Chapter 9: Formal confrontation with the princess
"It tastes good." Shen Yanzhi put down the jade plate, his voice expressing no emotion.
He did not stay for long, but just looked at Song Qingyuan deeply. The look in his eyes was complicated and difficult to understand, as if he was exploring, but also as if he was looking at something else.
Then he turned around and walked into the inner room without saying a word.
Song Qingyuan's heart skipped a beat, and the fingers hanging by his side curled slightly, but in the end he said nothing and silently packed up the things on the stone table.
The night wind blew, the candlelight swayed, stretching the shadows of the two people longer and shorter, and finally, at the moment the door closed, they completely merged into one.
That night, the lights in Song Qingyuan's courtyard were not turned off for a long time.
The next morning, just as the sky was getting light, there was a noisy sound of footsteps outside the yard.
Song Qingyuan had just dressed the two children when the maid Baizhi ran in in a panic, her face pale.
"Master, something bad has happened. The princess... the princess is coming!"
Before he finished speaking, Cui Jingyue had already brought Nanny Cui and a group of maids and servants into the quiet courtyard.
Today she was wearing a pomegranate red jacket with a gold-threaded phoenix pattern, with delicate makeup and swaying phoenix hairpins. She looked imposing, as if she was not here to visit, but to bring charges.
Song Qingyuan protected her two children behind her, took a step forward, bowed, and said in a steady voice: "I pay my respects to the princess."
Cui Jingyue didn't let her get up. She looked her up and down with sharp eyes, and finally her eyes fell on that plain but stunning face, and the coldness in her eyes became even stronger.
She didn't say anything, but walked straight to the stone bench in the yard and sat down, as if this was her home.
Nanny Cui immediately stepped forward and laid a thick cushion behind her.
"Sister Song is quite arrogant." Cui Jingyue picked up the tea served by the maid and gently skimmed the foam with the cup lid without raising her eyelids. "The prince stayed at your place last night, and this morning he didn't even bother to come to my Yixuan Courtyard to pay his respects and establish some rules?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the air in the yard seemed to freeze.
All the servants held their breath. Even the two innocent children sensed that something was wrong in the atmosphere and clung tightly to the corners of Song Qingyuan's clothes.
This is a clear show of force.
According to the rules, on the second day after a concubine was favored, she should go to the main wife to offer tea and wait for orders. But Song Qingyuan was no novice and had already gone there on the second day of her conquest five years ago.
Song Qingyuan still maintained her posture of greeting, and spoke in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Princess, it's not that I don't know the rules, it's just..."
She paused, a hint of just the right amount of embarrassment in her voice. "It's just that the prince told me last night that he likes quietness and is concerned about the children's youth. He told me that from now on I don't have to stick to the formalities of morning and evening visits. Taking good care of the young master and young lady is the greatest filial piety I can show him."
She cleverly brought up Shen Yanzhi, explaining why she didn't go to pay her respects and hinting at the prince's importance to her and the children.
Cui Jingyue's hand that was skimming the tea foam suddenly stopped, and the lid of the cup hit the rim, making a sharp sound.
She raised her eyes and stared at Song Qingyuan, as if she wanted to find any signs of lying on her face.
But Song Qingyuan looked calm and his eyes were clear, without any evasion.
Cui Jingyue's heart was boiling with anger.
She didn't expect that this seemingly docile woman would dare to use the prince to pressure her!
"What a 'no need to be bound by empty formalities'!" Cui Jingyue sneered, slamming her teacup down on the stone table. "Sister, you've just gained some face, and you've already forgotten who sets the rules of this palace?"
"The rules of the palace are naturally set by the princess." Song Qingyuan continued speaking, then changed the subject, his voice becoming softer.
"But I dare not disobey the prince's orders. If I cause the princess to be unhappy, please punish me. However, it is a small matter for me to be punished alone. If I go against the prince's wishes, I am afraid..."
She didn't say anything else, but the meaning of her words was clear.
Punishing her would be like slapping the prince in the face.
Cui Jingyue was so angry that her chest heaved and her nails dug deep into her palms.
The beating and discipline she had carefully prepared were easily resolved by the other party.
She looked at Song Qingyuan's weak and harmless face and felt threatened for the first time.
"Okay, okay, Song, I wonder how long you can remain so arrogant."
Cui Jingyue waved her sleeves and left, her back resolute, leaving behind only a few cold words.
"All expenses for Hibiscus Garden will be halved."
Before she finished her words, she had already walked away, as if staying a moment longer would dirty her shoes.
Nanny Cui followed behind, moving her lips but ultimately not daring to make a sound.
She wanted to remind the princess that the owner of Hibiscus Garden was wealthy enough to rival a nation, so how could he possibly be short of such expenses? Acting this way was nothing more than putting her reputation on the cold bench and bringing humiliation upon herself.
But when I think of the princess's weird behavior these past two days, it's like she has become a different person, she won't listen to anything, and whoever tries to persuade her will be in trouble.
Nanny Cui tactfully swallowed back what she had to say, hoping only that she would not be covered in blood.
In Hibiscus Garden, Zi Su watched the princess and her entourage disappear outside the Moon Gate, then she breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look for her young lady.
When I turned around, I saw that the young lady had sat on the swing under the old locust tree in the corner of the yard, swinging back and forth leisurely and comfortably.
"Miss! When did you go over there?" Zi Su trotted over, her skirt lifted, her tone filled with a hint of fear. "The princess looked like she was going to eat someone just now."
Xie Fuyin on the swing was not afraid when he heard this. Instead, he chuckled and tapped the ground with his toes, causing the swing to swing higher.
"Zi Su, tell me, did the princess bump into something unclean?"
This question left Zi Su stunned.
But if you think about it carefully, it does seem to be the case.
No one could understand why the princess, who had always been busy worshipping Buddha and chanting scriptures and not caring about anything else, suddenly went crazy.
First, he cut the monthly wages of all the servants in the mansion without any warning, causing everyone to complain.
Immediately afterwards, the greetings that took place every four days were changed to once a day.
This has really stirred up a hornet's nest.
In Changchun Courtyard, the moment Concubine Bai heard the news, she smashed her favorite set of enamel tea set to pieces.
"That bitch Cui Jingyue! What's wrong with her?"
The broken porcelain pieces scattered all over the floor frightened all the maids and servants in the room so much that they knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe.
Concubine Bai's chest heaved with rage, her well-maintained face brimming with fury. "Paying respects every day? Who does she think she is? She wants to make a fool of me and show off her power? She's dreaming!"
Everyone in the palace knew that the prince favored Concubine Bai alone, and even Princess Cui Jingyue had to give her some respect.
Now Cui Jingyue is so bold that she dares to touch her tiger's whiskers!
The entire palace was in turmoil and panic because of Cui Jingyue's sudden and iron-fisted approach.
Only the Hibiscus Garden, at the center of the storm, remains peaceful.
Zi Su was extremely anxious: "Miss, it's spread all over the mansion. They say that the princess is trying to scare the tigers by cutting expenses. In fact, it's targeting you!"
Xie Fuyin finally stopped the swing. She jumped down from a high place, and her skirt spun into a beautiful arc.
She brushed off the non-existent dust on her hands and looked towards the distant sky. Her eyes were filled with a clarity and understanding that was inconsistent with her age.
"Come at me?"
She suddenly smiled, and there was no nervousness in that smile, but rather a bit of anticipation for a good show.
"That's great! I was just worried that my life was too boring."
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