Song Chaoyu waved her hands, but dared not provoke Wu Lingru. "No, no, how could I dare to mock Miss Wu? I just find your words amusing!"
Wu Lingru recognized Song Chaoyu and sized her up. "You are the fourth daughter of the Song family, aren't you? You call His Highness Prince Ning brother-in-law. You must be overjoyed in your heart right now, aren't you? Let me tell you, this Princess of Ning should have been mine, Wu Lingru!"
"Hiss—"
Song Chaoyu heard someone behind her gasp.
And indeed.
No matter how much of a distinguished lady Wu Lingru was in the capital, she openly declared in front of so many people that she should have been Princess of Ning. It was likely that many would consider her immodest for a young lady!
But Song Chaoyu understood Wu Lingru's intention.
Now that she wanted to be Princess of Ning, it was impossible. If this incident hadn't occurred, she wouldn't even have a chance to get involved with Prince Ning later.
It was better to throw her reputation to the wind. If she caused such a scene, there was still a possibility of entering Prince Ning's mansion.
After all, she had the General behind her. This matter, if it got out, would at most be embarrassing, but it could still secure her a position as a secondary consort to Prince Ning.
In her previous life, Wu Lingru had no such obstacles and had successfully secured the position of secondary consort to Prince Ning.
This life...
Song Chaoyu glanced at Madam Nie and whispered, "Sister-in-law, this Miss Wu is notoriously formidable. I'm afraid we won't be able to persuade her. Why don't we just stop talking about it and let Prince Ning's mansion and my second sister's people handle it themselves?"
Madam Nie, however, was somewhat unwilling. "Our Song family is one. If she escalates this matter and embarrasses your second sister, won't it affect you later when you get married?"
Song Chaoyu knew Madam Nie's character. It seemed she was determined to get involved in this matter.
Wu Lingru stood at the entrance of the bridal chamber. No matter how much the maids beside her tried to persuade her, she refused to leave. "What are you doing? I just want to see the bride. Is it that astonishing to you? Are you afraid I'll eat that delicate bride?"
Seeing that she couldn't be persuaded, Song Chaoyu signaled the maids not to approach.
She walked over to Wu Lingru alone and asked, "May I ask, Miss Wu, why are you making such a scene here? What is your objective? Do you want to be Prince Ning's primary consort?"
If it were someone else, Wu Lingru would have thrown a tantrum and chased them away.
But as the saying goes, "One doesn't strike a smiling face." Song Chaoyu's gentle smile truly disarmed Wu Lingru for a moment.
Seeing her silence, Song Chaoyu's smile widened. "Actually, Miss Wu knows better than anyone that the position of Prince Ning's primary consort is only possible for my second sister. No one else can attain it. So, I naturally understand that you are here to make a scene because you are unhappy. But have you considered how such a commotion might harm the relationship between you and His Highness Prince Ning?"
Wu Lingru hadn't expected Song Chaoyu to speak from this angle.
She opened her mouth, only to find herself unable to refute anything.
Song Chaoyu continued to persuade her. "Actually, Miss Wu, what can you achieve today? Will you smash the bridal chamber? Or disrupt the wedding banquet? Even if you succeed, have you considered how His Highness Prince Ning would view you if you did?"
Although Wu Lingru in the previous life was overbearing, she wasn't brainless. Otherwise, she wouldn't have secured such a position in Prince Ning's mansion.
Indeed, Wu Lingru at this moment lowered her head, seemingly contemplating. "But he promised me the position of Princess of Ning. Am I supposed to hand it over to someone else like this?"
Song Chaoyu smiled again. "Then shouldn't my second sister also say that Prince Ning promised her the position of Princess, and it's now being disrupted by you today? Our Song family and your Wu family were originally friends. Now, must we create such deep animosity? It's not beneficial to either of our families, is it?"
She even stepped forward and took Wu Lingru's hand. "Sister Wu, I'm not trying to advise you on anything. As things stand, His Highness Prince Ning is like this, and I feel it's not worth it for you, Sister Wu! However, if you truly ruin Prince Ning's wedding today, it will be even harder to resolve. Prince Ning might have felt guilty towards you initially. If you ruin today's wedding, won't that guilt disappear, leaving only aversion?"
Wu Lingru took her words to heart and looked at Song Chaoyu, somewhat incredulously. "I've always heard that you are just a little illegitimate daughter raised by an outsider. I didn't expect you to speak with some sense. Then tell me, what should I do now? The scene has already been made, and I can't take back my face, can I?"
Song Chaoyu glanced around. With so many people, she couldn't say much more. She simply patted Wu Lingru's hand. "Sister, you can generously admit that you came today to offer your blessings. Let outsiders think that you have been wronged, and they will naturally side with you. In the future, when you enter the mansion, get along well with my second sister, and this matter will pass, won't it?"
Wu Lingru was still dissatisfied. "I, the legitimate daughter of a great general, am to willingly become a concubine? Your sister is legitimate, and I am also legitimate. Why should I be inferior to her?"
Song Chaoyu heard the commotion behind her. The people escorting the bride were probably arriving soon.
She pulled Wu Lingru again and whispered a few words in her ear. Wu Lingru's eyes suddenly brightened. "Fourth sister, you truly see things clearly! As you said, it's not bad. Fine, I won't cause trouble in the bridal chamber today! I will eventually enter Prince Ning's mansion, and I will compete with your second sister with my own abilities!"
With that, she actually turned around and snorted at the maids and matrons. "Alright, don't be scared. I'm going to the front to find my brother!"
As she turned to leave, the group escorting Song Yanjiao into the bridal chamber had already reached their doorway.
Madam Nie finally breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward to take Song Chaoyu's arm. "What did Fourth Sister say to send away the formidable Miss Wu like that? Her brother is outside, and she was making such a scene in the inner courtyard. It's likely her brother gave her his backing. Yet you sent her away with just a few words. You are truly capable!"
Song Chaoyu smiled and stood aside with Madam Nie. "I just told her that being a secondary consort is nothing. She knows Prince Ning's current status very well, didn't she come to this point? There are so many matters in the inner chambers. Is she really afraid of Second Sister?"
Madam Nie was stunned but her worries grew. "Your goading is effective. But I'm afraid she won't make it easy for your second sister once she enters the mansion. Alas... matters of the inner chambers are always so complicated!"