The Concubine's Daughter Travels Through Time and Space and Takes the Road of Confrontation

Gong Jinjin's face turned pale, and she sat in her seat clutching her sleeves tightly. Madam Hui's face was as gloomy as water, and she said nothing.

Princess Gao said in a gentle voice, "Child, even if you have a close relationship with your sister, you should have told me about such a big thing."

Lu Yun hugged Princess Gao's hand and whispered coquettishly, "I know I was wrong. But Big Sister and I have been very close since childhood, so she will definitely not mind. Just now, I saw that the bracelet on Miss Gong's hand was very similar to the one I gave to Big Sister, so I couldn't help but take a few more glances. I still have the bracelet cores of this pair of bracelets, and I will carve them into plaques for Big Sister and me to buy one each."

When everyone heard that the bracelet core was still there, they unconsciously glanced at Madam Hui. They could tell whether the bracelet in Miss Gong's hand was the one given away by the princess by comparing it with the bracelet core.

If it was truly the bracelet the Princess had given to her eldest sister, how could it have ended up in Miss Gong's hands? The ladies' eyes flickered, not daring to dwell on it. Regardless of whether it was true or not, Miss Gong's behavior of wearing this bracelet in front of the noble today would have been considered "frivolous" if her last name wasn't Gong.

Madam Hui's mind raced, and she had to stand up to explain, "My Lady Princess, you may not know that as long as they are made from the same stone, the bracelets are very likely to be similar. And in my opinion, the water head of Jinjin is a little worse than yours."

Only two sides of the bracelet were exposed to others. As long as she made it clear, no one would dare to snatch Jin Jin's bracelet in front of her to find out what was inside.

Gao Yuzhu used to hate Gong Jinjin the most, who always stole her spotlight. She felt rather gloating and said, "Aunt, I think it's pretty much the same."

Diao tugged at her daughter's sleeve calmly and gave her a look, but Gao Yuzhu was unwilling to shut up.

Miss Yaochun came in from outside, stood behind the empress and whispered a few words into her ear.

Princess Gao smiled and said, "The prince is leading people to open stones in the front yard. Let's follow and have fun. You are all experts in appreciating jade. Why don't you put the best jade ornaments on your body on the tray and let everyone appreciate them. The first prize is a spring purple bead necklace from my private collection!" The hall suddenly became lively with everyone talking at once.

Soon, a long table covered with red velvet was placed in the middle of the open space, and on it were placed a dozen mahogany trays. Someone had already stepped forward and placed their finest jade ornaments on the trays, while another maid placed a label underneath to identify the owner.

Seeing that Madam Hui and Miss Gong were both sitting still, Gao Yuzhu said sarcastically, "It seems someone is feeling guilty."

Jiao Ying had long since lost her previous dejection and looked thoughtfully at Madam Hui and her daughter. Based on her understanding of Gong Jinjin, she knew there must be something fishy about the bracelet's origins.

So, did the princess take her to see the bracelet on purpose?

Cai He walked into the hall and nodded to her master. Lu Yun turned her head to look at Jiao Ying and lowered her voice, "Miss Ying, please do me a favor."

Jiao Ying leaned over and her face changed slightly. She hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Yao Chun held out a purple bead necklace with a total of 19 jade beads on it, each of which was the size of a thumb. The purple color was rich and watery, which was better than the full green bracelet just now.

Lu Yun added fuel to the fire, covering her mouth with her hands and chuckling, "I will not join in on this fun, lest people accuse you of being partial."

Princess Gao chuckled. "Even if you want to participate, I can't agree."

We are all women, who doesn’t like expensive jewelry?

Mrs. Gui deliberately glanced at Mrs. Hui, and seeing that she was still sitting upright, she placed her own bracelet on the small tray. It was also a full green, and although not as transparent, it was clearly better than the others. As long as Mrs. Hui did not make a move, the Empress's necklace would be hers.

Looking at the beads on the shelf, a trace of greed flashed in Gong Jinjin's eyes. She pleaded in a low voice, "Mother?" Seeing that her mother remained silent, Gong Jinjin rolled her eyes and said, "Everyone knows that my bracelet is valuable. If I don't take it out, won't it be gossiped about?"

A glint flashed in Mrs. Hui's eyes, and she nodded. "You are right. Give me the bracelet."

Gong Jinjin was overjoyed and took off the jade bracelet and gave it to her mother.

Madam Hui held up the jade bracelet with a handkerchief and walked towards the long table step by step. In Mingde Hall, there was only a piece of non-slip carpet laid next to the low couch where Princess Gao often sat.

A slight movement of her fingertips, a cry of surprise, and the jade bracelet fell heavily to the ground. Mrs. Hui bent down to reach for it, but was knocked to the side. The jade bracelet, which should have been thrown out the door and shattered into pieces, was instead firmly grasped in the palm of two slender fingers, intact!

The man also had a green bracelet on his wrist.

Mrs. Gui's pupils shrank slightly. The water quality of these two bracelets was obviously comparable! They were made of the same material and craftsmanship!

"Madam, why are you so careless? I'll deliver it to you." Lu Yun smiled and gently placed the bracelet on the tray.

When Hui's wife was helped up from the ground, she forced a smile and said, "Thank you, Princess. I'm old and my hands and feet are not very nimble. I am sorry to have made a fool of myself."

Lu Yun curled the corners of her lips slightly and turned sideways to block Madam Hui's view of the long table. Jiao Ying took the opportunity to put the item in her palm on the tray next to the bracelet.

When she turned around, Madam Hui had already returned to her seat. Jiao Ying suppressed her excitement and returned to the Princess's side with great anticipation.

"Hey. What's this—" Mrs. Gui exclaimed, quickly covering her mouth with her hands, her expression uncertain. Everyone stood up and looked at the table. Someone had placed a bracelet core next to Mrs. Hui's bracelet.

Even a half-wit like Luo Er could tell at a glance that the bracelet core and the bracelet were originally one piece, let alone the others. Madam Hui's face was pale, and she forced herself to remain calm, while Gong Jinjin was terrified and puzzled.

Gao Yuzhu laughed out loud, "Who put the bracelet core up here?"

"Ah, Mother!" Gong Jinjin supported her mother, who had slumped unconscious on the seat, tears welling in her eyes. "Mother, Mother has been feeling unwell lately and has been taking medication. Could you please let Jinjin take Mother away first?"

The person is gone but the bracelet is still there, and everyone agrees that it is the undisputed champion.

After Yaochun and her men collected the bracelet and the unclaimed bracelet core, they invited everyone to the garden. The banquet was held at the Spring Forest Waterside Pavilion in the garden.

On the opposite stage, Bai Fengjiao, one of the most celebrated Peking Opera stars, was humming a Nanyue lantern opera. The story revolved around a young woman who journeyed thousands of miles to find her father, only to be framed by a ruthless pawnshop owner after pawning a token of her love and subsequently imprisoned. In the end, Bai Fengjiao's character, Xiao Fengxian, was not only recognized by her father, now known as Shangguan, but also successfully sent the unscrupulous pawnshop owner to prison.

The plot twists and turns were so intense that the ladies watched with rapt interest. Only Luo Erxiang seemed to recall something, his expression sullen. Mrs. Gui was no different. To find a wife of equal status and a generous dowry for her eldest son, she had already ascertained the financial status of several families she considered, and naturally knew that the Gong family owned a pawnshop.

Mrs. Gui had lost her appetite before the food arrived.

Among the cups, plates and bowls, a dish that looked like burnt yellow velvet particularly attracted attention.