Could it be that Tang Zhuyun has now set her sights on him?
It's either love or die?
Thinking of this, even the Prince of Jin himself laughed.
His IQ must have plummeted because of Tang Zhuyun. If she really was that kind of person, she wouldn't have said it so openly in front of him.
However, the Prince of Jin was almost certain that Tang Zhuyun came from the water.
In this era, there were very few women who could swim, except those living along rivers. Jiangzhou was inland, with no lakes or seas, and the nearest river was over a hundred miles away.
Moreover, Tang Zhuyun knew far too much about the things in the sea.
She told Yanran that pearls are formed when oysters wrap up sand; she also said that corals are actually animals; she could talk about many strange and wonderful fish in the sea, fish that even the Prince of Jin had never heard of... She even said that there was a giant fish that was excellent to eat raw...
Huaishang brought over a basket of frozen fish, shrimp, and sea cucumbers from home, and Tang Zhuyun was extremely excited.
How did they get these to the capital?
"It was frozen in very thick ice and transported to the capital in four or five days; the ice hadn't even melted yet," Huaishang explained. "There's no meat left; these are all that's left."
His mother didn't like these things, so they were left over.
He received 101 taels of silver; he should at least reciprocate.
Tang Zhuyun cooked sea cucumber porridge for Prince of Jin, and used the remaining fish and shrimp to make stewed fish and braised shrimp.
But the people in the courtyard weren't used to eating seafood, so they didn't really like it.
Tang Zhuyun: "Then I won't stand on ceremony!"
She hadn't had these in so long and missed them terribly!
Seeing Tang Zhuyun enjoying her meal, Prince of Jin: "Confirmed +1."
He said calmly, "Should I ask Song Jingyang to find you a jar of wine?"
Tang Zhuyun: "Wine? Thank you, but I don't drink."
She has a low alcohol tolerance. During her first classmate reunion in college, everyone had just escaped the confines of high school and wanted to prove they had grown up, so they ordered beer while having dinner at a hot pot restaurant.
Tang Zhuyun poured herself a glass of wine, drank half a glass, didn't eat any hot pot, and then just threw it away. When she woke up, it was already the next day.
Poor thing, she didn't eat a single thing and still had to split the bill. That half-glass of beer was really expensive!
Prince of Jin, however, wanted to get information out of her, so he said, "I remember there's still some wine in the manor; you must have never tasted it before."
Who do you think you are!
Tang Zhuyun rolled her eyes. "Actually, I've never tasted any of the wines Your Highness could randomly pick."
Who says you have to drink something you haven't tried before? Destroy Versailles!
Xiu'er remarked, "Grapes can be used to make wine? That's quite unusual."
Song Jingyang: "It doesn't taste good, it's sour, and I can't quite describe the strange flavor."
Xiu'er: "Never mind then. You said it doesn't taste good, so how bad must it be?"
The Prince of Jin, whose plan had been foiled. "..."
It seems that getting Tang Zhuyun drunk and expecting her to speak her mind while intoxicated is not an option for now; we'll have to think of another way.
With the Lantern Festival approaching, Tang Zhuyun discussed with Prince of Jin, "You see, you're not here anymore, and the two children can't go out to celebrate. But it only happens once a year... I was thinking, how about we take them to the rooftop to see the festivities? Song Jingyang and Huaishang will be there, so nothing will happen."
The Prince of Jin agreed.
Tang Zhuyun: "I'll have someone check the ladder right away! Actually, it would be much more convenient if it could be made into steps."
For some reason, Prince of Jin suddenly recalled their first meeting, and how she foolishly climbed the wall using Xiu'er as a stepping stone, and subconsciously asked, "Was it convenient for you to climb the wall?"
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
Just as she was thinking about how to retaliate, Xiu'er came in and said, "Hongfu has arrived."
"What's she doing here?" Tang Zhuyun asked. "Didn't we send someone to tell her to take good care of herself during her pregnancy?"
Xiu'er sneered, "How would we humans know why a dog has to eat excrement? She's here with ill intentions, Your Highness, you'd better be careful."
"What's the matter with this ill-intentioned visitor?" Tang Zhuyun calmly sat down, picked up her teacup, and took a sip.
"Please, she wants to come in, saying she's carrying the prince's child; she also says why you can't tolerate a mere woman... blah blah blah, I think she grew up in a cesspool."
"Then I won't go," Tang Zhuyun said.
Xiu'er grew anxious and stamped her foot, saying, "If you don't go, what if she makes veiled attacks on you?"
Tang Zhuyun sneered, "If I go out and argue with her, she'll say I'm too intolerant as a princess; if I go out and let her insult me, she'll think she's the righteous one. When dealing with a hater, nothing you say matters. We can only console ourselves that if we don't respond to those insults, they'll fall on her own face."
"Does that kind of person even know what shame is?" Xiu'er said.
"When a person is shameless, they become invincible. A shameless person who lives such a miserable life can only jump around like this, letting her curse all she wants. If you pay attention to her, you're giving her an inch. Reason is for people, and you've already said it, so you're just a mad dog."
It seems that Hongfu is planning to break off all pretense of civility today.
She thought that since Tang Zhuyun was shameless, she would have to consider her reputation and would most likely compromise.
But she was wrong.
Xiu'er hesitated, "Is that alright? She's pregnant right now, we can't touch her... She's making such a scene outside the mansion every day, people might think Your Highness is really a bad person!"
"There will always be people who parrot others' opinions, and people who want to act important. There are all sorts of birds in a big forest," Tang Zhuyun said. "Whether I go out or not, they'll have something to say. On such a cold day, wouldn't it be better for me to stay inside and drink hot tea?"
Xiu'er stomped her foot. "I can't swallow this! I'm going out to yell at her!"
She'll insult you too.
"I'm not afraid!"
"I'm not afraid, but it's annoying. Like a toad, it doesn't bite but it's annoying. You might win a point, but you'll still be furious when you get back. It's not worth it."
As she spoke, Tang Zhuyun glanced at Prince of Jin was lying on the bed reading a book.
--Whoever pollutes should clean it up; whoever falls into the cesspool should clean it up themselves.
Prince of Jin said, "Song Jingyang, go and take her inside... take her back, and you stay there and 'take care' of her."
Song Jingyang said with a wry smile, "Your Highness, Huaishang is a bachelor. Can you entrust this matter to him?"
Huaishang: "What does this have to do with being single or not! I'm not going!"
Who doesn't know about the Princess Consort's special kitchen? After the fifteenth of the lunar month, you can buy meat and eat whatever you want!
Even a banquet costing two taels of silver outside can't compare to the Empress's culinary skills.
The Prince of Jin put on a stern face, Song Jingyang, who wanted to say something, obediently went to say it.
The Prince of Jin dismissed Huaishang and, in front of the two children, said, "I don't know Hongfu. She must have seen me that time, so she's trying to pin the blame on me."
Yanran asked, "Then why doesn't Father punish them?"
"She's useful," said the Prince of Jin. "She's both the target and the bait."
Yanran looked confused, but Tang Zhuyun and Linlin both understood.
Hongfu thought she was getting a bargain, but little did she know that she was already in extreme danger.
"It would be more reasonable to send Song Jingyang to 'protect' her," Prince of Jin added casually.
He was secretly pleased with his successful journey on the Huaishang.
However, he was not happy the next day.