Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 158 I Go My Own Way
Zhu Ying, who usually disliked attending any banquets or parties, unexpectedly went to various houses for two or three days in a row, taking the invitations that were just sent to the Duke of Zhao's mansion as a courtesy, and went to various appointments. In the afternoon, she went to the Zhu family's shops to check the accounts. This abnormal phenomenon spread in the circle of noble ladies and celebrities in the capital, and naturally caused quite a stir.
Considering that Lady Zhao, who had always lived in seclusion in the temple, had returned home, some people could not help but speculate that it was because Duke Zhao had lost the war that the Zhu family contacted people and counted the accounts. Some ladies who had always envied and hated this young lady said some unpleasant things behind her back.
However, it would have been fine if Zhu Ying didn't hear those gossips, but the always aloof Miss Zhao Er, the daughter of the Minister of War, couldn't help but make two sarcastic remarks to Zhu Ying in person at a tea party. This was a big deal, as Zhu Ying directly used Lu Sanlang's original words to scold her brother Zhao Ying, "If you are stupid, don't make excuses", and retorted, which directly angered him and he covered his face and left.
After Miss Zhao Er's lesson, those ladies who had some ideas at first immediately stopped. This young lady came to the palace as if she were home, and was even more casual in front of the emperor and the empress dowager than the princess. Even if she suddenly went around making appointments for some unknown reason, most people would just stay away from her. It was not worthwhile to be ridiculed instead of hurting others!
So, on this day, when Zhu Ying attended the birthday of the emperor's sister, Princess Qingning, as usual, even those ladies who disliked her arrogance and willfulness the most would at most stay away and gossip about her in secret. But in front of her, they all smiled and dared not show any strange emotions.
Princess Qingning, who had watched Zhu Ying grow up, smiled and said "no thanks" when someone came to her and was about to bow, and called her to sit next to her.
Zhu Ying walked up to her cousin and sat down next to her. She said that her grandmother was too weak to move, and her mother was waiting on her so she couldn't go out. Princess Qingning gave her a sidelong look in reproach: "You're always looking for excuses. Your mother is finally back, but you don't even take her out for a walk. She's been in that quiet place for so many years, it's time for her to get some exercise!"
Zhu Ying directly snatched the knife from the maid beside her and skillfully peeled a crystal pear for Princess Qingning, saying, "Mother said that she hasn't served grandma for many years, and now she wants to show her filial piety, so I am the only one who can show filial piety to Third Aunt."
Princess Qingning was immediately amused by Zhu Ying: "Oh, Yingying, you are getting married soon after all. You were not so obedient before!"
"Third aunt, it's not that I was unfilial in the past, but you don't celebrate your birthday every day!" Zhu Ying said as she stuffed a slice of peeled pear into Princess Qingning's mouth. Then she looked around and asked with a smile, "Hey, where's Princess Yongping?"
Although the crystal pear was moist and sweet, Princess Qingning still felt that Zhu Ying's mouth was truly sweet. She couldn't help but reach out and pinch Zhu Ying's delicate cheek, her face full of doting: "Don't you and Yongping always make sarcastic remarks to each other when you see each other? Today, the sun is rising from the west, and you're actually thinking about her?"
"No one quarreled with me, I just missed her!" Zhu Ying glanced at the ladies around her who were trying their best to show elegance and grace, and then chuckled, "A few days ago, someone claimed to be a talented woman and ridiculed me for being unskilled. As a result, I asked her in return whether she could write eight-part essays, and she immediately became mute. If it was Princess Yongping, she would be able to write eight or ten essays at will."
This remark not only satirized some short-sighted daughters of wealthy families, but also mocked Princess Yongping's literary gathering at Yuehua Tower. Naturally, no one dared to respond for a moment.
Princess Qingning had always liked Zhu Ying's lively temper, even more than the always arrogant Princess Yongping, so she was not annoyed at the moment: "Who is like you? You are spoiled by your grandmother and parents at home, and you have a fiancé who tolerates you. You must learn some talents to survive. You, pick a good day and bring Zhang Shou to me."
Zhu Ying was not like other girls who were shy when hearing this. Instead, she said openly, "That depends on his rest. He is now in charge of Banshan Hall and Jiuzhang Hall in the Imperial College. He has to give lectures in the morning and afternoon. I don't even see him. The emperor really knows that he is capable and should do more work, so he has put so much pressure on him!"
Hearing this, most of the ladies were unhappy. Although each family had sons who held official positions far higher than Zhang Shou, Zhang Shou's current position was extremely noble - how many sons of noble officials were still working for Banshan Hall ! As for Jiuzhang Hall, most people didn't take it seriously.
Princess Qingning couldn't help but laugh when she heard Zhu Ying's words, which were in the name of complaining but were actually boasting. She was just thirty this year. When her father passed away, she was still a four-year-old child. Although the empress dowager was her biological mother, she was in charge of the government and had to take care of the emperor, her most important son, so she didn't pay much attention to her. Therefore, her temperament was a bit wild since she was a child.
