Zhulan, noticing all eyes on her, felt helpless, knowing she had become the center of attention.
Ran Yan stood up and took a step forward, "This concubine hasn't seen lady Zhou for a long time, and knowing that my niece has been betrothed to the eldest grandson of Zhou family, I took the liberty to look after her. I didn't mean to upset the Third Prince's Consort."
The Crown Princess Consort reached out and patted Ran Yan's hand, "You are too cautious, Mrs. Zhang is not one to nitpick, you don't need to explain."
Mrs. Zhang, the Third Prince's Consort, felt a pang of annoyance in her chest. Their coordinated response made her seem like a petty troublemaker.
Zhulan, twirling the tea cup in her hand, reflected on how Ran Yan's words had laid out all the ties between the Zhou and Ran families. This was exactly what the Crown Princess Consort wanted; the Zhou family, caught in the web of power, could not escape their deepening entanglements.
