Chapter 336: Chapter 344: Looking Down On
The woman’s slender waist was accentuated by the green dress she wore. Her face was adorned with a smile, her beautiful eyes brimming with warmth. She walked toward them with a grace that seemed entirely natural to her, leaving an impression of blossoming lotuses with every step.

Such beauty, such poise, such temperament, garnered praise from everyone who saw her. Even Su Wenyue had to admit that this was indeed a young lady from a noble family, meticulously cultivated, with dignified and elegant manners, exuding an air of distinction. But as impeccable as she was, there was a certain sense of distance about her, that slight feeling of unreality.

Since her rebirth, Su Wenyue had not come across such a breathtaking woman in Yiyang Prefecture. This lady could truly be said to have the kind of beauty that could turn fishes shy and flowers ashamed. Recognizing her beauty, Su Wenyue had almost immediately guessed the woman’s identity.

“That is Miss Yin of the Yin Family, Yin Lihua, a bona fide young lady from a noble family. She rarely makes public appearances; only because this is a banquet hosted by the Deng Family does an opportunity to see her arise,” Ye Xinxin commented by Su Wenyue’s side, revealing the lady’s identity. However, Su Wenyue detected a certain tone in Ye Xinxin’s explanation. Was this meant to be praise?

“Miss Yin’s reputation for beauty is indeed well-founded,” Su Wenyue casually complimented, genuinely finding Miss Yin to be pretty and meaning nothing else by it.

Ye Xinxin, on the other hand, disagreed as she glanced at Su Wenyue, “Everyone says Miss Yin is beautiful, but I think she doesn’t compare to you, Sister. Plus, she carries herself with such an air; there’s something off about being around her. Don’t be fooled by her friendly smile; she doesn’t truly consider anyone worthy of her regard. We should keep our distance from such a crafty person; it’s exhausting to deal with them.”

At first, Su Wenyue wondered whether Ye Xinxin’s comments were intentional or not, but now it was clear that Ye Xinxin had her grievances with Miss Yin. And her observations were quite accurate; Miss Yin was no ordinary figure. Noble Consort Li had been a formidable woman who held a dear place in Emperor Wu’s heart, yet even she could not outmaneuver Miss Yin. Not to forget Queen Guo, who ultimately lost to Miss Yin. This showed Miss Yin’s capabilities.

Su Wenyue recalled a secret about Emperor Wu that Sikong Ling had once shared, stating that Miss Yin had saved the Emperor’s life, resulting in his extraordinary affection for her. Coupled with her exceptional beauty and shrewdness, it made sense for her to have the last laugh. There even was a saying, “If you wed, wed Yin Lihua,” which indicated her place in the Emperor’s heart.

Reflecting on this matter, Su Wenyue suddenly realized the timing. Could this ‘life-saving grace’ be the incident she was currently witnessing? If indeed it was, and Miss Yin did not have this episode to leverage, Su Wenyue wondered whether Queen Yin’s journey would be as smooth.

Truth be told, Su Wenyue didn’t have the best impression of Queen Yin. Mentioning Queen Yin almost instinctively brought to mind the head of the Sikong Family, who, despite her seemingly kind exterior, practiced cruel and vicious schemes. To Su Wenyue, Queen Yin appeared to belong to that same category. This wasn’t a baseless assumption; Sikong Ling occasionally discussed Queen Yin’s matters, and though Su Wenyue couldn’t claim to fully understand her, she had gathered a fair grasp of who Queen Yin was.

“Sister Ye, do not say such things. Miss Yin is known as the number one beauty in Yiyang Prefecture, a title I could never hope to claim. Don’t let others hear you and laugh at the thought,” Su Wenyue replied. She was confident in her own beauty but absolutely could not echo Ye Xinxin’s sentiment. To do so would seem too frivolous.

Miss Yin’s renown spread far and wide in Yiyang Prefecture, not just for her beauty but also her virtuous nature. Su Wenyue had no desire to compete with such an unattainable reputation. Although she didn’t care for such empty acclaim, she also didn’t want to tarnish her name over trivial matters.

While Su Wenyue pondered these thoughts, Miss Yin approached and greeted Ye Xinxin. Given Ye Xinxin’s background as a young lady of the Shangguan Family, even Miss Yin had to treat her with respect.

Although Ye Xinxin wasn’t particularly fond of Miss Yin, she didn’t treat her with the same disdain she had shown Hongling. Ye Xinxin wasn’t truly capricious; she greeted Miss Yin politely and appropriately. Their conversation was brief, as Ye Xinxin genuinely had little to talk about with Miss Yin.

As for Su Wenyue, she wasn’t sure if Miss Yin had simply not noticed her or deliberately ignored her, but either way, being overlooked by Miss Yin left her feeling rather displeased. She had only heard of Miss Yin’s combined beauty and wit being approachable. Now it seemed clear that Miss Yin’s kindness was selective, and it was evident she didn’t hold Su Wenyue in any regard.

Su Wenyue did not insist on socializing, which suited her just fine. However, Ye Xinxin, who had only met Su Wenyue a few times but considered her a close friend, was indignant. Ye Xinxin’s courteous greeting to Miss Yin had been merely a display of the propriety expected from a lady of aristocratic families; she didn’t truly hold Miss Yin in high esteem. Although the Yin Family was a powerful clan in Yiyang Prefecture, when compared to the entire Daming Dynasty, they were not at the top.

“Tsk tsk, some people are so full of themselves, thinking they’re so superior that they can disregard others. This goes to show that you can’t trust rumors. Tall tales of heavenly beauty and virtuous demeanor are probably far from the truth,” Ye Xinxin said with a hint of sarcasm. Though she didn’t name names, it was quite clear whom she was referring to.

Miss Yin’s face stiffened momentarily, taken aback by Ye Xinxin’s blunt refusal to show her face.

It wasn’t intentional on her part; she simply looked down upon someone of Su Wenyue’s status, whether it be the daughter of a lowly businessman or a farmer’s wife who achieved social climbing through her husband’s opportunism. She harbored a disdain for such individuals, albeit keeping it hidden behind a well-mannered façade. Her pride lay not only in her lineage and appearance but also in the exceptional upbringing and talents she’d been nurturing. Ultimately, she intended to marry a husband who matched her worth and ascend to life’s pinnacle.

In regards to the relationship between the Su Family and Marquis Beian Mansion, Yin Lihua had no concerns at all. The Su Family’s internal rules were not known to outsiders. In Yin Lihua’s eyes, if Marquis Beian’s Lady willingly allowed the Second House, a direct branch, to be separated from the rest, it must be because that branch had committed actions intolerable to Marquis Beian Mansion. Otherwise, why would the legitimate branch be isolated? Marquis Beian’s Lady probably extended some courtesy to the Second House purely for appearance’s sake, due to their common lineage.

“It’s my fault. I was momentarily distracted and failed to notice this lady. Please accept my apology,” Yin Lihua said, her outward expression remorseful though her thoughts were elsewhere.