The Farm Girl's Charismatic Fortune-Chapter 308 - 304: Embarrassed Now, Aren’t You?

"How can a princess of noble identity be so casually mistaken?"

Su Guozhang deliberately elevated Ruo Xuan to the status of princess, essentially setting her and the Ruo Family atop a fiery grill.

Firstly, it caused the consorts in the palace who have the title of princess to see her as a thorn in their side.

Secondly, it made the court officials witness how much trust and importance the Emperor placed in the Ruo Family; the Emperor, in order to give face to the Ruo Family, even carried Princess Wuyou into the great hall to receive the grand salutations of the courtiers.

He wanted to set the Ruo Family against the court officials.

If one person opposed the Ruo Family, they could fight back, but what about the pressure from a whole group?

That would be indefensible!

Ruo Hai gave Su Guozhang a cold glance and said nothing; their Ruo Family did not yet have the standing to speak here.

Ruo Xuan felt the malicious intent in the other party’s words and asked the Empress, "Empress Mother, this servant does not understand the rules and rituals. May I ask, if even a princess cannot be distinguished, would that be a crime?"

Empress: "..."

Empress Dowager laughed, "Su Guozhang frequents the palace often, how could he not recognize the Emperor’s princesses?"

Su Guozhang hurriedly gave a respectful bow, "This official has sinned! I was only making a jest; of course, as a princess holds a noble status, this official recognizes the princess."

The Empress could not save face, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager went too far, allowing a little girl to ride roughshod over her and her father, wasn’t this embarrassing her and her father in front of all the civil and military officials of the court?

She smiled and said, "Father, this is Princess Wuyou. Princess Wuyou is free-spirited by nature, innocent and naive. It’s clear she’s not a princess. The actions and speech of a princess in the palace are meant to be models for all the ladies in the world, how could you make such a joke!"

The implication was that if Ruo Xuan were truly a princess, she definitely would not have been so ignorant as to allow the Emperor to carry her into the great hall to receive the grand salutations.

Furthermore, this was the great hall, with many present holding more noble status than her; where did she, a mere little girl, get the status to speak?

Didn’t you see all the princes and princesses sitting obediently?

Empress Dowager smiled, "Indeed, each princess in the palace is just like the Empress when she was young. How could Su Guozhang possibly mistake them!"

Empress: "..."

Ruo Xuan: "Brother Xuanyuan, you are a prince. I want to ask, can the identities of princes and princesses be taken lightly for a joke?"

Xuanyuan Que: "They cannot."

Empress Su: "..."

Su Guozhang broke out in a cold sweat!

This little girl must be only four or five years old, right?

Yet she’s so formidable?

The civil and military officials of the entire court: "..."

This little girl is impressive!

Look how she’s rendered the faces of the Empress and Su Guozhang so unsightly!

Su Guozhang quickly said, "This official has sinned. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Empress Dowager smiled, "Xuanbao, this is Su Guozhang. Considering seniority, all the princes and princesses in the palace are his grandchildren. It’s alright for him to joke with his grandchildren."

Ruo Xuan suddenly realized, "So it’s about seniority!" freeweɓnovel.cøm

Although she didn’t say it, wasn’t that taking advantage of seniority to be arrogant?

But everyone simultaneously thought: So it’s about seniority! Isn’t that taking advantage of seniority to be arrogant?

This child is impressive!

Truly too impressive!

Watching Su Guozhang with an expression that seemed he was stifling his breath, many felt a secret thrill.

The Prime Minister, a close confidant of the Emperor who always understood him, sensing that it was enough correction for Su Guozhang, laughed and said, "Ha ha, Princess Wuyou is so innocent and naive. The Emperor must have wanted a princess as beautiful, adorable, and innocent as Princess Wuyou, which is why he couldn’t let go of her!"

With that sentence, he turned Ruo Xuan’s confrontation with Su Guozhang into mere child’s innocence and babbling, something adults should not take to heart.

He also turned Su Guozhang’s words about the Emperor’s special treatment of the Ruo Family into the Emperor merely finding Princess Wuyou pretty and adorable, wanting a princess just like her.

The Emperor laughed and said, "Thanks to my faithful minister for understanding my thoughts! Haha... I truly do wish to have a princess just like Princess Wuyou."

