Chapter 359: Sending Flowers

Zhou Chang was startled; this was the first time she had heard someone say that about her.

Although she was wearing the skin of Prince Fengming, wasn’t she a woman?

Yuan Qi walked to the side of the flower pot: “Aunt Jing, how old are you this year?”

“Just over forty.” Zhou Chang didn’t think that age was a big problem for a woman, “But Aunt Jing’s charm, anyone who has seen her will certainly have an impression. Whether it’s her appearance, demeanor, or attire, which one isn’t good? Even the noblewomen of the so-called wealthy families can’t compare to her.”

“Prince misunderstood,” Yuan Qi finally looked up from the flowers and smiled, “Prince imagine, if Aunt Jing was young, didn’t enter the Palace, and didn’t become an old Palace Maid later, what kind of man would she find?”

“This…” Zhou Chang had never really thought about such a question.

But with Aunt Jing’s appearance and spirit, she certainly wouldn’t settle for less; she should find a gentleman like Li Zhi, who was handsome in both figure and appearance, but also had a noble character.

“Prince understands?” Yuan Qi observed Zhou Chang’s expression and could guess three points.

Zhou Chang gently nodded: “You mean, Aunt Jing is arrogant, Li Zhi isn’t worthy of her, and she is definitely unwilling to settle for less in this life?”

“Aunt Jing may not look down on Li Zhi, but both of them have already missed…” Yuan Qi’s expression dimmed, and her gaze fell on the purple flower in front of her again.

Zhou Chang also gradually understood that if she were to become Aunt Jing, she might not choose to take another step either; it wasn’t bad to be alone.

Yuan Qi’s fingers gently fiddled with the petals: “And it’s not because of Aunt Jing’s age; it’s just that at her age, it’s not impossible to marry and have children, but I’m afraid she can only become a second wife. Then she’ll have to manage the affairs of a whole family, and in the end, she’ll still be an outsider. Is this still good for Aunt Jing?”

“Who said you have to have children, you don’t have to.” Zhou Chang didn’t think that women had to have children, and changed the subject to agree, “But you’re right, none of them are worthy of Aunt Jing. It’s best for Aunt Jing to stay in the Prince’s Mansion and live as she does now, enjoying a peaceful old age.”

“Pfft…” Yuan Qi laughed, “Prince really does seem like Aunt Jing’s son.”

“Yes, exactly like her son.” Zhou Chang was serious, and also felt it was a pity, “But I didn’t want her to get married either; I just felt that if Aunt Jing could have a companion, it wouldn’t be bad to talk to someone in the evenings.”

Yuan Qi almost rolled her eyes in her heart: “Why does she have to find a companion just to talk? There are so many people in the Prince’s Mansion, anyone will do. Why does Aunt Jing have to find a specific person?”

“Ah, that’s right, look at me, I’m stuck in a dead end.” Zhou Chang was ashamed; she herself didn’t want to get married, so why was she just now helping Aunt Jing find someone?

She was definitely led astray by Aunt Jing.

Zhou Chang pulled at the corner of her mouth to ease the embarrassment: “Right, what matter do you have to look for me?”

Yuan Qi, upon being reminded, also remembered, turned her head, and took out a wad of large silver notes from her sleeve and handed it to Zhou Chang: “I’m here to give Prince the silver.”

Zhou Chang took it and took a rough look; there were five thousand silver.

“This was brought back directly from ‘Yu Zhen Pavilion’. Of course, the total business won’t be so little, but that will have to wait until the end of the month when the accounts are summarized. If Prince urgently needs it, take it and use it first.” Yuan Qi was generous and bold and unrestrained.

“Are you really not curious about what I always use these silver for?” Zhou Chang felt guilty that she got the silver so easily.

Yuan Qi smiled brightly, not caring at all: “Prince doesn’t want to say, then don’t say it.”

Zhou Chang was fine, but a trace of loss inexplicably flashed through Prince Yi’s consciousness.

“Right, I can’t accept this silver.” Zhou Chang returned the silver to Yuan Qi, “I still owe you five thousand silver for the matter of Moon Invitation Pavilion last time.”

Previously, Zhou Chang had borrowed thirty thousand silver from Yuan Qi to redeem people, but unfortunately, Liu’e’s whereabouts were unknown, and three thousand silver had been returned to Gao Yuan a few days later.

