That evening, news came from the palace that Qintian Pavilion, as the authorized tribute provider for future imperial silks, could present its embroidery tonight as exhibits for tomorrow's embroidery exhibition.
Qin Kou'er dared not neglect this matter in the slightest. She prepared all the treasures she had collected, put them on the carriage, and personally supervised the process, following the eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department, to transport all the embroidery to the palace.
The process of entering the palace was originally complicated and required going through layers of checks.
Qin Kou'er's embroidery pieces were all extremely precious and could be damaged if not handled carefully. Therefore, Qin Kou'er specially hired more than twenty embroiderers to protect these pieces and ensure that the guards would not touch them.
This matter had already been handled with great care, but coincidentally, the person waiting for Qin Kou'er on night duty was Lan Jiayuan, who had a cold expression on his face.
When Qin Kou'er saw Lan Jiyuan standing at the door from a distance, her heart sank.
Oh no, Xu Ming hates her so much he's practically grinding his teeth. It would be strange if Lan Jiayuan let her go at this point!
Qin Kou'er was somewhat worried, because she had already foreseen the fate of her exquisite silks. It seemed that everything she had planned for tomorrow would be in vain.
Just as Qin Kou'er was extremely frustrated, a gentle figure suddenly appeared beside Lan Jiayuan, which greatly eased Lan Jiayuan's originally gloomy expression.
He even bent down to tighten the woman's cloak, clearly to keep her from catching a chill in the night wind.
Qin Kou'er breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the woman. Zhao Ling'er's move was truly a brilliant stroke of genius.
Upon reaching the palace gate, Qin Kou'er quickly jumped off her mother and followed her father-in-law, bowing respectfully to Lan Jiayuan: "Kou'er greets the Third Prince!"
Lan Jiayuan looked coldly at Qin Kou'er and said expressionlessly, "What's in the box?"
"Reporting to the Third Prince, these are all embroidery pieces from Qin Tian Pavilion that will be participating in the embroidery competition tomorrow! They will be delivered to the palace tonight in advance so that His Majesty and the ladies can admire them tomorrow."
Lan Jiayuan glanced at it coldly, then said, "Open it! Inspect it!"
Qin Kou'er raised her head and looked at Lan Jiayuan calmly, saying, "If the Third Prince wants to see them, of course there's no problem! But these embroideries are all precious items made by machine. If there's even the slightest mistake, it will be utterly ruined! Third Prince, you can look at them, but you absolutely cannot touch them! If you do, these things will be broken!"
Lan Jiayuan frowned, looking at Qin Kou'er with disgust, and said through gritted teeth, "Qin Kou'er, this is a routine inspection! Don't be ungrateful! You have to open them! Whether you break them or not is your problem! If you dare not open the boxes, I'll smash them all to pieces right now."
Qin Kou'er looked at Lan Jiayuan and suddenly sighed, "Third Prince, it's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester! Why bring up Lord Xu's matter now to make things difficult for Kou'er!"
Upon hearing Qin Kou'er's words, Lan Jiayuan immediately raised his eyebrows and was about to rush towards Qin Kou'er, seemingly ready to teach her a lesson. However, he was stopped by a small, fair hand that reached out from the side. "Master, what are you doing? How come you didn't remember a single word Ling'er said to you?"
Lan Jiayuan stopped her advance immediately with a small hand, grabbing the soft, white hand while glaring fiercely at Qin Kou'er as she gasped for breath, "This woman is utterly despicable! How dare she frame my grandfather in front of the Emperor! It's intolerable!"
Lan Jiayuan's personality was originally eccentric and irritable. He always did things his own way, was reckless and short-sighted, and treated women like clothes. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many women in his mansion!
But Zhao Ling'er was completely different in his heart. Not only had she saved his life, but she had also traveled thousands of miles with him, staying by his side during his most difficult times, offering comfort, and giving him a tenderness he had never experienced before. Therefore, Lan Jiayuan's affection for Zhao Ling'er was not just pampering, it was downright adoration. So, when Zhao Ling'er wanted to come and see the rare and exquisite embroidery pieces with him, he agreed without hesitation.
However, given Zhao Ling'er's status, she could not enter the palace under any circumstances. Therefore, she could only wait at the palace gate for Qin Kou'er to pass by so that she could catch a glimpse of her.
This was one of the reasons why Lan Jiayuan was in a bad mood. Other people's women, even Qin Kou'er, a woman who had nothing to do with the royal family, could openly enter the palace and appreciate these beautiful things with everyone. Only his own woman could only secretly glance at these beautiful things like a rat on the roadside in the palace at night.
Thinking about these things would make Lan Jiyuan feel very bad, extremely bad, at his lowest point.
Others might not understand his thoughts, but Zhao Ling'er always did. Therefore, she became increasingly gentle, considerate, understanding, and empathetic.
"My lord, how could you forget what His Majesty said to you today? A prince is a prince, and a court official is a court official! If you ruin the embroidery to be presented to His Majesty tomorrow because of Lord Xu, think about how Father Emperor will feel! He will be heartbroken because his own son only has his maternal grandfather in his heart, and not his father. How painful that would be! Therefore, not only must these things not be damaged, but you must also be extra careful and have Pavilion Master Qin preserve them well. At the very least, you must live up to the trust His Majesty has placed in you, mustn't you?"
Zhao Ling'er's words were like a clear spring, not only calming Lan Jiayuan's irritable heart, but also making Qin Kou'er's heart bloom with flowers.
That little mouth of hers is truly formidable; no wonder she's the most beautiful courtesan on the Qinhuai River. She's perfect for dealing with someone like Lan Jiayuan.
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