ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 94
Inside the hall.
Li Zhizhi is sitting beside Grand Princess Yong Ning, and Princess Ning praised with a smile, “This child looks quite obedient, and her face seems to indicate a fortunate person.”
She then warmly says to Li Zhizhi, “If you have time on ordinary days, you can also come to my place, sit for a while, and have a chat.”
Li Zhizhi quickly agreed, glancing with the corner of her eye. She discreetly looked towards Prince Ning’s son, Xiao Wen, and coincidentally met his gaze, carrying a hint of scrutiny.
In her previous life, Li Zhizhi didn’t have many encounters with Prince Ning’s son, and she didn’t know much about him. She had only heard rumors that he had a gentle and polite temperament, resembling his father, Prince Ning. However, Li Zhizhi knew in her heart that reality was not so simple. Would a truly gentle and amiable person drown another person alive in a flower pond without even blinking?
He was nothing more than a wild beast disguised in fur.
At the same time, Xiao Wen was also assessing Li Zhizhi. Honestly, he had seen many beautiful women, but Li Zhizhi’s appearance still caught his attention. Subconsciously, he looked at her a few more times. However, for some reason, he keenly sensed a subtle sense of rejection in her expression. It was so discreet that if he weren’t observant, he might not have noticed it.
Xiao Wen was surprised and didn’t understand where this rejection came from. He carefully recalled for a long time but couldn’t figure it out because he had never met Li Zhizhi before, and it was impossible for him to offend her.
He instinctively felt curious about Li Zhizhi.
The Grand Princess and the two princesses chatted for a few more moments. A maid hurriedly approached and reported, “Your Highness, there’s a commotion ahead.”
Grand Princess Yong Ning slightly furrowed her willow eyebrows and asked carefully, “What happened? Who is making a commotion?”
“It’s the young master of the Jianchang Marquis Mansion who had a dispute with several madams.”
Upon hearing this, Li Zhizhi was also surprised. Pei Yanchuan? Wasn’t he gone before? How did he get into an argument with someone again in such a short time?
After a moment of contemplation, the Grand Princess stood up and said, “I’ll go take a look. Zhizhi, stay here and chat with the two princesses.”
The Princess of Sheng and the Princess of Ning quickly said, “Grand Princess, please go ahead. We’ll sit here, and it will be peaceful.”
After the Grand Princess left, not long after, the Princess of Sheng said she felt a bit suffocated and wanted to get some fresh air. Xiao Man assisted her for a walk, leaving only Li Zhizhi and the Princess of Ning, along with the son of Prince Ning, Xiao Wen.
The Princess of Ning smiled and chatted with Li Zhizhi. Xiao Wen, standing aside, suddenly said, “I find the Princess somewhat familiar, perhaps I have seen you somewhere before?”
This statement seemed to carry a hint of probing. Li Zhizhi had only arrived in the capital not long ago and couldn’t have had any interaction with him. Her thoughts quickly turned, realizing she had unintentionally revealed something and been noticed. Despite feeling alarmed, she pretended to be shy and answered, “I’m afraid not. I’ve heard of His Highness’s outstanding talents and noble demeanor long ago. Today, seeing it in person, it is truly well-deserved. I can’t help but feel a sense of self-deprecation. If there is any rudeness, please forgive me, Your Highness.”
People generally liked to hear flattering words, especially when accompanied by a pair of clear and sincere eyes. Li Zhizhi seemed genuinely respectful. Xiao Wen accepted this explanation, thinking of the rumored background of Li Zhizhi’s humble origin, and it seemed normal for her to feel inferior in front of someone like him.
Xiao Wen smiled slightly and reassured, “You being appointed as a Princess shows your exceptional qualities. There’s no need to underestimate yourself.”
Li Zhizhi blushed slightly and said, “Yes, but there is still much I don’t understand. In the future, I hope Your Highness will guide me more.”
She was so obedient and gentle that it made Xiao Wen feel a sense of superiority, thinking that Li Zhizhi was very aware of the situation and looked more pleasing to the eye.
After a while, Xiao Man and Princess Sheng still hadn’t returned. Li Zhizhi glanced towards the door with a worried expression, and Princess Ning noticed it, saying, “Send someone to check on them.”
A servant went to check, and Princess Ning took a sip of tea, saying, “This tea is quite good.”
At the words, Li Zhizhi smiled, her eyes slightly curved, saying, “This is the new tea of the year. There is also a type of Mingqian Longjing, the taste is also very good. If the princess and the prince are interested, you can try it.”
Princess Ning readily agreed, and Li Zhizhi ordered someone to bring the tea, washed her hands, and personally brewed the tea for her. While chatting with the two of them, she subtly probed.
She found that the relationship between Xiao Wen and Xiao Man was not particularly close at the moment. When Xiao Man was mentioned, Xiao Wen’s tone revealed a hint of disdain, as if he didn’t think highly of the other party.
This is interesting, Li Zhizhi remembered that in her previous life, when she died, these two were already close. But now, it seemed like an opportunity…
When Xiao Man and Princess Sheng returned, the atmosphere in the room was harmonious. The three of them chatted and laughed, and for a moment, no one noticed them. It was Li Zhizhi’s gaze that swept over, smilingly greeting her and inviting her to sit down and have tea.
Seeing the smile on the other’s face, Xiao Man felt extremely disgusted and annoyed. But this was the Grand Princess’s mansion, so she had to restrain herself and politely declined, saying, “No need, I’m not thirsty.”
