ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 55
Grand Princess’s Mansion.
As soon as Li Zhizhi arrived, the servants had already informed, and the Eldest Princess welcomed her personally, saying with great joy, “I thought you wouldn’t come today. Come in quickly. Have you had lunch?”
Li Zhizhi hurriedly approached with a golden box, fearing that there might be some oversight. However, she forgot that she hadn’t informed in advance, and now it seemed as if she had deliberately come to rush for a meal. She awkwardly said, “I’ve already had lunch.”
However, the Eldest Princess seemed to see through it, just smiling gently and saying, “Since you’ve already eaten, accompany me for a bit.”
She also instructed someone to bring another set of bowls and chopsticks. The two sat facing each other. Li Zhizhi noticed that although the dishes on the table were exquisite, they didn’t seem to be many. There were only four dishes and a soup. When she dined at the Eldest Princess’s Mansion before, there were at least eight dishes, not to mention various desserts and fruits that could fill the entire table.
The Eldest Princess instructed lightly, “Bring the Eight Treasures Duck to the table, add a dish of Pine Mushroom and Sugar, and oh, also the white apricots and loquats sent from the palace yesterday, bring them over too.”
Li Zhizhi suddenly understood. She used to think that the meals at the Eldest Princess’s Mansion were abundant and delicious, but it turned out it was because of her presence. The Eldest Princess didn’t usually have such extravagant meals, and her own dining was quite ordinary.
Feeling both touched and embarra.s.sed, Li Zhizhi quickly said, “No need to trouble yourselves. I think these dishes are already very good.”
On the side, Qianluo chuckled and said, “It’s not troublesome at all. Miss, you may not know, but didn’t you say last time that you liked the Eight Treasures Duck? It’s just that the process is too complicated, so our mistress ordered the kitchen to prepare it in advance, thinking that you could enjoy it when you came over tomorrow.”
Princess Yongning gave her a light glare and scolded, “You’re the only one who can talk. Hurry up and go.”
“Yes, yes, this servant deserves to die. I’ll go give the orders.”
The kitchen staff worked quickly, and soon, the Eight Treasures Duck and Pine Mushroom and Sugar Dish were presented, steaming hot with a fragrant aroma. Princess Yongning personally picked up a chopstick and put some in Li Zhizhi’s bowl, smiling gently, “What a coincidence, this dish has just been made. You arrived just in time, try it quickly.”
Li Zhizhi nodded obediently, and casually said, “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Princess Chang just smiled at her, and the maid Qianluo reminded her softly, “Miss, you are still calling her Your Highness, it’s time to change your words.”
Li Zhizhi was taken aback, and then realized. She blushed suddenly, looking at Princess Yongning. Despite having called her that several times before and doing so naturally in front of the Li couple, she now felt somewhat at a loss.
Princess Yongning noticed this and spoke soothingly, “It’s okay, take your time, no rush.”
She urged Li Zhizhi to eat quickly, but Li Zhizhi just held the chopsticks, blushing and stammering, “Mother, Mother dear.”
She looked shyly at Princess Yongning, nervous to the point where her palms were sweating, almost breaking the chopsticks.
“Oh dear,” Princess Yongning laughed, her eyes crinkling with fine lines, saying repeatedly, “Alright, alright, my little obedient one, go ahead and eat. Don’t starve yourself.”
The n.o.ble princess took delight in sending dishes to Li Zhizhi’s bowl again and again, watching her obediently enjoy the meal. Her heart was thoroughly satisfied, and she wished she could embrace Li Zhizhi and give her a gentle rub to express her contentment.
After the midday meal, when tea was served by the servants, the princess sipped her tea while observing Li Zhizhi peeling and eating white apricots. Her eyes were filled with tender smiles. Noticing a jeweled box placed beside Li Zhizhi, the princess couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Why did you bring something else with you?”
Li Zhizhi quickly wiped her hands and explained, “No, this was actually mixed in the congratulatory gifts you sent. However, it wasn’t listed on the gift list, and I thought maybe the servants in the mansion made a mistake. It’s too valuable, and I didn’t dare to accept it.”
As she spoke, Li Zhizhi opened the jeweled box. Initially, the princess didn’t pay much attention, just saying, “If it’s a gift for you, you should keep it, even if it’s not on the list.”
But when her eyes fell on the box, she saw a bottle full of golden melon seeds, glittering in the sunlight. Her expression changed slightly, and she asked Qingluo with surprise, “Did I send this?”
