deception
With a bang, the wooden box closed tightly.
Zou Shuangtong was startled. Before she could figure out what was special about the things in the box, Tai Shi Zheng closed it impatiently.
This made Zou Shuangtong wonder.
It seems like this might actually be a good thing. Otherwise, why would the person in front of me be so stingy? He wouldn't even let me take a good look at it!
Perhaps she was short-sighted and only knew about gold, silver, jade, and agate, and had no idea that there were such rare treasures in the world.
You know, the highest-end things are often so simple and unpretentious, but most of them are worth a lot of money!
Seeing the woman across from him looking down in thought, Taishi Zheng knew she should add some more oil and vinegar so she could smell the bait. "Alright, Mrs. Uematsu, you've seen it. Yuanzi, go put the things back in the storeroom. Oh—remember, put them away separately and don't mix them up again."
Seeing Taishi Zheng say this,
Zou Shuangtong hesitated whether he should ask more questions.
But things were different now. With her insatiable, ever-present nature, how could she let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? She had to ask, she had to ask clearly!
Zou Shuangtong reached out to touch the wooden box, but Taishi Zheng deliberately dodged it. She asked, "Sister-in-law, why are you so anxious? Is this thing going to fly away if it's left here?"
"But, sister-in-law, I'm really curious. Could I ask you about the origins of the jade hairpin in this box? It's so precious to you. It must be something truly rare, otherwise you wouldn't want to let me even look at it."
"Between sisters-in-law, it's really petty for the sister-in-law to do this."
At this, Zou Shuangtong became angry.
Tai Shi Zheng was not angry. She had to play the whole act. Seeing her pretending to be ashamed, she reached out and took the wooden box back from Fu Yuanzi's hand.
Wait until you gently press the box on the table.
Zheng said, "Sister-in-law is really sharp-eyed. Nothing escapes your eyes. I can tell she has seen a lot of the world."
Tai Shi Zheng praised her highly, making Zou Shuangtong feel flattered. Then she continued, "But my sister-in-law, you're really wronging me by saying that. I'm not stingy at all. It's just that this thing... is truly rare."
Isn't it something you can only encounter by chance?
Qi Liyuan had done many things on impulse in his life, but this was his first time making a hairpin for a female relative. It could be said to be: handmade by the emperor, a limited edition gift.
It's just that Qi Liyuan made so many things for Zheng and the others that Zheng sometimes couldn't tell them apart. Zheng once thought that being an emperor was a bit of a waste of Qi Liyuan's talent.
After all, he was an emperor who only read "The Exploitation of the Works of Nature" and "Essential Techniques for the Protection of the People", and did not read the Four Books and Five Classics, and was regarded as a "good-for-nothing" by the previous emperor.
Back at the table, Zou Shuangtong was immediately captivated by Taishi Zheng's words. She leaned forward and exclaimed, "How can this be so rare? Sister-in-law, please tell me more about it—"
Tai Shi Zheng knew that if he wanted to lure the enemy deeper, he had to suppress them first and then strengthen them.
She deliberately hid back and said, "You are not my sister-in-law, why are you so curious? You don't want this, do you? That's not right, not right——"
Seeing this, Zou Shuangtong reached out and pushed Taishi Zheng's arm relentlessly. She said, "Oh, sister-in-law, what are you thinking? Is that how your sister-in-law would take someone else's love away? Can I just take it without your consent? What kind of person would I be then?"
"As for me, I just want you to talk to me and broaden my horizons, so that my mother-in-law and sister-in-law won't always think that I am short-sighted and ignorant and look down on me."
The zheng is played just right.
After meeting at Cangyun Pavilion today, she had already grasped Zou Shuangtong's temperament and character. Then, with a sigh of relief, Zheng said, "Well, since my sister-in-law wants to know so much, I'll tell you... tell you."
Seeing Zou Shuangtong nodding so vigorously, Zheng knew she had caught the fish, and it couldn't get away. She then slowly took out a pear wood hairpin and fiercely teased Zou Shuangtong, "Sister-in-law, look at this hairpin. Doesn't it look just like an ordinary hairpin?"
Zheng said this and waved the hairpin in front of Zou Shuangtong. Zou Shuangtong looked around and replied, "Yes."
Taishi Zheng, however, clicked her tongue twice. "No, that's not the case at all! Let's first talk about the material of this hairpin. Does my sister-in-law know where it's produced?"
Zou Shuangtong looked at it for a while, but couldn't make out anything. However, he pretended to know a lot, "Is this Huangtan? I heard that the sandalwood from Tanzhou is the best. Could it be from Tanzhou?"
Fu Yuanzi grinned beside him. This guy is really good, he can't even tell the difference between sandalwood and pear wood, he deserves to be fooled by his own mother-in-law -
Taishi Zheng shook his head and shouted, "Wrong, wrong, wrong! Completely wrong. This hairpin is made from a branch of the century-old pear tree in the Imperial Palace Garden."
