"Why would my mother, who was perfectly fine, go to the Treasure Pavilion?"
Jiang Segu asked casually, but Xiuhe unexpectedly said, "Something has happened at Zhenbaozhai!"
"What happened?"
Jiang Segu's mind immediately became alert. While waiting for Xiuhe's reply, he recalled in his mind whether Zhenbaozhai had encountered any trouble in his previous life.
"The head manager of Zhenbaozhai came in person and said that Prince Jing'an led his men to surround Zhenbaozhai."
Prince Jing'an?
"Under what name does Treasure Pavilion operate?"
"They say Zhenbaozhai sells fake paintings."
This is absolutely ridiculous!
Their Zhenbaozhai is not some unknown small shop; it has been established in Beijing for over a hundred years. Why would they sell fake paintings to attract attention?
Jiang Segu immediately thought of Song Yuhui. Could it be that she was the one who did this behind the scenes?
The thought of this possibility made Jiang Segu restless. "Let's go to the Treasure Pavilion!"
The entrance to Zhenbaozhai was blocked by a group of soldiers wielding knives.
Just as Jiang Segu was about to step forward, he was blocked by someone holding a knife.
Qiaolian stepped forward and said softly, "Sir, our young lady is the daughter of the owner of Zhenbaozhai. She came here because she was worried about her owner. We hope you can do us a favor."
As he spoke, he took out a money pouch from his sleeve and handed it over, saying, "It's such a hot day, and we've troubled you officials. This money is for you to buy some tea!"
The officer with the knife glanced at the bulging money bag, reached out and took it, weighed it in his hand, and then put the knife away.
“It’s not that I don’t want to let the girl in, but you’re too young to be of any help. You should go back and inform your father to come.”
Seeing his gentle tone, Jiang Segu nodded slightly to him, "Thank you for the reminder, sir. May I ask, sir, who went to the yamen to accuse our Zhenbaozhai of selling fake paintings?"
"Naturally, it was Prince Jing'an. He bought a phoenix painting from your Treasure Shop, intending to use it to please his beloved. However, he was told it was a fake, so he angrily went to the government office, asked our magistrate for soldiers, and surrounded Treasure Shop!"
Jiang Segu knew that this beautiful woman must be Song Yuhui.
Despite his anger, he didn't forget to thank the officers and soldiers in front of him before stepping into the Treasure Pavilion.
Inside the Treasure Shop, Granny Jiang and Xiu Rong stood with their backs to the door, while the shop assistants and manager stood to one side like quails.
Prince Jing'an sat imposingly in the center of the hall, with a close attendant standing beside him.
Four tables were hastily put together in front of him, and the phoenix painting was placed on them. A man with a goatee was bending down to examine the painting closely.
Seeing that someone still dared to come in at this time, the people from the Jing'an Dynasty looked over and saw that it was a little girl, their eyes filled with disdain.
Grandma Jiang, who had her back to the door, turned around and saw that it was Jiang Segu. She became very anxious and gestured to Jiang Segu with her eyes to hurry up and leave.
Jiang Segu smiled at Jiang San's grandmother to appease her, then gave a graceful curtsy to Prince Jing'an, saying, "This junior greets Prince Jing'an."
"You know me?"
Without waiting for Jiang Segu's reply, Prince Jing'an sneered, "It must have been those money-grubbing brats at the gate who told you!"
Jiang Segu did not explain, but replied, "Everyone says that Prince Jing'an is both wise and brave. I did not believe it at first, but now that I have seen him, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved!"
Listening to her flattering words, Prince Jing'an's face showed a hint of amusement.
Could it be that this little girl also admires him?
Why!
His good reputation is really harmful!
Although this little girl in front of me is not as delicate and pitiful as the one from the Song family, she has her own unique charm. Just her courage to come alone without fear of the soldiers at the gate is enough to make people look at her with new respect.
"You're quite an interesting young lady!"
Grandma Jiang was shocked. She could understand the meaning behind Prince Jing'an's words. She quickly stepped forward and stood in front of Jiang Segu, apologetically saying, "It was my daughter who was being disrespectful. I will let her go now so that she will not offend the prince again!"
Prince Jing'an waved his hand, "Since Mr. Xiao is appraising the painting, it's boring for me to sit here. Why don't we have this young lady keep me company and talk to me?"
Grandma Jiang was naturally unwilling, but before she could speak, Jiang Segu agreed.
“Great! That just so happens that I’ve been wanting to learn more about General Guo. I’ve always heard that although she is a woman, her ability to lead troops is in no way inferior to that of men. Therefore, I’ve always wanted to know more about her deeds, but the capital is too far from Ninghai, and not many stories about her have been told!”
Jiang Segu looked regretful, but continued to flatter, "They say a tiger father begets no dog son, but I'd say it should be changed to a tiger father begets no dog daughter!"
"That's right! My daughter is far superior to you sheltered young ladies!"
When talking about his only daughter, Prince Jing'an's face showed more smiles and pride.
Although not having a son is a regret, he is very gratified that his daughter can inherit his mantle. In addition, he personally selected his son-in-law. If his daughter and son-in-law give birth to a son for the Guo family in the future, he will have no regrets!
"I think you're only twelve or thirteen years old. Look at your delicate skin. You should know that my daughter was already fighting alongside me at your age!"
"Really? General Guo is truly brave; such a girl is a model for women!"
"That's right! My Ting'er is definitely a rare and wonderful woman in this world. Those so-called noble ladies in the capital can only be admired in times of peace. If they were born in turbulent times, who knows what their fate would be!"
Seeing that he was willing to talk and no longer looked at her with that same gaze, Jiang Segu felt much more at ease.
Therefore, she continued, "As a woman, I have admired General Guo for a long time, and I don't know if I will have the opportunity to meet her in my lifetime! However, seeing Prince Jing'an now can be considered as fulfilling half of my wish. There is a saying that daughters resemble their fathers, so seeing Prince Jing'an is equivalent to seeing General Guo!"
Prince Jing'an laughed heartily, his previous stern expression gone. "You're quite the talker for your age! But if you say you admire my Ting'er, you need to have some basis for it. I can't believe empty words!"
"Then, I will dare to tell you two things concerning General Guo."
One of them was the first time General Guo appeared in public as a daughter.
That year, General Guo accompanied Your Highness to suppress the bandits of Tiger Mountain. Because Tiger Mountain was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and its leader was a man of both literary and military prowess, while the second leader was skilled in strategy, Your Highness was defeated in several attacks.
Later, General Guo pretended to be a villager who had been robbed and was taken to Tiger Mountain. He used his wit to sow discord between the chief and second-in-command, and together with the prince, they captured Tiger Mountain.
Jiang Segu's eyes were filled with genuine admiration, without a trace of pretense.
A woman risked her chastity to quell the bandits and ensure the safety of the villagers around Tiger Mountain, and that alone was enough to make her surpass millions of men in the world!
Upon hearing this, Prince Jing'an's eyes darkened with malice...
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