"This is it?" Although the sun has set, the room was brightened by six melon-shaped green gauze palace floor lamps.

Sitting straight at one side of the couch, Song Zaishui was in a yellow s.h.i.+rt embroidered with tulip patterns and a dress colored green and white. A pair of string bags, made with colored silks braided at regular intervals into elaborate cl.u.s.ters, looked brilliant on the light-colored dress.

Her hair was made into a "fairy knot", her hands were as white as jade, holding a round silk fan which was half covering her face, with her eyes looking at Wei Changying, who was sitting on the other side of the couch. A faint smile appeared on her face as she slowly asked, "So you secretly asked Lvfang to bring me here after sunset... Only to make string bags for you?"

Wei Changying was also in a yellow s.h.i.+rt, but she matched it with a water-colored fairy dress. To please Song Zaishui, she brought her a cup of tea with both hands and said, "My dear cousin, I know you love me the most...."

"It is my aunt and grandaunt who love you the most," Song Zaishui said unceremoniously. "Not me, your cousin Song! You are clear enough that I'm not your mother but your cousin. So, tell me, how did I dote on you?"

"I mean, you love me the most among all my sisters!" Wei Changying didn't even feel ashamed as she said. She continued to smile at Song Zaishui and said, "My sister, you are my real sister! I know that you are very skilled, so making three string bags must be a piece of cake for you. Would you please do me a favor this time?"

Song Zaishui put down her fan and squinted at Wei Changying. "You have your own hands," Song Zaishui said, "it's still early now, can't you do it yourself?"

"I can't!" Wei Changying said powerfully.

"How difficult can it be," Song Zaishui said contemptuously. "As long as you are not too stupid, you can master it after watching others doing it. I can teach you, but you have to make them yourself!"

Wei Changying was not stimulated by her at all. "Every field has its master," she said, "Do you think I'm the one who makes string bags all day? It's too late now, and it's too difficult for you to teach me. So why not make them for me instead?"

"So, you mean I'm here just to make string bags?" Song Zaishui said and hit Wei Changying with the round silk fan. She gnashed her teeth as she said, "You made me follow your maidservant in dark to sneak here, just for helping you to make string bags in order to cheat my aunt. What's more, I have to tolerate your complaint, saying that I'm the person who makes string bags all day?!"

Wei Changying refused to admit and said, "I was worried about you! You misunderstood me!"

"You!" Song Zaishui shouted as she pointed at Wei Changying with her fan. Facing such a lazy cousin was too harsh for anyone. Even Song Zaishui, who was acknowledged as a person of gentle, magnanimous and tolerant, she cannot tolerate her. However, Wei Changying looked innocent and adamant when she was pointed and stared by Song Zaishui.

After being in a stalemate with Wei Changying for a while, Song Zaishui put her fan down angrily and knocked hard on the couch. "Figure your way out," she said, "I'm not going to help you!"

"I have already figured out," Wei Changying replied with a sweet voice. "My way is to ask you to make three string bags for me... If I asked Granny He and Lvfang for help, my mother will recognize their work immediately. Although you have given my mother some embroideries such as purses, you have never given her string bags... Isn't it perfect?"

Song Zaishui took a deep breath and immediately ordered, "Chunjing, Xiajing, let's return to Mingse House!"

"My dear cousin," Wei Changying said as she grabbed Song Zaishui's sleeves. She presented a grieve expression and said, "Only three string bags! Only three!"

"Not even a half," Song Zaishui said with a cold humph and was ready to leave. Hearing this, Wei Changying pulled up her sleeves and grabbed Song Zaishui while ordering her maidservants. "Lvfang, Lvchi, come here," she said, "take the string bags from my cousin's waist. Now we have two, and we'll find another way to get the third one!"

Song Zaishui was shocked by her open and aboveboard shamelessness. She did not realize what Wei Changying was going to do until Lvfang and Lvchi approached her with fear. She then screamed, "How dare you!!!"

"My dear cousin, I know you love me the most," Wei Changying said seriously. "You won't be happy to see me feeling sad for Uncle Jiang's leaving, will you?"

"No, I really will," Song Zaishui protected her string bags as she gnashed her teeth and said, "if you dared to rob me, I will tell my aunt tomorrow!"

Wei Changying thought for a while. "Leave it tomorrow," She waved her hand as she said, "cousin, you have always doted on me. You are so magnanimous that you will cool down in one night... Yes, nothing will happen tomorrow!" She pushed Song Zaishui onto the couch, then clapped her hands and lightly reprimanded her maidservants with pleasure. "Why are you still standing there?" She said, "take the string bags quickly so that my cousin can cool down earlier."

If you had such a cousin, what would you do?

Song Zaishui was nearly desperate!

Being urged by Wei Changying, Lvfang and Lvchi had to give up hesitating and approach Song Zaishui to untie the lace of the string bags. Song Zaishui nearly fainted, she immediately gave in. "Wait," she said, "I have an idea that can help you. Not only will you be free from making string bags tonight, but also free from learning the needlework from tomorrow on!"

"My dear cousin, I knew you love me the most!" Wei Changying's eyes brightened and ordered Lvfang and Lvchi to step back. She helped Song Zaishui up and then intimately asked, "Tell me, cousin, what's your idea? I knew that you must have a good idea since you are so smart."

Song Zaishui stared at Wei Changying for a few seconds and found that there was no guilty conscience in her. She sighed with desperation and said, "Have you ever thought why Madam Su alerted you?"

"Because I wanted Shen Cangfeng to obey me," Wei Changying replied quickly.

