The woman was about to lose her composure from Tang Zhuyun's anger, gritting her teeth as she said, "My surname is Zhang! I'm the fourth in my family, and my name Changhong."
Changhong! You TV, there's no electricity here, and you still want to act all high and mighty in front of me?
"Oh, Fourth Miss Zhang," Tang Zhuyun said, squinting her eyes, "What do you want?"
Zhang Changhong gritted her teeth and said, "I just wanted to see the congratulatory gift that Your Highness gave to Her Majesty the Empress."
She was on good terms with Zong Xueci and knew that the latter had suffered a loss at Tang Zhuyun's hands before.
Looking at the present, Zong Xueci is very respectable and has the Crown Prince's back, so he wants to continue to curry favor with her, which is why he makes things difficult for Tang Zhuyun.
Tang Zhuyun: "That's easy. Someone, bring up my congratulatory gift."
Tang Zhuyun prepared a small rosewood screen embroidered with peonies on silk tapestry, which she placed on a small table as an ornament.
As for the peony, it was embroidered by Xiu'er.
That's enough.
After the screen was brought in, everyone immediately sensed that the gift was rather meager.
However, the Empress, of course, wouldn't say that, and instead smiled and said, "Little Six daughter-in-law, you're very thoughtful."
Is he intentionally ignoring you? Then you're right.
Tang Zhuyun smiled and said, "Only the peony is truly a national beauty, worthy of Your Majesty."
Zhang Changhong asked, "I wonder which master in the capital embroidered this peony?"
Tang Zhuyun calmly replied, "It was embroidered by an unknown craftsman, but the skill is superb, and the piece is incredibly lifelike, isn't that right, Fourth Miss Zhang?"
Zhang Changhong said, "Forgive my poor eyesight, I didn't see it."
"Your eyesight isn't good; you need to see a doctor as soon as possible, especially since you're still young," Tang Zhuyun said.
"You..."
"What, am I not a princess anymore?" Tang Zhuyun said with a half-smile. "What are you and I doing?"
Zhang Changhong's face flushed instantly, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "You... this screen is really not presentable as a gift for the Empress."
"Is that so? What good things doesn't Your Highness have? The most important thing is the sentiment," Tang Zhuyun said. "I only wish to make Your Highness smile."
The Empress laughed and said, "I wasn't laughing, so that doesn't count."
It may seem like a joke, but it's actually meant to put someone in a difficult position.
Tang Zhuyun said confidently, "I haven't even shown you the best yet, how can you laugh?"
As she spoke, she gestured for someone to carry the screen outside the hall, took out a handkerchief and covered the top edge of the screen, then looked at the Empress with a smile and said, "Your Majesty, watch, the magic show is about to begin."
The Empress laughed, "You little monkey, I'd like to see what interesting things you're hiding."
Tang Zhuyun patted the screen in a pretentious manner, muttering something under her breath.
After a moment, she slowly, very slowly pulled up the handkerchief.
Nothing has changed.
Tang Zhuyun calmly replied, "They're here!"
As soon as he finished speaking, several colorful butterflies flew over and landed on the peony.
Everyone was surprised.
Tang Zhuyun didn't keep her in suspense and came in smiling, "I put some perfume on my handkerchief to attract butterflies. If you hide it in your sleeve, the butterflies will fly around you, which is quite fun."
Did you guys hear that, fellow fighting roosters?
Learn this trick quickly, and you'll be able to win favor when you get back!
"Your Majesty, are you satisfied?"
The Empress smiled and said, "I am very pleased with your thoughtfulness. Someone, present my ruby headdress to the Consort of the Prince of Jin."
Tang Zhuyun acquired another set of jewelry.
She looked at Zhang Changhong with a forced smile, "I wonder if Fourth Miss Zhang is satisfied?"
Would Zhang Changhong dare to say "no"?
Tang Zhuyun won a great victory.
The Empress ordered the younger women to go out and admire the flowers.
Tang Zhuyun was also taken to the waterside pavilion. She asked a palace maid for a bowl of fish food, and sat with Yanran in front of the railing to feed the fish, chatting casually with Meng Yulan.
The others gathered in twos and threes.
Tang Zhuyun vaguely heard someone suggest reciting poetry, and then the writing implements were quickly laid out.
Then someone else asked for a pipa and a guqin, making it incredibly lively.
Tang Zhuyun yawned. "Boring."
Meng Yulan asked her softly, "Was there anything strange about that bowl of peanut custard just now?"
Tang Zhuyun smiled and asked in return, "What do you think, sister-in-law?"
I don't think there should be anything strange about it.
That was an award from the Empress. If something really goes wrong, wouldn't the Empress herself lose face?
But by deliberately making it seem problematic, he was actually forcing Tang Zhuyun to lose her composure.
"That's not necessarily true," Tang Zhuyun said with a grin. "It's still early, let's check back later."
Doesn't it take time for the effects of toxicity to take hold?
Just then, Zong Xueci pulled Zhang Changhong over and said with a smile, "Your Highness, Changhong is my old confidante. She is very outspoken and may have offended you today. Please forgive her."
At Zong Xueci's prompting, Zhang Changhong reluctantly bowed and apologized to Tang Zhuyun.
Tang Zhuyun reached up and touched her temple. "I'm too magnanimous to hold a grudge against a petty person, so be it."
"You..."
"Alright, alright," Zong Xueci smoothed things over, then smiled and said to Tang Zhuyun, "Your Highness, we're composing poems, would you like to join us?"
"No, I can't," Tang Zhuyun said decisively.
Zong Xueci was somewhat surprised, and then said, "Playing musical instruments is also fine."
"No."
"What is Your Highness good at?"
"I'm good at it..." Tang Zhuyun pretended to stroke her chin in thought, then said after a moment, "Never mind, I won't say anymore."
How could Zong Xueci give up?
If she could embarrass Tang Zhuyun, wouldn't the Empress think more highly of her?
In particular, he must outshine the Crown Princess.
"Your Majesty said you'd like to broaden our horizons."
"Sigh, what you're saying might be eye-opening for others, but for you it's like showing off your axe skills in front of a master carpenter."
"Oh? What brings you here, Your Highness?"
"Of course it is..." Tang Zhuyun then mouthed, "... bedroom stuff."
Zong Xueci's face instantly turned a deep liver color.
It took Zhang Changhong a moment to realize what was happening. She twisted her handkerchief and angrily shouted, "You shameless!"
"Oh, right," Tang Zhuyun looked at her, blinking her eyes, "If I had to say what I'm good at, there's one more thing..."
"I'm good at hand-to-hand combat; I generally prefer to fight rather than fight."
"Fourth Miss Zhang, how about we have a little spar?"
After saying that, she clenched her fists so tightly they cracked, which frightened Zhang Changhong into taking several steps back.
Watching the two flee in disarray, Tang Zhuyun rolled her eyes. "Boring."
What's the point of palace intrigue? It's utterly boring.
"Never mind, let's go home."
Tang Zhuyun winked at Meng Yulan and Yanran, then suddenly clutched her stomach and cried out in pain.
To poison or not to poison, the Empress was torn like a pretzel.
It's alright, she came to help and just took the poison herself. How sensible of her!
Everyone was in a flurry of activity, repeatedly calling for the imperial physician.
(My child starts school tomorrow, so this old mom is packing his schoolbag. I'll add an extra chapter tomorrow~ The palace intrigue was just a brief dabble, too boring. Romance is the main focus.)