Chapter 189
After thinking for a moment, Wu Mama said, "Perhaps the Empress feels that it has been too long since she has summoned the ladies of various families to the palace to strengthen their relationships, so she is taking this opportunity to invite everyone to the palace to enjoy flowers and tea."
"Then why send it to me? Not to mention I don't understand these things, what can an insignificant person like me do there?"
Tao Tao's expression was pale, clearly indicating that she had little interest in attending the banquet at the palace.
“But…this was sent by the Empress, so the County Princess still needs to go.” Madam Wu looked troubled and spoke hesitantly.
She didn't speak, but lowered her eyes to gaze at a peony she had just picked in her hand. Suddenly, she gripped it with her right hand, squeezed it tightly with her five fingers, and crushed it in her palm.
Vibrant sap overflowed from between her fingers. When she let go, the once magnificent peony blossoms turned into a mushy mess, falling into one of the flowerpots and turning into fertilizer to nourish the other flowers.
Seeing this, Rong'er couldn't help but feel frightened, thinking that the county princess was becoming more and more unpredictable.
Granny Wu stepped forward, bent down, and took out a handkerchief to wipe her dirty hands clean.
She opened her palm and smiled, "Since it's Her Majesty the Empress who invited me, how could I dare not go?"
Try to see if you can get anything out of the Empress. After all, she forced her to see the Emperor, so she has to keep her promise.
"Has Leng Qiao returned?"
Rong'er said, "Sister Leng Qiao has not returned yet."
She found a pretext to report the gambling den to the authorities, and then used her privileges as a county magistrate to bypass the officials and have Leng Qiao lead the Privy Council's guards to demolish the gambling den.
It took about two hours to get there.
Tao Tao then brought out a bowl of fragrant osmanthus. Osmanthus flowers are easy to identify, and their fragrance is even more so. They can be used to make osmanthus cakes, osmanthus wine, and osmanthus dumplings.
Thinking about this makes me crave some sweet soup.
Speaking of sweet soup, she thought of the pear sweet soup she always made for him, and she also remembered that night when she seemed to have tricked him into thinking she would come to see him.
So many days have passed, and he still remembers to send flowers; that means he doesn't care.
Tao Tao nudged the osmanthus flower on the table and said greedily, "Let's use this flower to make osmanthus dumplings. I want to drink some sweet soup."
Rong'er looked at the flower in surprise, then at Tao Tao, as if she were joking with her.
"Your Highness, this is Yu Gui..."
This is no ordinary osmanthus; its value could buy countless bowls of osmanthus dumplings. Isn't it a waste to just use it as an ingredient for making sweet soup?
"Is there a problem? Its value lies in the fact that I can eat it."
Granny Wu smiled faintly: "The county princess is right. Rong'er, take it to the kitchen and let the cooks process it."
"Okay." Rong'er stepped forward and took the pot of osmanthus that was about to be cooked to the kitchen.
Granny Wu leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Princess, Lord Duan has been sending flowers for several days. Would you like to think of something in return?"
A return gift? I hadn't thought about that.
She looked up at her, thought for a moment, then looked down at the purse at her waist. It was light green with a white peony embroidered on it, exquisite and beautiful. But was it really appropriate to give her an empty purse?
Tao Tao got up and walked to the big ginkgo tree in the yard, picked a ginkgo leaf and put it in her purse.
Granny Wu was puzzled, not knowing what she meant. Suddenly, she walked up to her, handed her a purse, and said, "A return gift. Have someone send it to the Privy Council."
“This…” She looked at Tao Tao, her expression somewhat indescribable.
But she accepted it anyway, after all, it was a woman's personal item, and it was indeed something she could give as a token of her affection.
So, after sending flowers for several days and eagerly awaiting their return, Lord Duan, the Grand Councilor of the Privy Council, finally received a return gift from Tao Tao.
Duan Gan lowered his head and gazed at the delicate little purse in his hand, which faintly carried a fragrance. His eyes were filled with tenderness, and his fingertips caressed the embroidery stitches on it.
"This little girl is quite good at needlework..."
Hearing this, Chen Jinghe below couldn't help but feel curious and craned his neck to look.
When the people from the Prince's Mansion delivered it, it was in a brocade box, and he thought it was some kind of food or something. He never expected it to be something from a young lady.
"Miss must be deeply in love with you, Fourth Master, otherwise why would she send you such a personal item? It must be that you really like the flowers that Fourth Master sent you."
He crossed his arms and said with a grin.
"Really?"
Duan Gan looked up at him, and a look of confusion and bewilderment appeared on his usually composed and languid face, with even a hint of insecurity in his eyes.
Chen Jinghe was stunned. When had he ever seen the Fourth Master show such an expression? It was unbelievable. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of bewitching potion Tao Tao had given his Fourth Master.
With that kind of food that even dogs wouldn't eat?! No, no, he didn't mean to insult Fourth Master.
He scratched his head guiltily and said, "It must be true, Fourth Master. Have you ever seen her treat anyone else like this? I'm not saying this out loud, but Miss's temper isn't exactly good. However, she's willing to put in the effort to embroider this purse for you. What else could it be but affection when a woman embroiders a purse for a man!"
Duan Gan hummed in response and said nothing more. His face remained expressionless, but his dark gaze was fixed on the purse in his hand. The ear clips under his flowing hair gradually became hot and blushed.
"Fourth Master, isn't our undisguised trip to Suizhou a bit too hasty and alerted the enemy?"
He waited for a long time, but still didn't hear any sound from above. He quietly looked up and found that the Fourth Master was still looking at the purse.
Just as he was about to leave, he heard Duan Gan say in a calm voice, "So what if we stir up trouble? Can they leave? Such a large amount of military equipment cannot be taken away or abandoned. If we can force them to take action, wouldn't that be exactly what I want?"
Just as he never stopped people from privately forging weapons and recruiting soldiers under the guise of recruiting farmers and laborers.
Chen Jinghe nodded in sudden realization, "That's true, then..."
Before she could finish speaking, she saw her fourth master looking lost in thought, completely engrossed in the swamp of love.
He rested his chin on his hand, a lingering longing in his eyes, and murmured to himself, "Have I sent enough flowers? What should I send tomorrow... jewelry? That girl loves money the most, maybe I should send her a chest of gold and silver..."
Chen Jinghe listened to his self-talk and stared in surprise, thinking that Fourth Master really knew how to cater to his tastes. Tao Tao came from a merchant family, so of course he loved money the most.
Moreover, it wasn't that he felt he had sent enough flowers; it was that someone sent over to tell him not to send any more, as the yard was almost full.
Who would have thought that one day the Fourth Prince would start trying to please his young mistress? But winning the heart of the woman he admires is not a shameful thing. It's not as important as the Fourth Prince going to court with scratches on his neck.
Isn't this blatantly saying he has a woman? I'm afraid all the ministers are wondering who this person is.
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