The most dissolute couple in the capital

In her past life, when Zheng Wenyuan gave her gifts, each item carried a meaning: This is her mother's wish, this is the dignity she deserves, this is what you, as the mistress of the house, are entitled to.

Nothing exists simply because it "looks good on you".

"Then I shall accept it without hesitation." She reached out and took the brocade box, bowing slightly. "Thank you, Your Highness."

"You're welcome!" Li Chengjing waved his hand, his smile as bright as the sunshine overhead. "If you think it looks good, I'll get you a pair of earrings next time, made from the same batch of pearls, a perfect match—"

"Your Highness," Afu finally couldn't help but speak up, "it's getting late."

Li Chengjing reluctantly stopped talking, watching Cui Qingyi's departing figure, and stood there for a long time.

Then he looked down at the smear of rouge on the corner of his mouth and quickly wiped it away with his sleeve.

"Good heavens, was I just talking to someone with my face covered in rouge?" He turned to a young eunuch. "Why didn't you remind me!"

The young eunuch said with a pained expression, "Your Highness, I reminded you three times, but you didn't hear me..."

Li Chengjing plopped back down on the stone bench and covered his face with his hands.

"It's all over, all over," he muttered sullenly. "I've made such a fool of myself on our first meeting. She must think I'm an idiot."

The young eunuch dared not respond.

"And that time I fell into the pool," Li Chengjing said, becoming increasingly distraught as he thought about it, "when she pulled me out, I was covered in seaweed, like I'd been pulled out of the river..."

He couldn't continue, and buried his face even deeper.

After a long while, he peeked out from between his fingers and looked in the direction where Cui Qingyi had disappeared.

"But she said the floral balm I made was very good."

His voice trailed off, but the corners of his mouth gradually curved upwards.

"She really said it was great."

---

As Cui Qingyi walked back to Cining Palace with Afu, she held the small brocade box in her hands, in a very good mood.

She estimated that this string of South China Sea pearls was worth at least five hundred taels of silver. Adding to the jade ruyi bestowed by the emperor and the greeting gift from the empress dowager, she had already received nearly a thousand taels of silver in gifts before even getting married.

In her previous life, when she married into the Zheng family, her dowry was rummaged through and criticized by her in-laws. She had to pay for the servants' New Year's gifts herself, and she was lucky if she could save a little money at the end of the year.

Now?

The royal betrothal gifts haven't even been sent yet, but the first meeting gift is almost equivalent to her expenses for a year in her previous life.

Indeed, I was too young and naive in my past life, only seeing the noble and aristocratic families.

How could someone so straightforward, generous, and from a powerful family be a spoiled brat?

When she returned to Cining Palace, Cui Lingyi and Cui Qinghui were already waiting for her.

The Empress Dowager kindly invited them to have a cup of tea. Cui Qingyi noticed that the Empress Dowager's gaze would occasionally fall on the brocade box in her hand, and a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.

The carriage pulled out of the palace gates, its wheels rumbling softly over the cobblestones, slowly leaving behind the hustle and bustle and grandeur of the palace walls. Inside the carriage, the tension that had gripped them for so long finally eased.

The youngest, Cui Qinghui, couldn't contain herself any longer and opened the small brocade box that the Empress Dowager had bestowed upon her as if it were a treasure.

She let out a soft gasp, picked up a piece of mutton-fat jade pendant from inside. The pendant was carved with a lifelike magpie, symbolizing good fortune. The jade was warm and smooth to the touch, and it was clearly of superior quality.

Cui Lingyi also opened her brocade box, inside which was a jade pendant of the same material, but carved with a graceful orchid, making it even more elegant. She nodded in satisfaction, carefully placed the jade pendant back into the box, and said gently, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is kind; all the gifts she bestows are made with care."

"Yes, yes!" Cui Qinghui lovingly stroked her jade pendant, then curiously moved closer to Cui Qingyi, her almond-shaped eyes blinking. "Sister, what about yours? Open it and let us see!"

Under the expectant gazes of her two younger sisters, Cui Qingyi opened her brocade box.

A warm yet highly noticeable halo of light illuminated the dimly lit carriage, like the flowing moonlight.

These are a pair of excellent pearls from the East.

Ordinary tribute pearls are mostly produced in the South China Sea, while Eastern pearls can only be bred by river mussels in the cold Northeast, and are one in a hundred, hence the title "King of Pearls".

According to the laws of this dynasty, only members of the imperial family are allowed to wear pearls. With this bestowal of a pearl, her marriage to the Prince of Liang is now a done deal.

And she must be the principal wife.

Although Cui Qinghui didn't recognize what it was, it was obvious that her sister's things were different. She glanced at the expressions of the two of them, and quickly put on a smile:

"It seems the Empress Dowager likes you very much, elder sister. Congratulations, elder sister."

Looking into Cui Qinghui's eyes, which were trying so hard to be sincere, Cui Qingyi found it rather amusing.

Look at how well this grand mansion trains people. At such a young age, they've already learned how to be opportunistic and how to curry favor with those in power as quickly as possible.

She reached out, but instead of touching the priceless pearls, she mimicked the manner of the noble ladies of her past life, affectionately pinching Cui Qinghui's cheek, her tone gentle and without a trace of emotion: "Hmm, thank you for your kind words."