Meixiang watched Mrs. Zhao's back gradually receding, and after confirming that there was no one around, she lowered her voice and asked Chu Caiwei, "Princess, do you think Miss Li will come to rescue you?" There was a hint of worry in her eyes.
Chu Caiwei raised her eyelids slightly, but her gaze remained downcast. She answered in an almost inaudible voice, "No matter what, I am her cousin after all. And the Queen Mother has always been very caring and protective of her. It's only right that she come to rescue me..."
Meixiang bit her lip and quietly stepped aside. She mused to herself: the relationship between the princess and Li Jingshu had always been strained, often at odds. She hoped that this time, Li Jingshu would consider their family ties and the Queen's past kindness, and quickly inform the Queen and the Crown Prince of this matter, hoping to save the princess from this predicament.
When Old Lady Zhao arrived at the Prime Minister's residence, she said respectfully to the servant at the door, "Young man, please tell me that I am Old Lady Zhao, a servant in the household of the Minister of Justice, Zhang. Today, I have been ordered by the Eighth Princess to come to your residence to present the coming-of-age ceremony to the eldest daughter."
After hearing this, the doorman first looked Mrs. Zhao up and down, and then slowly said: "I see. Please wait here for a moment, and I will go in and inform them." After that, he turned and walked towards the mansion.
After entering the rear residence, the doorman searched until he finally found Li Jingshu's personal maid, Bing'er. He quickly approached, bowed, and said, "Sister Bing'er, there's a woman named Zhao from the residence of the Minister of Justice, Zhang, outside the door. She claims to have been sent by the Eighth Princess to present the eldest daughter with a coming-of-age gift."
When Bing'er heard this, her beautiful brows frowned slightly, and she looked displeased: "Eighth Princess? Humph, that crazy person actually has the nerve to give gifts to our young lady? What bad luck! Well, you wait here first, I will go and tell the young lady about this." After saying this, Bing'er hurried away.
Bing'er walked into the room cautiously and reported to Li Jingshu respectfully, "Miss, a woman named Zhao just came over and said that the Eighth Princess came specially to present the coming-of-age ceremony."
At this moment, Shuang'er was concentrating on helping Li Jingshu select exquisite jewelry. After hearing Bing'er's words, she stopped what she was doing and said with disdain, "What Eighth Princess? She's just a crazy woman! Miss, you absolutely cannot have anything to do with such a person! After all, you are the future Crown Princess!"
Li Jingshu silently gazed at herself in the mirror, her stunningly beautiful face reflected there. She smiled faintly, her tone calm, "That being said, no matter what, she is still my cousin, and the Crown Prince's biological sister. If I refuse her gift, and the Crown Prince learns of it, I'm afraid he'll blame me! How about this? Send someone to bring her to the front hall, and we'll go meet her together."
Mrs. Zhao was standing in the spacious, bright, and lavishly decorated antechamber of the Prime Minister's residence, feeling a sense of nervousness and uneasiness. She clenched her fists tightly, trembling slightly, and rubbed them vigorously from time to time, as if trying to ease her inner uneasiness.
At that moment, a clever and nimble maid glided into the hall, carefully carrying a delicate tray filled with steaming tea and several carefully prepared snacks. She approached Mrs. Zhao and softly said, "Madam, you've had a long journey. Please rest for a moment, have a cup of tea, and try some of our snacks from the Prime Minister's Mansion. The young lady will be here to see you shortly."
After hearing this, Mrs. Zhao hesitated for a moment, then slowly sat down. Although her heart was still pounding, she politely nodded in gratitude for the warm hospitality. However, as Mrs. Zhao picked up a piece of pastry and hadn't taken a few bites, she suddenly heard a slight noise. It turned out to be Li Jingshu walking in with two personal maids.
This sudden change startled Mrs. Zhao so much that her hand trembled, and she nearly dropped the remaining half of the pastry on the floor. She hastily set the pastry down and wiped the corner of her mouth, but her haste caused some of the pastry crumbs to rub against her chin. To make matters worse, in her panic, the little food she had just swallowed became lodged in her throat, causing her to cough uncontrollably and her face to turn red.
Seeing this, Li Jingshu hurried forward, gently patted Zhao Po's back to help her calm down, and anxiously ordered Bing'er beside her: "Hurry up and get some tea to moisten Ma's throat!" Bing'er then handed Zhao Po a cup of fragrant tea at just the right temperature.
Mrs. Zhao took a deep breath, picked up the teacup, and gulped down the tea. The scalding hot tea made her cough violently, but she finally came to her senses. She looked at the person in front of her with gratitude, her voice trembling slightly, "Miss Li is truly kind-hearted! No wonder everyone in Shangjing praises her not only for her beauty but also for her kindness! I, an old woman, have been so grateful for your kindness today, and I really don't know how to repay you!"
Li Jingshu smiled faintly, as beautiful as a blooming spring flower. Her voice was gentle and melodious, like the sound of nature: "Mammy, are you here at my sister's request to present me with the coming-of-age gift?"
Mrs. Zhao nodded repeatedly, then carefully pulled a jade pendant from her bosom. Holding it in both hands, she respectfully handed it to Li Jingshu, "That's right! The Eighth Princess's condition has worsened recently, and she often falls into a coma. But when she occasionally wakes up, she's still thinking about your coming-of-age ceremony, so she specifically asked this old servant to give you this jade pendant as a gift."
As soon as Li Jingshu saw the jade pendant, she immediately understood: Chu Caiwei must be in trouble, otherwise she wouldn't contact her in this way. She gently lifted the jade pendant and examined it carefully against the sunlight. Only to see two small words faintly emerging from the jade pendant: Save me!
Seeing this, Li Jingshu couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Saving you? What a wild idea! However, she remained calm on the surface. She handed the jade pendant to Bing'er beside her, then turned and instructed Shuang'er, "Go get some silver as a reward for Madam, to thank her for making this special trip."
She looked at Mrs. Zhao again and said softly, "Mammy, please go back and tell the Eighth Princess later that she and I are like sisters and I am very grateful that she remembered my coming-of-age ceremony. However, the lotus pastry in this palace is not something that anyone can enjoy casually!" When she said the last sentence, Li Jingshu deliberately emphasized the tone, and the deep meaning was self-evident.
Mrs. Zhao took the heavy silver ingots from Shuang'er's hand with a beaming smile, secretly delighted. She kowtowed repeatedly to Li Jingshu in gratitude, muttering, "Miss Li, oh no! I should call you Crown Princess! You are truly a kindhearted person! You reward me for such a small favor. I am deeply grateful, and I will do my utmost to complete your request in the future!"
Li Jingshu merely smiled faintly at Mrs. Zhao's flattery, appearing perfectly dignified and graceful. However, a subtle flicker of disdain flickered across her seemingly gentle gaze. It was as if she was somewhat displeased by this fawning Mrs. Zhao, but couldn't bring herself to express it directly.
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