Princess Ning warmly persuaded, “This tea was personally brewed by the Princess. It tastes really good. Please, have a seat and give it a try, Your Highness.”
Princess Sheng pulled her daughter and gave her a meaningful look, and the two of them sat down together to have tea.
The maidservant served the tea, and Xiao Man only lightly touched her lips before putting down the teacup. She smiled superficially and said, “I never expected the Princess to have such skills. Even the Queen and the Prince are pleased with you, and they can’t stop praising you.”
She couldn’t help but express her envy, her words laced with a hint of sarcasm. Xiao Wen glanced over, frowned, but Li Zhizhi seemed not to have caught the meaning in her words. She just smiled slightly and asked, “How does the Princess find this tea?”
Xiao Man’s lips moved, wanting to make a sarcastic remark, but when she looked at Princess Ning and Xiao Wen, she swallowed her words. Through gritted teeth, she said, “It’s good tea.”
Li Zhizhi then poured her another cup, smiling as she said, “Then, please drink more, County Princess. It’s a top-quality Mingqian Longjing, a gift from the imperial palace.”
…
In the front hall, at first, Lady Jianchang was chatting and drinking tea with others. When she heard about a dispute, she hadn’t thought it involved her son, Pei Yanchuan. Her face showed surprise as she said, “This is the Grand Princess’s residence. How can there be a conflict here? It’s really inappropriate.”
Unexpectedly, before she finished her tea, she heard someone say, “Madam, it’s your youngest son, who got into an argument with Lady Jiang and Lady Wang.”
Upon hearing this, Lady Jianchang felt her vision blur, and she almost dropped her teacup. She quickly stood up and asked, “Where is it?”
“It’s just outside.”
Madam Hou took three or four steps out of the flower hall and heard the noisy voices. Among them, the loudest voice was indeed her troublesome youngest son. There was a crowd gathered around him, and Madam Hou quickly squeezed through. She heard Pei Yanchuan loudly proclaiming, “What are you all scheming here? Gossiping about others, truly shameless!”
Madam Hou wished she could cover his mouth and immediately took a deep breath, angrily shouting, “Pei Yanchuan! Shut up!”
The other ladies were in the midst of a heated argument, and upon seeing her, they rushed over as if they had found a savior, exclaiming, “Madam Hou!”
“Madam Hou, look at your young master, he’s really going too far!”
“Madam, your son is really out of line. We were just chatting, and he caused trouble for no reason, shaking the plum tree. Look at us, look at the plum stains on our clothes…”
One lady lifted her garment to show Madam Hou – the plums in June were fully ripe, and a touch would release deep purple juice. Moreover, being hit by plums falling from the tree, their clothes were stained with plum juice. Even their foreheads and faces were smeared, looking disheveled.
Madam Hou, ablaze with anger, shot a fierce glance at Pei Yanchuan, meaning that he would face consequences when they returned.
Wearing a forced smile, she apologized to the three ladies, “Please forgive him. The boy lacks manners and etiquette…”
Just at that moment, a slightly authoritative woman’s voice sounded, “What’s happening here?”
Suddenly, everyone turned to the source of the voice. The crowd parted, and a group of maids surrounded the Grand Princess as she walked slowly. The disturbance had reached the attention of the hostess. Madam Hou internally cursed, regretting that she couldn’t just slap her unruly son into the ground.
Otherwise, she would strangle him on the spot and apologize to these ladies and the Grand Princess.
When Grand Princess Yong Ning appeared, the several ladies who were making a fuss immediately stopped and even one of them chuckled, saying, “It’s nothing, just a small matter. Unexpectedly, it disturbed the presence of Grand Princess Yong Ning.”
Among the crowd, someone who enjoyed gossiping without caring about the consequences spoke up, “Ah, Lady Wang, you didn’t say that just now. You insisted on making this young Master Pei apologize to you.”
Others chimed in, “That’s right, now that Grand Princess Yong Ning is here, it’s a good opportunity for Lady Wang to seek justice. You boldly speak up.”
Lady Wang looked embarrassed, even a bit flustered. She hesitated to speak and couldn’t find the right words. The Marquise of Jianchang, sensing something amiss, asked her son in a low voice, “What’s really going on?”
Pei Yanchuan lowered his head, his lips moved, but he hesitated. Just then, Grand Princess Yong Ning sternly spoke, “Today was supposed to be a joyous occasion in the Grand Princess’s mansion. My daughter was bestowed the title of a Princess. Therefore, a banquet was organized to invite you all. Unexpectedly, such a disturbance occurred. If you all cannot give me an explanation, it will be rumored that the Grand Princess’s mansion is a place where anyone can act recklessly.”
Upon hearing this, the Marquise of Jianchang became anxious, forcefully pinching Pei Yanchuan and scolding, “Speak up! You used to enjoy causing trouble, but now it seems like you’ve become hesitant. What did you say earlier about these ladies discussing right and wrong? What does it mean?”
Pei Yanchuan winced from the pinch, his handsome face contorting. After a moment, he said, “They… they were talking about Miss Li.”
The several ladies looked uneasy, lowering their heads. Pei Yanchuan continued, “They said that after Miss Li accepted Grand Princess Yong Ning as her adoptive mother, she looked down on her biological parents. They even claimed that Miss Li, by not bringing anyone from the Li family to congratulate today, is being unfilial. They said she severed ties with the Li family even before the imperial decree was issued, accusing her of being disrespectful.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Grand Princess Yong Ning’s face turned dark.