"Hey, don't underestimate this pear wood."
"Think about it, sister-in-law. How can trees planted in the backyard of the Heavenly Family not be precious? Furthermore, in such a spiritual place with dragon veins converging, wouldn't the things that grow there be hard to come by? Let me ask you, sister-in-law, have you ever seen the wood in the palace?"
Zou Shuangtong felt something was amiss when she heard this, but she still responded, "How could my sister-in-law ever meet a wooden man from the palace? Of course, she never..."
"My sister-in-law hasn't seen it, but I have!" If she hadn't reminded him, Zou Shuangtong would have forgotten that the person in front of her had lived in the palace since childhood. Zheng thus added a bit of credibility to her statement.
Zou Shuangtong nodded doubtfully.
Tai Shi Zheng knew that this alone wasn't enough to arouse Zou Shuangtong's greed. She had to strike while the iron was hot and work harder. "Let's talk about the person who made this wooden hairpin. He's even more extraordinary. His creations are exclusively for the royal family's female members. They've been kept secret for years, and it's rare to see his work on the market. Sister-in-law, how precious is this? How much is its value?"
"It's just a small pear wood hairpin, and it's priceless."
"This craftsman is truly ingenious and creative. For so many years, he has been admired and favored by Saint Shunhe and the current young empress. Ordinary people want to see him, but it's not easy to do so!"
Edit, and then continue editing.
What century-old pear wood? Isn't it just the pear trees that grow every ten steps in the imperial garden? What peerless craftsman? Isn't it just an official who can do whatever he wants?
The emperor is not ordinary people. Even if they want to see him, they can't. He was raised by a saint and a concubine, so how could he not be admired and pampered?
This thing was almost blown up to the sky by Taishi Zheng.
Fu Yuanzi thought that if Zheng continued to talk, it was possible that this wooden hairpin had been worn by the Queen Mother. She was so uncomfortable trying to hold back her laughter that she had to pinch the back of her hand to prevent herself from laughing out loud and revealing herself.
"Wow, this craftsman is really amazing."
Zou Shuangtong was fascinated by what she heard and believed it to be true. She thought that the royal family was indeed different from ordinary people like them.
An inconspicuous pear wood hairpin can have so many details.
After the excitement, the mood calmed down.
Taishi Zheng examined the pearwood hairpin with a look of regret. "Alas, it's such a pity that such a good craftsman hasn't made hairpins in a long time. I'm afraid he will only make these twelve hairpins in his lifetime."
"There are only twelve hairpins!"
Unexpectedly, Taishi Zheng's words hit the mark, playing into Zou Shuangtong's heart. She always wanted to possess something that others didn't have, so that others would look up to her. So, this pear wood hairpin, though not unique, was also extremely rare, so it naturally became her prey.
Tai Shi Zheng nodded. "Yes, to be honest, sister-in-law, I originally got one, and the saint gave me another, so I should have two in total. But when we got married and moved all our things to the Earl's Mansion, everything got messed up, and I can't find the one I don't want."
"That's why I cherish this remaining one so much. If it weren't for this, if my sister-in-law liked it, what's the big deal? I can just give this one to her."
"But now...sister-in-law, don't blame me for being stingy."
Zheng said this as she placed the hairpin into the box. The plan had already been set, and as for whether others would take the bait or not, she would just wait and see.
Zou Shuangtong heard Taishi Zheng's words.
It seems that there is no loophole.
She was determined to put aside her pride and give it a try, so she said pretentiously, "Oh my God, such a good thing, wouldn't it be a pity to lose it? Sister-in-law, are you sure that you really lost this hairpin? Did you put it in the wrong place?"
Tai Shi Zheng turned to look at Fu Yuanzi, pretending to want to say something but stopping himself.
Fu Yuanzi seized the opportunity and interrupted, "Madam, I think I saw it here once, but I couldn't find it the next day. I was afraid that you would blame me, so I kept it carefully. I didn't expect you to be so careless today and bring this one out as well."
"I really shouldn't..."
After hearing this, Zou Shuangtong actually picked up the master's attitude and scolded Fu Yuanzi, "Since you have seen it, this hairpin would not have run away on its own. It must be that you are not diligent enough. How can you be perfunctory in your master's affairs? Even if you don't have this one, you should look for that one--"
Fu Yuanzi lowered his eyes and apologized repeatedly, like a little girl who had been bullied. This time, Tai Shi Zheng wanted to laugh but didn't dare. Like Fu Yuanzi, she pinched the back of her hand.
