Cui Jintang sat back on the soft couch. Looking at the red - tasseled spear that Qi Xutao had thrown aside, she casually asked her, "This spear was made for you by someone I sent when you first went on a military expedition, wasn't it?"
Qi Xutao was stunned for a moment. After a careful recollection, she said,
"It should be the year when His Royal Highness went to Zhujin Mountain to invite his sister - in - law to be a military advisor."
Cui Jintang handed her a cup of tea and asked casually, "That should be the year before you fought against the Eastern Barbarians."
At the mention of the Eastern Barbarians, Qi Xutao shivered all over.
"I'm terrified just thinking about those people! They could fight ten of our men with one. Not only were they incredibly strong, but they were also extremely agile!
"I raided them one night and burned their food supplies. I almost got hammered to death by their chief with one punch."
At this point, Qi Xutao showed a bit of pain on her face. "Originally, they would have surrendered without food supplies. I never expected that before dawn the next day, they went to the battlefield to pick up corpses and eat them!"
Cui Jintang stopped her action of eating the cloud - shaped cake and silently put it back.
She said, "Fortunately, all the Eastern Barbarians are dead. Otherwise, with their blood - thirsty nature, they might have taken revenge severely."
Hearing this, Qi Xutao's expression was a bit uncomfortable for a moment.
Cui Jintang caught this discomfort precisely. "What's wrong? Is there a hidden story in this matter?"
"No."
Qi Xutao paused for a while, then shook her head at her with a smile.
Cui Jintang calmly let this matter pass as a casual chat.
But based on her years of understanding of Qi Xutao, the battle that year was probably not that simple.
There must have been survivors among the Eastern Barbarians, and these survivors might have been kept in captivity by the current emperor.
If she were the emperor, she would regard this group of Eastern Barbarians as a trump card to stabilize the throne.
"Slap."
Cui Jintang put down the teacup, frowning tightly.
---
The birthday banquet was held in the mansion of County Princess Luo Xiang.
As a county princess who was granted the title halfway, regardless of whether it was good or bad, Luo Xiang was quite famous among the noble ladies in the capital.
Today, in the name of Pei Zhaolin's birthday and in the tone of Pei's wife, she invited half of the princes and nobles in the capital.
As soon as Cui Jintang stepped into the county princess's mansion, she felt several looks full of anticipation for a good show.
She frowned slightly, and then saw Luo Xiang coming up to greet her.
Luo Xiang intimately took Cui Jintang's hand and said gently, "Miss Cui is here? Thank you for coming to congratulate Zhaolin on his birthday today."
Luo Xiang's tone and attitude were full of the aura of a superior.
In front of everyone, Cui Jintang pulled back her hand.
She took out a clean handkerchief from her sleeve and carefully wiped the place that had been touched by Luo Xiang.
"I'm here today on behalf of the Eldest Princess to present the birthday gift."
Luo Xiang's face stiffened for a moment, and then she showed a bright smile again. "Then I'll thank the Eldest Princess on behalf of Zhaolin."
Just as Luo Xiang reached out her hand, Cui Jintang took a step forward and walked inside, leaving Luo Xiang's hand hanging in the air.
A look of annoyance flashed across Luo Xiang's face.
It was obvious that Luo Xiang had put a lot of thought into Pei Zhaolin's birthday banquet today.
During the banquet, there was a lot of toasting and feasting.
Luo Xiang was so busy that her feet never touched the ground, but she never saw Pei Zhaolin's figure from beginning to end.
According to the etiquette, the host would publicly choose a few presentable birthday gifts and show them.
"Minister of the Ministry of Works, Lord Zhao, presents a pair of enamel - painted porcelain vases!"
Lord Zhao, who was mentioned, modestly bowed his hand in return for the compliments.
"The heir of the Duke of Jingguo presents a painting named Spring River after the Rain by Master Yan!"
There was another round of cheers.
"The Eldest Princess presents a lacquered wooden food box!"
The originally lively banquet suddenly fell silent.
