"Grandmother, Grandfather cherished you so much. He must have also hoped that you would enjoy a long and blessed life..."
Then, Yun Xi knelt down again and solemnly uttered her birthday wishes.
Those who had just been secretly mocking Yun Xi for being brainless quickly changed their tune. They all praised Yun Xi for her filial piety and complimented Old Lady Yun on her good fortune.
Although Yun Xi had once presented the relic to the queen in an attempt to curry favor, now she had gone directly to the queen for her grandmother's sake.
The most important thing was that the queen had given her this face!
With the prime minister's open protection and the queen's covert support, who would dare to offend such a person?
The facts were right in front of them. These sophisticated people naturally knew how to make a choice.
Regardless of how sincere their praises were, Old Lady Yun's expression had completely softened.
This time, Yun Xi had completely turned the tables.
Having been outshone by Yun Xi, Yun Ni gritted her teeth in anger and felt extremely aggrieved. Jiang Shi also looked ashen. Her eyes fixed on Yun Xi were as if poisoned.
She just couldn't figure out how this little bitch could be so evil.
She had schemed painstakingly and made careful plans step by step, but this little bitch still managed to stay unscathed.
If things continued like this, wouldn't all her painstaking efforts over the years be gradually eroded by this little bitch?
No! There must be something she had overlooked!
Suddenly, Jiang Shi's eyes flashed. Her gaze fell on the wooden box in Ding Xiang's hand, and she suddenly sneered.
"Yun Xi, you're being unreasonable. Even if you've prepared other birthday gifts for Old Lady Yun, there's no need to destroy this 'The Fairy Ma Gu Offering Longevity' embroidery, is there?"
Although the birthday gift Yun Xi had given had deeply touched Old Lady Yun and showed her sincerity, the fact that the embroidery had been destroyed remained.
If Yun Xi couldn't give a reasonable explanation, this matter, even if it wouldn't be criticized, would still leave a thorn in Old Lady Yun's heart.
Jiang Shi's words clearly showed that she didn't want Yun Xi to steal all the limelight!
Reminded by Jiang Shi, Yun Xi met Old Lady Yun's scrutinizing gaze but showed no sign of embarrassment or annoyance.
"Aunt is right. I was just about to explain this to Grandmother."
Yun Xi got up with a smile and slowly walked up to Ding Xiang, who was already as stiff as a wooden chicken. She reached out and grabbed Ding Xiang's arm.
At Yun Xi's action, Ding Xiang shrank back in fear, but Yun Xi looked grateful and said,
"I really have to thank you, Ding Xiang! Fortunately, you reminded me early on that there were cats in Second Miss's yard. I was then able to discover the destroyed embroidery in time and prepare another birthday gift for Grandmother. You're simply my lucky star!"
Saying that, Yun Xi warmly hugged Ding Xiang.
"What?"
Ding Xiang's body froze. Her expression was confused, obviously still unable to understand what was going on.
Her eyes involuntarily turned to Jiang Shi for help, but at this moment, Old Lady Yun's expression immediately turned cold. She looked at Jiang Shi and asked sternly,
"When did Yun Ni start keeping cats in her yard?"
Everyone in the mansion knew that she was allergic to animal fur!
Moreover, it was strictly forbidden in the mansion, and Jiang Shi had repeatedly assured her. But Yun Ni had openly defied her?
"No, Old Lady! I really had no idea!"
Jiang Shi instantly panicked. Her eyes turned to Yun Ni, whose face had turned deathly pale, and she defended,
"Besides, Yun Ni would never do such a thing. You have to believe us!"
Jiang Shi desperately winked at her daughter, but Yun Ni seemed to be frightened. The usually aggressive girl was now extremely quiet.
Old Lady Yun's eyes were cold and fierce. Suddenly, she remembered that crabapple tree and what the maid had said.
So it was all because of a brute that she had fallen ill and almost lost her life!
Moreover, Jiang Shi had insinuated before, trying to shift all the blame onto Yun Xi!
Having been born into a wealthy family, Old Lady Yun had seen too many dirty things. At this moment, she even began to suspect that this was a self - directed and self - acted play by Jiang Shi, trying to get rid of Yun Xi through her.
Or perhaps, it was to get rid of herself!
Thinking of this, Old Lady Yun was instantly furious.
"Mother Qian, stay here and make sure no one leaves the banquet hall! Cui Er, take some people to Second Miss's yard. We don't want anyone shouting grievances later!"
Yun Ni was anxious and wanted to defend herself, but she opened her mouth and couldn't say a word.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the banquet hall was cold. Everyone was waiting for the final judgment.
Not long after, Cui Er rushed back to report,
"Reporting to Old Lady, we went to Second Miss's yard and saw a cat. After verification by the maids, it was exactly the one seen in Old Lady's yard yesterday..."
Jiang Shi was stunned. She stared at Yun Ni in disbelief, but Yun Ni flatly denied it,
"Grandmother, it wasn't me! I didn't keep a cat! That cat sneaked into my yard a few days ago. I just felt sorry for it and asked someone to feed it a few times!"
Strangely enough, because Old Lady Yun didn't like animals, the Prime Minister's Mansion had always been strictly guarded, and no animals had ever sneaked in.
Even though Yun Ni liked rabbits and cats, she didn't dare to actually keep any animals because of Jiang Shi's repeated warnings.
A few days ago, a snow - white cat had sneaked into her yard. She had taken pity on it and secretly asked someone to feed it for a few days.
Who would have thought that it would cause such a huge disaster!
Hearing Yun Ni's words, Old Lady Yun's expression was extremely ugly. Fearing punishment, Yun Ni immediately pointed at Yun Xi,
"It must be Yun Xi! She secretly put the cat in my yard to frame me on purpose!"
Facing Yun Ni's accusation, Yun Xi sneered coldly and said mockingly,
"Yun Ni, are you so afraid of Grandmother's punishment that you've forgotten that I'm also allergic to cat fur, even more so than Grandmother. I wouldn't harm myself by sending a cat to your yard, would I?"
It wasn't a secret in the mansion that although Yun Xi was fine with other animals, she was particularly allergic to cat fur.
Hearing this, everyone immediately looked at Yun Ni with disdain.
The second miss of the Prime Minister's Mansion was so stupid. If she wanted to frame someone, she should at least come up with a more clever reason!
Seeing her daughter being criticized and Old Lady Yun's face getting darker and darker, Jiang Shi was extremely anxious.
Because her daughter had always been free - spirited and often ignored her words, even she wasn't sure if the cat was really kept by her daughter.
In the current situation, she had to find another way out.
Jiang Shi quickly turned her head and fixed her suspicious gaze on Ding Xiang. Her eyes were sharp.
"Ding Xiang, was it you who said that there were cats in Second Miss's yard?"
The malice in Jiang Shi's eyes made Ding Xiang shiver. Her forehead was sweating,
"Reporting to Madam, I..."
At this moment, Ding Xiang's mind was in a complete mess. She wanted to explain, but after stuttering for a long time, she couldn't say a single useful word.
Seeing this, Yun Xi quickly stepped forward to help,
"Aunt, I won't blame my sister for the embroidery being scratched by the cat. But Ding Xiang was just kindly reminding me. I hope you won't make things difficult for her!"