Daming: Dad, you are really not good at governing the country

In the secluded courtyard of Prince Jin's Mansion, Fang Shuxiu was concentrating on embroidering the piece in her hands.

The flowers, birds, fish and insects on the embroidery were lifelike, as if they were about to burst out of the cloth, and they embodied her countless days and nights of hard work.

Just when Fang Shuxiu was about to complete her task, something unexpected happened.

The king's concubine pretended to walk past her casually.

At this moment, the ink in the other party's hand seemed to have eyes and spilled directly onto Fang Shuxiu's embroidery.

The concubine pretended to exclaim: "Oh, what should I do?
My sister embroidered such a precious piece with great care, but I am so sorry for my clumsy hands. "

As the concubine spoke, she lowered her head slightly, but the barely perceptible smugness at the corner of her mouth still revealed her thoughts.

The concubines around had different reactions.

Some couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh, their smiles were full of gloating, as if they had just seen some huge joke.

Some pretended to feel sorry, muttering: "It's such a pity, my sister has spent so much time on this."

But the other person's eyes could not hide the look of anticipation for a good show, as if he was expecting Fang Shuxiu to make a fool of herself.

Fang Shuxiu looked at the embroidery stained with ink and felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if someone had stabbed her hard in the chest.

After all, this is the result of Fang Shuxiu's countless efforts. !
However, at this moment, she remembered the resolution she had secretly made when she first entered the palace: to gain a firm foothold in this palace and not be defeated by these little tricks.

So Fang Shuxiu took a deep breath, suppressed the anger that was surging in her heart, and still had a gentle smile on her face.

I only heard her say calmly: "Sister's sprinkling has given me new inspiration.

I was worried that this embroidery was too monotonous, so I thought I might as well paint a plum blossom in ink instead, which would surely have a different charm.

My sister is really clever and she inspired me unintentionally."

After saying this, Fang Shuxiu calmly picked up the paintbrush and began to carefully outline the embroidery.

Fang Shuxiu's brushstrokes are steady and agile, as if the ink is not a destruction, but a new opportunity provided by God for her creation.

Every stroke seems to be telling of Fang Shuxiu's inner determination.

The other concubines wanted to watch the show, but they didn't expect Fang Shuxiu to be so calm and composed and handle it with ease, which made them seem petty.

Seeing this, they had no choice but to disperse in boredom and continue with their needlework, but they couldn't help but feel a little more wary of Shuxiu.

After this incident, Fang Shuxiu's confidence increased greatly.

But she knew very well that in this palace, which was like a den of dragons and tigers, she needed to be more mature and steady in order to cope with more unknown challenges.

On another day, the palace was decorated with lights and held a poetry gathering.

This poetry gathering was an extremely popular activity among the literati, scholars, and aristocrats of the Ming Dynasty.

The poetry reading was elegantly and exquisitely decorated with colorful flowers. The fragrance of flowers and ink intertwined together, creating a strong cultural atmosphere.

Concubine Li had always been dissatisfied with Fang Shuxiu and always wanted to find an opportunity to embarrass her in front of everyone.

At this moment, her eyes rolled and a malicious smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Concubine Li opened her red lips and said, "I heard that Sister Fang is very talented. Why don't we ask Sister Fang to write a poem on the theme of 'Autumn Melancholy' for today's poetry gathering? Let us also appreciate Sister Fang's elegance."

Concubine Li's words were full of provocation, and Fang Shuxiu understood her intention.

She raised her head slightly and glanced at everyone calmly, her eyes revealing determination and confidence.

Then concubine Li thought for a moment and spoke slowly, her voice clear and pleasant, like pearls falling on a jade plate.

"The autumn wind blows and leaves turn yellow. I lean on the railing alone, feeling restless.

Sadness lingers in my heart for no reason, but I look forward to the arrival of spring. "

This poem not only cleverly responds to the theme of "autumn melancholy", but also expresses a positive and open-minded mood between the lines.

It can be said that the artistic conception is profound and the charm is long. After listening to it, everyone present could not help but nod and praise it.

An elderly lady praised: "Mrs. Fang's poem has the charm of autumn melancholy, but also maintains a positive and optimistic mood. It is really wonderful."

Another young man also echoed: "Yes, Mrs. Fang is very talented and admirable."

Concubine Li originally wanted to make things difficult for Fang Shuxiu, but instead it allowed her to shine in front of everyone and display her talent.

She could only grit her teeth secretly. Although she felt unwilling, she could do nothing about it.

In the end, concubine Li could only force a smile and echo the crowd's praises.

"Sister Fang is indeed very talented. I am ashamed of myself as she is not as talented as you."

During this series of events, the friendship between Fang Shuxiu and her personal maid Cuizhu became increasingly deep.

Cuizhu always accompanies Fang Shuxiu, giving her advice and helping her solve her problems.

Once, Fang Shuxiu was so anxious about dealing with the complicated situation in the palace that she couldn't sleep and tossed and turned in bed.

Cuizhu gently pushed the door open, sat beside her bed, and comforted her softly, "Madam, you are smart and kind, and you will definitely get through these difficulties.

Let's work together to find a solution. I will always be with you."

Cuizhu would also bring her hot tea and stay up late with her when Fang Shuxiu was racking her brains for a solution.

Fang Shuxiu would also tell Cuizhu all her thoughts without reservation.

Fang Shuxiu said with a worried look on her face: "Cuizhu, life in Prince Jin's mansion is really hard. I wonder when we can get through it?"

Cuizhu held Fang Shuxiu's hand and said firmly, "Madam, don't be discouraged.

As long as we, the master and the servant, work together, we will be able to overcome the danger."

They are not only master and servant, but also close sisters.

As her life in the palace deepened, Fang Shuxiu developed more complicated feelings about the mission she shouldered.

While fully aware of the importance of her mission, Fang Shuxiu was loyal to Empress Ma and was willing to do her utmost to protect the Ming Dynasty.

However, Fang Shuxiu often feels helpless and confused.

She didn't know how long she would have to deal with this palace full of calculations and struggles, and she didn't know what her future would be like.

Every time she completed a transmission of intelligence, Fang Shuxiu felt gratified that she had fulfilled her mission, but at the same time she would worry about whether her identity would be exposed.

She was worried that if something happened to her, it would affect the people around her.

Fang Shuxiu's way of conveying the message was extremely clever.

She took advantage of the opportunity of sending people to the temple to pray and fulfill their vows every month, and wrote the information in advance on special thin paper, rolled it into a thin strip and hid it in a hollow hairpin.

Then Fang Shuxiu would find an excuse to let Cuizhu go with the servants to the temple.

In the temple, Cuizhu pretended to accidentally drop her hairpin.

The items were picked up by pre-arranged temple monks, who then sent the information back to the palace through secret channels.

This method of transmission cleverly utilizes the special status of Ming Dynasty temples in social life and people's religious beliefs and habits.

But when delivering the message, something unexpected happened.

The meticulous concubine Zhang in the palace became suspicious of Fang Shuxiu for some reason and secretly followed Cuizhu.

When Cuizhu was about to drop her hairpin as planned in the temple, she suddenly caught a glimpse of Zhang's concubine out of the corner of her eye.

Cuizhu was shocked and her heart beat faster, but she quickly calmed down.

Cuizhu pretended to be calm and continued to walk around the temple, trying to find a way to get rid of the stalker. (End of this chapter)