Cui Jintang continued to drink tea calmly as if nothing had happened.
The lacquered wooden food box was quietly placed on the table.
No matter how you looked at it, it was just an ordinary food box.
In front of everyone, Luo Xiang reached out and opened the food box. Immediately, a sweet fragrance filled the air.
It was a box of delicate lotus pastries.
There was nothing else.
"Zhaolin loves these lotus pastries the most. Thank you for the gift from the Eldest Princess."
Luo Xiang politely thanked. When no one was paying attention, she saw the servant who carried the gift nod at her.
Luo Xiang quickly stepped forward, personally picked up the box of lotus pastries, and distributed them affectionately.
"The princess has bestowed these. Let's all have a taste!"
Unable to decline, the guests took a small piece each.
After tasting, they all praised them.
Just as Cui Jintang put down the teacup, Luo Xiang came up with the food box and said, "Miss Cui, would you like to have a taste?"
"Get out of the way."
Even in front of everyone, Cui Jintang could hardly give Luo Xiang a good look.
A look of anger flashed across Luo Xiang's face, and then she smiled and turned around. She picked up a piece and put it into her mouth.
As if nothing had happened, she continued, "The taste is really good."
Everyone began to praise, even claiming that it was better than the food made by the imperial chefs in the palace.
Cui Jintang, who just bought the pastries casually to fill in the number, thought, "?"
Forget it.
Luo Xiang was smiling and echoing, but suddenly her face changed, and the handkerchief in her hand fell to the ground.
"County Princess! What's wrong with you?"
Wang Yueyao immediately rushed over anxiously.
"It's okay. I just... feel a bit dizzy." Luo Xiang forced a smile, but her body began to tremble slightly.
Before she could finish her words, she fell limply and landed heavily on the bluestone slab.
"County Princess!" Wang Yueyao hugged Luo Xiang and turned around, shouting urgently, "Call the imperial doctor! Hurry and call the imperial doctor!"
The whole banquet was in an uproar.
Without waiting for investigation, the ears were filled with the successive exclamations.
All those who had eaten the lotus pastries fainted and fell to the ground.
"Miss Cui has good tricks. She actually poisoned County Princess Zhiheng at the birthday banquet!"
Wang Yueyao's shrill voice suddenly rang in her ear.
Cui Jintang turned around and saw Wang Yueyao rushing towards her and shouting like a madwoman.
"You dared to put poison in the princess's birthday gift!"
Cui Jintang frowned slightly, and Zhu Er drew his knife, scaring Wang Yueyao to immediately withdraw her hand.
"The princess has no grudges against Lord Pei, but Miss Cui may not!"
Suddenly, a man rushed up and spoke plausibly to Cui Jintang. But when he met Cui Jintang's gaze, he inexplicably became timid.
"Otherwise, why didn't you eat the lotus pastries?!"
Cui Jintang swept her gaze around and said coldly, "If I really wanted to poison, I would have eaten them too, so as to avoid a fool like you coming up to question me. Can't you even see such an obvious frame - up?"
Most of the ladies were silent.
They lived in the inner courtyard. Throughout their lives, what kind of sophisticated framing methods had they not seen?
Such an obvious framing method was really a long - lost sight.
--- Only those men couldn't see it!
Just as Cui Jintang was about to get up by propping her hands on the table, she suddenly heard a voice behind her.
"Arrest the suspect, Cui Jintang!"
This voice was too familiar.
Under the plaque of the county princess's mansion, Pei Zhaolin led his troops here.
Dressed in white with wide sleeves like clouds, he was like an immortal from the nine heavens, dazzlingly bright.
Soon, several soldiers pointed their knives at Cui Jintang.
Pei Zhaolin turned his face away, avoiding her gaze.
"I never thought that one day I would use the word 'fool' on you."
Cui Jintang let out a sneer, but was forcibly dragged away.
The noble ladies sighed one after another.
No matter how good - looking Lord Pei was or how powerful his methods were, it was useless!
Couldn't he even see such an obvious frame - up?!