Chapter 109 A Generous Gift
Master Fu was determined to discuss "One Hundred and Eight Ways for Couples to Get Along" with Tang Ying, but Tang Ying was too thick-skinned and started by poking at Master Fu's sore spot: "I want to sell this secret book to people who are about to get married, and I can make a lot of money. Master, you are a bachelor and you don't even have a wife, why are you asking?"
Master Fu's face immediately turned green - Isn't it all your fault that I don't have a wife? !
Tang Ying saw that he looked unhappy, fearing that Master Fu would suddenly attack her, so she quickly and tactfully said, "Don't be angry, Master. I heard that His Majesty is going to select concubines for the princes. At that time, all the famous ladies in the capital will enter the palace to participate in the selection. I have many opportunities to walk around in the harem, and I will definitely find a virtuous and beautiful lady for you!"
Master Fu was so angry that he wanted to hit someone. He replied sternly, "Master Tang, you should worry about yourself first. You don't need to worry about my affairs!"
Tang Ying was the best at taking advantage of opportunities, and she responded faster than anyone else: "Okay, then I'd like to thank Lord Fu for the reminder." She turned around and was about to leave the palace.
Fu Chen followed her and saw her hurried steps, so he couldn't help but ask: "Master Tang, are you in such a hurry to leave the palace? Is there something wrong?"
Tang Ying said mysteriously, "I have prepared a generous gift for the Grand Princess. The time has come and I plan to go to her house to give it to her."
Fu Chen: "Don't mess around."
As soon as Tang Ying came out of the palace, a servant brought her a horse. The horse she was riding today was Fu Yingjun. She climbed onto the horse, touched Fu Yingjun's big head and teased Fu Chen: "Yingjun, look at how timid your master is." Then she rode the horse away.
Fu Chen was so angry that he fell backwards, thinking: I used to be so decisive, but now I have become worried about gains and losses when I meet a scoundrel like you, and I am worried about you. But his love was misplaced, and he could only blame himself for his bad luck when he met such an unromantic person. He also had to think about the generous gift that Tang Ying prepared for the eldest princess, and she had never leaked any news before.
This girl's mouth is like a clam. She refuses to utter a word she doesn't want to say.
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Tang Ying rode her horse and trotted all the way back to the Tang Mansion, just in time to meet Zhang Qing who was riding a horse, followed by an inconspicuous mule cart. The driver was Baozi, and the boy sitting on the shaft on the other side was Guzi. The two brothers changed into servants' clothes, and although they had to sleep in the open air, they had grown taller and become much stronger because they had never been hungry again.
"Brother, it's done."
Zhang Qing smiled and said, "Fortunately, I have fulfilled my mission. Everything went smoothly."
Baozi and Guzi jumped off the carriage and knelt before Tang Ying: "Little ones greet the princess." Tang Ying held them back halfway: "Hey, hey, what are you two doing? You don't have to be like this to my second brother. We are still good brothers."
Baozi was originally a slick beggar in the city. They met by chance. Since then, he thought that he could be a runner and make a living. He never thought that he could be on equal footing with Tang Ying. In addition, Tang Ying was now a princess granted by the emperor. He stuttered when he spoke: "Little man... little man..." Tang Ying slapped him on the back: "When did you become a sissy?"
Gu Zi wanted to laugh but didn't dare to, his face turned red. Tang Ying rubbed his head, and his eyes were shining with excitement.
Tang Ying smiled and lifted the curtain, looking out. She was very satisfied and told the Baozi brothers, "Go to the mansion and rest for two days, and then listen to my arrangements later."
She climbed back on the horse and raised her eyebrows to Zhang Qing, "Please forgive me being the driver. We will go and give the gift now."
The gatekeeper heard the noise, ran out and led the Baozi brothers in.
In the Grand Princess's residence, a servant came to report that Princess Changning was visiting. She suddenly sat up from the couch, feeling a little dizzy from the suddenness of her sitting up. She hurriedly held onto the couch's armrest and asked, "What is she doing here?"
The servant did not dare to speculate and replied carefully: "Princess Changning drove a carriage and said...said she was sending a generous gift to the master."
Tang Ying gave the Grand Princess a generous gift?
I wouldn’t believe it even if you beat Yuan Heng to death!
She snorted coldly and ordered Yunniang, "Please help me dress up and see what this slave girl does next." She then ordered the servants, "Take her to the flower hall and wait."
Tang Ying had fought with the Grand Princess several times, but this was her first time stepping into the Grand Princess's mansion. Fu Yingjun and the carriage were left by her at the gate, and she followed the guard into the mansion alone, as if she was strolling in the garden, pointing at the scenery along the way. People who didn't know her would think she had come to a family friend's house for a banquet and had the leisure to enjoy the scenery.
She was led into the flower hall, where she sat with her legs crossed, and even started chatting with the maid from the Grand Princess's mansion: "Sister, how is the Grand Princess these days? I've always been concerned about her health, but I've been too busy with official duties to come over."
The maid was the Grand Princess's personal attendant. After serving tea, she stood by her side, also to keep an eye on her to prevent her from doing anything weird. She thought to herself: If you hadn't come, the master would be in better health.
She didn't want to say more, so she said, "Thank you, Princess Changning, for your concern. Everything is fine with the master."
Tang Ying: "It's good that the eldest princess is in good health. Otherwise, I'm afraid she will be in bad shape after today."
The maid glared at him and said, "Princess Changning, please be careful with your words." This person was obviously here to cause trouble.
Tang Ying: "I am telling the truth. You are a little girl and don't understand. You will know it later."
Maid: “…” I really want to beat this guy out with a broom, but what should I do?
