The Ninth Princess Reigns Supreme [Transmigration] - Chapter 7
After running for a long way, the girl didn’t even have time to catch her breath, and presented the food box like a treasure on the stone table in front of Ning Zisheng, her eyes full of anticipation: “Your Highness, would you like to have lunch together?”
As she spoke, Liu Li opened the lid of the redwood food box, and the fragrance instantly filled the gazebo, making people’s appetites increase greatly.
The top layer was filled with crystal clear pastries, translucent and bright white, with dragon and phoenix patterns on them.
Ning Zisheng had never seen this kind of dim sum: “What is this?”
“This is called Crystal Dragon and Phoenix Cake.” Liu Li introduced to her, “I guess Your Highness should not have eaten it before. It was made by me personally.”
Ning Zisheng raised her eyebrows, although she did not question it, she obviously did not believe it. County Princess Chun Ning never touched the spring water with her ten fingers, so how could she suddenly have the interest to make pastries?
“…Okay, it was made by my servant.” Liu Li was generous, and in Ning Zisheng’s “as expected” gaze, she didn’t have the slightest embarrassment after being exposed for lying. “But the method and recipe were all researched by me, really! Your Highness, please try it.”
The girl’s sincere eyes were very much like a puppy who had obtained something good, and then wagged its tail and gave it to its owner.
Ning Zisheng said “Mm” and used her chopsticks to pick up a piece to taste. It tasted slightly sweet, and after chewing it a few times, it was full of fragrance, making people want to eat it again.
“How is it?”
“Not bad.” Ning Zisheng picked up another piece, still pursing her lips and expressionless, only the subconscious raising of her eyebrows revealed her feelings.
Liu Li thought, ‘Of course, it was all made according to your preferences and tastes in the original story.’
She and her servants had spent several days in the small kitchen of Yanluo Palace, and the discarded pastries were enough for the palace people of the entire palace to eat for half a month. The finished products naturally had good results.
Ning Zisheng was accustomed to “not speaking while eating, and not speaking while sleeping,” and soon stopped talking, instead focusing on eating.
But Liu Li was not like that. She couldn’t stay idle for a while. After only eating two bites, she tilted her head and asked her, “Did Your Highness hear me reciting the book just now? How did I recite it?”
Her words were full of requests for praise.
Ning Zisheng only felt that everything the person in front of her was thinking was written on her face. Although she was a bit silly, she was naively cute, and couldn’t feel any dislike: “Mm, not bad.”
Liu Li chatted awkwardly with Ning Zisheng for a long time, no matter how eloquently she spoke, and even if her face was stiff with laughter, her favorability remained steady at 0, unmoved.
Finally, after finishing eating, Ning Zisheng put down her chopsticks and wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief: “Have you memorized all of the *Book of Rites*? If I test you, can you answer?”
Liu Li sat upright: “Your Highness, please test me.”
Only Ning Zisheng asked: “‘Those who are good at singing make people continue their voices; those who are good at teaching make people continue their aspirations,’ how do you explain this?”
“Uh…” Liu Li paused. This was one of the sentences she had answered quickly when the Grand Tutor was lecturing just now.
She had only memorized it by rote these days, and hadn’t really understood the specific meaning. But this sentence was not particularly complicated, and it was possible to improvise an explanation.
“Those who are good at…at singing can make others willing to sing with him, and those who are good at teaching can make people willing to inherit his aspirations…”
Ning Zisheng motioned her to continue speaking, obviously wanting to hear an answer that was not a simple translation.
Liu Li suddenly had a flash of inspiration: “My…my explanation is, ‘If the beam is not straight, the house will be crooked.'”
“Oh?”
Ning Zisheng was a little interested, and wanted to see how she could connect these two seemingly unrelated sentences.
“If a person who is good at singing sings ordinary little tunes, that’s fine. But if he sings some obscene and lewd songs, and others sing with him, wouldn’t it be harmful to public morals?” Liu Li knew she was talking nonsense, and was a little guilty. “If a good teacher has evil intentions, and teaches only some fallacies and heresies, then how can his disciples, who inherit his aspirations, be any good? So in my opinion, it is still necessary to find a good person to teach, so that one can achieve something, otherwise one will go astray.”
At the end, she also slightly flattered Ning Zisheng – since Liu Li asked Ning Zisheng to teach her, she naturally felt that she was a good person.
Afterwards, she saw Ning Zisheng’s lips slightly curved, as if she was amused by her, but then she restrained herself.
“You have a unique perspective.”
Indeed, it was probably only Liu Li who dared to interpret the *Book of Rites* like this in this era. She blinked her eyes: “I have shallow knowledge and speak nonsense. It’s worth it if I can make Your Highness smile.”
“The explanation you just gave is fine to say in front of me, but if the Grand Tutor asks, you must not answer like this.”
Ning Zisheng rarely gave her a reminder. In the eyes of the Grand Tutors, misinterpreting the Four Books and Five Classics is a great taboo.
“Yes, ma’am!”
The two chatted and laughed in the gazebo. Although the voices were not loud, they attracted the attention of others not far away.
The Eighth Princess Ning Zichun glanced over there, and seeing that it was Ning Zisheng, she felt quite bored and turned her head back, casually saying to Liu Ruyun next to her: “Who is that next to the Ninth Princess?”
Ning Zichun’s mother was Concubine Li, although her family background was not outstanding, she was still quite favored, and there were many people in the palace who curry favor with her.
Liu Ruyun had been her companion for a few days, flattering and pleasing her everywhere, and the two could be considered to have a good conversation, saying: “The one with the Ninth Princess is my elder sister, does Your Highness the Eighth recognize her?”
The Eighth Princess suddenly realized: “Oh, County Princess Chun Ning. Why would she be with Ning Zisheng?”
