Chapter 669 Who's behind this?
Jiang Fenghua smiled and said, "Alright, I'll have someone bring Yan'er here to play with the children."
She silently observed the princesses. It seemed that the information given by Granny Wang was inaccurate. The fourth princess was the real sly fox!
Jiang Fenghua and she rarely interacted, but now she's talking more. Their relationship probably isn't close enough for them to bring their children along to play together!
But she had no grudge against the Fourth Princess!
The Third Princess Consort spoke less. Yuan Wenqiang was clear-headed and intelligent. She knew she couldn't gain any advantage from the Empress, so she wouldn't waste her energy trying to please her. She knew that maintaining a superficial harmony was the safest distance. The entire Third Prince's mansion depended on the Third Princess Consort, and she knew when to advance and when to retreat.
Prince Yu and Lady Zhao argued and fought every day, making their lives a chaotic mess. Lady Zhao originally wanted to marry the Emperor, but ended up marrying Prince Yu. She was dissatisfied with Jiang Fenghua but dared not show it. Jiang Fenghua also contributed to the decline of the Zhao family, so it was only natural for her to hate Jiang Fenghua. However, Jiang Fenghua never got her hands dirty. Lady Zhao had no open grudge against her; if there was any grudge, it was against Luo Ziqiong.
Luo Ziqiong is currently ill, and the happiest person should be Zhao Shi. It cannot be ruled out that Zhao Shi will do something behind the scenes. Yu Wang and Jiang Fenghua also have a feud, so Yu Wang and his wife are the most suspicious.
Jiang Fenghua then recalled Song Qing and Shu Yan's earlier discussion about how the plum blossoms in the plum garden were planted by Xie Shang for a certain woman. The princesses were all older than her and a few years younger than Xie Shang, and they were all noble ladies from Shengjing City.
If you ask Xie Shang directly, he'll definitely make up all sorts of lies to appease her.
Jiang Fenghua said to the concubines, "It's a rare occasion for this to be lively, so you all don't need to keep me company. Go and have some fun on your own!"
With the Queen's permission, everyone left.
Gao Qingtong said, "This concubine will accompany Your Majesty!"
Jiang Fenghua nodded, took Gao Qingtong's hand, and said to the princesses, "Sisters-in-law, please accompany me to the plum garden to admire the flowers. Someone just said that this plum garden was planted by the Emperor. I didn't know that. No wonder everyone likes this plum garden so much."
The Third Princess said, "So the Empress didn't know that it was the Emperor who planted it. My husband said that the Emperor cherishes this plum garden very much, and even fought with the Second Prince over it."
Princess Zhao, the wife of Prince Yu, certainly didn't know about these things. She was still young and had never heard of them. But when the Second Prince was mentioned, she immediately became interested and said gently, "Why did the Emperor fight with my Prince? I mean, even brothers and sisters in ordinary families often fight, but it's just for fun."
The Third Princess Consort would certainly not say that the Second Prince started the fight with the Emperor. "Princess Consort Yu is right. They grow up by fighting and bickering. I don't know the specifics. I just heard my Prince mention it occasionally. He said that the more brothers fight, the better their relationship becomes. He just said that the Emperor personally planted the treasures."
The Fourth Princess's eyes flickered slightly. She bit her lip lightly and stared at the direction of the plum garden as if lost in thought. Xie Shang had loved playing in the plum garden since he was a child. Every time she entered the palace, she would see him there. She had even heard him talking to the rockery in the plum garden.
Seeing that the Fourth Princess Consort had suddenly fallen silent and was staring at the plum garden, Jiang Fenghua asked gently, "Does the Fourth Princess Consort also love plum blossoms?"
The Fourth Princess said, "Plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums are known as the Four Gentlemen, but I love the red plum blossom the most. It is not only beautiful, but I also admire its noble quality of standing proudly in the snow without fear of the cold. Its perseverance is just like..."
Jiang Fenghua stared into her eyes, noticing the Fourth Princess Consort hesitated, "Like what?"
