Within two days, people really came to the palace. A group of maids, palace maids, eunuchs, and some bad guys from the Imperial Household Department moved into the mansion of Duke Qing and began to prepare for Princess Guihe's 36th birthday.
The one who took the lead in this task was Prince Gong, the general manager of the Imperial Household Department. He was the youngest prince of the late emperor and had a lot of face in front of the late emperor. In his last edict, the late emperor also instructed the present to take good care of him.
Prince Gong was only in his early twenties, two generations apart from the present, so it was not an exaggeration to say that he was raised as a son.
Princess Guihe had her own brothers, and her relationship with her other brothers was only average. Although Princess Guihe's birthday was also organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in previous years, she was still the one in charge, and Prince Gong was just a figurehead. This year,
Princess Guihe was not in good health, so all matters, big and small, were handed over to Prince Gong.
When Zheng Xiu went in and out of Changfeng Garden, she could often see many unfamiliar people busy.
Princess Guihe seemed to have forgotten that it was her birthday, and she still exercised and basked in the sun every day. When Zheng Xiu came, she asked Zheng Xiu to accompany her, and the two stayed together for the whole day.
On the tenth day of April, Zheng Xiu met Prince Gong for the first time in Changfeng Garden.
"I've met the eldest sister." After Qiu Rui passed the message, Prince Gong came to pay his respects to Princess Guihe. He has long thin eyebrows, peach blossom eyes, and a pointed chin. He looks a bit feminine and speaks softly.
Princess Guihe and Zheng Xiu were sitting in the yard admiring flowers together. Zheng Xiu stood up to greet Prince Gong.
Princess Guihe nodded indifferently, "No need to be polite. What are you doing here today?"
Prince Gong said, "The guest list has been drawn up. I sent it to Sister Zhanhuang for review."
Princess Guihe nodded, turned to Zheng Xiu and said casually, "Please help me take a look."
Zheng Xiu couldn't understand it at all, and said embarrassedly, "This... You should take a look yourself. You also know that I am new to the capital..."
"Just take a look if I tell you to. Why are you talking so much?"
Zheng Xiu had no choice but to bite the bullet and take the list.
When Zheng Xiu saluted him at first, Prince Gong just nodded casually. But when he heard that Princess Guihe asked Zheng Xiu to look at the list, he actually looked at her twice more. Didn't he hear that the second elder of the Xue family married a daughter who was a prostitute? He thought that according to his eldest sister's temper, she would definitely not like her. But now...
The list was written on red paper with hot gold, and there were more than a hundred people.
Zheng Xiu felt a little dizzy after reading it, and didn't know what to say for a while.
Princess Guihe said again: "Have you read it? If you have, return it to the owner."
The royal family was already estranged, so it was not surprising that she called Prince Gong "the owner".
Zheng Xiu took a look and said, "I have read it." Then she returned the list to Prince Gong.
Prince Gong did not show any displeasure, and only said: "Then I will continue to work and not disturb the eldest sister of the emperor to rest."
"Yes." Princess Guihe nodded casually, and did not even ask Qiu Rui to see him off. After
he left, Zheng Xiu said in embarrassment: "You asked me to look at the list, but I really don't know those people, and I don't know if anyone is missed."
Princess Guihe said slowly: "If he can't even hold a birthday banquet, his position as the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be in vain."
Zheng Xiu said no more.
"Why do you wear only two clothes and two pieces of jewelry all day long?" Princess Guihe suddenly said.
Zheng Xiu looked at her casual peach pink plum blossom patterned stand-up collar jacket, then reached out and touched the pearl and silver hairpin she often wore on her head, saying, "Anyway, I'm at home, so I can wear whatever feels comfortable."
Princess Guihe curled her lips in disdain and stood up with the help of crutches.
Zheng Xiu also stood up and followed her into the house.
Princess Guihe walked back to the inner room and asked Qiu Rui to open her dressing box, then said to Zheng Xiu, "You can choose, pick two decent ones." Her dressing box was half a person's height, with seven or eight layers of jewelry.
She actually gave herself jewelry? Zheng Xiu was unable to react for a moment and declined, saying, "I have enough jewelry. Ah Zhi gave me one for my birthday not long ago."
Princess Guihe frowned and said, "Just pick it if you want. Why are you talking so much?"
Zheng Xiu had no choice but to respond and picked out two pieces from the jeweled dressing table. A three-winged oriole feather pearl hairpin and a butterfly hairpin inlaid with gold and pearls. Both pieces of jewelry were very finely crafted, but the pearls and stones were not expensive. Princess
Guihe watched her pick and said disdainfully, "You are so careless." Then she said to Qiu Rui, "Find out that set of old jade headpieces."
A whole set of old jade headpieces, emerald green and of shocking quality.
Zheng Xiu waved her hands repeatedly, "This is too expensive, I can't accept it."
"It's not for you, but I'm afraid you will lose face for the Duke of Qing at my birthday party." Princess Guihe said.
Qiu Rui also smiled and said, "Our princess wants to give it, so the second wife should accept it." Others may not know, but Qiu Rui knows that this set of old jade headdress was given by the current queen mother when the princess was still the empress before she got married. Although the things are good, Princess Guihe disdained the queen mother's false kindness, so she kept it and never wore it. Every time she packed Princess Guihe's dressing box, she often regretted that such a good set of things had no place to be used.
Princess Guihe said so, Zheng Xiu couldn't refuse, so she just said: "Then I will wear it once at your birthday banquet, and then I will return it to you after I wipe it clean."
"Why should I return it after I give it to you? I don't need this set of headwear." Princess Guihe said, as if the thing she gave away was not a valuable thing, but just a handkerchief or a sachet.
Zheng Xiu was really worried about what to wear when attending the banquet. Although there were several ruby and sapphire jewelry in her dressing box, they were not easy to match. Let Xue Zhi help to buy it, but he, a grown man who didn't know much about this, had a worrying vision. The old jade headwear given by Princess Guihe can be said to have solved her urgent needs. Seeing that she didn't care much about the headdress, she accepted it and thanked Princess Guihe.
Of course, if Zheng Xiu knew the origin of the headdress, she would not dare to accept it.
Qiu Rui put the headdress in a brocade box, and when Zheng Xiu left, she asked Minghui to carry it back. When
they arrived at Haoye Hall, Minghui dared to open the brocade box and wiped it carefully with a silk handkerchief. While wiping, she sincerely praised: "The princess is so generous, and she treats you better than before."
Although Princess Guihe said that she gave Zheng Xiu the headdress for the dignity of the Duke of Qing's Mansion, but with her in charge of the Duke of Qing's Mansion, who dares to look down on it? If Zheng Xiu did not dress appropriately, outsiders would only laugh at her as an individual and her background as well.
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