Chapter 159: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
**Chapter 159: Qi Wangfei's Doubts**
Madam Tang hadn’t even had a chance to eat her vegetarian meal before she found herself apologizing to two other tables of guests.
Tang Lingheng was causing trouble everywhere he went. Not only did he show no remorse, but after his mother apologized, he circled back to make faces at the others.
Madam Tang was exasperated: What had she done to deserve this?
Among the guests, some were just common folk. Seeing the attire and bearing of Madam Tang and her group, they recognized their noble status and didn’t want to provoke them. Madam Tang’s apology was already considered generous.
However, one of the tables belonged to the Qiao family, relatives by marriage to the family of the Imperial Consort. Meanwhile, the Tang family was the Imperial Empress’s kin. The strained relationship between the two families was well known.
Moreover, the Qiao family had brought along a three-year-old child who was now crying loudly after being scared by Tang Lingheng.
Tang Lingheng, instead of realizing his mistake, continued to provoke, saying, “Crybaby! So noisy, it’s annoying. Why doesn’t someone just cover his mouth?”
Madam Tang felt utterly humiliated but still instinctively defended her son.
“Kids don’t know any better. It wasn’t intentional,” she pleaded. “Let’s not make a big deal out of this, considering the relationship between our two families. We adults should be more forgiving. He’s just a child.”
This kind of reasoning made Qi Wangfei Consort shake her head. The Qiao family had no intention of giving Madam Tang any face. The tension between the Empress and the Imperial Consort in the palace extended beyond the palace walls to their respective families. The fact that they weren’t fighting outright was already considered decorum.
Moreover, Tang Lingheng’s behavior was simply unacceptable. Even as his mother apologized, he continued to provoke others. Seeing this, Qi Wangfei Consort sighed inwardly. A child like this, if not disciplined properly, was bound to cause major problems in the future. But considering Madam Tang’s attitude… discipline was probably just wishful thinking.
Qi Wangfei had no desire to get involved in other people’s family affairs, especially when they involved rivalries between influential families. Even a minor squabble could escalate into something much larger, and the Prince’s family had no intention of getting caught up in such disputes.
Seeing that Suisui had finished eating and was getting sleepy, Qi Wangfei Consort decided it was time to retreat. She had arranged to stay at Lanruo Temple for a few days and had already requested a quiet room in the West Courtyard, which had been prepared while they ate.
The accommodation was in a square courtyard with front and back rows of rooms. Each room was marked with simple labels like A, B, C, and D rather than names. Because Qi Wangfei Consort had requested a quiet place, they were assigned the easternmost A-room of the outer courtyard.
The A-room had three large spaces, with Qi Wangfei Consort and Suisui sleeping in the middle room, and the accompanying servants in the rooms on either side. The large heated brick beds in the rooms were spacious enough to comfortably sleep five or six adults.
When they returned, the servants had already cleaned the room meticulously, not a speck of dust was to be found, even in the corners.
Qi Wangfei gently patted the drowsy Suisui on the back. “My Suisui, did you feel wronged today?”
Suisui blinked sleepily at her mother, not understanding the question. Too tired to think, she simply snuggled back into Qi Wangfei Consort’s shoulder.
Seeing her daughter’s sweet, sleepy face, Qi Wangfei Consort’s heart melted. “Sleep, sleep. Mother will keep watch over you.”
Qi Wangfei sat holding Suisui, planning to let her daughter fall completely asleep before moving her to the bed.
Although Suisui was dozing off, she was still aware of her mother’s comfort and concern. She stirred and insisted, “I can sleep by myself. If Mother holds me, your arms will get sore.”
These words filled Qi Wangfei Consort with both pride and heartache. She resolved that if she and Liuxiu couldn’t persuade the Empress Dowager to recognize Suisui’s status, she would turn to the Prince for help.
Whatever it took, Suisui’s status had to be secured, so she would not be looked down upon by others!
Gently placing Suisui on the bed, Qi Wangfei Consort removed her shoes, hat, and outer clothes, then covered her with a small quilt. She expertly patted Suisui’s back, soothing her to sleep.
Watching her daughter peacefully resting, Qi Wangfei Consort finally stepped back, instructing Xiang Gugu to keep watch while she left with Qiu Gugu.
Although she felt a little tired from the morning, Qi Wangfei Consort wasn’t sleepy and still had some unresolved questions for Qiu Gugu.
As she stepped outside, Qi Wangfei Consort glanced towards the inner courtyard. Madam Tang, having just finished a dispute with the Qiao family, was reprimanding her son as they made their way back to their own room.
However, Tang Lingheng paid her no mind. As soon as she said something he didn’t like, he spun around and ran off, leaving Madam Tang shouting futilely after him.
Qi Wangfei shook her head at the sight.
Earlier, when she met Madam Tang, she had felt a lingering doubt.
To avoid unwanted encounters, she had requested to stay close to the more regular guests in the temple, hoping to be surrounded by a calming influence, far from the Tang family’s disturbances.
The Tang family was connected to the Empress, and being too close to them could draw the Prince’s family into future power struggles.
Her family was already prosperous enough without needing to vie for anything more, and unnecessary involvement could bring disastrous consequences.
Confirming that they were alone, Qi Wangfei Consort quietly asked Qiu Gugu, “Has anything been going on with the Tang family recently? This is the second time we’ve run into them.”
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