Zou Shuangtong had just scolded Fu Yuanzi, and now she turned around and flattered Taishi Zheng, "Sister-in-law, even so, you should have asked the maid to look for it again. But you also said that if the hairpin was found, you could give this one to your sister-in-law. Your generosity is truly touching, and I really like this unique wooden hairpin. Otherwise...would you let your sister-in-law wear this one?"
"If you really can't find it, whenever you want to wear it, just ask my sister-in-law for it and she'll bring it back to you anytime. Is that okay?"
This person is really shameless——
Although Taishi Zheng set the fishhook himself, Zou Shuangtong's reaction really shocked Zheng again at her shamelessness.
Zou Shuangtong was thinking about getting the thing. Even someone as proud as Taishi Zheng would not have the nerve to ask someone to return it.
But how could Taishi Zheng give her the item so easily? There must be a price to pay. Zheng stretched out her hand to protect the wooden box, "Mrs. Uematsu, this... is not good."
Zou Shuangtong knew Taishi Zheng would react this way. If she agreed immediately, she would think she was being scheming. She had already thought of a strategy: she couldn't catch the wolf without sacrificing the child.
She stretched out her hand and pushed forward the two pieces of jewelry she had obtained today. "I know it's hard for me to part with them. So, how about this? I'll return these two sets of jewelry to you intact."
"As for you, just 'lend' me the hairpin. You won't lose out, right?"
Even though she had taken the two sets of jewelry back, Taishi Zheng wasn't ready to give in just yet. She feigned hesitation, taking the opportunity to half-heartedly give up the two boxes of jewelry she had given away. After intercepting them, she said, "Mrs. Zhisong, what are you doing? Who do you think I am? Aren't you embarrassing me by doing this—"
The two of them became more and more excited.
This pear wood hairpin in front of you, which absorbs the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and is sought after by nobles, is much more attractive than Cang Yi's set of jade jewelry.
Zou Shuangtong will not give up until he achieves his goal.
Seeing Tai Shi Zheng like that, she was also greedy and took off the white jade bracelet she had worn for many years from her wrist. She made up her mind and handed it to Tai Shi Zheng, "Sister-in-law, please don't refuse it anymore. This white jade bracelet may not be a valuable item, but it has been with me for many years."
"So, my sister-in-law gives her love to my sister-in-law, and my sister-in-law gives her love to my sister-in-law. Do you think this is feasible? Sister-in-law——"
Wow, there is an unexpected gain.
Tai Shi Zheng felt that all the arguments were worth it.
Zheng slowly took the white jade bracelet from her, still with that embarrassed and reluctant expression, but this time Zheng gritted her teeth and replied, "Oh, okay. Mrs. Uematsu has said so much, if I don't agree, it would seem unkind. Take it, take it——"
"Don't worry, even if I can't find it, I won't ask you to return it. Just consider it as a close relationship between us. Please take good care of each other in this mansion."
"Sister-in-law is sensible, and my sister-in-law feels inferior to her. As for the rest, it's easy to talk about." Zou Shuangtong said perfunctorily and picked up the gorgeous wooden box containing the hairpin complacently.
With this, Taishi Zheng achieved her goal and sent the guest away. "Okay, okay, in that case, take the food. Sister-in-law won't keep you here for dinner. We can visit each other again when we have time."
Zou Shuangtong was sensible at this moment. She stood up holding the wooden box. She was also afraid that Tai Shi Zheng would regret it. "Don't stay, don't stay. My sister-in-law has to go back to serve my sister-in-law! Sister-in-law, let's not go over. Don't see me off, don't see me off——"
"Go slowly on the road."
Tai Shi Zheng stood up and walked the person out of the door.
Zou Shuangtong is gone.
She was holding a broken wooden hairpin, lost her gold jewelry, and was finally compensated with a white jade bracelet.
At this time, Fu Yuanzi came out of the house and asked, "Is he gone?"
Taishi Zheng stared at the courtyard gate and said, "Well, let's go."
Fu Yuanzi followed his gaze and asked, "Can you laugh now?"
Zheng nodded, "Laugh."
As soon as the words fell, the Yinzhu Yatang suddenly erupted in laughter. The master and servant laughed so hard that they fell backwards, without any restraint. Cui Zhijun, who happened to be pushing the door from the west room, stood there in confusion. Cui Zhijun watched for a long time, but did not dare to ask a single question.
"?"
Tai Shi Zheng was the first to look up and see Cui Zhijun opposite her, but she smiled slightly and ignored him.
Taishi Zheng swept Fu Yuanzi into his arms, attempting to retreat to the east room. Fu Yuanzi opened his eyes, spotted Cui Zhijun, and quickly retreated into Zheng's embrace, remaining silent. The laughter ceased.
The two of them hugged each other tightly, turned around, slammed the door shut and left.
At that time, Cui Zhijun looked at the closed door and said to himself: Are these two people... possessed by evil spirits?
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