Chapter 15: Leaving the Prefecture

"Hate, how can I not hate? But what can my hate achieve? That person still gets what they want in the end, don't they?" Aunt He suddenly smiled, but the smile was filled with desolation.

Then, she looked at Suohe and said, "I don't know why Miss came to talk to me today, but I advise you, Miss, you cannot compete with her."

"Can't know if I don't try," Suohe raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"How can you know if you don't try?" Aunt He murmured. Yes, how can you know the result without trying?

"Your embroidery is truly excellent, Aunt He. I will definitely come to seek your advice more in the future. I hope you won't look down on me," Suohe said with great satisfaction. "It's getting late today, so I won't disturb you any longer. Goodbye, Aunt He."

With that, she got up and left the room, and the maid who had been waiting outside immediately followed her.

She had made her intentions clear, but what Aunt He planned to do was not something she could decide.

At night, as usual, the masters of the Prime Minister's Mansion gathered in the dining hall for dinner. This time, it was much calmer than before, with no obvious conflicts, and everyone exchanged polite greetings on the surface.

During the meal, Suohe told Su Hu that she would be going to the Jia Ye Temple the next day. Su Hu was momentarily stunned, but he didn't say much and immediately ordered the preparations.

The preparations were not much, just some minor details, as Suohe had mentioned her plan to go to the Jia Ye Temple earlier. The servants had already arranged most of the matters concerning Suohe's departure from the mansion, and they were just waiting for Suohe to set the date and prepare the minor details before they could depart.

Early the next morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, Suohe got up and called Mei'er to help her wash up. The clever maid immediately went outside to inform the steward of Suohe's approximate departure time, so that everyone would be aware and there would be no delay.

Mei'er was taken aback, clearly not expecting Suohe to get up so early, but she didn't dare to delay and immediately brought in the water for washing and helped Suohe get ready.

Suohe didn't miss any of the maid's actions, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. When she had just taken in the maid, it was because of her loyalty, but now she was even more satisfied with the maid's attentiveness. She made up her mind to train the maid well in the future, believing that it wouldn't be long before the maid became her right-hand woman.

Breakfast at the Prime Minister's Mansion did not require the entire household to gather together, so Suohe did not plan to inform the other ladies and young ladies in the mansion to come and see her off. She felt that there was no need to make a big fuss about her trip to the Jia Ye Temple.

Taking advantage of the early morning, Suohe quickly finished her breakfast and left Mei'er in charge of the house, then took the maid and Qiuhe out of the courtyard and headed towards the main gate.

However, things did not go as planned. Suohe, who had wanted to leave quietly, saw Lady Min and several ladies and young ladies standing at the gate from a distance. Her father, the Prime Minister, was not present, presumably having gone to the morning court. Seeing this scene, Suohe's eyes darkened, and she gave a faint glance at Qiuhe who was following behind her.

Qiuhe felt a chill and couldn't help but shiver, looking at Suohe with confusion, wondering if she had misunderstood something.

Seeing Suohe approaching with the maid, Lady Min immediately stepped forward and took Suohe's hand, saying with reluctance, "He'er, take care of yourself when you're out, don't overexert yourself."

Her reluctant and tearful appearance made it seem as if Suohe was her own daughter. Or perhaps, people might think that Suohe was not going to the nearby Jia Ye Temple to pray, but had been exiled to another place, leaving room for countless speculations.

Although it was still early, there were already some passersby at the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion, and what was happening there could be seen to some extent. Seeing this, Suohe's expression turned slightly cold, and she said calmly, "Aunt Min, there's no need for this. I'm just going to the Jia Ye Temple to pray for my mother. I won't be gone for long. During this time, Aunt Min, please take good care of my younger sister and make sure she's not restricted by father again."

Lady Min was taken aback. She hadn't expected Suohe to openly embarrass her in front of so many people. She immediately put on a caring motherly appearance, took Suohe's hand, and said, "He'er, Aunt knows you're still angry with your sister, and Aunt doesn't expect you to forgive her right away. But she's still your sister. How can you say such things about her?"

Lady Min's words were cunning and malicious. Her voice was not loud, but it could still be heard by the commoners who were watching the commotion from outside. If this were to be spread, people would surely say that Suohe was unforgiving and petty.

In response to Lady Min's words, Suohe's expression remained unchanged. After Lady Min finished speaking, Suohe spoke calmly.

"Aunt Min, you also mentioned that Second Sister did something wrong, and of course, she should be punished for it. Otherwise, people might think that the young ladies of the Prime Minister's residence are all unruly. As for what you said about not wanting to forgive Second Sister, that's a mistake. It was Father who punished Second Sister, not me. Do you think Second Sister shouldn't be punished for her mistake, and Father shouldn't have restricted her? Or do you think the rest of us young ladies in the Prime Minister's residence should learn from Second Sister?"

With just a few words, Su Manjing portrayed Su Manjing as someone lacking manners and etiquette, and portrayed Madam Min as someone who indulges her children.

Now Madam Min's reputation was somewhat compromised. There was no need to pretend anymore; her face turned a pale purple as she said, "He'er, you know that Auntie doesn't mean it that way."

"What does Auntie mean then?" Su He raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Auntie has watched you grow up all these years and treated you like her own daughter. Auntie is just worried that you won't fare well on your own outside and doesn't want you to grow distant from your sisters," Madam Min said with a tone full of concern, looking like a mother hurt by her own daughter.

"Auntie, you worry too much. Jia Ye Temple is a royal temple, what danger could I face there? I've said before that I went to Jia Ye Temple to pray for my mother, not to enjoy luxuries. It's normal to endure some hardships," Su He replied.

After this delay, more and more people gathered outside the Prime Minister's residence to watch the commotion. After hearing Su He's words, most of them thought she was a filial, well-mannered, and reasonable young lady.

In comparison, Madam Min seemed a bit sharp and critical, and the other young ladies of the Prime Minister's residence appeared somewhat unfilial.

Madam Min never expected that Su He, who usually seemed dull and unresponsive, would become so articulate and eloquent since waking up from her fall at Ting Yu Pavilion. If it weren't for that same detestable face, she would almost suspect that she had been swapped with someone else.

Madam Min, being skilled at disguising and enduring, quickly recovered from her momentary astonishment and returned to her usual dignified and virtuous demeanor as she addressed Su He once again.