But Zhou Chang still owed five thousand silver in “prostitution fees” and had never dared to forget it, but had never had any silver to pay it back.

Yuan Qi declined: “That little silver is nothing; I said at the time that Prince didn’t need to take it to heart.”

Yuan Qi was generous, but now, the more generous Yuan Qi was, the more uncomfortable Zhou Chang felt.

It was a kind of indescribable discomfort, as if her whole body wasn’t her own.

“This kind of silver must be repaid.” Zhou Chang stood up and firmly stuffed the silver notes back to Yuan Qi.

“Which kind of silver?” Yuan Qi had to take it.

Zhou Chang was embarrassed; the words “prostitution fees” couldn’t be spoken publicly either.

Yuan Qi wasn’t entangled either. After taking back the silver notes, she reacted and suddenly became embarrassed.

The two of them were in awkward silence.

After a moment, it was Yuan Qi who changed the topic first: “Right, is there still no news of Liu’e?”

Upon mentioning Liu’e, Zhou Chang couldn’t help but sigh: “Alas, Gao Yuan returns early in the morning and late at night, sometimes not even returning for the whole night, but still, there is no news.”

Recently, she also rarely saw Gao Yuan. She saw him a few days ago, and Gao Yuan had become even thinner, and his originally bright and energetic eyes were also sunken and dull.

Zhou Chang wanted to offer a few words of comfort, but knew it would be useless.

Unless the truth came out that day and Liu’e’s whereabouts were known, it would be difficult for Gao Yuan to get through this.

“Alas, it’s a pity, the Yuan Clan can’t help much either…” Yuan Qi also sighed, and her gaze fell back on the purple flower.

Zhou Chang then remembered: “Right, I almost forgot, this flower is for you.”

“For me?” Yuan Qi was surprised.

“Naturally for you.” Zhou Chang was quite proud.

Yuan Qi went forward to take a closer look, and was overjoyed: “This is ‘Purple Fight’, isn’t it? You can’t buy it even if you have money?”

“I don’t know what ‘Purple Fight’ is, but it looks novel and beautiful, and I thought you liked flowers.” Zhou Chang really had no feeling for flowers.

“Where did Prince get this?” Yuan Qi was very fond of it.

“From the Palace…” Zhou Chang didn’t expect Yuan Qi to like it so much, nor did she expect this flower to be so valuable, “Is this flower very valuable? How much is it worth?”

“No wonder,” Yuan Qi was excited, “‘Purple Fight’ is extremely difficult to cultivate, and it only blooms in the fourth month of the year. When the flowers bloom, they are first offered to the inner court. If you say it’s valuable, then all the flowers in this mansion together aren’t as good as this one pot.”

“Ah…” Zhou Chang was surprised, but didn’t expect the “purple large flower” in front of her to be so valuable.

But since it has now become Liu Dexia’s “burden”, then it really is…, she didn’t know what to say.

“It’s so rare, how did Prince get it? Did His Majesty give it to you?” Yuan Qi didn’t doubt that Prince Yi definitely didn’t buy it.

Zhou Chang couldn’t admit that it was “stolen”, so she could only vaguely say: “No matter how it came, as long as you like it, it’s fine. It’s a pity that I only saw one pot, otherwise I would have brought it all for you.”

“One pot is already rare, how much more is needed? Prince has nothing else to do, I will move it away first to admire it.” Yuan Qi happily took the flower and left.

Zhou Chang looked at Yuan Qi’s back as she left, and suddenly her stomach rumbled.

She couldn’t help but feel depressed. How come everyone forgot about her dinner today? Aunt Jing was fine, and it had been several days since she asked Mama Wang to make dinner, and Yuan Qi just left like that without even the intention of inviting her to dinner. What was this all about?

Yuan Qi seemed to have telepathy and turned around and smiled brightly.

“What?” Zhou Chang instantly ignited the hope of eating a free meal.

“I almost forgot, I haven’t thanked Prince yet.” Yuan Qi shook the flower pot, smiling like a happy little girl.

Zhou Chang was stunned.

Yuan Qi had already disappeared into the golden sunset with the two palace maids outside the door.

Suddenly, a thought surfaced in her heart; Yuan Qi’s smile was a hundred times more beautiful than that flower.