Chapter 15 The Crown Prince Has You in His Heart
"My lady, the silk thread has been bought."
"I'm almost done here. After you take a look at it, have someone send it to the Song residence."
Jiang Shiyao looked up at Shuangjiang, who had just returned, and continued sewing the last pearl from the auspicious beast's mouth without stopping.
After carefully concealing the loose threads, the embroidery of auspicious beasts was finally completed.
The sunlight streaming through the window made the auspicious beast, which was descending with a treasure in its mouth, seem to come alive.
Frost marveled as it touched the distinct individual hairs embroidered on the auspicious beast.
"No need to see me off, madam. I just saw Miss Song come again."
Jiang Shiyao paused in her rubbing of her wrists.
Then she looked up and smiled, "I'll go with you later."
After a moment of hesitation, Shuangjiang said, "My lady, Miss Song will be the mistress of the house in the future. Why do you have to act impulsively at this time?"
"Moreover, the Song family is originally the old lady's maternal family..."
The old lady will not settle matters fairly...
This phrase was not mentioned during the Frost's Descent solar term.
Jiang Shiyao said, "I understand. Wait for me a moment while I change my clothes."
Shuangjiang watched his wife's figure and pursed his lips.
On her way to Old Madam Zhou's courtyard, Jiang Shiyao encountered Zhou Congxian.
Her gaze fell on his right arm.
She couldn't help but grumble inwardly, thinking that she was, after all, her savior, yet she hadn't even offered a single penny in thanks.
Zhou Congxian followed her gaze to his arm, assuming she was concerned about his injury.
So he said gently, "It's much better now. Dr. Lin was my grandfather's military doctor back then. He was very skilled in medicine. He only settled down in the capital after he got old and couldn't travel anymore."
Jiang Shiyao's lips twitched slightly. "Oh, that's good."
She added at the end, "I'm so worried I can't sleep."
Zhou Congxian paused, recalling how he had spoken harshly to her in order to appease the Song family these past few days.
His fingers, hanging by his side, trembled slightly.
Then he raised his eyes and said, "I promised Fu'er that I would take her to fly kites. Today is a day off. After I pay my respects to my grandmother, I will take you to Jinming Lake to fly kites."
"Oh... a kite?"
While lost in thought, Jiang Shiyao, who was muttering to herself that he was standing in the middle of the road and not moving, subconsciously replied with an "okay," before she could hear what he said clearly.
"The kite... I'm afraid it won't work today..."
Jiang Shiyao lowered her eyes guiltily.
He Dayou has collected a lot of grain and needs to rent a special warehouse to store it. She was planning to find an excuse to go out of the mansion in the afternoon to take a look.
Zhou Congxian was unaware of the reason. Seeing her downcast and heartbroken appearance, he assumed that she was hurt by his words.
With a hint of reluctance, she said, "Shi Yao, give me some time, and you will eventually find out."
Um?
When Jiang Shiyao looked over, he avoided her gaze.
Zhou Congxian took the lead and said, "Let's go, let's set off early so that Fu'er can play a little longer."
No, what do you mean by leaving early? Did she just agree?
"Your Highness..."
She raised her hand, but before she could utter a word of refusal, the person was already gone.
Shuangjiang stepped forward with a smile on her face, "My lady, the young master has you in his heart, so it's not like you can't compete for him!"
Um? ?
Jiang Shiyao looked at Shuangjiang's expression, "You, are you misunderstanding something...?"
Shuangjiang tugged at her sleeve. "My lady, the young master is looking at you."
Zhou Congxian, standing at the intersection not far away, said, "Aren't you leaving yet? If you want to be happy, you have to pay your respects to Grandmother first."
Jiang Shiyao opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.
After tapping her finger twice in mid-air, she reluctantly followed.
One misunderstanding could infuriate Song Jiyun, but two misunderstandings could bring her more convenience.
That's fine too; consider it a blessing that she's been reborn.
Song Jiyun was accompanying Madam Zhou in worshipping Buddha.
When Jiang Shiyao followed Zhou Congxian inside, the old lady immediately got up.
She lowered her head and glanced at the doorway; every time she came, she would stand there for a while before coming in.
