ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 83
Li Zhizhi denied it, and Zhao Shan’er nodded, agreeing, “That’s right.”
After exchanging a few words, Zhao Shan’er suddenly stopped talking, her gaze fixed in one direction. Following her gaze, Li Zhizhi saw a familiar figure there, facing them. The girl was dressed in a crimson dress with scarlet sleeves, adorned with a high bun, and adorned with golden and jade hairpins. It was the county princess of Rong’an, Xiao Man.
The expression on Zhao Shan’er’s face suddenly turned cold, and she snorted, saying, “What bad luck.”
These two had been at odds for a long time, showing no signs of reconciliation. Even when they encountered each other in the academy, they maintained a cold and distant attitude, as if sworn enemies.
Li Zhizhi tentatively asked, “Is that the county princess? Does Sister Zhao want to go and greet her?”
“Who wants to greet her?” Zhao Shan’er showed disdain and said arrogantly, “Don’t mention this person in front of me. Just hearing about her makes me nauseous.”
“But…” Li Zhizhi hesitated, whispering, “Sister Zhao, you used to have such a good relationship with the county princess. Don’t you feel regretful?”
“She brought this upon herself,” Zhao Shan’er said coldly. “I have given her opportunities, but she doesn’t know how to appreciate them. She plotted against me just to climb higher. What wouldn’t she do for personal gain?”
She spoke, then suddenly looked at Li Zhizhi, pulling her aside. When they were sure no one else could hear, she said, “I investigated the matter you told me about last time. Why do you think she lied to us about going to pick flowers planted by Consort Chun?”
Li Zhizhi pretended to be surprised, “Isn’t it because the flowers are beautiful?”
“Heh, you’re also naive,” Zhao Shan sneered and said, “Originally, it was to please Consort Rong. Consort Rong and Consort Chun don’t get along. After the incident at the Spring Banquet, Consort Rong treated her much more warmly. You think, as a county princess, with legitimate imperial relatives, why would she go out of her way to please a consort? What’s her motive?”
Upon hearing this, Li Zhizhi had a vague guess in her mind. Zhao Shan looked disdainful and continued, “Isn’t it just to bask in Consort Rong’s favor, to show her face in front of the Emperor, so that he remembers he has a niece and grants her a title? You don’t know, she’s almost gone crazy wanting to become a princess. She even tried to persuade me to ask my father to help her with a memorial. Fortunately, I didn’t agree.”
Li Zhizhi recalled the stolen painting, no wonder Consort Rong presented the painting to Emperor Jingming that day. She was familiar with the Emperor’s temperament; perhaps he would inquire about the artist and then use the opportunity to promote Xiao Man. However, they didn’t anticipate the unexpected appearance of Li Zhizhi.
Even Li Zhizhi hadn’t expected things to be so coincidental. On that day, she and the Grand Princess entered the palace, and at that very moment, Consort Rong came to present the painting.
If Li Zhizhi had not known the Grand Princess, Xiao Man’s plan might have succeeded. Li Zhizhi thought back carefully and vaguely remembered that in her previous life, Xiao Man had been conferred the title of Jing’an County Princess around June or July…
Shortly afterward, Li Zhizhi was framed for stealing something from a fellow student, forced to leave Mingyuan, and later, the incident at the heir’s residence’s flower pond.
Now upon careful reflection, she realized that behind each of these incidents was the hand of Xiao Man.
Li Zhizhi’s heart grew cold as she looked again at the figure not far away. Xiao Man seemed to have noticed her and walked towards them. Li Zhizhi’s expression froze for a moment, and then Xiao Man walked over.
“Unlucky thing,” Zhao Shan muttered under her breath, as if she intended to turn and leave.
How could Li Zhizhi let her have her way? She immediately reached out and grabbed her, saying, “Sister Zhao, it seems like the county princess is looking for you.”
Zhao Shan couldn’t break free for a moment, so she had no choice but to stand there, watching Xiao Man approach. She rolled her eyes, turned her head away, and Xiao Man looked at the hands of the two holding together, lightly laughed, and said, “I didn’t know about your relationship before. It turns out that Miss Zhao doesn’t fancy me, the county princess. Only the Princess can catch your eye.”
Zhao Shan was instantly annoyed and retorted, “Forget about the county princess or Princess. As long as someone is a good person and doesn’t offend me, it’s worth making friends. It’s just that some people, while making a big show of themselves, are still stuck in the same place.”
Xiao Man’s face darkened, “Zhao Shan, be careful with your words.”
“What is there to be careful about?” Zhao Shan raised her eyebrows contemptuously. “I don’t need to fawn over anyone, are you afraid of me?”
