CHAPTER 195: CHAPTER 195: ROUGH WORK

Peony Garden.

Princess Nanzhang sat on the small couch, elegantly sipping tea.

Xie Jinyu played with the soap awarded by the Emperor, her face beaming with joy.

"What is this?" Xie Jinyu asked the maid.

After the Second Master returned to the mansion, he had the share of the gift from the Emperor for Old Master Xie sent to Princess Nanzhang.

The maid shook her head like a rattle, "The Second Master didn’t say what it was, only mentioned that it’s used for washing hands and bathing, but anything awarded by the Emperor is definitely good."

"You don’t need to say that just the color and the light elegant feel make it irresistible," Xie Jinyu laughed.

"The young lady is right," the maid flattered.

A perceptive maid brought water, and Xie Jinyu tried it out.

For her, there was nothing she couldn’t bear to use.

The Empress Dowager doted on her, and the Emperor often rewarded officials generously, so she could just ask the Empress Dowager for more.

The soap lathered into bubbles, and Xie Jinyu was delighted.

Outside, a little maid in a light blue dress ran in and said, "Commandery Princess, something’s wrong!"

"What are you shrieking about, what’s wrong!" Mrs. Zhao scolded.

The little maid shrank her neck, looking at Xie Jinyu’s soapy hands, and murmured, "That soap was presented to the Emperor by the Eldest Young Madam, and then awarded to the officials by the Emperor."

Mrs. Zhao, "..."

Xie Jinyu, "...!!!"

Her face turned crimson, as if a layer of skin had been flayed off, burning and pained.

Her eyes were bloodshot, her breathing uneven.

She had just praised the soap several times!

In anger, she grabbed the soap to throw it.

The little maid hurriedly stopped her, "Young lady, please don’t act rashly, this soap was awarded by the Emperor."

"The Second Young Lady just threw it on the ground earlier, and the maid of the Eldest Young Madam made her pick it up," the little maid seized the soap and placed it back in the brocade box.

But as soon as the maid put it down, Xie Jinyu threw the whole brocade box.

The soap popped out and flew far away.

So what if the Emperor granted it?!

This soap was still from the Beauty Pavilion!

She laid down harsh words, warning her friends not to visit the Beauty Pavilion or use its products, or else sever ties with her.

Now!

The Emperor awarded the soap, would they not use it?!

Even she used it!

Xie Jinyu cried angrily.

She looked at Princess Nanzhang, tears streaming down, "Mother, there’s no one the Emperor pampers like that female bandit...!"

Princess Nanzhang was furious, every pore in her body was shouting rage.

But what use was her anger?

If the Emperor wanted to pamper that female bandit, could she persuade him otherwise?!

But in terms of anger, the Empress Dowager and the Empress were fuming.

Especially the Empress.

She initially thought only she and the Empress Dowager had the soap, and no one else in the palace did.

Unexpectedly, overnight, everyone in the harem had it.

No!

Even the ministers of the former court all had it!

Previously, the palace maids and eunuchs in the Phoenix Palace were so smug, now they were equally awkward.

This soap was not the rare, heavenly object they bragged about, but a common item the Emperor had too much of to give away.

Seemingly to infuriate the Empress Dowager and Empress, Eunuch Fu let the little eunuch leak that the soap was a gift from the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion to the Emperor.

The news first reached Consort Li’s ears.

Consort Li, eager to irk the Empress, hurried to the Phoenix Palace to share the joy of using the soap.

With just a few words, she infuriated the Empress, and then "accidentally" leaked that the soap was a gift from Duke Zhen’s Mansion’s Eldest Young Madam to the Emperor.

At that moment, the Empress’s face was an array of colors.

Consort Li had been in the harem for so many years, she had never seen such an exquisite expression on the Empress’s face.

Consort Li was delighted and deeply moved.

These concubines in the harem, even the most favored by the Emperor, couldn’t compete with the Empress, consistently suppressed by her.

Not strong in battle, succumbing to the Empress’s tyranny, and eventually losing favor.

Now, a bandit from Qingyun Mountain, even staying outside the palace and rarely coming in, could infuriate the Empress half to death.

Li Consort really wanted to ask Su Jin for some tricks.

But thinking of how her cheek was stung by a wasp earlier, it was genuinely painful.

"Infuriating people without taking responsibility, Consort Li laughed, "That Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion is truly filial to the Emperor, gifting ice from the ice shop, and soap from the Beauty Pavilion, no wonder the Emperor pampers her so much."

The Empress gritted her teeth with anger.

At this moment, a palace maid ran over and said, "Not good, Princess Shouning has fallen and injured herself!"

The Empress stood up abruptly, "So many people serving, how could they let the princess fall?!"

The palace maid replied, "The princess slipped accidentally on some soap."

In front of Consort Li, the palace maid had to maintain Princess Shouning’s dignity.

Directly reporting that Princess Shouning, knowing the soap was gifted to the Emperor by the female bandit, got so angry she threw it.

Throwing it still wasn’t enough to vent her anger and she wanted to kick it out of the sleeping quarters.

In her rage, she missed the soap, stepping on it with her heel...

The thing was so slippery, she fell as a result.

The Empress hurried to Princess Shouning’s chambers.

...

Beauty Pavilion.

Princess NanAn’s sedan chair stopped in front of the Beauty Pavilion.

Coincidentally, Marchioness Jingguo also arrived.

The two strolled half a circle inside the shop, and then Marchioness Beining and Duchess Dingguo arrived.

After a shopping spree, ready to leave, a maid approached and said, "Ladies, won’t you take a stroll in the backyard?"

"There’s a backyard?" Princess NanAn was surprised.

The maid nodded.

Duchess Dingguo smiled and said, "Let’s go take a look."

The four were led by the maid to the backyard.

First, they soaked in a bath, then while applying face masks, had the maids massage their feet and shoulders.

"These maids are so skillful, how can the same massaging of shoulders make every bone feel relaxed," commented Duchess Dingguo, lying prone.

"Such a lovely place, why didn’t we come yesterday," said Princess NanAn.

"We can come often in the future as well," Marchioness Beining laughed.

After being pampered, their stomachs growled with hunger.

Before even strolling through the garden, they went to "Natural Residence" to eat.

With dishes made by the Imperial Chef, naturally, there was nothing to complain about.

Having eaten a little too much, they took a walk in the garden, and then were led by a maid to the game room.

Hmm.

The four were interested in Mahjong, sat down at the table, and began to play.

The maid watched with great interest from the side.

They completely forgot about returning to the mansion.

Prince NanAn Mansion.

In the study, Prince NanAn asked for the ninth time, "The Princess Consort hasn’t returned yet?"

The servant shook his head, "Not yet."

"What’s so fun at the Beauty Pavilion, it’s been two hours and she’s not back," Prince NanAn was very annoyed.

"Sent someone to inquire, it turns out the Princess Consort and Duchess Dingguo were playing Mahjong, having such a great time, they plan to return later," the servant replied.

"Playing Mahjong?" Prince NanAn frowned.

It sounded like doing rough work.

Concern flickered in Prince NanAn’s eyes.

Following the son’s indulgence—

Was his Princess Consort happily doing rough work as well?

Prince NanAn was already worried.

In the evening, Princess NanAn returned, rubbing her hand and entering the room saying, "My hand cramped up."

Her face was full of smiles.

Prince NanAn said sternly, "Don’t go there again."

Princess NanAn promptly refused, "No, I’ve made plans with Marchioness Jingguo to meet at the Beauty Pavilion tomorrow."

Prince NanAn, "..."