"Hmph, she dares to order me around!" Consort Hao slammed down the silver bowl in her hand. The nail polish she had just made scratched the pattern on the table because she had used too much force. Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed. "Guards, drag her out and give her twenty lashes. What use is she if she can't even do this little thing right!"
Hua Mei stood beside her, carefully repainting her nails, and said softly, "Your Majesty, I saw a pink one that suits you perfectly. Tomorrow I'll have them send over some ivory to make a pair of nail guards for you."
Armor was not common in Dayong, but only a few people knew how to use it. The Empress Dowager used it, and every season there were special craftsmen who made various styles of armor for her to choose from.
Hao Shumei snorted coldly, "Am I that old?" She looked smugly at her pair of slender, delicate, and fair hands, "Only those with white hair and wrinkled skin need to use external objects to adorn themselves. A naturally beautiful person is like flawless jade all over, while an ugly person, even if you tear down the clouds from the sky and drape them over her, will still be an ugly and shameless fool!"
Hua Mei quickly chimed in, "Your Majesty is right. That Fourth Prince's Consort is so arrogant. If it weren't for Your Majesty, how could she have such a good life? Who does she think she is, daring to order Your Majesty around? She really doesn't know her place. Why don't you talk to His Highness and let him vent your anger for you?"
"Foolish, do we still need her now?" Hao Shumei raged for a while, but now that her anger had subsided, she regained her composure and began to plan. "Comparatively speaking, Zhao Shu is the one I hate the most! Go, investigate everyone related to Zhao Shu, but don't disturb her."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Hua Mei breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it wasn't to investigate Princess Jun, but only people related to her. She dared not easily provoke this killing god.
Zhao Shu, the God of Slaughter, was currently researching food. In the sweltering summer heat, she desperately needed refreshing snacks. She wrote an ice cream recipe for Xing'er, who asked blankly, "Princess, this servant doesn't know what wheat starch is."
Zhao Shu paused for a long time before asking, somewhat uncertainly, "Do you know how to make gluten from wheat?"
"This servant knows how." Xing'er nodded. Five years had passed, and she had grown into a graceful young woman with delicate and gentle features. However, she was still not very bold and spoke in a very soft voice, just like before. Every time she spoke to Zhao Shu, she tried to speak louder, which always made her blush. People who did not know her would think that she was meeting Zhao Shu for the first time.
"The leftovers from making gluten, drain the water, dry them, and you have wheat starch. If you don't know, ask Aunt Jinxi. You can figure it out yourselves. Now, Princess, I have important business to attend to." She casually opened a book and started reading. She had said her practical skills were zero, and thanks to Ajiu, she was lucky she could even recall a simple method. She had no idea what wheat starch was...
"Princess." Just then, Xiao Zhuzi came over to report something important, easing Zhao Shu's embarrassment. She waved for Xing'er to leave and casually asked, "What is it?"
"Princess, news has come that the Fourth Prince is probably eyeing Miss Sun. He has found Madam Ma." After saying this, he lowered his voice and continued, "It was the first group of people who brought this news."
Zhao Shu sneered, put down her book, stood up, and paced in front of the bookshelf. "He's trying to mislead me. He thinks I won't believe the news from those abandoned spies, but the news is true. Now it's all about time."
Xiao Zhu stood to the side with his head down, listening quietly to Zhao Shu's analysis. Many times, he felt like that hand, and the princess was the mind that commanded it.
"Immediately spread the word that Jingxinyuan has fallen into my hands. Don't worry about anything else. Those who act first usually suffer a terrible fate."
Xiao Zhu was even more confused. He was worried about Zhao Shu and feared that someone might harm her through Sun Yun, so he anxiously asked, "What about Miss Sun?"
"Don't worry, His Majesty won't let him act recklessly. Although I don't know what value Madam Ma has that makes Old Madam Sun so determined to have her, Madam Ma has something that the Fourth Prince's Consort wants, which is also what Zhao Bi wants. And what Zhao Bi wants might be what His Majesty needs. Such an important thing, if A-Yun really knew, His Majesty would definitely not let her fall into the hands of any prince. Even if A-Yun doesn't know, His Majesty wouldn't dare to take the risk. Hmph, only a fool would be so eager to make a move when His Majesty is in his prime."
Xiao Zhu was slightly relieved after hearing this, but he was still very worried. However, Zhao Shu didn't seem to care much, so he shut up and went to do his business.
Zhao Bi, whom Zhao Shu called a fool, appeared in Sun Ganzheng's study after leaving Yiran Courtyard. At this time, Sun Ganzheng was writing, and the paintings on the wall had already been put away and replaced with summer paintings.
Zhao Bi bowed politely, "Lord Sun."
"Your Highness, please sit." Sun Ganzheng did not bow to Zhao Bi, but treated Zhao Shu as a junior. Zhao Bi did not sit down, but went over to watch him write. Under the paperweight, a large character 'Quiet' was written on the white paper.
"What business does Your Highness have with me?" He wrote a character and then changed to a new sheet of paper. There was already a stack of papers on his desk covered with the character "quiet".
"Did Lord Sun ever visit Taizhou in the past?" Zhao Bi asked.
Sun Gan looked up at him, his eyes gleaming, and shook his head with a faint smile, "Not at all."
"If Your Highness has no other choice, please leave." He began to issue the order to leave. Zhao Bi had achieved his goal. The Sun family and the Ma family were merely casual acquaintances. Even if a member of the Ma family married into the Sun family, in Sun Ganzheng's eyes, the Ma family of Taizhou still could not be considered a first-class family. He looked down on the Ma family from the bottom of his heart.
That's enough.
After taking his leave, he didn't go anywhere. He sat down by the low vines in the garden and began to sip tea. It was the height of summer, and the low vines provided a cool and secluded spot where no one would come. He felt even more at ease.
At this moment, Sun Yun was kneeling in front of Madam Ma's bed, gently wiping the fine sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief soaked in cool water. She had been stabbed in the abdomen, not deeply, but she was always weak, and this stab had nearly killed her.
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