Chapter 340 - The Battle of Wits II

If gaze could kill Yuan Shan already kill Lory hundreds of times right now but Lory didn't pay her attention, Lory sips her bitter tea quietly, Ming Yue Yin also looks at her indifferently.

"I heard you visit the Yong Heng Manor, but why I didn't meet you?" Lory smiles innocently.

Yuan Shan's face becomes stiffed and her face turn paled, It stupid for her thinking Lory wouldn't know her attempt to meet Zhao Li Xin behind her back.

"I heard from the gatekeeper miss yuan Carriage suddenly broke down outside the manor, but at that time Lord Long Ming is too busy to meet her personally so he eventually sends the Housekeeper to help Miss Yuan, thankfully misses Yuan can home safely," Ming Yue Yin said in concern but for other ladies, it doesn't need a genius to interpreted Yuan Shan real reason come to Yong Heng manor.

The ladies sneer and whisper to each other and they stare at Yuan Shan with ridiculed gaze, such a brazen woman dare to visit other man manors, is she not worry to sullied her own and her family reputation, such a disgrace from a respectful figure like General Yuan.

Yuan shan face turn from white to red "My carriage suddenly broke down I have no choice but asking help to the nearest people is just coincidence, Miss Luo if you know I was outside why don't you meet me so I will not bother Lord Long Ming" it seems Yuan Shan throwing a curveball to Lory.

She wants people to think Lory deliberately left her outside without trying to help her, Yuan Shan want to ruin Lory imaged as a petty woman.

"Miss Yuan, at that time you didn't ask to meet me but you keep insisted meeting with my fiancée" Lory smiles warmly "At that time My fiancée has an important meeting with the king palace so no one dares to disturbed him and I also feel unwell, the servants did not dare to disturbed us, I just know about you're situation after you left the manor, I'm sorry if my people make things hard for you" Lory humbly bow her head slightly.

And so Lory make a home run by ruined Yuan Shan image as a brazen, impolite person without any manner, soon this rumor will spread among the noble ladies, some noble family will think twice if they want to match Yuan Shan with their Son, and just like that Yuan Shan reputation suddenly crumbles.

Yuan Shan realizes what had happened and she becomes anxious, if her mother and father know about is they will punish by the ancestor rule, it means she will get beaten and locked for few months on her courtyard suddenly her hatred to Lory raised a few levels again "Miss Luo, why do you say such things? at that time I'm worried because I'm stranded in an unknown place so I got panic but I never meant to bother Lord Long Ming..." her eyes become red and moist with tears, she looks innocent and pitiful makes other people feel bad for her.

"Miss Yuan, you right" Lory hold Yuan Shan hands "It must be my gatekeeper who said wrong things and my housekeeper and the servants perhaps misunderstood too, don't worry I will punish them after I got home" Lory seems utterly concern, there's no fault in her play but from her words, she blames the gatekeeper, the servants and housekeeper are the ones who are misunderstood it might sound she help Yuan Shan but at the end, she implies Yuan Shan is a childish woman who has no problem to blame others to safe herself.

Everyone could see Yuan Shan caught red-handed but shift the blame to someone else such behavior had been witness by the noble ladies from various family, their's no way Yuan Shan could get away from this. Yuan Shan face red from anger and shammed, she retracted her hand harshly from lory it make Lory almost fall but luckily Ming Yue Yin help her.

"Young Miss are you okay?" Ming Yue Yin pretend to be worried "Becareful miss if something happened with you, what should I say to milord, this lowly servant didn't have enough life to withstand the Lord's anger," she said with a terrified expression.

People than remember the rumor about Zhao Li Xin killing Lu Yao and his rumor old fling because they hurt Luo Ri Yi and he even eradicated the Lu Clan because they want to avenge Lu Yao, even Sacred Mountain Peak cannot avoid Zhao Li Xin wrath and is all because of the woman who stands in front of them.

Then they saw a white jade token hanging on her waist their also another rumor about Xin Xen token that was given by Long Ming for his fiancée with that token she would have the same power as Long Ming, meaning she can mobilize Hei Shen power whenever she like, suddenly the room become pin drop silence after they saw the token they realize all the rumor is true. The ladies look at each other anxiously they hope they did not offend Lory too much.

Yuan Shan left in harrumph, Jiang Kang Yi also didn't want to spend more time near her and she returns to her chair with upset looks, Lory's face remains gentle, she turns around and back to her seat than calmly drink her tea although she still winces slightly from the bitter taste.

[Mean as always, aren't you Lory?] Girsha teased.

With telepathic connection, she replied [I don't know what are you talking about….]

Girsha chuckles than he flew back to her laps, he nestles inside her soft dress than rest her beak on Lory's thigh. Ming Yue Yin can feel more elated for what lory have done she would also make sure what happened in this room spread in front of the public, she will ruin this Yuan Shan reputation to the ground, such a shameless person like her should be locked inside her boudoir just like her mother she like snatching other men woman's such bad habit perhaps hereditary.

Ming Yue Yin eyes turn cold she remembers what Qian Qi Wei do to Yuan Shao and his family, such a good family destroys because of the paranoid emperor and the misplaced love from a crazy woman, she remembers Yuan Xue An innocent face and the loneliness in her eyes the same loneliness in her eyes and Lory's eyes, the eyes of daughters who lost their Father but…Yuan Xue An father still alive, maybe she can do something about it.

"Her Majesty and her highness second Princess has Arrived!" the eunuch holler the arrival of the empress and Qian Mu Ting.

The ladies including Lory startled, they raised from there seat right away, Lory secretly give Ming Yue Yin irritated gaze, she hates this habit of shouting other people arrival, Ming Yue Yin rolls her eyes, this is the culture that has been running for centuries what could she do about it?

A few seconds later the Empress enters with a phoenix crown on her head and majestic red hanfu with phoenix embroidery on her long trail dress. The empress is in mid-thirty but she looks like a young woman in mid-twenty, she's so beautiful, cold and distant. Everyone stares at the empress with admiration and envy its a dream of every noble's daughter that someday they become an Empress but for Lory, the outfit looks very heavy while Ming Yue Yin feel glad at least is not her who wear that kinda outfit today.

Behind the empress Qian Mu Ting follow from behind, she wears blue hanfu with pink peony flower embroidery on her sleeve and small gold hairpin on her hair she looks delicate and poise just like the peony flower embroidery on her dress. Lory and Qian Mu Ting gaze suddenly meet, Lory gives her faint smiles which Qian Mu Ting replied with the same smile, from the outside their relationship looks friendly, only them who know the dept of the feud between them.

Everyone in the room kneels on the floor, Lory and Ming Yue Yin didn't like it but they must play their part right now, the empress walk to her big chair without hurried, the eunuch helps her to sit on the chair carefully as if she is the frail vase that would break easily. Only after she sat on her chair the empress raised her hand "All may raise" she said solemnly.

"Thank you you're majesty," everyone said in tunes than they return to there seat.

Lory and Ming Yue Yin throw each other meaningful gaze.

'Let's the game begin!'