Jiang Yuwei poured a cup of spiritual spring water for the princess and handed it to her.
"What did the young master do to upset you? Tell me."
The princess glared at Ning Zixuan, who was sitting at the table, and said:
"He's such a good-for-nothing. Our Prince's Mansion and the Minister's Mansion have been dragging on their engagement for so long, and he doesn't even take the initiative to go to the Minister's Mansion's daughter. Yesterday, they even sent someone to deliver an invitation, and he refused it."
The princess took a sip of water and continued:
"He's never been one to give me any peace of mind. Humph, let me tell you, you better get the marriage settled as soon as possible, or people outside will start gossiping about our Prince's Mansion."
The princess put down her teacup and sighed.
"You ran away from the wedding because of this, and the news has spread. Now that you're back, let's get the wedding done as soon as possible so I can have some peace of mind."
As Jiang Yuwei helped the princess lie down, she lifted the princess's sleeve to insert acupuncture needles.
"Your Highness, are you referring to Li Huarong, the young lady from the Minister's mansion?"
The princess nodded weakly.
"I think the Crown Prince was right to elope."
Jiang Yuwei said with a smile while giving the injection.
Upon hearing this, the princess's eyes widened, and she looked at Jiang Yuwei, saying:
"Yuwei, this is a big deal. You can't spoil him. How come it's considered right for him to elope now?"
Jiang Yuwei smiled and put down the silver needles in her hand.
"I believe that if you're going to get married, putting aside social status, you should choose someone you like. After all, it's a lifelong commitment. If you marry someone you don't like, wouldn't that be wasting each other's lives?"
After Jiang Yuwei finished speaking, Ning Zixuan turned his head and gave her a deep look at her back before saying in a deep voice:
"It's a pity that I can't have the one I like, so I might as well just find someone to settle for."
The princess glared at Ning Zixuan, then looked at Jiang Yuwei.
"Hey, Yuwei, you have no idea how many girls I've set up for Zixuan, but not one of them has caught his eye."
The princess paused for a moment and then continued:
"This Li Huarong was also carefully selected by me. She comes from a similar family background, is not too flashy, is quite pleasing to the eye, and seems to be a good person."
Jiang Yuwei couldn't help but scoff at these words.
“Your Highness, I have met Li Huarong a few times, but from these few encounters, I feel that this woman is extraordinary. If we were to marry her, I fear it would cause unrest in the household.”
The princess stared in astonishment, her eyes widening.
"How could that be? I think this girl is quite sensible, and her behavior is impeccable."
As Jiang Yuwei massaged the princess's shoulders, she smiled and said:
“You are in a superior position, so her behavior in front of you is naturally different from her behavior in front of us. There’s a saying that goes, ‘Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see clearly.’ You are currently in that position, and you’ve been deceived by her appearance.”
The princess took Jiang Yuwei's hand and said slowly:
"Yuwei, is everything you said true?"
Jiang Yuwei nodded.
"Of course it's true. If you don't believe me, you can host another banquet for her yourself later. Then you can observe from the shadows how she interacts with us and you'll know."
Upon hearing this, the princess glanced at Ning Zixuan, who seemed completely indifferent, before speaking:
“Alright, do as Yuwei says. Tomorrow I will personally invite her to my residence. Zixuan, you stay here tomorrow and don’t go anywhere. I want to see what kind of person this Li Huarong really is.”
Jiang Yuwei glanced at Ning Zixuan, then turned to the Princess and said:
“Alright, then I will send someone to the Minister’s residence today to deliver an invitation, saying that the young master was unable to attend the last time due to other matters, and this time he has specially invited her to the residence for a chat. She will definitely come.”
As she spoke, Jiang Yuwei stood up and said to Ning Zixuan:
"I'll go down and make arrangements with the kitchen first. Your Highness, you can stay and chat with the Princess for a while longer."
Jiang Yuwei walked to the door and instructed Wang Ma again:
"Wang Ma, remove the needles from the Princess in half an hour. Tell Ning Wan to return to our courtyard as soon as possible so as not to disturb the Princess's rest."
Wang Ma nodded in agreement and saw Jiang Yuwei out.
Jiang Yuwei first went to the kitchen and found the new head housekeeper, instructing her:
"The manor will be hosting a banquet for distinguished guests tomorrow. Prepare the dishes according to this menu. One meal is sufficient for lunch. For dinner, just prepare the dishes according to the normal menu of the Prince's Mansion."
The old woman took the menu and glanced at it.
"Alright, Madam Jiang, the guests won't be staying for dinner, will they? Should our kitchen prepare some extra food?"
Jiang Yuwei waved her hand and said:
"No need, they might leave before they've even finished lunch."
Although the old woman was somewhat confused, she nodded and left. Jiang Yuwei then called over a maid and ordered her to deliver an invitation to the Minister's residence. She also instructed Xia Yue to go to each courtyard to inform everyone that there were guests in the mansion and that everyone should go to the front hall for dinner.
Jiang Yuwei thought it would be better to have more witnesses to this matter, as it would save trouble. If things went smoothly, the princess might break off the engagement with Ning Zixuan on the spot.
Jiang Yuwei didn't want to meddle in other people's business, but Li Huarong had offended her. Besides, Ning Zixuan had treated her family well; after all, he was her brother-in-law.
If I knew what kind of person Li Huarong was and didn't lend a helping hand to Ning Zixuan, I would definitely have trouble sleeping and eating in the future.
The next day,
Jiang Yuwei had dressed and groomed herself early, and then, accompanied by Ning Wan, went to Diancui Courtyard to summon the Princess and Ning Zixuan. Together they went to the front hall. For this banquet, Jiang Yuwei had specially prepared a large screen, and asked the Princess and Ning Zixuan to wait behind it first.
"Your Highness, please bear with this hardship today. Sit behind this screen with the Prince and wait. You might just witness a good show and see the true colors of those people."
After hearing Jiang Yuwei's words, the princess exchanged a glance with Ning Zixuan and smiled:
"It's alright, we'll just sit in the back for a while. I want to see what kind of two-faced person this Miss Li really is."
Ning Zixuan lifted his foot and walked behind the screen, muttering something under his breath.
"Thank you, sister-in-law, for taking such good care of me."
Jiang Yuwei chuckled.
"It's alright, it's my honor to be able to help the young master."
The princess patted Jiang Yuwei's hand, gave her an approving look, and then turned and followed Ning Zixuan behind the screen.
Soon, Madam Sun helped Xu Qianqian inside.
"Oh, Madam Jiang, you've arrived quite early. What's wrong? Can't you get a good meal in your own courtyard? Now that you've heard the manor is hosting a banquet, you've come early to wait for the feast to begin?"
Jiang Yuwei smiled faintly.
"Aunt Xu is pregnant now, so please don't speak so harshly. If this gets out, won't people say that the Prince Jing's mansion is mistreating its guests?"
Jiang Yuwei glanced at Madam Sun, then looked at Xu Qianqian.
"These accusations all came from Aunt Xu's mouth. Even if they're not true, others will think they are. In that case, the Prince Jing's mansion won't be able to explain themselves."
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