“This…” Liu Ruyun hesitated, obviously having something to say, but was hesitant.
The Eighth Princess had an impatient temperament, and couldn’t stand this kind of appearance: “Speak.”
“Please don’t blame me, Your Highness,” Liu Ruyun said in a low voice. “My elder sister has always disliked me. Seeing that I am fortunate enough to be a companion for Your Highness, perhaps she is resentful, and wants to make friends with another Highness.”
“Oh.” The Eighth Princess was very comfortable with these words, and casually said, “Then she shouldn’t look for Ning Zisheng. In this palace, the most disliked by the imperial father is their mother and daughter.”
“Alas…” Liu Ruyun saw that the Eighth Princess didn’t understand what she meant, sighed, and added fuel to the fire, speaking more directly: “Elder sister is favored by the emperor, and it is inevitable that she will be a bit willful in her actions. My father asked me to be a companion for the Eighth Highness, and she turned around to associate with the Ninth Highness, which makes it difficult for me to do, and I don’t know what to do.”
Ning Zichun was not very smart, and was led into the ditch by Liu Ruyun. She suddenly felt that something was wrong: “Indeed, Chun Ning’s actions put you in what position, and put this princess in what position!”
At the same time, she felt unhappy in her heart.
Her mother, Concubine Li, had always told her that if she had the opportunity, she must make friends with County Princess Chun Ning, so that she could climb up to her mother, Princess Bao’an, and also be more appreciated by the imperial father.
Unexpectedly, this Chun Ning would rather go to the unfavored Ninth Princess than look up to herself!
Liu Ruyun pretended to be anxious and explained: “Elder sister is just used to being willful, Your Highness, please don’t misunderstand her…”
These words were like adding fuel to the fire, and Ning Zichun had already gotten up, angrily going to find trouble.
Liu Ruyun smiled lightly, and then hurriedly followed behind Ning Zichun.
••••
It was Ning Zisheng who quickly noticed something was wrong. She narrowed her eyes and saw Ning Zichun walking towards her, with someone chasing behind her. The target was her and Liu Li.
Liu Li also looked back, this is…?
Name: Ning Zichun
Age: 13 years old
Identity: [Great Ning Dynasty] Eighth Princess
Current Status: Strangers
Note: Impulsive and reckless in her actions
Finally, she saw another cannon fodder female supporting character, but with her half-sister following behind the Eighth Princess, Liu Li felt that things were a bit bad.
Whose trouble is this coming for? Ning Zisheng? It shouldn’t be, at this stage, Ning Zisheng is keeping a low profile, and in the eyes of anyone, she has no presence.
So the Eighth Princess was looking for her.
“Eighth Sister,” Ning Zisheng greeted, her voice very soft.
Ning Zichun ignored her, but frowned and looked at Liu Li: “County Princess Chun Ning.”
The Eighth Princess had no grudges against her, and the instigator must be her half-sister. Liu Li turned her mind and smiled: “Eighth Princess, please come and sit.”
Her tone was very natural, without any grudges.
“Sitting is unnecessary.” Seeing that her attitude was good, Ning Zichun eased up a bit. “Seeing the County Princess, I know that the County Princess has come to the Imperial Academy, but she didn’t even say hello to me. We are sisters of similar age. Come to my palace more often when you have time.”
As she spoke, she glanced meaningfully at Ning Zisheng: “The County Princess should also be careful. There are too many snobbish things in this palace. Don’t get yourself into trouble.”
Ning Zisheng didn’t react at all, as if she couldn’t hear that she was talking about herself.
Liu Li didn’t understand why she suddenly opened fire on Ning Zisheng, so she must protect her own Princess. After thinking about it, her eyes darkened, and she said:
“What Your Highness said is true. It must be my useless sister who made you angry. My father had already asked her to enter the palace to be your companion, but she was wholeheartedly thinking of going to the Fifth Princess’s place. Coming here is also reluctant… It is this humble woman who has failed to discipline her, and I hope Your Highness will forgive her.”
The Fifth Princess was born to Noble Concubine Shi, whose mother’s family had great power and was also exceptionally arrogant. She usually had a bad relationship with Ning Zichun, and the two often confronted each other.
However, the Eighth Princess’s mother was only a Concubine, so she was naturally inferior to the position of a Noble Concubine, which made her even more unconvinced by the Fifth Princess.
In this way, Liu Li subtly changed the target of the “snobbish people” that Ning Zichun said, and incidentally stirred up some trouble.
As soon as she heard this, Ning Zichun’s almond eyes widened: “What?!”
Liu Ruyun deliberately walked very slowly, thinking of letting the Eighth Princess and Liu Li quarrel for a while. At this time, she finally caught up to the side of the gazebo: “Your Highness, elder sister…”
Liu Li looked pitiful: “Ruyun is still young, and she is not intentional. Please don’t blame her, Your Highness the Eighth.”
Liu Ruyun:?
Ning Zichun thought of the humiliations she had suffered from the Fifth Princess in the past, and her hands trembled with anger. She turned her head and pointed at Liu Ruyun: “If you look down on this princess and her mother, why bother to pretend? I didn’t expect you to be such a snobbish person. It’s really disgusting!”
Liu Ruyun was dumbfounded:?
After Ning Zichun finished speaking, she flung her sleeves and left. Liu Ruyun was stunned for a long time before chasing after her: “Your Highness, Your Highness!”
After they left, the gazebo returned to tranquility.
Ning Zisheng stared at Liu Li with interest for a while, making her scalp tingle, fearing that her favorability would drop.
“It’s getting late, I’ll go back first.” Ning Zisheng got up, tidying her book bag and food box.
Liu Li said goodbye to her, her heart pounding, and then she relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.
[Ning Zisheng favorability towards you +10. Current favorability: 10 (strangers).]