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Su Wenyue hadn’t expected Zhou Wang to possess such ability, managing to ingratiate herself with the County government and even cozy up to the General’s Lady in such a short time. Since the General’s Lady was willing to let her follow, she must have viewed Zhou Wang with some amount of favoritism. What’s more, the General’s Lady even introduced Zhou Wang to the County magistrate’s wife.

Just as the County magistrate’s wife had introduced Su Wenyue to the General’s Lady, the General’s Lady seemed to have the intention for the County magistrate’s wife to look after Zhou Wang a bit. It wasn’t clear what fortune had caused the General’s Lady to be so supportive of Zhou Wang, especially since the County magistrate’s wife’s support for Su Wenyue stemmed not only from Su Wenyue herself but also from her connection to the An Family, with over a decade of friendship. Zhou Wang seemed to have just met the General’s Lady, and she had previously mentioned the General’s Lady to Su Wenyue as though she were a stranger.

“I have had the honor to meet the County magistrate’s wife,” Zhou Wang said gracefully after being introduced by the General’s Lady, performing a respectful greeting that was not lacking in etiquette.

The County magistrate’s wife, unaware of the earlier trickery outside the County government, had no dissatisfaction with Zhou Wang. Moreover, she did not want to snub the General’s Lady’s face, so she spoke warmly to Zhou Wang and even offered her praise.

Seeing the County magistrate’s wife give her face thus, the General’s Lady was also pleasant toward Su Wenyue, particularly when she heard that Su Wenyue was Han Yu’s wife, treating Su Wenyue with additional kindness.

Her husband had told her that Captain Han was a young man with a promising future, not only skilled in martial arts but also smart and grateful. It was only a matter of time before such a young man would rise through the ranks, and moreover, he had youth on his side. With the Imperial Court in turmoil, trouble was bound to arise. If a war broke out and he earned military commendations, he would quickly climb the ranks.

The General’s Lady’s impression of Su Wenyue was also quite favorable. She thought that Su Wenyue not only had a better demeanor than the other ladies but also carried herself with the grace of a noble household. Her etiquette was impeccable, her smile clean, clear, and sincere, making her a delightful sight.

As a woman herself, if she were someone else, she might have been jealous. But the General’s Lady, as the wife of a military official, had a bold nature and was not the sort to be petty and begrudge others’ superior status. Therefore, she admired Su Wenyue, and given Han Yu’s situation, she had the additional intent to establish a connection. Since Han Yu would eventually climb higher, possibly even surpassing her husband, befriending her now would be beneficial for her future.

With this mindset, the General’s Lady treated Su Wenyue as an equal, without looking down upon her from above, unlike her approach to Zhou Wang. Although her attitude toward Zhou Wang was also not bad, and she had deliberately given her a boost, her relationship with Zhou Wang was not equal—it was more of charity.

Zhou Wang had felt proud when she followed the General’s Lady into the event to celebrate the County magistrate’s birthday, her thoughts wandering to Madam Fang Chen, Su Wenyue, and Madame Liu Zhao, giving rise to various emotions, and she felt a sense of vindication. She wondered if Su Wenyue and the others would be surprised and jealous when they saw her. Zhou Wang had known that Su Wenyue may have been acquainted with the County magistrate’s wife but was unaware of their close relationship. She thought that by cozying up to the General’s Lady, she was now above Su Wenyue and the rest, who would have to ingratiate themselves with her from now on.

So, when Zhou Wang entered and saw Su Wenyue following behind the County magistrate’s wife, her heart twisted uncomfortably. Especially upon seeing the General’s Lady’s pleasant demeanor toward Su Wenyue, her unease deepened. It was Zhou Wang who had nearly ruined her looks and leveraged herself just to curry favor with the General’s Lady and earn a second glance. Why should Su Wenyue effortlessly receive all this without doing anything? However, Zhou Wang was a smart person; in such a setting, she would not behave improperly.

As the General’s Lady’s ‘favorite’, Zhou Wang was also fawned over by the other ladies, feeling proud and increasingly recognizing the power of influence. If only her Husband were more ambitious, she wouldn’t have to rely on pandering to others for her current glory.

“It seems Lady Yue and Mrs. Wang are acquainted, aren’t they? Your husbands both serve in the military camp and must have interacted frequently. I noticed you didn’t introduce each other,” the General’s Lady asked with a smile.

Su Wenyue was about to answer when Zhou Wang hastily interjected, as if fearful that Su Wenyue would say something detrimental to her.

“Indeed, Lady Yue and I have known each other for a long time. We visit each other often, and I am quite fond of her temperament. She feels just like my own Sister,” Zhou Wang said warmly, presenting a convincing facade. In fact, it was only after seeing the County magistrate’s wife’s and the General’s Lady’s attitudes toward Su Wenyue that she decided to draw closer to her. In her eyes, portraying their relationship as close was a gesture of giving face to Su Wenyue, especially since her Husband’s Official position was higher than Su Wenyue’s Husband.

Su Wenyue twitched at Zhou Wang’s words, finding Zhou Wang to be not only envious but also shameless. When had they ever fostered such a relationship, akin to sisters? More like adversaries.

The General’s Lady hadn’t lowered her voice deliberately, nor had she intended to keep her question a secret. Since she had asked it so openly, everyone present had heard it. Madame Liu Zhao and the others also found Zhou Wang’s comments shameless, marveling at her audacity. Who exactly had a good relationship with her?

Hearing Zhou Wang’s words, Madam Fang Chen displayed disdain and mockery on her face, and her intense irritation involuntary revealed her thoughts.

“Pfft, as close as her own Sister, how eloquent! People these days have no shame at all. To ingratiate themselves, they’ll say anything. If that were true, why was she so eager to accompany me earlier? When that didn’t work out, she changed her tune. From treating someone as an enemy, she now claims them as a sister—it’s utterly laughable!”

As soon as Madam Fang Chen made this statement, the entire banquet fell silent, and everyone looked at her in disbelief. Was this woman out of her mind, daring to speak like that in front of the County magistrate’s wife and the General’s Lady? Even if it were true, such things should not be voiced. Zhou Wang was someone the General’s Lady favored, and this surely meant offending the General’s Lady. Nonetheless, everyone also began to speculate about Zhou Wang.

Zhou Wang had not expected Madam Fang Chen to be so foolish. Such stupidity implicated her as well, and seeing that the General’s Lady had heard Madam Fang Chen’s words, she felt uneasy, cursing Madam Fang Chen countless times inwardly. She never should have been associated with such a brainless woman in the first place.

After hearing Madam Fang Chen speak that way, the General’s Lady thought about the earlier incident outside, and suspicion crept into her eyes when she looked at Zhou Wang. She kept quiet, however, storing this doubt in her heart and instead turned to Su Wenyue with a smile.

“Lady Yue, what do you say?”