"There are girls prettier than peonies in this world!"
A beautiful woman in gorgeous attire emerged from the vermilion lacquer corridor, her gold-threaded peony skirt sweeping across the fallen petals. Princess Linchuan's nine-phoenix hairpin jingled on her wrist, and her nail-dyed fingertips lifted Jiang Songyi's chin. "Is this the Princess Jiaqing?"
Jiang Shu hurriedly pulled her niece to bow, cold sweat soaking through her heavy gauze dress. The eldest princess's armor slashed across Jiang Songyi's cheek. "This palace loves beauties the most. Would the county lady be willing to come to the princess's mansion often to appreciate the flowers?"
[Again? The last time I said this was about the Marquis of Changping who forcibly abducted a man from the people!]
Jiang Songyi bowed with a wooden face: "I am a rude servant and I am afraid that I will dirty the floor tiles of the Princess's Mansion."
The noble ladies in the garden gasped. Who didn't know how Princess Linchuan whipped three noble ladies in the street to snatch her husband? Chen Ruyi chuckled, clutching her handkerchief, waiting to see the Jiang family girl's blood splatter on the peony bushes.
"What a clever girl!" The eldest princess laughed and clapped her hands. "I love your pride!"
The peony bushes rustled, and Princess Linchuan clutched Jiang Songyi's wrist, refusing to let go. Gilded armor brushed across the girl's delicate hand, as if she were admiring a newly acquired piece of mutton-fat jade. "Shu'er, is your niece engaged?"
Jiang Shu was staring at the ruby hairpin in Jiang Songyi's hair, lost in thought. The voice she had heard that day during the rainstorm echoed in her ears again—"Where is my child?" She was about to ask, but the eldest princess' words interrupted her, bringing her suddenly to her senses.
This girl is now guarding her like a thief. If she reveals the secret of being able to hear thoughts...
"Not yet." Jiang Shu replied casually, twisting her handkerchief.
"Excellent!" Princess Linchuan laughed and clapped her hands, the gold and jade bracelets on her wrists jingling. "My son Su Sheng is also unmarried. We have been friends since childhood, but your three daughters all married off early. Now it's perfect for Song Yi to be my daughter-in-law!"
Jiang Shu barely managed to utter the word "yes" when her wide sleeves were suddenly tugged. Turning around, she saw Jiang Songyi lowering her eyes and smiling faintly, but her inner voice thundered: "You big-headed idiot! I may have ripped you off with three thousand taels of silver, two boxes of gold ingots, and five shops, but I also saved you from three assassination attempts! Are you so eager to sell me off to the princess's mansion?"
"Well...it seems like I can't make the decision." Jiang Shu wiped the sweat from her forehead, "Songyi's marriage still needs the approval of her parents."
Princess Linchuan curled her lips. Everyone knew that Xu, the head of the Jiang family's third branch, loved her daughter the most, and that reckless husband, Jiang Dinglian, treated her like the apple of his eye. Just as she was pondering how to avoid the couple, she suddenly saw a group of young men emerging from the end of the flower path.
The young man in red, leading the group, had his robe fluttering, and the golden embroidered Qilin glittered brightly in the sun. Princess Linchuan's eyes lit up, and she tugged Jiang Songyi forward, "Sheng'er, come quickly! See if the wife I've chosen for you suits your tastes."
Su Sheng tripped, nearly flinging the jade pendant from his waist into the peony bushes. He'd been boasting to the Fourth Prince this morning about going to the Northern Frontier to earn military merit, but now he couldn't take his eyes off the girl's red silk dress. The rubies in her hair, gleaming in the sunlight, were even more dazzling than the peonies in the garden.
"What nonsense are you talking about, mother!" His ears were red, but his voice was raised high, "My son is going to be a general, how can he..."
"Has being a general delayed your chance to marry?" The eldest princess grabbed her son's ear. "Your father was also a cavalry general back then. Did that delay his chance to marry me?"
Jiang Songyi took the opportunity to step back. She had invested heavily in her outfit today: her Xiangse Luoru was made of Xiaying gauze, newly imported from Suzhou, and the ruby hairpin in her Lingshe bun was an antique from the previous dynasty, smuggled from Jiang Shu's private vault. Sure enough, she heard the eldest princess boasting, "Look at this whole outfit! It's even more noble than the newly appointed Princess Anle in the palace."
