Imperial Capital 19. Visitors from Dingguo Palace

Wang Shi really quickly brought the clothes and jewelry prepared for Ye Li. Seeing the nanny and the maid who came to deliver the things with a proud look on their faces, Ye Li did not get angry. She just casually glanced at the things on the table, looked at them with a smile, and casually told the maid beside her: "Qingxia, take the things."

Seeing Ye Li's nonchalant look, the maid holding a box of jewelry was dissatisfied. She raised her chin and glanced at Ye Li, "Miss San, this is specially prepared for you by our Madam." Her beautiful eyes blinked, and Ye Li looked at her with a smile and said in a gentle tone, "I know, is there anything else?" The girl was stunned. She was the eldest maid who was favored by Wang. Everyone in the mansion was polite to her. For some reason, the Third Miss sounded very polite when talking to her, but it sounded particularly harsh in her ears. Thinking of Wang's instructions, she took on the confidence again and said, "Madam has ordered that Miss San must wear these new clothes and jewelry made by Madam on the day of the Hundred Flowers Festival, so as not to let people think that the lady of the Shangshu Mansion doesn't even have a new dress."

"Sure?" Ye Li half leaned against the back of the chair, propped up her chin lazily with her right hand, and looked at the arrogant girl in front of her calmly, "Your name is Cuizhu?"

"My name is Cuizhu." Somehow, the maid named Cuizhu suddenly felt a chill on her back. She looked at the lazy but beautiful girl sitting in front of her and said with some uneasiness.

"Are you sure... Madam asked you to make me wear this dress?" Ye Li asked calmly.

Cuizhu hesitated for a moment, but still answered firmly: "Yes. This is specially prepared by Madam for Miss Three. Does Miss Three want to go against Madam's painstaking efforts?" Ye Li looked at the pretty but arrogant girl in front of her and smiled. She stretched out her delicate fingers to pick up a piece of fabric from the brocade box on the table and said in a leisurely voice: "This kind of stuff... is it better than wearing old clothes?"

The clothes in the brocade box were indeed new clothes, and they were made of precious brocade. But the gorgeous colors and rigid styles would make people think that she was not attending a party of the imperial concubines in Beijing, but was eager to get married. Could it be that Wang thought that she knew nothing because she had never attended a party in recent years? Such bright red color and complicated patterns would only displease Princess Zhaoyang, who was hosting the banquet, and make the imperial concubines in Beijing look down on her.

"Miss Third! How dare you..." Cuizhu's eyes widened, as if she had not expected that the usually silent Miss Third would say such a bold thing. The people who followed her also showed expressions of shock and dissatisfaction.

"Since the Madam prepared them specially, you can take them back to the fourth sister. Tell her to use them if she can go, so as not to waste the Madam's kindness. As for me... I guess the Madam doesn't know my preferences, so you don't have to worry about it." Putting the clothes back into the brocade box, Ye Li said calmly. Cui Zhu's face flashed with anger, and she forced a smile and said, "The Madam has already prepared it for the fourth lady, this is for the third lady."

"Miss." Qingshuang, who was standing behind Ye Li, laughed crisply and said, "Miss, since Madam has prepared it, it would be inappropriate for Miss to reject Madam's kindness. If Miss doesn't like it, why not give it to me as a reward?"

Ye Li looked back at Qing Shuang, nodded and smiled, "Have I treated you badly? Well, you guys can pick the ones you like."

Qingshuang was not polite and went forward to pick out a pair of gilded gemstone earrings from the box. "Thank you, young lady, for your gift."

The other maids were not as bold as Qingshuang. They showed envy and hesitation when they saw the gemstone earrings in Qingshuang's hands. Cuizhu didn't expect that the Third Miss dared to give the maids the things prepared by the Madam in front of her. Her face turned ugly, and at the same time she was jealous of Qingshuang for following such a generous master like the Third Miss. You know, she was the most favored maid by the Madam, and the Madam had never rewarded her with such expensive jewelry. Qingshuang looked at the expressions of the maids, rolled her eyes and smiled, "Sister Qingxia, why don't you come and pick one for the gift from the Madam? Yun'er and the others will feel embarrassed if you don't pick one."

Qingxia glanced at Ye Li quickly, and saw that she didn't seem angry. Instead, she looked at Qingshuang with a hint of indulgence. Then she stepped forward and picked a golden hairpin to thank Ye Li for the gift. When several little maids saw Qingxia took it, they also stepped forward and picked one or two things they liked with joyful expressions on their faces. You know, little maids like them don't have the opportunity to get gifts from their masters like the big maids around them. Although the young lady doesn't like such exquisite and expensive jewelry, it would be a decent thing for them to have one as a dowry when they get married in the future.

"Miss Third, you gave the maid the things that Madam prepared for you. Do you want Madam to prepare another one for you? Each lady only has one. Isn't it embarrassing for Madam to do this, Miss Third?" Cuizhu said with an unpleasant face.

Ye Li stood up and said, "What Madam Dong gave me is mine. Since every sister has only one copy, I will be no exception. Or... do you still want to insist that I or my fourth sister wear such a gorgeous dress?" Looking at her with interest, Ye Li deliberately emphasized the word "gorgeous dress".

"I...I dare not."

"It's good that you don't dare. Go back and thank the madam for me."

"Miss, the Madam is here." The temporary embroiderer who changed her name to Jingwen reported outside the door.

Before Ye Li could even open her mouth, Wang had already brought people in. However, her originally smiling face froze when she saw the things on the table and in the hands of the maids, "Li'er... don't you like what your mother prepared for you?"

"Thank you for your concern, Madam. But my aunt sent a set to Li'er two days ago. Li'er didn't want to waste Madam's kindness, so she gave it to Qingshuang and the others. I'm sure they will be grateful to Madam." Ye Li said casually, but her eyes fell on the maids and servants who followed Wang in. It was obvious that these people were not from the Ye family.

Qingshuang and a few maids thanked the lady tactfully. Wang forced a smile and said to Ye Li, "Li'er is still kind-hearted. These are the maids in charge of Dingguo Palace. Li'er, meet them."

Without waiting for Ye Li to come forward, the leading nanny came forward with a serious face and bowed to Ye Li, saying: "This old servant greets the Third Miss. This old servant is the housekeeper nanny beside the prince, and her husband's surname is Sun. I am here on the orders of the prince to send some things to the Third Miss, please accept them."

The nanny held out her hand, and two maids and two servant girls came forward with the brocade box to greet Ye Li, "Hello, Third Miss."

Qingshuang and Qingxia hurried forward to help Nanny Sun up. Ye Li nodded with a smile, as if she didn't notice Nanny Sun's obscure look. She smiled and said, "Thank you, Nanny Sun. Please thank the prince for me."

Madam Sun's shrewd old eyes scanned the things on the table, and also saw Wang's expression. A trace of satisfaction flashed across her eyes, and a trace of smile appeared on her serious face. She bowed to Ye Li again and said, "In this case, I will take my leave first."

Ye Li nodded and said to Qingshuang, "Qingshuang, send Grandma Sun off for me."

Qingshuang responded, and Yun'er and several other maids stepped forward to take the things. Qingshuang personally led Nanny Sun and others out.