The next day, Ji Fengyao got up and washed.

Lin Shuang chose a light blue cotton embroidered bodice and a light white silk shawl for her; her long, smooth, black hair was simply gathered at the back of her head with a few strands gathered around her ears and tied into a bun, secured with a bright white hairpin.

She had only lightly drawn her eyebrows and wore no makeup, which made her look exceptionally clean and refreshing.

After eating a bowl of millet porridge with refreshing pickled cucumbers, Ji Fengyao had a table, chairs, and tea set set up under the purple vine pergola in the courtyard, along with a rattan couch. Then she ordered someone to bring Bai Rumei over.

On the way to fetch Bai Rumei, Lin Shuang and Xi Que washed several plates of fresh fruit.

The fruits were all fresh tributes from various places, some bestowed by the Emperor and Empress Dowager from the palace, and others that Shang Xiye somehow managed to obtain and send to Hui Nuan Pavilion.

Ji Fengyao glanced at a plate of green fruits shaped like dates, then at a plate of dark red fruits resembling grapes next to it. She pushed the green fruits aside and asked, "Were these all bestowed by the Emperor?"

"Your Highness, the green olive was a gift from the Empress Dowager, and the amethyst and agate were a gift from the Emperor," Lin Shuang replied, her joy evident in her eyes. It was clear that she considered it a great honor to receive such a gift from the two in the palace.

Just as the magpie said, the host should have let her die at the hands of those petty thieves back then!

Olives are cooling in nature, and while they can quench thirst in the summer, eating them with amethyst agate can cause diarrhea for three to five days at the very least, and in severe cases, burn the spleen and stomach, leaving lasting health problems. Even more alarming is that the combined aroma of these two substances is similar to that of saffron on Earth, and may even have the effect of harming a woman's fertility.

Ji Fengyao picked up a green olive, took a bite, and quickly spat it out. She rinsed her mouth with tea, waved her hand, and said, "It's slightly astringent and sour. I don't like sour food. Take it out and distribute it to the maids."

Lin Shuang: "..." Who ate a whole plate of pickled melons this morning and then asked if there were any left?

The magpie also widened its eyes slightly, but didn't say anything.

She remembered that when she and her mistress were little, they had eaten every wild green and yellow fruit they could find on the mountain. Even the mistress, whose teeth were ache from the sourness, could still gnaw on a few, let alone these tender and delicious-looking green olives.

At this moment, Bai Rumei was dragged over.

After being locked up for three days, her clothes and hair were disheveled, no longer as neat and tidy as they had been three days ago, and she looked somewhat like a prisoner.

The guards dragged her into the courtyard, right in front of the flower shed, and threw her to the ground.

Bai Rumei looked up and saw Ji Fengyao in the flower shed. Her expression was serene, her attire elegant and simple, as beautiful as the large cluster of crystal-purple spirit flowers blooming above her head. Just by looking at her, her entire demeanor was transcendent and aloof, not like a bandit, but rather a fairy untouched by worldly dust.

But no matter how detached she is, she's still just a bandit!

Bai Rumei struggled to get up from the ground, holding her head high with arrogance, making no attempt to hide her disdain and contempt for Ji Fengyao.

Kneel down!

Seeing that she dared not kneel, the guard stood up and kicked her in the back of the knee, causing her to kneel on the ground.

Bai Rumei was unwilling to kneel before a bandit and tried to stand up again, but the guards on both sides held her down tightly, preventing her from moving.

“You’re quite arrogant,” Ji Fengyao said with a flick of her sleeve, resting her chin on the table with the back of her hand in a rather roguish manner. “However, arrogance is a luxury that only capable and powerful people can afford. It’s not something that ordinary people are qualified to touch. Ordinary people need to have some common sense to live a better life.”