The Fourth Princess smiled and said, "It symbolizes a spirit of self-improvement. We should all learn from its qualities. Everyone praises and appreciates plum blossoms, but I think we should learn its spirit even more."
Jiang Fenghua smiled and said, "What the Fourth Princess Consort said is very good. I heard that the Fourth Princess Consort was one of the most talented women in Shengjing City. She was not only proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but also in poetry and prose. Why don't we ask the Fourth Princess Consort to compose a poem for us on the theme of plum blossoms?"
The Fourth Princess blushed. She had indeed put a lot of effort into her studies when she was young, but unfortunately she married a spineless man like Xie Yang. The person she really wanted to marry was Xie Shang, but Xie Shang already had someone he liked. Jiang Fenghua was just lucky to have caught up with him.
She said softly, "I'm married to someone else now, I've long forgotten."
The Third Princess also chimed in, "Anyway, I'm just a boorish man who doesn't know anything about poetry or songs. If we're talking about talented women here, besides the Fourth Princess, there's also our Empress, who has been well-versed in poetry since childhood! Let's not just focus on admiring the flowers, let's learn from the men and make friends through poetry. I'll be the judge for everyone!"
Jiang Fenghua joked, "I will have someone prepare writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones right away, and let the Third Princess Consort take the lead first."
The Third Princess Consort laughed and said, "I have already said that I am illiterate. The Empress wants to embarrass Wen Qiang. If I speak, I will be laughed at immediately."
Some people who were on good terms with the Third Princess Consort spoke up, "Your Majesty, don't listen to the Third Princess Consort's nonsense. She is usually very good at reciting doggerel. Let her speak. I would like to hear if she can make me laugh my head off."
The Third Princess glared at the other woman, saying, "The Left Vice Minister's wife's doggerel is the best in Shengjing. Let her do it first."
“Lady Zuo, please sing first. We were all still enjoying your song at Master Zhang’s birthday banquet the other day. Singing in your hometown dialect was absolutely hilarious. Let’s take advantage of the Lantern Festival and let Her Majesty the Empress have a good laugh as well,” said another woman who was close to them.
In an instant, the atmosphere became lively, and it seemed impossible to end the gathering without composing poems. The wife of the Left Vice Minister was naturally cheerful, and she said with a smile, "Since everyone has invited me, then Yu Niang will not refuse. Your Majesty, please listen carefully."
She learned from her husband that the Empress was actually a very easy person to talk to. Knowing the Empress's temperament, she became bolder.
Jiang Fenghua smiled and said, "Then let the Left Vice Minister's wife go first, and Third Sister-in-law will make the preparations."
Madam Zuo then sang in her hometown dialect: "I, Xia Yu Niang, have just spontaneously composed a limerick about plum blossoms. Please enjoy it!"
Upon hearing this, a round of applause and cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd.
Fang Yuniang said, "I am a beauty amidst the snow, my proud spirit defying the frost and blooming on the branch. I am most eye-catching in the dead of winter. Don't laugh at my prickly appearance, for I am here to prick the faces of lecherous scoundrels..."
Another round of cheers erupted instantly.
The Third Princess also joined in, singing, "From afar, it looks like red plum blossoms, wrapped in an ice coat to welcome the late spring; upon closer inspection, it's actually Fang Erjie, Fang Jiayu Niang leaning against the wall, secretly applying rouge last night, and today her face is frozen red."
Fang Yuniang was the second child in her family. Only then did she realize that the Third Princess Consort was not talking about plum blossoms at all, but was clearly teasing her. She laughed and chased after the Third Princess Consort, saying, "You, Yuan Wenqiang, are teasing me. You're the one who's blushing."
She plucked a handful of red plum blossoms from a branch, saying, "Today I'll also apply a touch of rouge to the Third Princess."
"I was wrong, Yu Niang, please forgive Wen Qiang!" The Third Princess hurriedly begged for mercy, and then took advantage of the gap to run behind Jiang Fenghua, "Fenghua, save me."
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