Chapter 233: Falling Out
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Next to the sugar figurine stall, Liao Guang bowed deeply to Princess Funing, “Thank you, miss, for your chivalry. Allow me to return the book to you at some point in the future. May I ask where you live?”
Her home? Easy to find, but she was worried this bookworm wouldn’t be able to enter. Princess Funing covered her mouth and laughed, “Who needs your thanks? Since it’s your family heirloom, I’ll give it back to you. Bookworm!” Finding the word “bookworm” particularly amusing, she repeated it with a grin, “Bookworm.”
Liao Guang blushed and stammered, unable to speak. Sneaking a glance at Princess Funing, his heart swelled, and he couldn’t help but whisper, “Although it’s presumptuous, if the miss would bestow her name…”
The palace maid became anxious and earnestly advised, “Miss, we should leave!”
Princess Funing knew she couldn’t casually reveal her identity to a stranger, so she smiled at Liao Guang, “Your surname and live in the house with a persimmon tree in Huaihua Lane, right?” After receiving confirmation, she ran away with a smile, leaving behind the words, “I remember you.”
Funing happily ran back to the teahouse. Jiang Shanshan couldn’t wait any longer and was standing at the door eagerly awaiting her return. When she saw her, she pulled her back to the private room on the second floor, poured her a cup of tea, and scolded her, “Where did Your Highness go? You said you were going to the restroom, but you disappeared in the blink of an eye. You also refused to bring more people with you. I was worried about Your Highness’s safety and went to look for you, only to find that you weren’t inside at all! If you don’t come back soon, the maids will tear me apart and eat me.”
Funing picked up the tea and jokingly said to her, “I just found the sugar figurine stall interesting. I knew you wouldn’t let me go, so I went on my own.” Then she asked her attendant, Chen Yue, to take a sugar figurine and give it to Jiang Shanshan. “I had this fairy made specifically for you, Second Sister. Doesn’t it look like you? Here, it’s for you.”
How could Jiang Shanshan care about such worthless trinkets? She reluctantly took it and had her maid, Mu Di, put it away, frowning unhappily at Funing. “What did I tell you before we came out? Don’t wander off without listening to me. What if something happens? How do I explain to the Imperial Consort?” Her eyes reddened as she choked up, “They’re already looking for my faults. And now you’re helping people bully me.”
Funing hurriedly reassured her, “I didn’t do anything, Second Sister, I really didn’t. If you don’t believe me, ask Chen Yue.” Seeing Jiang Shanshan crying silently, she continued, “Stop crying. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it for you.”
After playing enough, Jiang Shanshan wiped her tears with a reddened eye and said, “I don’t want you to do anything for me, just be well.” She never asked Funing about the people she met or what she did outside.
Instead, Funing couldn’t keep it to herself. She whispered to Jiang Shanshan away from the other palace maids, “I gave that book away just now. There was a bookworm who made me laugh. He chased after me crying, saying the book was his family heirloom, and I gave it to him when I softened.”
Jiang Shanshan exclaimed, “How could something like that happen?! Your Highness was clearly deceived! Come on, let’s report it!” Then she turned to Chen Yue, “You don’t even know how to advise Her Highness. Is this how you serve her?” She ordered, “You go and have the guards chase after them immediately, catch that scammer, and report him to the authorities!”
Funing was startled. Despite her disbelief, she felt Jiang Shanshan was being too kind to her. She didn’t think Liao Guang was a scammer. She quickly stopped Mu Di and pleaded with Jiang Shanshan, “Second Sister, it’s not true. He’s a good person.”
Jiang Shanshan became even more determined, “How do you know he’s a good person? No, I have to catch that scoundrel and get the book back! Princess doesn’t know how wicked people outside can be!”
Despite Funing’s repeated pleas, Jiang Shanshan refused, and her words became harsher.
Funing, having been spoiled as a Princess, became annoyed when her attempts to reason with Jiang Shanshan failed. She became frustrated when even after speaking kindly several times, Jiang Shanshan persisted. Finally, she sternly said, “Who dares?! Second Sister, even if you’re unhappy because of Fu Mingzhu, you don’t have to take it out on just anyone, do you? I came out to have fun with you, but you’re picking a fight with me. Do you want to catch and harass people for no reason? Slap my face? My Royal Mother and sixth brother often scold me for being foolish, are you implying the same? That I can’t tell right from wrong?”
Jiang Shanshan was taken aback, staring at Funing in disbelief, not knowing what to do. Seeing this, Chen Yue quickly advised, “Your Highness, Second Miss Jiang is doing this for your own good. Please don’t be angry.”
Unhappily, Funing said, “I know she’s doing it for my own good, but it’s too annoying. It’s just a book, isn’t it? Is it worth this much trouble? What kind of person will I be seen as if this gets out?” She got up and left, and the other accompanying palace maids followed suit.
Mu Di hurried to push Jiang Shanshan, “Miss, you must go and stop His Highness.”
Jiang Shanshan turned her back with a cold expression and said loudly, “I’m not wrong. I’m doing this for her own good. Why is she so angry with me?”
Funing turned back again, angrily saying, “Second Sister, I confided in you because I thought of you as a friend. It was just for fun, and now if you go tell my Royal Mother and sixth brother, we’re done!” Then she stomped downstairs.
Mu Di couldn’t understand. Their young lady usually got along so well with Princess Funing, so why were they having a falling out over such a trivial matter? Wouldn’t this ruin all the goodwill they had built up before? She advised, “Miss…”
Ignoring her, Jiang Shanshan walked to the window and looked down. Funing had left the teahouse in a huff and was getting into a carriage, surrounded by a group of people.
Jiang Shanshan ignored her, quickly walked to the window and looked down. Funing had already left the teahouse in anger and boarded a carriage, surrounded by a group of people, and moved forward.
Jiang Shanshan said lightly, “Today she encountered a stranger and casually gave away valuable things. In such situations, of course, I have to distance myself. What’s a little argument? We can smooth things over later.”
Mu Di also felt the situation was serious. “Shouldn’t that girl go to the palace to inform the Imperial Consort and Ying Wang?”
Jiang Shanshan smirked mischievously. “Is it so easy to enter the palace? Ying Wang is not so easy to meet either. The princess is in the palace now, and there may be no chance to meet that person again in the future. Let’s go. We’ll follow from afar. After all, the princess came out of the palace with me. Now that there has been some unpleasantness, I must send her back to the palace.”
The master and servant went downstairs, boarded their carriage, and followed Princess Funing’s carriage from a distance. When Princess Funing heard what Chen Yue said, she turned around and, feeling irritated, said, “Faster! Faster! Don’t let her follow!”
The carriage sped up, scaring pedestrians on the road, but somehow, maybe due to the skills of the Jiang family’s coachman, they couldn’t shake off the pursuer. Furious, Funing pointed at Chen Yue and said, “You go down and stop her. Tell her not to follow me, or I’ll really get angry!”
Chen Yue, helpless, had to go down and convey Funing’s message.
Jiang Shanshan remained silent for a long time before saying helplessly, “Have someone notify Ying Wang’s mansion to ensure the princess is safely returned.” She had to let Yuwen Chu know that she and Funing had quarreled over this so that she could clear any suspicion as much as possible.
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