The cruel little princess

After everyone was seated, the Empress began to carefully examine Shen Youyou. She was dressed in a sapphire-blue palace gown, embroidered with peony patterns, a dignified yet slightly quirky look. Her hair was styled in a simple bun, adorned with an exquisite jade peony hairpin. She had a beautiful face and an elegant demeanor, clearly a lady from a noble family.

"The county lady is so beautiful, I wonder if she is married?" asked the queen with a smile.

Shen Youyou was startled. She didn't expect the Queen to ask this question so suddenly, but she still answered, "To answer the Queen, I am not married yet."

The Empress nodded and continued, "How old is the County Lady this year? Is there anyone she likes?"

Shen Youyou was a little flustered. She didn't want to discuss marriage in public, so she answered vaguely, "Your Majesty, I haven't considered these things yet. Father also wants me to stay at home for a few more years."

The Empress seemed to see through Shen Youyou's thoughts and smiled, saying, "Don't panic, County Lady. I was just asking casually. His Majesty has long since granted you the freedom to marry. I was just wondering what kind of hero would be worthy of someone as stunningly beautiful as you! However, since you are so outstanding, I'm sure you will find a husband of your dreams in the future."

Shen Youyou breathed a sigh of relief and quickly expressed her gratitude: "Thank you, Queen, for your concern."

Afterwards, the Empress chatted with Madam Zuo for a few more words about family matters, and then asked the palace maids to take Shen Youyou and the others to stroll around the Imperial Garden. Shen Youyou stood up, bowed, and left, following the palace maids out of the Empress's bedroom.

Shen Youyou and Zuo Qingqing chatted privately as they walked along the path in the Imperial Garden. Suddenly, they saw a woman in a purple dress standing under a plum tree by the pond in front of them, staring blankly into the distance.

Zuo Qingqing said happily: "Youyou, let's go say hello to Sister Qingxue!"

Shen Youyou looked at the woman in front of her and nodded: "Okay! Whose family is this Miss Qingxue? What should I call her?"

Zuo Qingqing said with amusement, "Sister Qingxue is the daughter of the Right Prime Minister. Hey, I remember there was a calligraphy work by Lord Xu in your shop!"

"Oh~ So you are the daughter of the right prime minister! I have heard of your name for a long time!" Shen Youyou said suddenly.

"Don't worry! Sister Qingxue is kind and gentle, and very easy to get along with! She is the same age as you, and will be 17 next year, but when is your birthday?" Zuo Qingqing asked curiously.

Zuo Qingqing felt a little ashamed of her carelessness. She had known Shen Youyou for so long, and the acupuncture treatment was over, but she still didn't know when her birthday was! How negligent! Maybe she could have caught up with her birthday and given her a nice gift!

"Me!" Shen Youyou recalled, "My birthday is the first of February." Yes, she had already celebrated her birthday when she came here. The so-called birthday celebration was just her aunt asking Chuntao to make her a bowl of longevity noodles with a poached egg! However, Chuntao secretly put a few more poached eggs at the bottom of the bowl, and her aunt didn't know.

"You are a little older than Sister Qingxue, so you can call her Sister Qingxue with me!" Zuo Qingqing comforted her.

It turned out that this was Xu Qingxue, a very close relationship! Chu Huaijin had said before that his aunt was the biological sister of Right Prime Minister Xu Shilin, which meant she was Xu Qingxue's biological aunt!

Shen Youyou raised the corner of her mouth slightly, raised her foot and followed, walking forward with Zuo Qingqing.

"Sister Qingxue!" Zuo Qingqing deliberately patted her shoulder lightly from the left side, and then jumped to the right side nimbly.

Xu Qingxue turned to her left and saw a beautiful woman smiling at her. Although she didn't know her, she felt a warm and gentle feeling in her heart. So she smiled back. Then she looked to her right and saw Zuo Qingqing, who was smiling brightly.

"Sister Qingqing, why are you so reckless? Didn't the imperial physician tell you not to run or jump?" Xu Qingxue feigned anger and said, "If you get into danger in front of me, it will be my fault!"

