The princess regretted it.

At that moment, she stared intently at Princess Jin'an with those sinister eyes, their gaze piercing like a sharp thorn. Her words only added a touch of ferocity to her already sardonic expression. "The Grand Princess's black chrysanthemum is a rare treasure. Doesn't Princess Jin'an think it's inappropriate to ask for it?"

The hatred in her heart was like a surging tide that was hard to contain. Ever since she learned that it was Jin An who arranged for someone to break her daughter's leg, that secret hatred had been spreading in her heart. When she saw Princess Jin An, that hatred rushed directly to her head, and her rationality was instantly overwhelmed by anger. She just wanted to embarrass Princess Jin An regardless of the consequences.

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire atmosphere darkened. The lively chrysanthemum viewing banquet seemed to have suddenly hit pause, the air frozen. Everyone looked at each other, unsure how to respond to this sudden change.

Princess Jin'an smiled faintly, her hatred seemingly hidden. Her eyebrows raised slightly, her expression playful yet subtly imbued with the majesty of royalty. She parted her rosy lips and said, "My memory isn't very good. Is the madam from the Minister of Revenue or the Minister of Rites?" As soon as she spoke, the other ladies lowered their heads, trying hard to suppress their laughter, but their slightly trembling shoulders betrayed their inner emotions.

Guo's pale face suddenly darkened, like a dark cloud. Her eyes burned with anger as she spoke in shame and indignation, "What does Princess Jin'an mean? I simply feel that as a princess of the imperial family, you should lead by example and refrain from acts of coercion or plunder that would damage the reputation of the royal family." Her voice trembled slightly, clearly irritated to the core by Princess Jin'an's words.

Her words didn't anger Princess Jin'an. Instead, the Grand Princess's face darkened, a frost covering her face. Her eyes were sharp, and her voice carried a commanding presence. She spoke slowly, "I had no idea the Minister of Revenue's responsibilities were so high. It seems I'm useless. I don't even know when the Minister's wife will be the one to oversee the imperial family's reputation." The authority in her words weighed like a heavy mountain, suffocating everyone.

Guo, frightened by the Grand Princess's words, knelt down, her face pale as paper. Her body trembled slightly, and her voice was filled with fear. "Grand Princess, please calm down. I have spoken carelessly and have overstepped my bounds. I beg your forgiveness." She lowered her head, not daring to look directly at the Grand Princess, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

The atmosphere in the garden grew even more tense. The other ladies were silent, fearing they would be affected by this incident. Seeing this, Qin Susu, the wife of the Duke of Huguo, hurried forward and said softly, "Mother, this Lady Lin, perhaps worried about her daughter, may have lost her composure. Please don't be angry."

The Grand Princess narrowed her eyes slightly, and after a moment's silence, she said, "Never mind. Today is a chrysanthemum viewing banquet. Don't let such a small matter ruin the mood. Guo, you were so rude and offended Princess Jin'an. I will ask you to apologize to her, and let this matter go! What do you think?"

Guo was utterly unwilling to accept this, a flame of hatred burning within her. Yet, her mind told her she couldn't disobey the Grand Princess's orders, or she would implicate her own master. She bit her lip, nearly drained of color, a flicker of struggle in her eyes. Finally, she kowtowed in gratitude, her voice thick with suppressed anger: "I thank the Grand Princess for your grace." Then, turning to Princess Jin'an, she bowed and admitted her fault: "Princess Jin'an, I lost my temper and offended you. Please forgive me." Her body trembled slightly, each movement appearing labored, and her already sinister eyes darkened even further.

Jin An looked at Guo's expression, but he didn't think to question her further. After all, she was a pitiful person, and it was natural for her to feel resentful about her daughter's misfortune. Jin An raised his chin slightly and said calmly, "Forget it, get up. I will not hold today's incident accountable. I only hope that you will be more careful with your words and actions in the future."

Upon hearing this, Guo felt a mixture of emotions: humiliation, resentment, and helplessness. She slowly stood up, lowering her head, no longer looking at Princess Jin'an. The atmosphere in the garden eased slightly, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. However, Guo's emotions remained unresolved, and the hatred still surged in her heart.

Seeing that the situation had calmed down temporarily, the Grand Princess also wanted to ease the atmosphere, so she ordered the black chrysanthemum to be moved to the center of the garden for everyone to admire. Several maids carefully placed the black chrysanthemum on an exquisite flower stand. In the sunlight, the black chrysanthemum looked even more mysterious and beautiful.

The black chrysanthemum boasts large, full blossoms, its petals stained like ink, a deep, mysterious purple-black. Its rich color seems as if meticulously painted with the finest ink. Each petal is delicately textured, like a masterpiece crafted by nature's most exquisite brushstrokes. The stamens of the black chrysanthemum are golden yellow, like sparkling gold embellishing an inky scroll. This creates a striking contrast with the deep petals, adding a touch of elegance.

The flower of the black chrysanthemum resembles a delicate hydrangea, with layers of petals tightly clustered together, giving a feeling of fullness and substance. It exudes a delicate, subtle fragrance, like a morning mist, gently lingering in the nose, leaving one feeling relaxed and refreshed. In the sunlight, the petals of the black chrysanthemum reflect light subtly, as if inlaid with countless tiny gemstones, shimmering with a mysterious brilliance.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the black chrysanthemum, and exclamations of admiration echoed one after another. Princess Jin'an was also attracted by the pot of black chrysanthemums and could not help but walk forward to take a closer look. Seeing this, everyone also stood up and walked forward to surround the pot of black chrysanthemums, talking to each other and marveling at it.

Guo stood in the crowd, her eyes occasionally glancing towards Princess Jin'an. Though the hatred in her heart was temporarily suppressed, it hadn't dissipated. Looking at the pot of black chrysanthemums, she recalled her daughter's plight, and her resentment intensified.

Just then, a butterfly fluttered over and landed on the black chrysanthemum. Everyone was captivated by this beautiful sight and exclaimed in amazement. Princess Jin'an looked at the butterfly, her lips curled up slightly, revealing a stunning smile.

Looking at Princess Jin'an's smile, Guo's anger was ignited once again. She felt that Princess Jin'an didn't care about her pain at all, and secretly swore in her heart that she must make Princess Jin'an pay the price. A crazy idea instantly occupied her mind. She moved quietly, pretending to be unintentional and approached Jin'an and the black chrysanthemum. When Jin'an was concentrating on admiring the black chrysanthemum, Guo seized the opportunity, stretched out her elbow and pushed Jin'an hard. Jin'an was pushed forward and was about to hit the pot of black chrysanthemum. Everyone was shocked by this sudden change.

At that moment, a maidservant standing nearby leaped forward and instantly embraced Princess Jin'an. With a swift turn, she nimbly dodged Mo Ju's attack. However, the maidservant's strength failed her, and she fell to the ground while holding Princess Jin'an. But upon landing, she quickly adjusted her position, placing herself beneath the princess, using her body as a soft cushion.