“Yi’er, you’re right. We can’t just sit here and wait to die; we must take the initiative. I’ll find a way to suppress her during tomorrow’s tea ceremony,” Princess Duan said resolutely.
A hint of joy flashed in Zheng Huiyi's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure: "Mother, how do you plan to suppress her?"
Princess Duan pondered for a moment, a sly glint in her eyes: "We can use filial piety to deal with her. If she is truly filial, she should show respect to her elders during the tea ceremony. If she is negligent, we can seize the opportunity to teach her a lesson."
Zheng Huiyi nodded in agreement: "Mother, you are so clever. This way, we can both embarrass her in front of everyone and let her know that our Duan Prince's Mansion is not to be trifled with."
...
The next day, a pale dawn appeared on the eastern horizon.
Gu Qinlan got up early, washed and dressed, wearing a light purple silk skirt, a delicate jasmine flower in her hair, and carrying red leaves and hibiscus, and quietly walked towards the courtyard of Princess Duan.
The courtyard of Prince Duan's mansion was filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, a scene brimming with the spirit of spring.
Gu Qinlan gently pushed open the courtyard gate and found the courtyard quiet, with only a few servants busy cleaning. She walked to the main house and saw that the door was ajar, from which she could hear Granny Cen's voice.
"Princess Consort, you've arrived so early?" Granny Cen's voice carried a hint of surprise as she stepped out of the door, looking at Gu Qinlan with caution and care on her face.
Gu Qinlan smiled slightly, satisfied with Cen Mama's sensible manner. She said softly, "Mama, I've come to pay my respects. Has the Princess gotten up? I'd like to personally serve her tea."
Granny Cen touched her nose and said, "The Princess Consort has not yet gotten up. Princess Consort, please wait a moment."
Gu Qinlan nodded gently and smiled, "It's alright, I'll wait here for a while."
As she spoke, Gu Qinlan's gaze swept around the courtyard, which was neatly arranged and spotless.
She couldn't help but secretly admire Granny Cen's thoughtfulness.
Granny Cen pursed her lips and said, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort is still sleeping. Why don't you come later?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Qinlan frowned slightly, her eyes filled with determination: "Granny, I know that the Princess Consort has not yet gotten up, but paying respects and serving tea is the proper etiquette and should not be delayed. Since I am here, I will wait until the Princess Consort wakes up."
Granny Cen looked at Gu Qinlan, a hint of approval flashing in her eyes, but she still maintained her smile: "The Crown Princess is truly filial, but the Princess Consort has indeed not yet woken up. Waiting like this is not a solution. Why don't you sit down and rest for a while? I will come to inform you as soon as the Princess Consort wakes up."
Gu Qinlan nodded gently and sat down on a blue stone bench in the courtyard with Granny Cen. Hongye and Fuyu stood quietly on either side of her, fanning her from time to time.
A gentle breeze wafted through the courtyard, carrying a hint of floral fragrance.
At this moment, Princess Duan was lying on the bed. She slowly opened her eyes, a hint of coldness flashing in them.
She knew Gu Qinlan had arrived, but she deliberately didn't get up, wanting to give Gu Qinlan a hard time.
A moment later, Granny Cen pushed open the door and tiptoed to Princess Duan, softly calling out, "Princess."
Princess Duan was dozing with her eyes closed when she heard the sound. She turned slightly to the side and asked in a low voice, "How is it?"
Granny Cen bowed slightly, a sly glint in her eyes: "Your Highness, I just went to check on the Crown Princess. She's waiting outside, looking quite impatient."
Princess Duan smiled slightly, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes: "Oh? What's she impatient about? Is she perhaps worried about her unstable position in the household?"
Granny Cen nodded and said, "That's right. Your Highness, in my opinion, this is a good opportunity for us to deal with her. As long as she is careless outside, we can seize the opportunity to teach her a lesson."
Princess Duan gently stroked the jade ruyi in her hand, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips: "Hmm, what the old woman said is right. We might as well teach her a lesson and let her know who is the master in the Duan Prince's mansion."
A hint of smugness flashed in Granny Cen's eyes. She leaned closer to Princess Duan and whispered, "Your Highness, I have already arranged for servants to keep an eye on the Princess Consort's every move. As soon as she makes a mistake, we can act immediately."
Princess Duan nodded and said, "Alright, thank you for your hard work, Granny. You will personally oversee this matter and make sure it is handled cleanly and efficiently."
Granny Cen accepted the order and left. Not long after, she returned to the room to report.
"Granny, how is your observation? Is there anything you can criticize?" Princess Duan asked impatiently.
Granny Cen smiled slightly, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes: "Your Highness, although the Crown Princess has good patience, she eventually revealed her true colors. She frowned impatiently just now and even secretly stepped on her foot, showing some anxiety."
A hint of satisfaction flashed in Princess Duan's eyes as she put down her teacup: "Good, Granny, you've done very well. These small details can become leverage against her in the future."
Granny Cen lowered her head slightly, secretly pleased with herself, but her expression remained humble: "Your Highness, what should we do next?"
Princess Duan smiled slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes: "From now on, we must proceed slowly. We cannot let her see through our intentions all at once, otherwise she will definitely become more wary. Granny, continue to keep an eye on her and see if she has any more weaknesses."
Granny Cen nodded in agreement, secretly plotting how to better exploit these weaknesses.
He couldn't help but think to himself: Gu Qinlan, since you dared to marry into our Duan Prince's Mansion, you should be prepared to bear the pressure. I want to see how long you can last in our Duan Prince's Mansion.
The spring chill lingered, and Princess Duan's courtyard was quiet, save for the sounds of the wind and the rustling of leaves.
Hongye watched Gu Qinlan sitting in the courtyard, her figure appearing somewhat lonely and frail under the gloomy sky.
Hongye stepped forward and said with concern, "Madam, you should put on a cloak. It's so cold, don't catch a cold."
Gu Qinlan smiled slightly, but shook her head: "It's okay, I'm dressed warmly enough, I'm not afraid of the cold."
Hongye wanted to persuade her further, but Fuyu stopped her. Fuyu whispered to Hongye, "Look, Madam was dressed so warmly before she went out. She must have expected it to be cold today. Let's not disturb her mood."
Hearing this, Hongye could only nod helplessly. Looking at Gu Qinlan's retreating figure, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart: Madam is truly strong; she can remain so calm even in such cold weather.
Gu Qinlan smiled and said, "What I anticipated was not the weather, but that someone might be stirring up trouble for Princess Duan behind her back."
Hongye was startled by his words, exchanged a glance with Fuyu, and then couldn't help but ask, "Madam, did you really foresee that someone would try to sow discord between the Princess Consort of Duan today?"
Gu Qinlan turned her head, glanced at Hongye, and smiled slightly: "Hongye, as you know, things have been a bit unsettled in the manor lately. I anticipated that someone might try to sow discord while the Princess Consort was awake, so I came early on purpose."
Hongye nodded and exclaimed, "Madam, you are truly wise!"
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