When she reached the age of marriage, she did not passively wait for others to choose a husband, but went to persuade the emperor and finally let this supreme brother come forward. She hid behind to look at the appearance, character and personality, and finally chose a husband who suited her heart. Because of this, the queen mother was angry with her for being too rude and hardly spoke to her for three years.
The reason was, of course, very simple. Her husband was neither the son of a noble family nor a scholarly family, but an ordinary juren. Later, her husband did not even take the jinshi exam, and immersed himself in epigraphy. She also liked to accompany him to study those stone inscriptions. When others laughed at her husband for not striving for progress, she would also be proud and ironic.
With such a nerdy prince consort, she was naturally very curious about Zhu Ying's fiancé, Zhang Shou, who was said to have a first-class talent in mathematics. She was even more curious about how her brother, who had always been very restrained in granting official titles and making wishes, could so easily give Zhang Shou a noble official position of a doctor of the Imperial College.
Therefore, seeing Zhu Ying so proud, Princess Qingning suddenly picked up a grape and stuffed it into her mouth: "Empty words don't count, bring the person to me next time!" After stopping Zhu Ying from speaking, she ordered, "Pass the message down, start the banquet and the show!"
Zhu Ying begged for mercy and acted like a spoiled child, and finally stepped down from the chair held by Princess Qingning, but sat at the first seat on the right. As for the first three seats on the left, the first seat was vacant, and the last two seats were occupied by two princesses she was also familiar with. Obviously, the one who came late was Princess Yongping. Thinking of how she had provoked Princess Yongping that day, she couldn't help but wonder.
After three rounds of drinking, the princess finally arrived. After apologizing, she took the initiative to drink three cups as punishment. Princess Qingning was not a fussy person, so she asked people to sit down. However, Zhu Ying got up from her seat, playing with her wine cup, and unceremoniously ordered someone to move a chair and sat down next to Princess Yongping.
Seeing this scene, the opera on the stage was still being sung as usual, but most of the invited ladies kept their mouths shut, glancing at Princess Yongping's table, and their ears all pricked up.
However, at this time, Princess Qingning slammed the table and said, "There are so many people here today. What's the fun of just watching the performances below? Except Yingying, all the other girls should think of a poem that suits the occasion. I've told you not to flatter me. It doesn't matter if it's good or not. What I want is your kindness! Come on, stop the performance first, and beat the drum to count the time!"
Zhu Ying was stunned when she saw the crowd of ladies and young ladies. She no longer paid attention to herself. She put her hands together and bowed to Princess Qingning in the center to thank her for helping her distract the attention of so many ladies and young ladies. Seeing that the loyal maid behind Princess Yongping was also moved away by the maid beside Princess Qingning, she smiled at Princess Yongping.
Princess Yongping was so angry at Zhu Ying's arrogant behavior that she asked, "What do you want to do now?"
"What do you think?" Zhu Ying gently shook her wrist, and the amber wine in the glass looked unusually beautiful. "If you don't want to talk to me here, maybe my hand will shake and stain your beautiful new dress, and we'll have to go to Third Aunt's room to talk in private!"
Princess Yongping was good at cultivating her Qi, so she adjusted her mindset in a moment and said stiffly, "I know what you want to ask. The assassin you mentioned earlier was beaten to death by someone close to your ideal husband a few days ago. He was almost half dead. I tried my best to pry the information out of him. It was the Queen who ordered him to do it, saying that he wanted to scare you. But I just asked him, and he died the next day."
At this point, she looked at Zhu Ying coldly, her eyes full of anger: "Do you know that in this way, this basin of dirty water has been poured on you! I am not silencing you, but I am also silencing you!"
Although the conversation between the two was full of fire, because the conversation was in a low voice and the drum sound was used to cover it, only the two of them could hear it. At this moment, Zhu Ying ignored Princess Yongping's anger and said with a smile: "As long as Ah Shou and I think you are not silencing her, as long as the emperor and the queen mother think you are not silencing her, that's enough. Who are others?"
This other person swept the queen and the eldest and second princes in together. Princess Yongping was horrified, but after thinking about it carefully, she had to admit that she, the daughter of Concubine Yu, was not very popular with the queen, so why should she care about her?
She was silent for a moment, and finally asked in a low voice: "What are you going to do?"
"If others want to scare me and Shou, then of course I want to scare them too!" Zhu Ying sneered, but she grabbed Princess Yongping's wrist as if she were a close friend, and moved the wine glass in her hand closer, "How about it, are you interested in acting like you left because I splashed your skirt with dirt? With a talented woman like you here, no one can show their talents. Everyone will be happy if you leave!"
Although she knew that Zhu Ying wanted to avoid outsiders thinking that the two of them were in collusion, Princess Yongping was still embarrassed and annoyed, and immediately said angrily: "Stop talking nonsense, tell me what you want to do?"
When Princess Yongping heard the few words Zhu Ying whispered in her ear, she was shocked, and then she saw Zhu Ying pour a glass of wine directly on her skirt. Then, she saw the beautiful young lady of the Duke of Zhao winking at her.
"Oops, I'm so sorry, my hand accidentally slipped!"