She felt that if she stood there a few more times, she could wear two dents out of that spot.
Zhou Congxian clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Grandson greets his grandmother."
Jiang Shiyao then curtsied and said, "Greetings to the old lady."
With loving eyes, Madam Zhou held her grandson's hand and said, "Knowing you were coming to pay your respects, Grandma saved some chestnut cake for you!"
As she spoke, she pointed to Gao's mother, "Gao's mother even specially fried chestnut cakes."
Zhou Congxian only showed a little affection for his grandmother when he was with her.
"Yes, grandson, eat more today."
The old lady nodded in satisfaction before reluctantly turning her gaze to Jiang Shiyao behind her.
"Remember that little girl Fu'er loves chestnut cake just like her father; bring some back for her too."
Jiang Shiyao lowered her head meekly and said, "Thank you, Madam."
The old lady saw the embroidery in her hands and asked, "Is the birthday gift finished?"
"Yes." Jiang Shiyao presented it with both hands.
When Gao's mother stepped forward, she was stunned the moment she unfolded the embroidery.
The auspicious beast was so lifelike that the breeze blowing in from outside made its fur seem to move.
If you don't look closely, it doesn't resemble an embroidery piece at all; it looks like a mythical beast that's about to leap out of the frame!
Even Madam Gao couldn't help but exclaim, "Madam Jiang's embroidery skills are even better than hers!"
Jiang Shiyao smiled shyly, "Mother Gao is too kind. I am too humble and shallow to deserve such praise."
Her embroidery skills were truly inherited from Granny Chang.
However, the technique used in this embroidery was something she discovered by chance in her previous life when she couldn't see Fu'er and wanted to make more clothes for her. She found that the technique of an embroiderer could complement that of Granny Chang.
Therefore, this auspicious beast painting is more exquisite than the previous one!
As soon as Madam Zhou took the embroidery, her eyes lit up!
"I've heard that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager was a master of needlework in her youth. This embroidery is sure to catch her eye!"
Song Jiyun bit her lip and saw Zhou Congxian glance at the lowly concubine with a smile in his eyes.
It's just embroidery; she can hire ten or eight embroiderers, surely they can't outdo her!
Her sleeve was suddenly tugged.
Zisu leaned close to her ear, "Miss, those pearls are fake."
Song Jiyun turned around and saw Zisu nod affirmatively.
Yes, Zisu grew up by the sea and worked as a pearl diver when she was young. She would never be wrong about pearls!
Madam Zhou turned to Song Jiyun and asked, "Yun'er, with Jiang Shi's example set before us, are you confident in your abilities?"
If it were ordinary embroidery, it would be fine for Yun'er to embroider a peach and add an eye.
This embroidery is truly outstanding; if even one peach is ruined, it would be a great loss.
A hint of annoyance flashed in Song Jiyun's eyes, but her face still held a gentle smile.
"Since my great-aunt has praised her so highly, Yun'er is even more curious about Madam Jiang's superb embroidery skills!"
Madam Zhou smiled and handed her the embroidery. "It doesn't matter if you can't finish it. Your wedding with Xian'er is imminent, and you're busy with preparations. It's normal that you can't spare the time. It doesn't count as breaking your promise."
They've saved face and substance.
Song Jiyun was also startled for a moment when he saw the auspicious beast that seemed to be right in front of him.
The difference in quality is immediately apparent; her embroidery, which cost a thousand taels of silver, is still inferior to that of this lowly concubine.
Zisu reached out and touched the pearl, tilting it slightly to let the sunlight from outside shine on it, giving the pearl a lustrous sheen.
It looks exactly like a real pearl.
But it's fake.
Zisu nodded.
Song Jiyun understood that this was a birthday gift presented to the Empress Dowager, and her great-aunt would certainly not fake it.
Such a large bead must be worth at least three thousand taels!
This lowly concubine is so self-righteous, how dare she try to scheme against the Empress Dowager's birthday gifts!
A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. "Madam Jiang's embroidery skills are truly impressive."
"But I have some questions about this pearl, which is worth three thousand even among the rare ones."
Jiang Shiyao met her gaze openly. "Oh? Miss Song, what questions do you have?"
Song Jiyun asked, "Where did these pearls come from?"
