"Princess, she is your elder imperial sister. If you two have a dispute in the street, it will damage the reputation of the royal family."
Moreover, if the two princesses were to quarrel in public because of her, she would probably end up on the blacklist of the royal family for good!
Xie Fengran gritted her teeth slightly and held back the Fourth Princess, who was about to rush out and argue.
She lifted the carriage window and gave a calm smile to the on - lookers.
The carriage of the Marquis Mansion was quite recognizable in the East City. The common people knew it well as it came and went. Usually, it was very low - key, and such a situation had never happened before. Besides, people would not be rude to a smiling face, especially from such a beautiful girl.
Those who were making a ruckus gradually quieted down and stared at Xie Fengran in unison, eager to see how she would explain!
"Dear neighbors, I am indeed the young lady of the Marquis Mansion of Establishing the State. I show up this time not for anything else, but to ask you all to judge. Is it my carriage that is blocking the way, or is it Miss Zhang's carriage that is deliberately blocking the way?"
Xie Fengran spoke sincerely, and the crowd quickly shifted their gazes.
At the bottom of the memorial archway in the East City, the carriage of the Zhang Mansion was parked horizontally in the middle of the road. At this moment, the coachman was tugging at the reins, trying to drive it to the side of the road.
"..."
Didn't they clearly think they were fools?
The crowd immediately erupted. Someone shouted, "He's trying to drive the carriage away secretly."
"The carriage of the Prime Minister's Mansion must have been parked in the middle of the road on purpose!"
"Right! I've long heard that Miss Zhang often bullies Miss Xie. Maybe she's trying to bully her again!"
Xie Fengran curled her lips and watched the scene coldly.
People were easily led by public opinion. No one cared about the truth.
Those words from Qin Zhaoyang had put her in the spotlight. She had just taken advantage of these people's blind following. When something happened, no one would investigate the truth but just follow the crowd and make a fuss.
And now...
"Xie Fengran, stop pretending to be innocent. So what if I blocked your carriage?"
Amid the noisy crowd, the curtain of the opposite carriage was suddenly lifted. Zhang Yao stood on the carriage shaft and pointed at Xie Fengran arrogantly.
"Prime Minister Zhang is currently at the peak of his power. The noble ladies in the capital can all be chosen by your fiancé. Naturally, I dare not have any objections to you blocking my carriage."
Xie Fengran looked dejected and spoke humbly. Her phoenix - like eyes swept over the common people outside, and suddenly she raised her voice, "But it's fine for Miss Zhang to block my carriage, but what about delaying so many common people? The emperor attaches great importance to the people's livelihood. Miss Zhang parked her carriage horizontally in the street, and the business of these common people has been delayed. With so many people blocked here, what if there is an urgent matter of life - and - death? How will Miss Zhang explain? Prime Minister Zhang is dedicated to serving the people. Does he know about Miss Zhang's actions?"
These words were sonorous and forceful, and the on - looking common people were excited.
On weekdays, those noble people were so high - and - mighty that they never looked down on them, the lowly common people.
Now, Xie Fengran's words were really endearing!
"Miss Xie is right."
"Miss Zhang, are you so arrogant? Does Prime Minister Zhang know about this?"
...
Zhang Yao's ears were filled with these words, and her face turned red with anger. "Shut up! They're just a bunch of lowly commoners. What urgent matter of life - and - death could they have? No matter how big their matter is, can it be bigger than mine? Don't spread rumors here."
"Miss Zhang, watch your words!"
Xie Fengran simply lifted the carriage curtain and also stood on the carriage shaft. "Everything Miss Zhang wears, uses, and eats is made by these so - called 'lowly commoners' in your mouth. They are the same as us, the emperor's common people and the subjects of the Great Yue. They live on the same land as us and are proud to be born in the Great Yue."
"Miss Zhang keeps calling them 'lowly commoners'. I wonder if you are insulting the land under your feet or this country!"
