Madam Liang Luo Meixiang, who had been following Imperial Consort De’s lead in playing dumb all along, also smiled at this moment and said, “Indeed, Seventh Miss Qin lost her parents early and had no one to teach her. This temperament is truly unbearable! If she were to marry into our Marquis Manor and continue to wildly criticize state affairs outside, when the Son of Heaven brings down punishment, the entire Marquis Manor would be implicated by you.”
She was originally extremely beautiful, and when she smiled, she was even more soul-stirring.
Liang Qiong also smiled, bowing to pour a cup of flower tea for Imperial Consort De, giving Princess Fuping a comforting smile.
But Qin Shuying was completely unconcerned about being evaluated this way by Kangpin and the Marquis of Pingxi’s wife. Her eyes remained calm and composed as she said, “Consort Lianpin and Madam Marquis speak correctly. This subject will remember it in her heart.”
She admitted it so readily?
Where was her usual sharp tongue?
Kangpin felt somewhat incredulous, and Luo Meixiang also felt like she had punched cotton.
But Lianpin didn’t believe this cousin had given in so easily. Just wait and see—cousin would still have surprises in store. She felt somewhat expectant.
Before long, the performance ended.
The three consorts went to rest, and the various ladies and misses were free to do as they pleased. Everyone wandered the gardens in small groups.
Lin Zilan and Qin Shuying walked together, deliberately avoiding crowded places, bringing their respective maids to admire the scenery and chat. Their mood was quite pleasant.
After strolling for quite a while, as they passed by a dense sea of flowers, they suddenly heard a woman’s voice: “Seventh Miss Qin, please wait!”
It turned out to be a palace maid from Princess Fu’an’s side, whom Qin Shuying had seen many times.
“Seventh Miss Qin, our Princess is over there and requests you to come over.”
Qin Shuying looked toward a small slope not far away. Princess Fu’an had seen her from up on the slope.
Qin Shuying and Lin Zilan exchanged glances, then followed the palace maid up the slope.
Princess Fu’an sat in the open shade, eating delivered melons, fruits, and pastries, drinking tea while a palace maid fanned her with a fan. Liu Sujiang was half-seated on a stool beside her, and Yun Jingshu stood smiling.
Qin Shuying gracefully approached, her face like a peach blossom, smiling before speaking. She performed a curtsy and said, “Your Highness, I finally see you again today. Since we parted in the palace last time, Shuying has wanted to enter the palace to visit you, but unfortunately haven’t had the leisure.”
Her manner was as if she had a particularly good relationship with Princess Fu’an, as if that confrontation at the teahouse had never happened at all.
“Pfft…”
Liu Sujiang had just taken a sip of tea and immediately spat it all out.
Qin Shuying’s expression turned stern as she chided, “Sister Liu, when will you ever change this rash and careless habit of yours? Last time at Guangbin Tower you spilled tea all over me, and today you nearly sprayed it on Her Highness. It’s only because Her Highness has a good temper—if it were someone else, even if you had three knees, it wouldn’t be enough for you to kneel and beg forgiveness.”
Liu Sujiang’s face flushed red with anger. She actually dared to mention the Guangbin Tower incident!
She didn’t know what the capital’s authorities were thinking—such a big dead person, and their final conclusion was that the man died by suicide. It was clearly Qin Shuying who killed him! Were their eyes blind?
But she didn’t dare say anything and had to keep it bottled up inside.
Princess Fu’an also showed a disgusted expression, snorted coldly, and scolded, “Qin Shuying, there are no outsiders here now, so stop pretending!”
Qin Shuying shook her head. “Your Highness, the rumors outside now say that because Your Highness is of noble birth, virtuous and magnanimous, gentle and dignified, you received His Majesty’s golden words and were married to Secretary Liu. Although this subject missed the chance with the Liu family, I also don’t wish for any bad words to spread, and even less do I want others to misunderstand that Your Highness stole this subject’s marriage and then humiliated this subject after taking it. Just now, quite a few people over there saw Your Highness call me over. If they were to gossip and word reached Secretary Liu’s ears, this subject would feel it inappropriate.”
Princess Fu’an paused.
Secretary Liu was Liu Junqing—Secretary was his official position, ninth rank. Though the position wasn’t high, he could often appear before the Emperor, and many people who wanted such a position couldn’t get it.
For instance, this time Liu Junqing had followed along and was often summoned.
Whatever Qin Shuying said sounded grating to Princess Fu’an’s ears.
But thinking of Liu Junqing’s elegant and outstanding bearing, Princess Fu’an immediately restrained her about-to-explode temper and crude words.
If Liu Junqing knew she deliberately made things difficult for Qin Shuying, would her image in Liu Junqing’s heart become unfavorable?
She hoped that in Liu Junqing’s heart, she embodied the proper image of a great nation’s princess: virtuous and magnanimous, gentle and dignified, intelligent and noble, beautiful and tender.
Seeing Qin Shuying speaking so righteously and Princess Fu’an seeming swayed by her words, Liu Sujiang became anxious. She had just called her rash and careless right to her face—Qin Shuying had now said she was rash and careless twice in front of others!
“Qin Shuying, my brother has always been pure as the clear wind and bright moon, with nothing that cannot be spoken of openly. If there are any stains, it’s only the matter of being engaged to you—you are his stain!”
Could she no longer bring herself to call her the false “Sister Qin”?
Qin Shuying merely smiled faintly, neither saddened nor embarrassed by her mockery, and was too lazy to explain anything. She only said to Princess Fu’an, “Your Highness, I wonder what matter you called this subject over for?”
Though Princess Fu’an knew Qin Shuying’s reasoning was sound, she instinctively resisted. She didn’t want to be magnanimous—she had come to find fault today!
However, thinking of Liu Junqing, Princess Fu’an hesitated.
In that moment of hesitation, Lin Zilan fell into Princess Fu’an’s line of sight, reminding her of that day at Guangbin Tower. She immediately had a new idea and asked Lin Zilan, “Are you from the south?”
Lin Zilan answered, “Your Highness, this subject was in the south previously and only came to the capital this year.”
Princess Fu’an couldn’t vent her anger at Qin Shuying for fear that Liu Junqing would be displeased if he found out, so she decided to take it out on someone around Qin Shuying. The effect would be the same anyway—as long as she could make Qin Shuying suffer, it would work.
She wanted Qin Shuying to suffer while having outsiders say that Princess Fu’an was virtuous and magnanimous. Yes, exactly!
Princess Fu’an sneered, “No wonder you look so rustic and provincial, like a country person who’s never seen the world. I called Seventh Miss Qin over—I didn’t call you. What are you following along for?”
Liu Sujiang’s smile became radiant. The Princess was still clever! Since Qin Shuying wouldn’t pay attention to her, let Her Highness teach that lackey around her, Miss Lin, a lesson.
But unexpectedly, Qin Shuying and Lin Zilan exchanged glances without the anticipated anger and annoyance. Lin Zilan actually smiled and said, “This subject has been taught.”
Princess Fu’an hadn’t expected Lin Zilan to be so shameless—after being scolded, she not only wasn’t angry but calmly admitted it. The more she acted this way, the more furious Princess Fu’an became. “Since you’re so ignorant, go back and have your mother teach you properly, so you won’t come out and embarrass yourself!”
Lin Zilan still smiled sweetly. “Your Highness speaks correctly. This subject’s mother should indeed teach this subject that when going outside, one must understand proper behavior and not be like those ignorant shrews on the street, wagging tongues and stirring up trouble for no reason, lest one come out and embarrass oneself.”
Having said this, her beautiful eyes looked at Princess Fu’an with a smile as radiant as flowers.