"Jade Treasure Pavilion".
"Hehe, Madam Jiang, you're really joking. Yu Bao Lou is a property of Prince Cheng's mansion. Are you saying that Yu Bao Lou sold you counterfeit goods?"
Jiang Shiyao smiled slightly, "Miss Song said that Yubaolou would never sell fakes, so how can you say that these pearls are fake?"
Song Jiyun displayed the embroidery in her hands to everyone, saying, "Yu Bao Lou would never sell fakes. It must be you, Jiang Niangzi, who has been deceiving everyone with your deception!"
"Madam Jiang, why would you do such a foolish thing for such a petty gain!"
"Fake?!" Old Madam Zhou hurriedly took the embroidery. The pearl in the mythical beast's mouth was lustrous and shiny. If someone hadn't pointed it out, who would have known it was fake?
Song Jiyun nodded, "Zisu's mother was a pearl diver. She has been working with pearls with her mother since she was a child. She wouldn't be wrong about her judgment!"
"Jiang!" she snapped coldly, "I gave you three thousand five hundred taels! Is this the pearls you bought?!"
“Grandmother, the palace is filled with countless treasures, and every female official in the palace has a keen eye. If this embroidery were to enter the palace and be recognized at a glance, we would be filled with regret!”
Song Jiyun's voice was full of fear, but his eyes shone brightly as he looked at Jiang Shiyao.
I thought it would take some effort to get rid of this lowly concubine.
Unexpectedly, it came to me without any effort at all!
Zhou Congxian couldn't see the difference in the beads, so he could only frown slightly and look at Jiang Shiyao.
Jiang Shiyao has been by his side for more than four years. She is intelligent and quick-witted, but not a greedy person.
How could she be so foolish as to tamper with such an important birthday gift?
Jiang Shiyao knelt down with her back straight. "Madam, I did not steal anything."
Song Jiyun chuckled, "Three thousand five hundred taels is no small sum. Madam Jiang thinks she can absolve herself of all responsibility with just a few words. This matter is probably not going to be light."
Jiang Shiyao looked up, "If I am innocent, what will Miss Song do?"
"How about it?" Song Jiyun slightly raised her chin. "If you are innocent, this young lady will offer you a grand apology!"
"good."
"What?" Song Jiyun frowned.
Jiang Shiyao met her gaze and said, "I say, fine, then let's invite the manager of Yubaolou to come and confront them."
Madam Zhou glanced at the confident Song Jiyun, and then at the composed Jiang Shiyao.
Birthday gifts should not be taken lightly.
"Gao Mama went to invite the manager of Yubaolou to verify the authenticity."
Looking at Jiang Shiyao's expressionless face from beginning to end, Song Jiyun leaned closer to Zisu and whispered, "That Jiang Shi didn't seem afraid at all. Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"
Zisu said, "There's no mistake. When I was little, I helped the steward sift pearls. I've seen all kinds, big and small."
"The craftsmanship of those fake pearls is indeed superb; they are all made from flawed pearls. The difference in feel between the two is not easily noticeable to the average person, but those who frequently deal with precious stones can definitely tell the difference."
Song Jiyun snorted, "She dares to ask me to embroider with her? Doesn't she know who she is!"
"That's fine, they've shot themselves in the foot, so we won't have to do anything about it."
The proprietress of Yubaolou arrived very quickly.
The Zhou family were frequent visitors to Baolou, with the eldest daughter, Zhou Wanyan, and Lady Zhao, the Duchess, being regulars. The current third daughter, Zhou Wanqing, and the young ladies of the Song family also often joined them.
During festivals and holidays, Zhao would also send the shopkeeper's wife to the mansion to buy one or two pieces of jewelry for the women.
"Madam shopkeeper, please take a look. Are the pearls on this embroidery from your shop?"
The shopkeeper's wife took the embroidery and was immediately captivated by the exquisitely crafted auspicious beast!
What a beautiful auspicious beast carrying a pearl!
Song Jiyun reminded her, "Madam, please look carefully."
"Please rest assured, Miss, nothing that leaves my hands will be of good quality."
The shopkeeper's wife held the embroidery, her gaze falling on the pearls.
Her gaze froze.
"Huh?"
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