After my whole family overheard my thoughts, they went berserk.

Upon arriving in the capital, the three disembarked from the carriage and headed to Xiangxiang Street, a street specializing in cosmetics, jewelry, and handmade embroidery.

"I think the embroidery here is quite nice, why don't we go in and take a look?" Shi Youzhi was the first to walk in.

Si Xue'er walked in and looked at the dazzling array of embroidery, appreciating it from the bottom of her heart.

She has always been interested in embroidery, but she doesn't seem to have much talent for needlework, so she has collected quite a few embroidered pieces.

“That handkerchief is quite special.” Si Xue’er looked at the handkerchief in the very center.

Seeing her interest, Shi Youzhi said, "Shopkeeper, let me take a look."

The shopkeeper said, "I'm sorry, miss, this handkerchief is a custom-made item. The customer has already reserved it and will come to pick it up in a little while."

Si Xue'er was somewhat disappointed.

“I’ll pay double the price for this handkerchief,” Shi Youzhi said.

Seeing Shi Youzhi's generosity, Si Xue'er couldn't help but feel happy, but she didn't want to force him to buy or sell.

"I'm sorry, sir, this handkerchief was indeed reserved by a guest, and a very important one at that. Please don't make things difficult for us."

"What kind of guest is more important than my sister-in-law?"

"It's alright, let's go check out other places." Si Xue'er was understanding and didn't want to force anyone.

"I ordered the handkerchief seven days ago. Is it ready yet?" a gentle voice asked.

"Miss Qiu, you've finally arrived! Did this guest also take a liking to your handkerchief?" the shopkeeper said.

Si Xue'er turned around, a smile on her face.

"Sister Qiutang, I didn't expect to run into you here."

Qiu Tang wore a long green dress and her head was adorned with various pearls and jade, making her look completely different from her previous simple self.

"Is Xue'er here to see the embroidery too?" Qiu Tang asked gently.

As soon as she finished speaking, Qiu Tang vaguely sensed that two pairs of eyes were staring at her, which felt strange.

When she looked up, she realized it was the Crown Prince and Shi Miaomiao. Her face stiffened and she trembled.

"I came out for a stroll with His Highness the Crown Prince and the little princess," Si Xue'er said.

Qiu Tang quickly bowed and greeted Shi Youzhi and Shi Miaomiao.

"Qiutang greets His Highness the Crown Prince and the Little Princess."

She never expected that Si Xue'er would be in a relationship with the Crown Prince.

And, he even brought his little princess with him!

Back then, Bai Haoxing wanted to marry Si Xue'er, but Si Xue'er was too proud and wouldn't agree. He never expected that she would actually marry the Crown Prince.

"How could Qiu Tang know my sister-in-law? This doesn't make sense. She's married into the princess's household. Doesn't my sister-in-law know that her husband is the same scoundrel who harassed her back then?"

"I heard that Ni married into Princess Lingyang's household and became the Crown Prince's wife. Congratulations!" Shi Miaomiao said sincerely.

Qiu Tang's expression changed drastically, but she forced a smile: "Thank you, little princess."

Si Xue'er was quite surprised.

"So it is the Crown Princess. Xue'er was blind and did not know the Crown Princess's identity. In the past, she even claimed to be sisters with the Crown Princess."

"As expected, my sister-in-law didn't know her identity. This Qiu Tang, who hid her identity to get close to my sister-in-law, must have an ulterior motive."

In the original book, the Si family was framed because evidence of treason was found in Si Pei'an's study, and the whole family was ordered to be executed by the emperor.

The evidence was confirmed to be letters exchanged with Sangnan Kingdom.

Si Pei'an had no idea where the letter came from.

In the original book, this family was entirely cannon fodder; when Si Lingchen was executed, his left leg was already crippled.

After Si Xue'er came of age, she married into the princess's household, thus escaping a calamity.

Therefore, it is very likely that this evidence was taken from the Princess's residence.

After all, no one knew that Princess Lingyang was actually from Sangnan.

"Sister Xue'er, there's no need to be so polite. We met because we share similar interests, so there's no need to worry about our status, lest we become distant." Qiu Tang stepped forward and took her hand.

Shi Miaomiao said, "We should still care, after all, my sister-in-law's status is also very prestigious."

Unlike you, who panders to others' preferences with ill intentions.

Your second brother likes medicine, so you should study medicine.

Your sister-in-law likes embroidery, so you should study embroidery.

It was all to get close to them.

"Now that I've revealed her identity, and my sister-in-law knows she's Bai Haoxing's wife, she should be wary of her, right?"

"You're too kind, Princess Consort." Si Xue'er cautiously pulled her hands away.

Qiu Tang quickly lowered her tone: "Qiu Tang has been disrespectful, I was unaware that my sister and the Crown Prince..."

Upon hearing this, a blush crept onto Si Xue'er's cheeks.

"His Highness the Crown Prince and I..."

Shi Youzhi straightened his back and stepped forward.

"Thank you, Your Highness. My relationship with Xue'er is as you see it. In the future, she will still be my Crown Princess."

Qiu Tang stiffened, filled with resentment.

What merits or abilities does she possess to gain the favor of His Highness the Crown Prince?

Si Xue'er's face turned bright red, and she lowered her head, saying nothing more.

My heart was pounding like a deer's, filled with both surprise and joy.

"In that case, Qiu Tang will not disturb you any longer." Qiu Tang took the embroidery, gave a slight bow, and turned to walk out.

"Goodbye, Princess Consort," Shi Miaomiao shouted.

The phrase "Princess Consort" filled Qiu Tang with humiliation.

She was trembling all over.

If she had known that marrying into the princess's household would lead to such mistreatment, she would not have agreed to the Third Prince's request.

She was terrified that she wouldn't live to see the day the Third Prince succeeded.

“Your Highness, just now…” Si Xue’er tried to explain, but was interrupted by Shi Youzhi.

Shi Youzhi said, "What I just said came from the bottom of my heart. However, I will not force Miss Si, and you don't need to feel guilty."

After saying that, Shi Youzhi regretted it.

He blamed himself for being tongue-tied; he should have just told her: "Xue'er, I like you."

"Sigh, my Crown Prince is finally being smart this time. It's right not to force yourself on a girl you like. Trust me, sister-in-law, I can feel your feelings!"

The atmosphere felt awkward and ambiguous, and Shi Miaomiao felt a little uncomfortable.

However, she needs to create more opportunities for her older brother and sister-in-law to spend time together and develop their relationship.

"Sister-in-law, does Ni really want to learn embroidery?" Shi Miaomiao blinked and asked.

“My mother always hoped that I could learn needlework well, but unfortunately I had no talent. After studying for many years, I still couldn’t hold the needle steady and couldn’t embroider anything beautiful. My mother was always asking around, trying to find a teacher for me.”

She quickly explained to Shi Youzhi, "Xue'er is too clumsy, I'm sorry for making Your Highness laugh."

"Miss Si, don't worry too much. Everyone has different talents, so there's no need to force it," Shi Youzhi comforted her.

Seeing her dejected look, Shi Miaomiao knew that she didn't want to learn, but rather that she couldn't learn it well.

"Sister-in-law, I know someone who is very skilled in cooking. Would you like to pay him a visit?" Shi Miaomiao asked.

Si Xue'er asked excitedly, "Really?"

Shi nodded emphatically.

"Shi Lingfeng, get out here right now!" she shouted, hands on her hips.

Shi Lingfeng and Shi Yuzhi pushed and shoved each other as they entered the embroidery shop.