Find fault
Jiang Yan walked around the eight pear trees in the courtyard, lost in thought.
Huang Ying remained engrossed in embroidering her flowers.
Time passed slowly and peacefully in their harmonious silence until lunchtime arrived.
Jiang Yan wondered if they weren't planning to bring her food today. Just as she was about to discuss a plan with Huang Ying, someone's voice suddenly rang out at their courtyard gate.
"Is Sister Ruyi here? Little Sister Qianqian has come to see you." Her voice was clear and sweet, enough to melt anyone's bones.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan immediately panicked.
Huang Ying wasn't much better off; her entire face had turned pale.
When Wang Qianqian didn't get a reply, she asked again, "Is your older sister there? Your younger sister has come to see you!"
Huang Ying rushed to Jiang Yan's side in a panic and whispered, "What should we do? Has she noticed something?"
Jiang Yan was indeed startled when he first heard Wang Qianqian's voice, but he has calmed down now.
He said, "Don't panic! She definitely didn't notice. Don't scare yourself!"
"Then..." Huang Ying said, glancing nervously towards the doorway again, "What's the reason for that?"
"Never mind why she came here. I'm a concubine now, and she's just a lady. No matter how favored she is, she wouldn't dare to cause trouble here! Calm down, open the door, and I'll deal with her!"
With her encouragement and comfort, Huang Ying gritted her teeth and went to open the door.
"Why are you so late opening the door? What are you doing?" As soon as Huang Ying opened the door, Wang Qianqian's displeased, sharp scolding voice came out.
"I apologize for keeping Madam Wang waiting. Please come in."
"snort!"
Wang Qianqian wore a bright pale yellow dress with pink peach blossoms embroidered on the hem, which made her look even more delicate and beautiful.
Supported by two maids, she entered Pear Blossom Residence and then walked arrogantly toward the main hall.
Jiang Yan had already sat down at the stone table, watching her walk step by step toward the central hall, but he made no attempt to call out to her.
Huang Ying closed the door and came in. Seeing that she was about to go up the steps, she quickly reminded her, "Madam Wang, the master is over here."
Wang Qianqian reluctantly pulled her raised right foot back, and then froze on the spot.
Jiang Yan noticed her suddenly somber profile before smiling slightly and asking, "What brings you to Pear Blossom Residence, Madam Wang?"
Wang Qianqian then suddenly smiled and, supported by two maids, gently turned around, saying, "My sister is in the courtyard." She gave a slight curtsy.
"Yes, the pear blossoms are in full bloom. Let's smell their fragrance and soothe our souls."
Wang Qianqian's expression revealed disgust and aversion, but it was only fleeting, and she quickly returned to her initial gentle smile.
"Sister's taste is truly extraordinary!" With light steps and supported by the two maids, she walked gently towards Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan didn't understand the implied meaning in her words, so she didn't take it to heart and smiled, "What brings you here to see me, little sister?"
"I heard that you sent your maids to the kitchen to find something to eat early this morning, and I guessed that you hadn't eaten all day yesterday and must be starving, so I brought two maids to bring you some food." Wang Qianqian smiled gently, looking nothing like a bad person.
But Jiang Yan knew that the culprit who prevented the kitchen from delivering food to her yesterday was Wang Qianqian. How could she possibly be fooled by her feigned weakness?
She smiled slightly and said, "Yes, summer is coming soon, it's time to wear nice clothes, and we should control our diet a bit."
Wang Qianqian still seemed naive: "Even so, sister can't go without food. Food is the foundation of life; you can't go a day without eating."
Hmph, you've said it all, what am I supposed to say? That some bastard deliberately didn't give me any?
"Traditional Chinese medicine says that fasting can help boost immunity. I like that!" Jiang Yan was seething with resentment, but she had to force a smile.
Wang Qianqian smiled and said, "Sister, what you're saying is really strange! But no matter what, I came all this way to bring you food, so you must stay!" After saying that, she gave a wink to the two maids beside her, and the maids placed the food boxes they had brought on the stone table.
Wang Qianqian gracefully opened each food box and placed the colorful pastries inside onto the table.
There are six plates in total.
Each plate of desserts is different.
There are round ones, square ones, long ones, and triangular ones.
There are peach blossoms, plum blossoms, orchids, grapes, cherries, and most surprisingly, even chrysanthemums.
The petals of the chrysanthemum are clearly visible, without any damage, just like they were made from a blooming golden chrysanthemum.
Such an amazing piece must have been made by a highly skilled craftsman, and it must have taken a very long time.
Therefore, Wang Qianqian's purpose in coming to her Pear Blossom Residence was quite clear.
"Such exquisite and delightful pastries, must have been a gift from His Highness. I've learned something new," Jiang Yan said with a smile, just as Wang Qianqian had hoped.
Upon hearing this, Wang Qianqian became even more proud and smug: "Sister, may I sit down and talk?"
"It's alright, it's just that the stone bench is too cold. Madam Wang is so delicate, if she catches a cold, I really won't be able to explain it to the Prince." Jiang Yan still smiled faintly.
But Wang Qianqian had already sat down before she finished speaking, and then exclaimed as if she had been greatly surprised.
“Oh, it’s really too cold! Didn’t the Prince reward you with anything? For example, in my Begonia Garden, the Prince had the nanny make a lot of soft cushions, so you don’t feel cold no matter where you sit.”
Jiang Yan sneered inwardly without any mercy.
"Yes, I'm tougher than my sister. But, how should I put it, I just like this cool feeling!" Jiang Yan said with a faint smile.