"Your Highness, thank you for your compliment." Jiang Songyi bowed, her wide sleeves falling to reveal a jade bracelet on her wrist—a gift of apology from Jiang Shu just last month. But her mind was pounding: "The Princess's mansion has at least twenty warehouses, and Su Sheng's father's private barracks still has three boxes of Dongzhu hidden away. If we divide the family property legally after we get married..."
Jiang Shu's eyelids twitched as she heard this. Was this girl a money-grubber in her previous life?
"Ahem, Songyi." She deliberately raised her voice, "I heard that General Su was awarded a hot spring villa by the Emperor last month?"
Sure enough, Jiang Songyi's ears twitched. The girl, clutching her handkerchief over her lips, chuckled softly, "Young Master Su's accomplishments at such a young age are truly admirable." But inwardly, she was cheerfully saying, "Farmhouse! A hot spring farm with thirty acres of fertile land! If this were sold to the family of the Minister of Revenue..."
Su Sheng was flattered by the praise and took off the jade pendant from his waist and was about to hand it over: "If Miss Jiang likes it, I will take you there tomorrow..."
"Nonsense!" The Fourth Prince, Xinyi Zigu, suddenly interrupted. "How can marriage be a joke?" He was wearing a moon-white brocade robe, but hung a bronze dagger at his waist that was unbecoming of his status. "In my opinion, Miss Jiang is more suitable to marry..."
"Marry you!" Su Sheng was like a cat whose tail was stepped on. "Don't think I don't know. You were discussing marriage with the Minister of Rites' family last month!"
While the young men were arguing, Jiang Songyi had quietly retreated to the edge of the pavilion. Her fingertips brushed against the golden peony on the stone table, and morning dew condensed on the petals—this pot of flowers was worth at least eight hundred taels. She was just thinking about how to take it away when she heard Jiang Shu lean over and whisper, "There's a jade screen in the Princess's mansion. It was a dowry gift from the late emperor."
"Aunt!" Jiang Songyi turned around abruptly, her hairpin almost poking Jiang Shu's nose. "I suddenly feel that Young Master Su, with his sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, does have the air of a general."
Outside the pavilion, Su Sheng was pushing the Fourth Prince toward the lotus pond. The young man in red was talking excitedly, the jade pendant at his waist swaying with his movements—top-grade Hetian seed jade, its carving at least worth a fortune.
Jiang Shu suppressed her laughter and stuffed a land deed into her hand: "This is a new silk shop in the west of the city, registered in your name."
"Aunt, what are you doing?" Jiang Songyi refused, but her fingers wrinkled the deed. "Am I someone who covets wealth and fame?"
"Yes, yes, our Songyi is the most noble." Jiang Shu straightened her hairpin, "But the eldest princess just said that when the wedding comes, the bride must be given 36 extra dowries..."
Before he finished speaking, Su Sheng's loud voice pierced through the flowers: "Miss Jiang! How about I take you to the Western Suburbs Horse Farm tomorrow? I heard you like Ferghana horses?"
Jiang Songyi stroked her temples, her Xiang-colored sleeves unfurling like flowing clouds: "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Su." As she turned around, the hem of her skirt swept across the golden peony, bringing down two petals.
The pot of flowers worth eight hundred taels ultimately could not escape the fate of being taken away.
Princess Linchuan stared at her son, whose ears were red, and her voice trembled: "Say it again?"
"It's all up to mother." Su Sheng turned his head away, his back straight beneath his dark brocade robe. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Jiang Songyi twirling the peony embroidery on the hem of her skirt, her fair wrist more dazzling than the imperial tribute of mutton-fat jade.
Princess Linchuan's Nine-Phoenix Hairpin trembled violently. "Madam Cheng! Quickly bring me the key to the storehouse!" She dragged Jiang Songyi over and led her to the main seat. "I will go to the palace right now to ask for permission to marry you!"
"Wait a minute." The Fourth Prince, Xinyi Zigu, tapped his folding fan against his palm. "Don't worry, auntie. My cousin's face clearly shows reluctance." He raised an eyebrow at Jiang Songyi and chuckled. "Why would the county lady, who is so beautiful, be tied to a piece of wood?"
Jiang Songyi stared at him and smiled like a peacock spreading its tail tail.
Su Sheng's muttering exploded in my ears: You are the wooden one! I am just being reserved! Do you understand what reserved means?
"Your Highness, you're joking." She pulled back her hand, which had been gripped red by the princess, and said, "This subject and Young Marquis Su..."
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