The next day, Jiang Wan first went to the Empress's palace to pay her respects.
The Empress was very pleased to see her.
After the Donglai incident subsided, many women came to the palace to pay their respects and express their gratitude to the Empress for her protection. The Empress did not hide anything and frankly said that it was all Jiang Wan's idea. She also praised Jiang Wan for her intelligence and decisiveness in front of everyone.
The women had an even better impression of Jiang Wan and said they absolutely had to visit her home to express their gratitude.
"These days you should prepare, the tea banquets and gatherings will be coming your way soon," the Empress said. "I know you are a quiet person, but it's never a bad thing to have more social interactions. It's better to make friends and go out than to stay cooped up at home."
Jiang Wan knew that the Empress was worried that she was upset because of Song Ziyu's imprisonment.
But she was in a very good mood. The Song family had suffered a disaster, and she felt extremely happy.
Jiang Wan smiled gently, acknowledging her kindness.
Looking up, she noticed a new spring landscape painting on the wall of the hall. She examined it closely and wondered, "Is this Miss Guo's calligraphy?"
"Indeed." The Empress nodded. "Miss Guo's calligraphy and painting were personally taught by Grand Secretary Guo. She is one of the best among the noble ladies in the capital, and even His Majesty has praised her."
Jiang Wan smiled.
It seems that Emperor Jingyuan and the Empress are very satisfied with Guo Wanqiu. Perhaps soon, an imperial edict will be issued to establish her as the Crown Princess.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Good news is on your mind."
"Last time you were worried about His Highness's opposition to the marriage, but now it's all over. On the day of the wedding, I will definitely prepare a generous gift for His Highness."
The Empress raised her hand to pour her tea, but the smile on her lips was somewhat stiff.
She and Emperor Jingyuan thought Guo Wanqiu was a good match, but the problem was Pei Xuan, who had absolutely no interest in the marriage.
She brought it up many times, but Pei Xuan never took it to heart. He would always make an excuse to slip away after saying a few words. These past two days, he's been urging her to come to the palace, and she doesn't know what he's busy with.
The Empress wanted to complain to Jiang Wan, but then she thought that there were more troubles in the General's Mansion these days, so she decided not to talk about these unhappy things in front of Jiang Wan.
So she smiled back.
"Okay, it's a deal then."
He added, "Speaking of which, it's Grand Secretary Guo's birthday in a few days. His family is going to hold a banquet. I heard from Miss Guo the other day that they were planning to send you an invitation. You should go and join in the fun."
"Wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to attend the banquet? With such a thing happening at the General's Mansion, and the General and the Princess both imprisoned, people might find it unlucky," Jiang Wan said.
"What are you saying?" the Empress said displeasedly. "You are a second-rank noblewoman personally appointed by me. Who would dare to say anything? I heard that the Guo family has a peony garden, which the Grand Secretary specially hired skilled craftsmen to manage. It is very beautiful. Tang'er will accompany you then. You don't need to be afraid of anything. Just treat it as a trip to enjoy the flowers and relax..."
Jiang Wan responded and lowered her eyes.
She had absolutely no interest in these banquets.
Guo Wanqiu probably sent her the invitation because she saw how kind the Empress treated her and wanted to curry favor with her.
"What peony garden? I've never heard of it."
A male voice suddenly came from outside the hall.
The newcomer had black hair and wore a jade crown. He was tall and upright, with a handsome face like that of an immortal. It was Pei Xuan.
"Your son has come to pay his respects to His Majesty."
Upon seeing the newcomer, the Empress immediately put on a stern face and said, "You haven't been seen for days. Do you still remember your mother?"
Pei Xuan smiled ingratiatingly: "I specially brought Mother's favorite crispy abalone. Mother should eat it first so that she will have the strength to scold me."
The Empress chuckled at his words and then turned to Jiang Wan, saying, "Wan, the Imperial Kitchen has made some new desserts that taste delicious. You should try them too."
Jiang Wan nodded obediently, took the silver spoon, scooped out a small spoonful of abalone and put it in her mouth, secretly observing Pei Xuan's expression.
Was he the one who orchestrated the Tiger Tally incident?
Did he realize that the unusual occurrence of the tiger tally that day was related to him?
Judging from his calm and collected demeanor, there was really no clue to be found.
The Empress, unaware of her thoughts, continued talking about Grand Secretary Guo's birthday banquet and mentioned the peony garden again: "Grand Secretary Guo loves flowers. Everyone says that the peonies in his residence are the most beautiful in the capital. This year, they have even cultivated green-flowered plants, which is quite novel."
Pei Xuan said, "If Mother is curious, I will go and pick a few for you so you can see something new."
The Empress looked at him in surprise: "Last time you refused to attend the banquet at the Grand Secretary's residence, why did you agree to do so today?"
Pei Xuan did not answer, but instead stirred the pale yellow abalone with a silver spoon.
The cheese in the dish was slippery and got on his fair fingers. Pei Xuan calmly took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped it off.
Jiang Wan paused slightly upon seeing the handkerchief.
The handkerchief is a deep blue-green, a color favored by both noblemen and ladies, and it is very elegant.
To her surprise, the embroidered bamboo sections on the piece were double-sided embroidery. She had specifically learned this stitching technique from the Shang family and was certain she wouldn't mistake it for something else.
The handkerchief she embroidered was extremely similar to the one Pei Xuan held.
Pei Xuan didn't notice her surprised gaze. He picked up a handkerchief and gently wiped the corner of his lips before putting it back in his sleeve. His movements were fluid and natural.
Jiang Wan frowned, realizing she had been overthinking things.
After having dessert and chatting for a while, Jiang Wan said goodbye, and Pei Xuan got up to see her off.
The two walked together on the long street in the palace.
Jiang Wan, wanting to test the waters, said, "Your Highness said that His Highness has been away from the palace most of the time recently. I wonder what he's been busy with. His Majesty assigned you a mission to Hanshan Temple. The round trip should only take a day, so it should be over by now, right?"
"Sending the tiger tally is not difficult, but I have recently become interested in jade, which took me some time."
"jade?"
"Indeed, only after studying it did I realize that some jade stones, though seemingly simple, are actually quite mysterious."
Pei Xuan held a folding fan in his hand, his dark eyes reflecting an ambiguous smile.
"For example, red marrow jade."
Jiang Wan suddenly looked up, her heart immediately on high alert: "Your Highness knows?"
Pei Xuan turned his head and glanced at her with amusement: "What is Madam Jiang saying? I don't understand."
“…”
Jiang Wan frowned.
Pei Xuan was extremely shrewd and cold-hearted. Although he was occasionally unpredictable, he rarely said such ambiguous things.
The tone he was using now sounded like he was... teasing her.
"No matter what, thank you, Your Highness."
Jiang Wan was almost certain that he already knew she had tampered with the tiger tally.
This was undoubtedly a capital offense, and Pei Xuan's failure to expose it meant he kept her secret.
She thought for a moment, then took out Zhou's letter from her sleeve, which should contain a lot of dirt on Pei Jin.
"This is for you."
"Want to repay a favor?" Pei Xuan glanced at the letter, seemingly uninterested, and pushed it back.
He chuckled softly.
"How about something else?"
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