This was a blatant mockery, and Xiao Man’s beautiful face twisted for a moment. Li Zhizhi thought she would explode and argue with Zhao Shan, but unexpectedly, she restrained herself.
Xiao Man clenched her fists, veins standing out on the back of her hands, but she managed to suppress her anger. She said to Zhao Shan, “People say not to expose others’ shortcomings when cursing. Zhao Shan, we’ve known each other for six years, and I’ve treated you sincerely all these years. Even if I’ve made some mistakes unintentionally, does it have to come to this?”
Zhao Shan’er didn’t expect that she would yield on the spot. She looked stunned, didn’t continue the confrontation, and only coldly threw a sentence before leaving, “Take care of yourself.”
After saying that, she led a group of people and left in a spirited manner, leaving only Li Zhizhi standing in place. Xiao Man turned her head to look at her and said, “You have some skills. I underestimated you back then.”
Li Zhizhi looked puzzled and said, “What does the county princess mean? I don’t understand.”
“What are you pretending to be now?” Xiao Man coldly snorted. “Don’t think that you’re someone just because you’ve climbed to the side of the Grand Princess and got the title of Princess. In the end, you’re still surnamed Li, not Xiao, fundamentally an uncouth and lowly person.”
Li Zhizhi sensed the malice in her words but remained calm. Instead, she smiled slightly and said, “I know in my heart what my status is. There’s no need for the county princess to remind me. The county princess comes from the royal family, naturally more noble than me. I am just an outsider with a bit of luck, picking up the title of a Princess.”
With each mention of “county princess” and “Princess,” her tone sounded extremely humble, but her eyes revealed a blatant sense of satisfaction. This made Xiao Man grit her teeth, wishing to tear apart Li Zhizhi’s beautiful face.
As Zhao Shan’er said, she had put in a lot of effort, and all she sought was the title of a Princess. Yet, she still hadn’t achieved it. She was the emperor’s own niece, with imperial blood running through her veins. Why did someone like Li Zhizhi, a commoner raised in the countryside, have the right to be a Princess?!
Xiao Man could tolerate Zhao Shan’er, but at this moment, she couldn’t swallow this resentment.
Li Zhizhi leisurely enjoyed the expression on the other side’s face. After a moment, she remembered something, tilted her head, and said, “By the way, my mother told me that from now on, I am the Princess. Except for those noble ladies, anyone of lower status should bow and salute when they see me.”
She arched her eyebrows, sweetly smiling, and said, “Let it go this time. Remember next time, there’s a difference in status, County Princess.”
Xiao Man struggled to catch her breath, glaring at her with a venomous gaze, as if she could grind her teeth and drink her blood, wanting to devour her alive.
Before long, Li Zhizhi returned to the flower hall. When the Grand Princess noticed her, she smiled and said, “I was just about to send someone to find you. How was it? Where were you playing just now? Did you have fun?”
Li Zhizhi obediently replied, “I met Miss Zhao Shan’er and County Princess Rong An, talked for a while, and had a good time.”
She was somewhat happy, but as for the happiness of those two people, she had no idea.
…
After attending the banquet at General Wu Wei’s residence, Li Zhizhi and the Grand Princess had just returned to the Grand Princess’s residence when a servant came in to report that someone from the Li family had arrived, wanting to see Li Zhizhi.
Li Zhizhi was stunned, and her heart sank rapidly. Since the last visit to the Crown Prince’s mansion, no one from the Li family had come. She never expected it to happen again today. She knew Madam Li would not give up easily.
The Grand Princess frowned and asked, “What does she want?”
The servant replied, “Madam Li is unwell and wishes for Miss to come and visit.”
“This…” The Grand Princess looked at Li Zhizhi and asked, “What does Zhizhi think?”
In the gradually tightening sleeves of Li Zhizhi, her heart did not feel surprised. Even the excuse of being sick was brought up. It seemed that she had to go back this time. At least on the surface, Madam Li was indeed her stepmother. If she continued to ignore it now, it would give others a handle and a valid reason.
With her thoughts turning, Li Zhizhi lowered her eyes and said softly, “Mother, then I will go back to visit her.”
The Grand Princess contemplated for a moment and said, “How about I accompany you back?”
Li Zhizhi shook her head and refused, “I’ll go alone. After all, she is the one who is sick. You are of noble birth, and if something happens to you after visiting, what should I do? It’s too ominous.”
She was more worried that if the Grand Princess went and saw the ugly faces of the people in the Li family, it would be like stepping into a dirty mud puddle, indeed ominous.