Her tone was sonorous, her expression firm, and she was fearless!
Many years later, the common people who witnessed this scene still remembered these words.
Not to mention the Fourth Princess, who witnessed all this up close. She was eager to rush out and stand beside Xie Fengran to cheer for her and see the expressions on Zhang Yao's and Qin Zhaoyang's faces.
It was a pity that Sister Xie wouldn't let her go out.
Zhang Yao was so angry that she wanted to order the guards to arrest Xie Fengran.
However, Qin Zhaoyang still had some sense.
After Xie Fengran's speech, the common people outside were in high spirits. If they arrested Xie Fengran at this moment and caused any riots, the emperor would never forgive her.
But seeing Zhang Yao's expression, she gritted her teeth and stood up.
"Miss Xie, I didn't know you were so eloquent. This matter was just that Yaoyao wanted you to get off the carriage and talk. Why are you bringing up the great righteousness of the country? Isn't that going too far?"
Xie Fengran saw Qin Zhaoyang and couldn't help but curl her lips.
It's good that you came out. I was really afraid you wouldn't!
Immediately, she got off the carriage with the help of Liu Yi and bowed gracefully. "Greetings to the Third Princess."
When the surrounding common people heard that it was a princess, they all bowed down!
"Greetings to Your Highness the Princess!"
The sound of so many people bowing together was imposing.
The Third Princess looked at the people bowing with the so - called lowly commoners and curved her eyes.
No matter how capable Xie Fengran was, wasn't she just like the lowly commoners, bowing to her?
The Third Princess had suffered a lot in front of Xie Fengran. At this moment, she deliberately didn't let her get up.
"Miss Xie, if you had gotten off the carriage to see Yaoyao, nothing would have happened. Or do you want to incite the common people by using this incident? What's your purpose?"
Xie Fengran hung her head, and her expression couldn't be seen. "Your Highness is wrong. Although the Marquis Mansion of Establishing the State is not as powerful as the Prime Minister's Mansion, it has been passed down for a hundred years. The title of the marquis was personally bestowed by the founding emperor and is hereditary. Even if I don't consider my own reputation, I have to consider the honor of the marquis mansion."
"If Miss Zhang had sincerely invited me, I would have gotten off the carriage. But Miss Zhang blocked my carriage in the street. Her words were full of provocation. She forced me first and then tried to distort the truth. If I gave in, wouldn't it mean that I admitted I was in the wrong? In that case, where would the marquis mansion's honor be? Where would justice be?"
"Or does Your Highness think that with your support, Miss Zhang can ignore so many common people and the truth and justice?"
Her voice was cold and her tone was neither over - humble nor over - haughty. Compared with the Third Princess's attempt to smooth things over and take sides, it was more convincing.
The Third Princess's face turned ashen. She was eager to rush up and tear Xie Fengran's mouth apart.
She regretted so much that she had come out to help this stupid Zhang Yao. She might as well have let her go crazy and fight with Xie Fengran like two dogs biting each other.
But at this point, she couldn't back down.
Her face darkened, and she said, "Miss Xie, are you accusing me?"
"I wouldn't dare, Your Highness!"
"You wouldn't dare? I don't see that at all. I think you're very bold. You've gathered so many common people to block my carriage. I think the Marquis Mansion of Establishing the State wants to rebel!"
A malicious look flashed in the Third Princess's eyes, and a bold idea popped into her mind.
If she could accidentally kill Xie Fengran during this incident, then there would be no more such annoying people in the future!
Xie Fengran didn't know that the Third Princess had already developed a killing intent towards her. She cursed secretly, What a fool!
She had thought the Third Princess would learn from her mistakes, but she was still so stupid. In order to torment her, she made so many people kneel together. She really didn't think death came fast enough!
But she said, "If you want to frame someone, you'll never lack a pretext, Your Highness..."
"Qin Zhaoyang, you've got quite a grand show!"