"...Alright." Song Zaishui thought there was no use to argue with Wei Changying that the way of "letting her husband obey" was not the same as she thought. Therefore, she followed Wei Changying's words and said, "There is no evidence that you wanted to make him obedient. Those who said this was just trying to instigate Madam Su. The fact is, you have been practicing martial arts for a long time, but what's the reason? Why did you practice them so much that you abandoned the girls' things? Can't you figure out a better explanation that can make Madam Su happy?"

Wei Changying thought for a while and suddenly realized something. "Can I say that I was born heroic and unrestrained with a chivalrous spirit, and that practicing martial arts is my hobby, so there's nothing to do with Shen Cangfeng?"

"..." The atmosphere went into silence for a second, and then Song Zaishui's fan fell on the ground....

"You became my cousin in order to p.i.s.s me off, right?! Right?!" Song Zaishui, a lady acknowledged for her elegance and her style of a motherly model, had lost her temper. Ignoring how shocked Mrs. He and other people were, she stood up to her feet and knocked Wei Changying down. She grabbed Wei Changying by her neck and shook as she shouted, "You! You! If you continued to talk like this, don't ever think I dare not to beat you!!!"

Mrs. He was stunned. She didn't regain consciousness until seeing Song Zaishui shaking Wei Changying for five to six times. She covered her mouth with her hand and shouted, "My goodness! Miss Wei! Miss Song! Stop it! Stop it! You are cousins. so calm down and have a talk! There's no need to fight!"

Mrs. He pulled up her sleeves and stepped forward to persuade the girls and pull them apart. It took a while before she successfully pulled Song Zaishui away. Wei Changying was already in a mess, her clothes were untidy, and her "conch-shaped knot" was loose. Thanks to Lvfang, Wei Changying's pearl hairpins didn't fall onto the carpet, or they would probably be damaged.

Although they had a fight, it was nothing to Wei Changying. She rubbed her neck and continued to ask, "What do you mean, cousin?"

But Song Zaishui almost cried. She took Mrs. He's arms and said, "Granny He, say something from your heart. How, how could I remain calm for having such a cousin?"

However, she underestimated Mrs. He's partiality on Wei Changying. Mrs. He coughed and pretended that she didn't hear Song Zaishui's words. She said, "Would you please tell Miss Wei your idea that could release her from learning those annoying things?"

Looking at the master and servant, Song Zaishui put her hand on her forehead in desperate and groaned, "You‒both of you!"

After all, Song Zaishui has been cultivated as the future Empress for years, so she would only lose grace for a short time. After knowing that Wei Changying and Mrs. He was on the same side, she wisely gave up the thought of asking Mrs. He to help her against Wei Changying. Instead, she sat up straight immediately as she tidied her clothes and picked up the round silk fan. She had turned back into the n.o.ble and elegant lady.

Having recovered from the anger, Song Zaishui fanned gracefully with a cold smile as she squinted at Wei Changying and said, "What kind of daughter-in-law would Madam Su like?"

Without hesitation, Wei Changying answered, "Dignified, virtuous, gentle and considerate, just like you."

Song Zaishui continued to sneer and said, "That's it?"

"What else?" Wei Changying tilted her head and asked seriously.

"..." Song Zaishui confessed silently, "I thought she would guess at least twice more so that I could sneer for a few more times. When did she become so considerate?"

Feeling desperate in her heart, Song Zaishui exhaustedly answered, "Madam Su is Shen Cangfeng's mother, so she dotes on him as same as my aunt dotes on you! So, tell me, what kind of daughter-in-law would Madam Su prefer? Obviously, she would prefer a girl who truly loves Shen Cangfeng, but not the one with bad intentions!"

Wei Changying nodded frequently and said, "I know, I..."

"Shut up!" Song Zaishui slapped the fan on the couch as she scolded.

"I..."

"You what?! No good words could ever come out from you! Listen to me," Song Zaishui said angrily. "Yes, Madam Su would like to have a gentle and virtuous daughter-in-law, but no matter how gentle and virtuous you are, she could never tolerate a person who doesn't love her son. Now, someone has exposed your plan by telling Madam Su that you have been practicing martial arts since childhood. What's worse, you are going to get married after ten months and you can hardly become a gentle and virtuous lady now!"

"I think it's better for you to continue practicing martial arts! You can ask some elders to explain to Madam Su later‒ isn't the Shen Family famous for martial arts? Isn't Shen Cangfeng highly skilled in martial arts?" Song Zaishui knocked on Wei Changying's shoulder with the fan, hoping that she could be smarter. "There is a saying goes, 'cater to other's pleasure.' In the Wei Family, everyone was cultivated as a litterateur, but Shen Cangfeng was cultivated to become a warrior! Because that the elders are worried that you and Shen Cangfeng have little in common, they asked you to stop learning the Four Arts and begin to practice martial arts... In this case, your hard work in those years becomes your sincerity towards Shen Cangfeng."

Song Zaishui humphed coldly and said, "A girl beloved by everyone is usually born in a notable family as the eldest grand-daughter of the eldest branch in the senior commander! How delicate she would be! However, such an adorable girl insisted on practicing martial arts for more than ten years, only in case to find common ground with her husband..." She sighed and said, "I'm almost moved into tears by such a story! Madam Su had nothing against you before, and if she knew that you are so sincere to Shen Cangfeng, she would forgive you. Maybe she would love you more than now!"

After hearing this, everyone admired Song Zaishui from their heart!

Especially Wei Changying, she was now totally respecting Song Zaishui. She said, "No wonder you were chosen at a young age by the inc.u.mbent Empress as the Crown Princess. It would be a waste of your thoughts and knacks if you didn't enter the imperial palace and be a motherly model of the nation!"

"You!!!" Song Zaishui thought that she was kind enough to help her cousin, but Wei Changying directly mentioned the worst thing that she never wanted to hear: her betrothal marriage. She became so angry that she hit Wei Changying with her round silk fan and said, "You heartless little thing! I'll beat you!"