Wang Qianqian's smug expression grew even stronger.
Jiang Yan was increasingly speechless, wondering what was so great about this? It was just a trivial matter, wasn't it? Was it really worth making her so happy?
This is exactly the same plot as the time-travel novels she's read; it's completely awful!
Wang Qianqian then said, "Sister, may I be so bold as to ask some inappropriate questions?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan immediately perked up.
Wang Qianqian asked, "Why are you so reserved, sister? What are you afraid of?" with a sweet smile.
But Jiang Yan saw the scheming in her smile and said, "Since it's inappropriate, I think it's better not to ask. What if I'm particularly sensitive about this matter and accidentally lose my temper, making my sister unhappy? How would I explain it if the prince blamed me?"
Wang Qianqian's expression changed quickly, and then she smiled and said.
"Sister, try the pastries bestowed by the Prince. They were just made by the new chef at the Prince's residence. I'm afraid you haven't tasted them before!" Her words were full of pride and smugness.
But Jiang Yan didn't want to waste any more words with her at this moment, and without any hesitation, he said.
"What a waste of my sister's good intentions! I dislike sweets. The smell of anything sweet makes me want to vomit and feel nauseous!"
But upon hearing this, Wang Qianqian exclaimed, "Sister, are you blaming the Prince? Are you upset that the Prince likes sweets and didn't consider your feelings?"
Jiang Yan was stunned. She didn't know how her brain worked and how she could talk such nonsense. Just as she was about to explain, she heard her say hypocritically.
"Sister, if the Prince hears what you've said, he will be furious!"
Jiang Yan, having gone this far, went all the way and said, "This concubine never said she wanted any snacks! These snacks weren't a gift from the prince to this concubine! Isn't Madam Wang just shooting herself in the foot?"
Wang Qianqian suddenly got angry: "What do you mean by this, sister? Are you trying to play the victim and accuse me first?"
Jiang Yan wasn't afraid of her and sneered, "This princess has never used the prince as an excuse!"
"I was just worried that you hadn't eaten all day yesterday, so I came to check on you. How could you say such vulgar things?"
Jiang Yan's anger flared up instantly: "Madam Wang! You should know why I didn't eat yesterday. Was I trying to take this matter to the Prince? I don't care, but those who maliciously harmed me will suffer the consequences!!"
"What do you mean?" Wang Qianqian was not intimidated by Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan shrugged and spread her arms: "Isn't that simple? Madam Wang, have you forgotten that I am a concubine, married by the Prince through proper channels? How could the Prince not give me face?"
"You...you're underestimating me?"
"Oh, I wouldn't dare! How could I possibly look down on the Prince's wife?" Jiang Yan deliberately emphasized the word "wife" when she spoke.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Wang Qianqian stood up abruptly as if she had sat on a pint, and without saying a word, walked towards the door.
Seeing this, Jiang Yan was overjoyed and hurriedly called out to her retreating figure.
"Oh, Madam Wang, your snacks!!"
But Wang Qianqian had already made her way out of the courtyard.
"Hahaha, you think you can compete with a real college student like me? Humph, I'll make you furious!" Jiang Yan vented her anger and felt incredibly satisfied.
Huang Ying hurriedly ran to the door, glanced around, and, making sure Wang Qianqian and her group were far away, ran back and said.
"Master, why did you provoke Madam Wang just now?"
"Is that so hard to understand?" Jiang Yan said, picking up a pastry with a peach blossom pattern, taking a big bite, and mumbling, "Didn't you complain that I didn't stand up for Fuqu? Was what I just made wrong?"
Huang Ying's brows furrowed even more tightly than before: "But Master, didn't you say that you didn't know anything yet and couldn't act rashly?"
Jiang Yan looked at her and sighed speechlessly: "Why are you so stubborn? What you said is true, but she's already riding on my head, and I'm still supposed to fawn over her and flatter her?"
He added, "You asked me to stand up for your young lady, right? There has to be a beginning to this, so let's leave it at that."
"But..." Huang Ying was very worried, "She is the prince's most favored wife. If you offend her, I'm afraid you won't have a good life."
Jiang Yan rolled her eyes at her: "You're such a contradiction! You're the one who complains that I don't stand out, and you're the one who complains that I do stand out. Tell me, what am I supposed to do?" She took another bite of pastry in frustration.
Huang Ying was indeed very worried about the consequences of her actions, but after hearing what she said, she was speechless.
Seeing that she was silent, Jiang Yan sighed again: "You said it yourself, that's just how life is in the Prince's mansion. Even the smallest things can cause a huge uproar. I won't harm anyone, but I absolutely won't allow anyone to harm me! Don't worry about this."
Huang Ying was still uneasy: "What if the prince listens to Madam Wang and blames you?"
Jiang Yan hadn't expected this, so upon hearing her say that, he fell into deep thought.
However, she quickly laughed and said, "What's there to be afraid of? At worst, I'll die. Are you afraid?"
"If you're not afraid, then I'm not afraid either!" Huang Ying said without the slightest hesitation, her voice firm and resolute.
Jiang Yan smiled and said, "Don't worry, just like I said, I'm a concubine after all. No matter how much the prince favors Wang Qianqian, he will never do anything to me. If the prince really wants to harm me, I have ways to survive. Don't worry!"
Huang Ying nodded, seemingly believing but not quite.
Jiang Yan smiled and waved to her: "What are you standing there for? Come and have some snacks! As expected of a gift, the taste is extraordinary."
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