The eldest princess dressed up and looked a little more energetic. She came over with the support of Yunniang. There was a storm in her eyes and her tone was calm: "Master Tang, are you here for something?"
Tang Ying asked with concern, "I wonder if Your Highness is doing well recently?" She also pretended to sigh, "Your Highness, I don't know. Originally, I wanted to attend Prince Huan's funeral, but there were many things going on in the uterus at that time. I was on duty in the East Palace and could not spare time to come and pay my respects. I hope Your Highness will forgive me!"
It would have been fine if she didn't mention Huan Yanbo. Once she mentioned Huan Yanbo, it was like cutting out someone's flesh and blood and rubbing salt into the wound. It was simply wicked and outrageous. Not only did Yuan Heng's face turn ashen, and he was staggering, holding his chest, but even Yunniang and the maids in the hall had eyes that were about to spit fire.
"Princess Changning, if you have nothing to do, please come back. Don't make fun of our master." Yunniang calmed the eldest princess down while sending the guests away.
Tang Ying sincerely admitted her mistake: "Oh, Your Highness, you misunderstood! I deeply sympathize with Prince Huan's case, otherwise I would not have come to give the Grand Princess such a generous gift." She seemed to be frightened by the Grand Princess's rage, and muttered in a low voice: "As soon as the cause of Prince Huan's death was found out, I hurried over to tell the Grand Princess, so that she would not be kept in the dark."
Huan Yanbo's death was suspicious, and the second prince also expressed that he would investigate it for the eldest princess. It was said that they sent the aides in the palace to investigate, and it turned out to be a bad debt at the casino. Huan Yanbo lost too much and wanted to deny his debts. A local thug did not know Huan Yanbo's identity and killed him by mistake.
The people in the Second Prince's Mansion watched the local county magistrate execute the criminal, paying back his life with his own, which was also a way to comfort Huan Yanbo's spirit in heaven.
The eldest princess had just finished her son's funeral when she heard that he had died at the hands of such a lowly people. She was so heartbroken that she couldn't sleep all night. She often dreamed of her son crying and shouting in pain with blood all over his face. She has not been in good health for the past few months and has been recuperating in the mansion.
Upon hearing Tang Ying's words, she calmed herself down and finally sat up straight: "Are you so kind?" She thought to herself: Yuan Lang has already found out the cause of Yan'er's death, let's see what kind of story this Tang guy can make up?
It was nothing more than a nuisance to come here to cause trouble, so she straightened her back and didn't want to be laughed at by her enemy.
"Your Highness knows that I was a beggar for a while. Life in the capital was hard, so I went to other places to beg for food with two beggar brothers I knew. Before they knew it, they ended up in Changzi. Your Highness, guess who they met?"
The Grand Princess hated her for being mysterious: "Nonsense!" Who else could it be but Yan'er?
Tang Ying seemed to have heard the eldest princess's thoughts, and clapped her hands and said, "Your Highness guessed it right! My two little brothers went to Changzi to make a living last winter, and they actually met Master Huan of the mansion at the door of the gambling house. Originally , the news of Master Huan's exile had spread throughout the capital, and the storytellers on the street knew about it. They had also seen Master Huan going in and out of various restaurants and hotels. At first, they thought they had recognized the wrong person. They were bored, so the two boys took the initiative to follow Master Huan. Later, they found that they were not mistaken, hey!"
The Grand Princess was so angry that she wanted to hit someone: So this slave girl had sent someone to keep an eye on Yan'er early in the morning?
Her eyes were filled with hatred, almost spitting out blades: "If you have something to say, just say it. There's no need to beat around the bush."
"Your Highness is such a straightforward person. I am not as good as you." Tang Ying simply cut to the chase: "Later, my two brothers discovered that Master Huan had another good brother, and the two were almost inseparable in the casino. One day, Master Huan lost a lot of money, so he lost his girl to someone, and then he was beaten to death in the casino, and his inseparable good brother disappeared that day."
The eldest princess couldn't help but sit up straight - no one in the Second Prince's Mansion had mentioned this, but Yu Rou did mention it before she was beaten to death, saying that the young master had made a new friend, and it was thanks to this friend that he spent every day in the casino.
She hated Yu Rou for her dereliction of duty and for not having seen the murderer who killed Huan Yanbo. She took her son's death out on her and refused to believe her words. When Huan Yanbo's body was brought back to the mansion, she beat Yu Rou to death in front of the coffin to bury her son.
Tang Ying was playing with him, her eyes sparkling, "Your Highness, guess where the new brother that Master Huan got to know so well ended up?"
The eldest princess held the armrests of the rosewood rose chair tightly with her hands, trying to calm her mind: "Isn't he going to be executed?"
Tang Ying chuckled, "Who said this?" She shook her head, "No, no, it was Master Huan's good brother. After Master Huan died in the casino, he hid in Changzi for a while. Later, when the aide surnamed Yu from the Second Prince's Mansion went there, he contacted the aide surnamed Yu, and then took a large sum of money from the aide surnamed Yu and went to another place to hide."
" Nonsense !" The eldest princess was struck by lightning. She thought that what Tang Ying said might be true, but her emotions did not allow her to believe her. "You lied like this just to alienate the relationship between me and the second prince, aunt and nephew?"
Tang Ying seemed to be sighing for her, "Alas, Your Highness, what are you talking about? I don't want to alienate the relationship between you and the Second Prince, but I am a good person. I hate to see you being deceived, Your Highness. So I decided to be a good person to the end and asked my brother to find a way to bring back the good brother that Master Huan just met, and also find Miss Yuqing, who was paid off by Master Huan for gambling debts, and bring them to the capital in one piece. My eldest brother has worn out two pairs of deerskin boots for this matter. He is outside the mansion now. If you don't believe me, why not bring him in to see me?"