The other ministers also agreed one after another, "Princess Wuyou is so adorable, not to mention The Emperor, even a humble official like myself would want a daughter or granddaughter just like her."

But the Empress Dowager had not had enough, and they dared to belittle her Xuanbao. By doing this, Su Guozhang had stepped on the Empress Dowager’s tail. She smiled and said, "Thanks to Su Guozhang’s blessing, The Emperor couldn’t possibly have a princess like Xuanbao."

The expressions of the Empress and Su Guozhang changed.

The Empress Dowager was implying her disdain for Su Guozhang’s frequent visits to the palace to see the Empress, and also blamed him for raising such a fine daughter!

Because of this, The Emperor didn’t even have a lively and adorable princess.

Su Guozhang was extremely anxious and fearful, "This humble official dares not."

Originally, he had intended to intimidate the Ruo Family, ensuring they became a target for all as soon as they entered the court. Never did he expect to stir up such a mess.

If he had known better, he wouldn’t have spoken out of turn; he had forgotten the ferocity of the Empress Dowager.

Even if he said nothing today, it wouldn’t be easy for the Ruo Family to stand out.

After all, there are only so many official posts in the court, and if someone else rises, the interests of these noble families would be diluted.

The Emperor preferred to employ newly appointed Imperial Scholars, especially those not from noble families.

Wasn’t his goal to nurture powerful courtiers without a base to counterbalance these noble families?

The Ruo brothers were skilled in both literature and martial arts; it was one thing for a Fourth Rank warrior to emerge from a family known for their military achievements.

But in this imperial examination, the two brothers from the Ruo Family had truly outshone the rest.

He had read their policy discussions, which align perfectly with The Emperor’s thoughts.

Such scholars from humble backgrounds are exactly who The Emperor likes to use, with the Prime Minister himself setting the precedent.

If they don’t suppress the Ruo Family now, in the future, the family will have members in both the civil and military spheres of the court, and with The Emperor’s favor, wouldn’t the entire court be ruled by the Ruo Family’s word!

How could that be allowed?

No matter how the major noble families fight in private, when dealing with Imperial Scholars from humble backgrounds, they must suppress them unanimously if they can’t win them over, to ensure that another Prime Minister from such a background does not emerge!

This was the unspoken consensus among the major noble families.

Even though the Ruo Family had ties with the Ninth Prince and were part of the Crown Prince Faction, people from the Crown Prince Faction did not want to see them advance either.

Wouldn’t it be better to let them fight amongst themselves like dogs over a bone?

The Empress had no choice but to say, "It is the consort’s fault for not guiding the princesses properly, Mother Empress, please mete out punishment!"

This time, they had truly lost face, both publicly and privately!

No one in the court, civil or military, dared to make a sound now.

Who was the Empress Dowager anyway?

She had conquered the world on horseback!

She did not need to give face to anyone!

They certainly didn’t dare to provoke the Empress Dowager, lest they ask for trouble.

The Empress Dowager just wanted to put the Su Family in their place; whether they were guilty or not was a matter of evidence, not just talk. She smiled and said, "I was just jesting. The Empress and Su Guozhang need not take it to heart. It’s good that the Empress understands what types of princes and princesses The Emperor desires. It’s getting late, The Emperor should start the banquet!"

The Emperor had the art of weighing matters; some things were not appropriate for him to say, but the Empress Dowager had no such need for restraint. She was just a woman of the palace who naturally said whatever she wanted.

Soon, the sounds of strings and bamboo arose, and the dancers began to float gracefully in their performance, as one delicacy after another was served by the palace maids.

Xuanyuan Que didn’t need to eat to know how sweet the food in front of him was just by the scent!

And Ruo Xuan’s eyes lit up, given her love for sweets. She picked up a piece of the sweet rabbit meat, squinting in satisfaction, "Brother Xuanyuan, the Imperial Chefs in the palace really are skilled!"

At home, they don’t like to make food this sweet. It’s not as satisfying to eat as this.

"You should try this." Ruo Xuan picked up a piece and brought it to his lips.

Xuanyuan Que expressionlessly swallowed the piece of sweet, rich rabbit meat without even chewing.