Qianluo shook her head and said, “You personally chose the gifts. I watched them wrap each one, and this bottle of golden melon seeds wasn’t on the list.”
Suddenly remembering something, she added, “Oh, that’s right. When we were sending gifts to the Li Mansion, it seems His Highness the Crown Prince also had someone deliver a brocade box. He asked us to send it together. Since it’s not on the gift list, it must be his gift.”
Upon hearing this, the Eldest Princess smiled and said, “He is quite thoughtful, making such a lavish move.”
She then advised Li Zhizhi, “Since it’s a gift from the Fifth Prince, just accept it. He has taken many good things from me before; you don’t need to be polite with him.”
However, Li Zhizhi hesitated and said, “But there’s also a note attached inside the bottle.”
Princess Yongning asked, “What’s written? Let me see.”
Li Zhizhi took out the piece of paper and handed it over. Princess Yongning read it once, and her expression changed. The handwriting on it was indeed from Xiao Yan, expressing his wishes for her to be happy every day and revealing his feelings.
What feelings were being expressed?
Clearly, it was a love message! Suddenly, Princess Yongning remembered the recent question Xiao Yan had asked her.
He wanted to give something to the girl he liked, a girl who was about to come of age…
Looking at the obedient daughter she had just coaxed, Princess Yongning’s face gradually darkened. Li Zhizhi looked at her with some confusion and asked, “What’s wrong, Mother?”
Princess Yongning crumpled the note into a ball, smiling warmly and kindly. She said, “Nothing. I’ll ask Xiao Wu later. It’s not appropriate to accept this gift. By the way, I have some golden beads that look much better than these golden melon seeds. Take them to play with.”
As she spoke, she instructed a servant to bring a small box, and inside were indeed golden beads, each the size of a bean, with intricate engravings of flowers, birds, insects, and fish, all vividly depicted.
Princess Yongning smiled and said, “There are a hundred and eight beads in total, each with a different pattern. Tomorrow, have a craftsman drill a hole in each bead, string them together with silk thread to make a beautiful bracelet!”
Speaking in a tone as if coaxing a child, Princess Yongning left Li Zhizhi somewhat amused and bewildered. Li Zhizhi said, “This is too precious, Mother. I can’t accept it.”
The Eldest Princess pretended to be angry but said, “Since you’ve called me ‘mother,’ why do you still act so distant? Everything I have is yours now. If you refuse, it means our hearts are not close.”
Upon hearing this, Li Zhizhi became fl.u.s.tered and hastily replied, “Mother, I didn’t mean it that way. You are the closest to me; you’ve been so good to me. In my heart, no one else in this world can compare to you.”
As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, and she seemed on the verge of crying. The Eldest Princess immediately felt distressed and quickly hugged her, saying, “Don’t cry, my dear. I understand.”
She gently stroked the girl’s hair and comforted her, “There’s an old saying that goes, ‘Wealth and n.o.bility favor delicate women, and historically, few prodigal sons surpa.s.s virtuous women.’ Girls should be cherished, treated like treasures, proud and n.o.ble, with vision and insight. Stick to your true self. This way, you won’t easily be deceived or belittled in the future.”
“Good child, remember, though gold and jade are precious, they are just embellishments. They may be lost one day. What truly matters is your heart. Do you understand?”
Li Zhizhi, who had lived two lifetimes, was hearing such words for the first time and remained stunned for a while before nodding, “I understand, Mother. I will definitely remember.”
“Very obedient,” the Eldest Princess wiped away the tears from her eyes, smiling with satisfaction. “We, Zhizhi, will surely get better and make those who overlooked us regret it.”
But just as she had successfully won over her obedient daughter, why did some people start coveting her? The Eldest Princess narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, thinking that this couldn’t be allowed.
…
Shortly after Xiao Yan returned to the Prince’s Mansion, he heard that Princess Yongning had arrived. Quite surprised, he changed into casual attire and went to the flower hall to meet her, saying with a smile, “Aunt, what brings you here today? Do you not have time for tea?”
Princess Yongning was sitting in the master’s chair, sipping tea. Upon hearing this, she only smiled and said, “Just happened to pa.s.s by, so I came in for a visit. I wanted to ask you for a cup of tea. What’s this? Reluctant to offer it?”
Xiao Yan keenly sensed that her tone was somewhat unusual, but he did not show it on her face. He said, “Auntie is joking. Even if you want dragon liver and phoenix marrow, your nephew will get it for you.”
