Zhao Shu blew on the freshly brewed Biluochun tea, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly. She never expected that the most favored master of the Yongwang Mansion would drink stale tea. Were she and her father both intellectually challenged in their past lives?
"Has the price of tea gone up this year?" Zhao Shu put down her teacup and asked slowly.
Bi Qiao glanced at Zhao Shu cautiously, not understanding why she would suddenly say such a thing. It was common knowledge that the prince was not familiar with tea ceremony and had a bad reputation. Almost no elegant and respectable people visited the prince's mansion. The princess was young and the mansion did not drink tea much. The tea distributed by the palace was either aged or given away.
As soon as the new tea was harvested this year, it was taken by Lin Xiuxue, the eldest granddaughter of Grand Scholar Lin and a close friend of the princess.
"Princess, you are not usually..."
"Has Lin Xiuxue come to the mansion again to ask for tea?" Zhao Shu interrupted her, her voice cold.
Bi Qiao was startled and quickly lowered her head, carefully controlling the tone of her voice before cautiously replying, "You previously said that the Imperial Household Department would send tea to Miss Lin as soon as it arrived. I originally sent someone to deliver it, but Miss Lin said she was going to hold a tea party and asked me to send all the new tea to her."
"Go, go to the best tea shop and find out the price of the tea. Make Lin Xiuxue pay for it. If she doesn't, tell the Empress Dowager that she uses my tea for her tea parties every year," Zhao Shu said coldly.
Lin Xiuxue, the eldest granddaughter of Grand Secretary Lin, is the most famous talented woman in the aristocratic circles of the capital, especially skilled in tea ceremony. Even the Empress praised her for her talent. In the past three years, her tea ceremonies have attracted countless noble ladies in the capital.
In the decades that followed in her previous life, the tea parties hosted by Lin Xiuxue became a symbol, like a festival. Noble ladies and gentlemen would feel something was missing if they did not attend one of Lin Xiuxue's tea parties each year.
After Lin Xiuxue got married, she used tea parties to build a network of relationships for her husband Yang Shixuan. In the year Zhao Shu died, Yang Shixuan rose from a seventh-rank editor to a third-rank Chancellor, becoming the head of the Imperial Academy at a young age, and all the students in the country had to call him teacher.
From then on, Lin Xiuxue was dignified, virtuous, reasonable, and generous, while Yang Shixuan was young and promising, holding a high position in the government. For a time, this beautiful couple became the envy of scholars, students, and young women in their boudoirs.
When people talk about Lin Xiuxue, they often add that Zhao Shu, the daughter of the deposed king and a commoner, is not even worthy to carry shoes for Madam Yang.
She fell into the mud, while Lin Xiuxue thrived on her resources and lived a glamorous life.
However, that won't happen from now on.
Bi Qiao, who had deliberately kept her head down, suddenly raised it. She couldn't hide the shock in her eyes, which were filled with both worry and joy. The princess wasn't like this before; she wanted to give all the good things to the Lin family's daughter.
"Yes! This servant will do it right away!" Bi Qiao was even afraid that Zhao Shu would change her mind, so she rushed out without even having time to say goodbye.
She had served the prince since she was a child. In the past, the prince was just a bit of a playboy, not as bad as he is now. She couldn't persuade him or control him. The princess was easily manipulated and was often used as a pawn. Moreover, she had a bad temper, which often pained her.
The princess has no true friends. Those so-called best friends either covet the princess's jewelry or her fabrics, and after taking the things, they talk about how vulgar the princess is behind her back.
She's been holding back for so long!
As the head maid, she felt she had a chance to use her skills for the first time.
After Bi Qiao left, Granny Guo returned. As soon as she stepped into Qionghua Courtyard, she cleared her throat and said with some complaint, "Princess, why did you have to add makeup for that wretch? It's such a waste. If you ask me, it would have been better to give it to Miss Lin. Miss Lin is going to hold a tea party in a few days, and then she can take care of you, Princess."
Zhao Shu frowned. Yes, whenever Guo Mama had the chance, she would whisper good things about Lin Xiuxue in her ear, saying that friends should help each other. Although Lin Xiuxue's grandfather was a Grand Secretary, his family was only well-off. What they had, what they wore, and what they ate was at least ten times worse than what the Prince's mansion had. Guo Mama's so-called mutual help meant that she would give Lin Xiuxue the best food, drink, and clothes, while Lin Xiuxue would introduce her to more young ladies from scholarly families.
At the same time, if there were poetry gatherings, he would take her along, and if she couldn't compose a poem, he would secretly help her.
Look, what a touching pair of sisters.
However, some people are destined to be ungrateful wretches, like Granny Guo and Lin Xiuxue.
"After the old woman told me about my trip to the Ningguo Marquis's residence and Miss Qingge's house, I, the princess, still have to go and have dinner with my father later." Zhao Shu concealed the sharpness in her eyes and said in her usual somewhat willful manner.
Granny Guo couldn't see anything at all, and rattled off everything like spilled beans: "When the old lady of the Ningguo Marquis's mansion heard that Diewu and Tingwu were to be her concubines, she was so angry that she fainted. Humph, let her get away with it."
"Furthermore, when I arrived at Qingge's house, Princess, you don't know, Qingge was originally born to a concubine. Now that she has climbed up to the Ningguo Marquis's mansion, they hurriedly registered her under the name of the legal mother. How despicable! As soon as I took out the box, the family's eyes widened as if they hadn't seen anything good in eight hundred years."
"When I went there, I met Sister Zhong. Sister Zhong sent a governess to that Qingge girl and asked me to tell the princess that she would give good instructions to teach Qingge girl well so that she could be a better match with Young Master Jiang in the future. Bah! A better match? A pair of thieves and prostitutes."
Zhao Shu smiled. She asked Granny Guo to do Qingge's makeup, which was to elevate her status. She also told her that in the future, she could only compose poems, eat, drink, and have fun with Jiang Jingming, and was not allowed to manage the household affairs in Jiang Jingming's courtyard.
Moreover, after the incident of being demoted, everyone in the Ningguo Marquis's mansion hates this woman to the extreme and will definitely not tolerate her. Giving her a higher status now is just to make her fight for a little longer.
As for the two women, Butterfly Dance and Butterfly Dance, she didn't care whether they died tragically or ugly in the future, since they were just spies planted in the mansion by others.
In this life, she will avenge all wrongs and vent all grievances, living a wonderful and carefree life.
It's about time to get rid of these obstacles, but we need to come up with a good reason.
"Alright, Granny, you've worked hard too. Go and have your meal." Zhao Shu waved her hand to dismiss Granny Guo, just like always.
Granny Guo felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it; the princess was still the same princess.
In the past, the princess would have been considerate of her old age and hardship, and she didn't need to be served all the time. She was essentially living a life of leisure in the palace. But now, the princess's words sounded like something was amiss.
However, she had so much to say to her girlfriends now, and she didn't want to stay here to serve. Now that Zhao Shu had spoken, she immediately summoned Green Ivy to serve Zhao Shu so she could dine with Prince Yong.
Prince Yong's Chensong Courtyard was not the main courtyard of the Prince's Mansion. After his mother passed away, he moved into Chensong Courtyard. Zhao Shu recalled the various events of her previous life and felt very puzzled as to why her father moved away from the main courtyard.
Moreover, it seems that after his mother left, he became even more outrageous, ignoring everyone's advice and showing no restraint.
In her past life, she distanced herself from the father who brought her endless bad reputation, and later refused to listen to any news about him.
Therefore, now that she thinks about it, her mother's death must not be so simple. However, she has no clue what to do. It seems that she has to investigate carefully.
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