the Prince Residence, the blossoms were in full splendor, radiantly vibrant and densely packed. The Princess Consort of the Ma Family had extended invitations several days earlier to the ladies of the royal family and the nobility, inviting them to the Prince Residence to enjoy the flower viewing on the third day of the third month.

When a Princess Consort extended an invitation for such a banquet, people felt obliged to attend, and thus, on the third day of the third month, they arrived early at the Prince Residence.

Accompanied by Luo Qiong, the Princess Consort of the Ma Family greeted everyone with a warm and cheerful demeanor, yet no one was sent to summon Daohua, as if she had been forgotten entirely.

Inside Pingxi Hall, the maidservants and elder female servants, under Wang Manman’s strict supervision, went about their duties in an orderly manner, paying little attention to the lively events taking place in the main courtyard.

Within the main house, Daohua was engrossed in calculating the various expenditures of Pingxi Hall.

Having married into the Prince Residence for three months, she had gradually grown accustomed to her new life and had settled comfortably into the role of a wife.

Daohua cared little for the Princess Consort of the Ma Family’s deliberate disregard for her presence and even found her absence from the bustling activity a welcome respite.

After all, other families would always send her a personal invitation to their banquets, and the Princess Consort’s attempt to block her from socializing was merely wishful thinking.

Ideally, had everyone maintained peace, today’s flower-viewing feast would have just come and gone, but the Princess Consort of the Ma Family seemed intent on creating discomfort, and shortly before noon, she purposefully sent for Daohua to meet the guests.

Daohua had the luxury of not serving tea to the Princess Consort of the Ma Family and could avoid paying her respects, as such matters within the Prince Residence were not known to outsiders. But now, being called to meet guests in public, she could not refuse.

Should she not attend this time, by tomorrow rumors would undoubtedly spread of her disrespectful and arrogant nature.

“Let’s go and see what the Princess Consort needs from us?”

…

Upon arrival at Pingxi Hall, Daohua duly paid her respects to the Madams outranking her, and then bowed before the Princess Consort of the Ma Family. Without waiting for her to speak, Daohua took the initiative:
“I didn’t even know the Princess Consort was hosting guests today. Fortunately, I didn’t go out; otherwise, had your servant not found me in Pingxi Hall, people might have misunderstood and thought I deliberately didn’t come, acting haughtily.”

Upon hearing this, Princess Huijia couldn’t help but laugh out loud, then chided in jest, “Yeyang’s wife, your tongue is indeed sharp!” She looked around and continued to laugh.

“Do we seem to be so blind to the truth that we would baselessly accuse others without knowing the details? You must think us all old and senile.”

The Madams present also laughed and echoed her sentiment.

It was true that the Princess Consort of the Ma Family was officially installed, and Xiao Yechen was indeed nominally the legitimate eldest son of the Prince Residence, but compared to Xiao Yeyang, who was deeply favored by the Emperor and held significant power, anyone with a brain knew which choices to make.

Daohua immediately laughed and playfully slapped her mouth, “I misspoke, deserving of a smack. Madams, please overlook my words, considering my youth, and do not take offense.”

Observing how seamlessly Daohua mingled with everyone after just a few sentences, the Princess Consort of the Ma Family felt blocked inside. She glanced at the cousin from the Ma Family, cleared her throat to draw attention back to herself, and then spoke:
“Yeyang’s wife, you’ve been married into the Prince Residence for some time now, yet there’s been no news of pregnancy. How could this be?”

As soon as she said this, Daohua and the Madams all turned their displeased gazes toward Luo Qiong.

In terms of time married into the Prince Residence, Luo Qiong had been there even longer.

Without thinking, the Madams all knew what would follow, and settled in as if watching a play.

The Princess Consort noticed the gazes of the assembly and felt somewhat uneasy, but she pressed on, “It’s said that Yeyang doesn’t even have a concubine by his side. Yeyang’s wife, aren’t you failing in your virtues?”

With that, she called the young lady from the Ma Family’s side branch forward.

“As the leading lady of the Prince Residence and nominally Yeyang’s mother, I cannot stand by and see him suffer. This young lady has been specially selected for Yeyang by me; you should take her back today and let her serve as a concubine for Yeyang.”

She didn’t believe that in front of all these people, Daohua would dare to refuse.

If she really did refuse, a reputation for jealousy was inescapable.

Daohua outright scoffed, her face showing a mocking sneer, “Princess Consort, I heard you were ill recently, could it be that your mind is still confused?”

“The affairs between Xiao Yeyang and me are none of the Prince’s concern, let alone yours. First, you’re not Xiao Yeyang’s birth mother, and secondly, you have your own son and daughter-in-law to look after. Just mind them, why persist in meddling with Xiao Yeyang and me? Don’t you have anything better to do?”