East Palace.
Pei Jiusheng died and Lu Jinshu was demoted. If we were to say who is the most proud at this moment, it must be Shen Liangjun (Shen Hean), who is temporarily in charge of the inner house of the Eastern Palace.
Yaofang Palace is now the most lively place in the entire East Palace. The carpet is outlined with gold threads, and the hanging flower curtains are decorated with translucent green beads carved from the finest jade. As the servants come and go, the beads collide with each other, making a crisp and pleasant "ding-ling" sound. The carpet is inevitably stepped on and wrinkles are formed. Immediately, the servants standing on both sides will smooth out the wrinkles. A carpet that is stepped on by people is actually neater than the clothes worn by ordinary people.
Tingyu, Chen Hean's personal attendant, was directing the young attendants to move the newly replaced screen into the inner room. The front of the screen was covered with purple glazed ripples, but if you looked at it from an oblique side angle, the ripples would turn into red gold.
This folding screen is the most popular style in the capital at the time. It only has three small folding surfaces, but it is worth a thousand taels of silver.
Taking into account the price of all the new things bought in the house, it is not an exaggeration to say that this new house is priced at a sky-high price.
Chen Hean looked around at the decorations and nodded with great satisfaction. He stopped Tingyu who was about to leave and said, "Tell the masters of each palace to come to Yaofang Palace. I have something to say to them."
Tingyu agreed and ordered his servants to go to the palaces to call people immediately.
Pine and Bamboo Hall.
Si Jiangzhi's eyes were filled with dissatisfaction. He complained to his personal attendant Xia He, "Who the hell is Chen He'an? He's just temporarily in charge of the East Palace's finances. Does he really think he's the Crown Princess? This early in the morning, those who know him would think he called everyone over to discuss something, while those who don't would think he was going to the main courtyard to pay his respects to the Crown Princess and the Prince."
Xia He hesitated and didn't dare to talk casually.
Although Chen Hean is only a third-rank Liangjun now, everyone knows that his status is no longer what it used to be. Even if he cannot sit on the position of Crown Princess, his status is still nobler than Si Jiangzhi.
But Xia He didn't dare say this directly.
He had served Si Jiangzhi since he was a child, and knew best how aloof and self-respecting this Mr. Si was. He had always looked down upon the fawning attitude of people like Shen Hean. When he was offended, not only did he not dare to break up with the other party openly, but he also smiled and approached to give the other person a second slap.
Si Jiangzhi's expression became increasingly gloomy. He had wanted to find an excuse to refuse, but when the words came to his lips, he asked someone to dress him up.
It is true that he claims to be noble, but he is not a fool. Anyone with a discerning eye knows that no matter who he offends now, he must not offend the popular Shen Hean, otherwise he will be bullied by the other party in the future and he will have a lot of fun.
Xia He used an ox-horn comb to straighten Si Jiangzhi's hair. Si Jiangzhi played with a simple jade hairpin in his hand, a faint smile on his lips. "Chen Hean is so proud of himself. He is obviously poor as hell. The dowry given to him by the general's mansion is not even one-tenth of what I get. Yet he insists on pretending to be rich here, displaying all the public property in his room. He is such a shrewd person. Sooner or later, he will be in trouble."
Xia He quickly replied, "Master, you are right. Lord Shen Liang is really vulgar. He has filled his palace with gold and silver, like a country bumpkin who has suddenly become rich. Unlike our Pine and Bamboo Palace, which is full of poetry and elegance."
Si Jiangzhi gently inserted the jade hairpin in his hand into his hair. In the dressing mirror, his turquoise clothes made his skin look fair and translucent. He looked like a handsome young man, as clear and beautiful as jade.
However, when he thought about how he dressed up so carefully but was not able to be seen by Her Royal Highness, and instead had to deal with Shen Hean, whom he had never thought highly of, he felt sick.
Although Si Jiangzhi was planning to go to Yaofang Palace, he was not willing to give face to Chen He'an so easily. He was dawdling from the time he washed up to the time he set off. He originally thought that he would be the last one to arrive, but he heard from the servants of Yaofang Palace that Lu Jinshu had asked for leave from Chen He'an on the grounds of being unwell.
Si Jiangzhi's previously calm expression suddenly faltered. Lu Jinshu was merely the son of a Grand Tutor, and had been relentlessly rebuked by the Emperor. Lu Jinshu had the nerve to reject Shen Hean, yet now he had come to Yaofang Palace. This meant that his status was even lower than Lu Jinshu's.
Si Jiangzhi wanted to turn around and leave, but Tingyu smiled and lifted the beaded curtain for him, "Everyone is waiting inside, waiting for Prince Shujun."
Si Jiangzhi entered the main hall very reluctantly.
Chen Hean placed the teacup in his hand heavily on the table. "Some people are really arrogant. I asked my servants to go to each palace to invite them politely, but I didn't expect to be treated with such disdain."
Just as Si Jiangzhi was about to lose his temper, Chen Hean pushed the cup filled with scalding tea to the ground. "You said you couldn't come to Yaofang Palace if you were sick, but this sick person has a good appetite and hasn't skipped a thing from the kitchen. Is this invitation from the palace a sickness talisman? Lu Jinan fell ill the moment he received this invitation from the palace."
The words that Si Jiangzhi was about to say to He An were forced back into his throat.
Chen He'an had really grasped the double entendre. He'd timed his arrival and called him "pretentious." Just as he was about to retort, Chen He'an mentioned Lu Jinshu's name directly.
If he opened his mouth to retort to Shen He'an at this time, not only would he fail to mock Shen He'an, but he would also appear uncultured, highlighting Shen He'an's generosity and propriety.
Chen Hean still had to say something, "I've never seen him take less food from the main kitchen." Doesn't he mean that he is now in charge of the East Palace's rear house, and everyone in the main kitchen, from the chief steward to the servants who empty the slop buckets, is under his command.
All the servants in the mansion must obey Shen He'an's orders, and they, the servants of Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess, must also obey his arrangements.
Si Jiangzhi looked at the obvious smugness on Shen Hean's face and said that he was not wrong in saying that he was a villain who had succeeded.
How could Shen Hean not see that Si Jiangzhi was unhappy, but his purpose was to make things difficult for everyone.
Pei Jiusheng, that short-lived wretch, didn't care about power or status, but he wanted to set some rules for this group of people. "Tingyu, you must go to Chenyou Palace now. I've already sent for the imperial physician. Since Lord Lu Xian is ill, he must come to Yaofang Palace and let the imperial physician examine him properly. Once he finds out what's wrong with him, I can rest assured."
The intention in Shen Hean's words was very clear. If Lu Jinshu was really sick, he would have specially invited the imperial physician to Yaofang Palace, which showed his concern for Lu Jinshu.
And if the imperial physician diagnosed that Lu Jinshu was not sick but pretending to be sick, then Shen Hean would not be polite.
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