The Princess Consort of Pingyang patted Duoduo's head.
"You and Yingniang go to the carriage in front. The two masters are waiting for you."
Duoduo tugged at the Princess Consort of Pingyang's sleeve.
"Mother, lower your head."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang's eyes curved into a smile as she bent down.
"What secret do you want to whisper to Mother?"
Xu Jinxin covered Yingniang's ears. "It must be sweet nothings the Prince asked Duoduo to pass on to you!"
"Yingniang, let's not eavesdrop!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang shot Xu Jinxin a playful glare and looked at Duoduo.
Duoduo covered her mouth with her hand and leaned close to the Princess Consort of Pingyang's ear.
"Mother, Father is out of handkerchiefs! You should embroider a new one for him!"
Hearing this, the Princess Consort of Pingyang revealed a surprised expression.
Having completed her mission, Duoduo happily pulled Yingniang along and climbed into the front carriage.
Xu Jinxin walked to the Princess Consort of Pingyang's side and gently pinched her.
"What did your Prince say? Why do you look so surprised?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang twitched her lips. "It's nothing. Let's go, we'll talk in the carriage."
The two of them got into their carriage, and the carriage in front began to move.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang fell into deep thought.
Duoduo's words just now left her completely baffled.
She remembered that she had just embroidered several handkerchiefs for the Prince of Pingyang.
How could the Prince of Pingyang say he had no handkerchiefs to use?
Could it be that her embroidery skills had regressed, and the Prince of Pingyang was dissatisfied?
Or was it that the fabric this time was poor, and the Prince didn't like it?
The Princess Consort of Pingyang unconsciously squeezed the sachet in her hand.
This sachet was also embroidered by her for the Prince of Pingyang.
The embroidery pattern on it had been personally selected and drawn by her, taking several days and nights to complete.
From selecting the material to making the entire sachet, she had done everything herself without relying on others.
The fact that the Prince of Pingyang carried it with him meant he didn't disdain her embroidery.
Whether it was something as large as clothes or as small as a sachet, the items the Princess Consort of Pingyang made for the Prince of Pingyang always used the best fabrics.
Logically speaking, the Prince of Pingyang shouldn't be complaining about the fabric.
But what exactly was wrong?
Xu Jinxin saw the Princess Consort of Pingyang looking down at the sachet in her hand, appearing to cherish it deeply.
She burst out laughing.
"Hey, if you keep rubbing it, the banknotes inside are going to be crushed to pieces!"
"If you can't bear to spend them, why don't you take them back and put them on a shrine?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang's face flushed red, and she tucked the sachet into her sleeve.
"I am not."
Xu Jinxin leaned in close to the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"Still denying it? Look at how red your face is, you could open a dyehouse!"
Feeling bashful from Xu Jinxin's teasing, the Princess Consort of Pingyang raised her hand to pinch Xu Jinxin's cheek.
"Stop it!"
Xu Jinxin hurriedly caught the Princess Consort of Pingyang's hand. "Are you flying into a rage out of embarrassment?"
"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore. Spare me!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang withdrew her hand and shot Xu Jinxin a reproachful glance.
Xu Jinxin sat up straight. "What exactly did Duoduo say to you just now? You look so distracted."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang's mind was a tangled mess.
Since Xu Jinxin asked, she simply told her.
Having someone else to brainstorm with might help clear up her confusion.
"The Prince of Pingyang said he's out of handkerchiefs? And asked you to embroider one? Even though you just did?"
Xu Jinxin repeated.
"Yes." The Princess Consort of Pingyang nodded.
"Could it be that the Prince of Pingyang never received the handkerchiefs you gave him?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang shook her head.
"How is that possible? I handed them to the Prince myself."
Xu Jinxin pondered for a moment.
"Could there be a possibility..."
"What possibility? Tell me quickly!" the Princess Consort of Pingyang urged anxiously.
"The Prince didn't mean this for you, but for Duoduo!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang was stunned.
"Not for me, but for Duoduo?"
"Exactly!" Xu Jinxin nodded affirmatively.
"Duoduo has already started learning embroidery, right?"
"Yes, Nanny Li is teaching her embroidery," the Princess Consort of Pingyang added.
"Then it all makes sense!" Xu Jinxin clapped her hands.
"When Yingniang first started learning embroidery, Li Jin also asked her to embroider a handkerchief for him!"
"Unfortunately, Yingniang's embroidery skills are about the same as mine; what she embroidered was a complete disaster."
"After that, Li Jin never brought it up again!"
Xu Jinxin covered her mouth, laughing uncontrollably as she spoke.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang smiled too.
For some reason, a faint sense of disappointment lingered in her heart.
"The Prince definitely wants Duoduo's first embroidery piece as well."
"This way, it gives the child pressure but also motivation, encouraging her to work hard."
"This was what Li Jin explained to me later."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang nodded.
"You're right, Duoduo must have misunderstood."
Xu Jinxin laughed.
"Su Xian, you're not jealous of Duoduo, are you?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang felt a bit awkward. "What are you saying? Duoduo is my daughter."
Xu Jinxin lightly slapped her own mouth.
"Me and my big mouth! Back then, I was incredibly jealous of Yingniang."
"Li Jin treated her much better than he treated me!"
"But later on, I stopped being jealous."
"Because Li Jin was incredibly strict with Yingniang."
"If it were me, I wouldn't have put up with it!"
Xu Jinxin's words won the Princess Consort of Pingyang's agreement.
"The Prince is also very strict with Duoduo."
"Sometimes, I feel it's too harsh."
"The Prince even blames me, saying that a doting mother raises a spoiled child!"
The two best friends in the rear carriage chatted endlessly about their husbands and daughters.
The carriage in front, however, felt a bit heavy.
Because Master Zhang was giving a test.
"Young Princess, look at the person ahead. What is wrong with him?"
Master Zhang pointed to a stall owner not far away, testing Duoduo.
Duoduo poked her head out and observed carefully for a moment.
"His cheeks are very red, which means his liver fire is very strong..."
Duoduo voiced her observations.
Master Zhang shook his head.
"Incorrect!"
"His cheeks are red because they are being roasted by the stove fire in front of him."
"The redness is on the surface, not internal. You cannot make a judgment based solely on the surface."
Duoduo nodded. "I was wrong."
She had indeed ignored her surroundings just now and only stared at the person's face.
"What about the woman coming towards us?" Master Zhang spotted another person.
Duoduo leaned out and happened to see a plump woman walking past them.
This time, Duoduo observed her repeatedly.
"Her complexion is rosy, her lip color is normal, and she walks quickly, indicating that she is in good health."
"She is on the heavier side, which is likely due to a fondness for meat and a buildup of phlegm-dampness."
Master Zhang stroked his beard and nodded.
"You've made progress, but your observation is still not thorough enough."
"Her rosy complexion and radiant expression mean she just ran into someone she wanted to see..."
"Ahem!"
Master Zhang's words were interrupted by Li Jin's coughing.
Duoduo turned her head and carefully observed Li Jin's face.
"Master Li's complexion is perfectly normal, and there are no signs of phlegm stagnation."
"Therefore, Master Li, you coughed on purpose just to interrupt Master Zhang?"