"Qingxue! You can't be like a little nerd who only knows the Four Books and Five Classics every day and doesn't go to crowded places to join in the fun! Some time ago, my mother held a plum blossom viewing banquet and told all the prefectures in the capital. As for me, I'm almost well! Now that the acupuncture is over, I just need to go to the county lady's herbal medicine shop every day to drink herbal medicine regularly." Zuo Qingqing said proudly.

Zuo Qingqing pulled Shen Youyou forward a step, "Look, Qingxue, this is our Miss Shen Youyou, the master of Rui'an County who is famous in the capital! She is a little older than you, you can just call her Sister Youyou!" She deliberately spoke in a light-hearted and humorous way to ease the awkwardness of their first acquaintance.

Unexpectedly, Xu Qingxue wasn't surprised at all. Instead, she showed a look of delight: "I've heard from my father and cousin a long time ago that the Rui'an County Lady is a good girl with a heart of justice! Her talent and strategy are no less than a boy's! Qingxue has been staying at home all day and has never had the chance to meet her. Now I finally get my wish and see the County Lady with my own eyes! It really makes Qingxue feel ashamed of herself!"

After saying that, Xu Qingxue bowed, her eyes full of admiration.

Shen Youyou hurried forward to help the other person up, and said with a smile: "Miss Xu, you are too kind. I just did what I could."

After Xu Qingxue stood up, she continued, "I don't have many other hobbies on weekdays, I just like reciting poems and painting. I hope to invite the county lady to a gathering someday and paint a picture for her personally as a token of my respect!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Youyou couldn't help but sigh in her heart, "Like father, like daughter!" The calligraphy gifted by Lord Xu hung in her herbal medicine shop, attracting many scholars and writers to express their desire to buy it, which shows how good Lord Xu's calligraphy is and how talented he is!

As for Master Xu's daughter, Miss Qingxue, she was probably influenced by her father and liked to paint. That's why he said he wanted to give her a painting!

Thinking of this, Shen Youyou's face showed joy: "That's great! I'm looking forward to seeing Miss Xu's paintings!"

Xu Qingxue smiled and nodded, saying she would do her best. The two chatted happily, as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other for many years.

Sometimes, friendship is so simple. People with similar values ​​and auras can establish a deep friendship while chatting and laughing.

The three of them chatted quietly. Worried that their young maids would be bored standing around, they sent them to explore other parts of the Imperial Garden. After all, ordinary people didn't have the opportunity to visit the Imperial Garden. Just remember to come back and find them after your visit. So, seeing that the young ladies didn't leave and that there was nothing else to do, Chuntao, Xiaolan, and the other three maids arranged to happily explore the garden together.

In a corner of the high tower in the Imperial Garden, Concubine Shu was warming herself by the fire in the greenhouse with her son, His Royal Highness Prince Rui, and her niece Zhang Yuyan.

"Yuyan would like to thank my aunt for sending someone to pick her up into the palace so early. Otherwise, Yuyan would still be suffering from the cold weather outside the palace!" Zhang Yuyan said with a smile.

"You are my only niece! If I don't love you, who else can I love?" Concubine Shu replied in a low voice, tapping her forehead.

His Royal Highness Prince Rui was fiddling with the telescope in his hand boredly, looking at the snow-covered branches next to him, and then at the ladies in the distance.

Suddenly, he stood up excitedly, walked to a different angle, and carefully adjusted his telescope. Once he had a clear view of the person he had been longing for, he greeted his mother with even greater joy. "Mother! Mother! Come and see!" He stared intently at the charming figure in a sapphire-blue palace dress by the lake. He became even more determined to marry her as his principal wife!

"Look at this child. He is so old but still not serious. He is not as stable and reliable as you, Yan'er. In the future, you must give more advice to your cousin for your aunt!" Concubine Shu smiled and gently placed her hand on her niece's hand, as if entrusting her with something.

Zhang Yuyan's face flushed, and she said softly and coquettishly, "Aunt! What are you talking about!" Her shy look, wanting to speak but still shy, was really pitiful.

"Mother! Please come and see the Princess of Rui'an!" Prince Rui, seeing his mother still chatting with his cousin and not hearing him, spoke in an increasingly urgent tone. "Mother, look, I'm Prince Rui, and she's Rui'an. Judging by our names, we're a match made in heaven!" Prince Rui reveled in the fact that both of their names contained the character "Rui"!