The Eldest Princess nodded and said with admiration, “Crown Prince is really generous. It seems that your mansion is quite wealthy. If that’s the case, Auntie won’t be polite. I’ve never tasted the delicacy of dragon liver and phoenix marrow before.”
Xiao Yan:…
Helplessly, he smiled and said, “Auntie, what’s bothering you today? If someone has offended you, just tell me. I’ll take care of it for you.”
After hearing this, the Eldest Princess glanced at him, put down her tea cup, and signaled to a maid, who immediately brought a brocade box to Xiao Yan and opened it. Inside was a bottle of golden melon seeds.
The Eldest Princess asked, “Is this your gift?”
Xiao Yan raised his eyebrows slightly and admitted, “Yes, today is the coming-of-age ceremony for Li Zhizhi, and I congratulated her. Is there anything wrong?”
“If it’s for her coming-of-age, there’s naturally nothing wrong,” the Eldest Princess said sternly, taking out the note from her sleeve. “But what does this mean?” She shook the paper and read the words aloud, then asked, “What intentions do you have towards her? She has just come of age!”
She became furious when discussing this, throwing the note on the table. She said angrily, “I only knew that you had someone in mind, but I didn’t expect it to be Zhizhi. Didn’t you like dislike her before? When did you start pursuing her? Why didn’t you tell me? If Zhizhi hadn’t come to me today, I might not have known for how long I would have been kept in the dark!”
With a barrage of questions, Xiao Yan didn’t even have a chance to interrupt. Seeing that the Eldest Princess was genuinely angry, he had to say, “Auntie, calm down. Let me explain.”
The Eldest Princess took a sip of tea and sneered, saying, “You’d better give me an explanation, or you’ll soon find out how skilled your aunt is with her marksmanship!”
There was a threat in her words, all for the sake of Li Zhizhi. Xiao Yan couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated and reminded, “I am your nephew.”
The Eldest Princess didn’t buy into his words at all: “Zhizhi is still my daughter, and even if you’re a nephew, you’ll have to rely on me now.”
Xiao Yan: …
The Eldest Princess, who seemed calm and generous but was actually extremely protective, was biased towards her relatives. Regardless of reason, Li Zhizhi was fortunate to have found such a support. Xiao Yan felt helpless and explained, “The gift was not actually from me; I was just delivering it on behalf of someone else. If Aunt doubts it, take a look at the signature on the letter.”
Upon hearing this, the Princess Yongning picked up the letter and glanced at it. She hadn’t paid much attention before due to her anger and didn’t notice the small character “Chuan” in the signature. She remained doubtful and asked, “Is it true? Then whom are you delivering it for? What’s the name of the sender?”
Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment, thinking that with the Princess Yongning’s protective att.i.tude, it might be hard for her to accept Pei Yanchuan, the unruly and notorious playboy in the capital.
After a brief hesitation, the Princess Yongning’s expression turned suspicious again, “Are you making up a story to deceive me?”
“How dare I deceive my aunt?” Xiao Yan had no choice but to say, “The person is the younger son of the Marquis of Jianchang. His elder brother was appointed as the Loyal Martial General last year.”
The Princess Yongning pondered for a moment, furrowing her brows, “I know about Marquis Jianchang and Loyal Martial General, but why are you bringing up his father and elder brother? I just asked you, who is the sender of this gift?”
“As expected of aunt, she hit the nail on the head,” Xiao Yan said, rubbing his nose somewhat sulkily. He continued, “It’s Pei Yanchuan.”
Surprisingly, the Princess listened without displaying the expected anger or disdain. Instead, she pondered for a moment and asked, “What is he doing now? Does he hold any official position? How old is he?”
Xiao Yan truthfully answered, “He’s still studying at the National Academy. He should be seventeen this year.”
The Princess thoughtfully remarked, “I’ve met the Marchioness of Jianchang before. She has a good temperament, straightforward. Jianchang Marquis is also a loyal and brave man. The elder son has already received a fourth-rank military position at a young age. The younger son shouldn’t be too bad. However, he’s still studying, and at a young age. Although he has some unfavorable rumors, rumors are not always reliable. We can observe and wait.”
She then said to Xiao Yan, “On another occasion, bring him to see me, let me a.s.sess his character.”
At this moment, she seemed calm and rational, appearing quite understanding. Xiao Yan felt a bit strangely uneasy in his heart. He couldn’t understand why someone like Pei Yanchuan, known for his debauchery, could be observed while he, a dignified crown prince, couldn’t be.