"Your Ladyship," Kang Yutong said respectfully, "I have already sent someone to summon Prince Qi. He will be here shortly."
Consort Wei took her hand and patted it, saying kindly, "No need. He is busy with his own affairs. We will see him eventually."
Kang Yutong nodded obediently.
In reality, Consort Wei was only in her early thirties, well-maintained, and had a youthful face that made her look like a young woman of twenty-five or twenty-six. Her attempt to act like an elder thus appeared somewhat comical.
Wang Qingyao subtly twitched the corners of her lips.
Just then, a wet nurse rushed over with an anxious expression, too hurried to perform proper greetings, and reported breathlessly, "Miss Kang, something terrible has happened! Three wild cats somehow got into the kitchen and have made a complete mess of the prepared and plated food!"
"What?!"
Not only Kang Yutong, but everyone present was shocked!
A banquet, without food, could such a banquet even proceed?
"How did wild cats get in?" Kang Yutong asked, both angry and anxious, her pretty face contorted in distress.
The wet nurse replied, "This servant does not know. Miss Kang, you have been managing things these past few days. We servants wanted to ask you! The kitchen is now in disarray, and all the hard work of everyone for days has been wasted."
This was clearly shifting the blame onto Kang Yutong. How could she not understand? Her eyebrows shot up in anger, and her teeth itched.
However, this was not the time to assign blame. As the organizer of the banquet, she had to go and assess the situation on-site.
"Your Ladyship..." Even at this moment, she remembered her manners. It was truly remarkable for someone so young.
Consort Wei said magnanimously, "Go quickly. I am well attended here."
Kang Yutong nodded gratefully. Just as she was about to leave, another maid ran over, panting, "Miss Kang, something terrible has happened! Fourth Miss Kang has fallen into the water!"
What?!
Kang Yutong's face turned ashen with shock. Fourth Miss Kang was her full sister. At this point, she could no longer worry about the wild cats and rushed towards the riverbank.
Just then, another old woman from the outer courtyard ran over, saying urgently, "Terrible news, terrible news! Prince Ding'an and the two young masters of the Wei family have started fighting!"
Wang Qingyao had initially been watching the scene with detached amusement, lamenting how ruthless Prince Qi was, trying to push a young lady to her death. Hearing that Xiao Yun was fighting with others, she immediately became agitated.
Prince Qi had set up Xiao Yun?
One against two, he was going to be at a disadvantage!
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze towards Wang Qingyao and Consort Wei.
One was the Princess of Ding'an, and the other was a Consort from the Wei family. Both were closely connected to the individuals involved.
Consort Wei, having seen her fair share of storms, asked gracefully, "Why did they start fighting? Is there some misunderstanding?"
As she asked, she did not forget to reassure Wang Qingyao with her eyes.
Unexpectedly, Wang Qingyao rolled up her sleeves and asked with a hint of roguishness, "Where? Take me there quickly!"
The old woman was stunned by the fierce Princess of Ding'an. After a moment, she came to her senses and, while leading the way, stammered, "Replying to Your Ladyship, this old servant is not entirely clear. I heard there was a verbal dispute."
Consort Wei headed towards the outer courtyard, and a group of ladies naturally followed.
Kang Yutong, worried about her sister, looked in the direction of Consort Wei, her eyes reddening, but still went to the riverbank.
In the outer courtyard, Xiao Yun and the two young masters of the Wei family had already finished their fight.
At a glance, Wei Wenbin and Wei Wenci had bruised faces and disheveled clothes. They were being held back by several guards, like rabid dogs, shouting threats at Xiao Yun.
Xiao Yun was not in much better shape. His clothes were intact, but his hair was messy, and he had only minor scrapes on his face. His overall demeanor remained refined.
It seemed he was not the one at a disadvantage.
Wang Qingyao breathed a sigh of relief.
But the act still had to be performed.
She hurried to Xiao Yun's side, her eyes red, and asked with concern, "Your Highness, are you alright? Are you injured? Does anywhere hurt? Someone, quickly send for a doctor!"
Before Xiao Yun could reply, she glared indignantly at the two young masters of the Wei family, "You ganged up on him, calling yourselves men! What kind of gentlemen are you?"
Wei Wenbin and Wei Wenci were furious. Was this woman blind? They were clearly more injured!
However, admitting they couldn't beat one person was truly embarrassing!
Wei Wenbin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said to Wang Qingyao, "What's wrong with hitting him? He started it!"
"Exactly!" Wei Wenci seconded.
He then moved towards Consort Wei, wailing, "Aunt, you must uphold justice for us!"
"Presumptuous!" Consort Wei reprimanded sternly, "Who do you two think you are, daring to lay hands on Prince Ding'an? What is his status, and what is yours? Even if he wanted to hit you, you should have taken it obediently!"
The two Wei brothers were stunned. They thought Consort Wei had come to support them, but instead of asking for the facts, she immediately began to scold them.
"No, Aunt..." Wei Wenbin tried to argue further, but was silenced by Consort Wei's icy gaze, and swallowed his words.
Consort Wei was truly annoyed by these two nephews. Not only were they useless, but they also caused trouble everywhere. They relied on being the Consort's direct nephews and stirred up trouble.
How many times had she told her family to be low-key, to be low-key? Their family's prosperity was guaranteed. As long as they behaved themselves and didn't court disaster, they could at least remain glorious for another fifty to sixty years.
But these two idiots refused to listen!
If the Emperor found out, he would be displeased again!
Consort Wei only cared about whether the Emperor was pleased. As for her family, they ranked after the Emperor.