"I remember when I was a child, I followed my father to the palace, and at that time, maid Wang gave me a piece of pastry. Do you remember that, maid Wang?"
Lin Jiaojiao talked casually with maid Wang. If she let Zhao Shuang'er sit down today, it meant that these people wouldn't have to show her respect by offering tea.
The maidservants holding the tea were about to approach Zhao Shuang'er, but she remained unmoved, and the other concubines dared not offer her tea before Zhao Shuang'er did.
Maid Wang glanced at Zhao Shuang'er beside her, feeling somewhat angry. It was clear that the princess wasn't easy to bully. It was fine to test her, but she shouldn't take it too seriously.
She dared not sit down lest she be charged with overstepping her bounds, but she also didn't take the initiative to offer tea. Who was she standing there for, if not to save face?
"The princess has a good memory; I (using "I" as a form of addressing herself as 老奴) have already forgotten."
Maid Wang took the tea cup from the servant and brought it to Zhao Shuang'er: "My lady, it's time to offer the princess tea."
Zhao Shuang'er had wanted to resist for a while longer. Her status was far higher than that of Lin Jiaojiao, who was the daughter of a third-grade official, and she was also the Empress Dowager's niece. Lin Jiaojiao should have known better.
However, she hadn't expected maid Wang to take the initiative to hand her the tea cup. Now she was in a tight spot. If she offered the tea, she admitted to being beneath Lin Jiaojiao from now on.
If she didn't offer tea, it would likely spread gossip, and if the prince questioned her ...
Forget it. The key to the management of the Prince Manor was still in her hands, and she had been in the manor for two years. These people naturally knew who they should listen to.
So, reluctantly accepting the tea cup, she slowly walked towards Lin Jiaojiao.
When offering tea, one must kneel down. Lin Jiaojiao, with a smile on her face, waited for Zhao Shuang'er's next move.
In her previous life, not only did Zhao Shuang'er not offer her tea, but she also led these concubines in creating chaos in her courtyard.
Zhao Shuang'er took a very unwilling look at her and finally knelt down, holding the tea cup with both hands, lifting it to a place within Lin Jiaojiao's reach.
"Please enjoy the tea, Princess."
Each and every word was uttered through clenched teeth.
Offering tea was a concubine's duty. If Zhao Shuang'er had followed the rules, Lin Jiaojiao wouldn't have made things difficult for her over such a trivial matter.
Perhaps out of shame and anger, Zhao Shuang'er did not dare to look at her, bowing her head low with a look of great humiliation.
After everyone had offered tea, it was time to give them some gifts. Lin Jiaojiao had brought quite a lot of dowries when she entered the Prince Manor, plus the betrothal gifts given by Yan Sihan, which were enough to provide for her for ten lifetimes.
So her rewards were quite impressive.
A pair of high-quality jade bracelets, a rare sight even among officials in the capital, were brought by the Chen family's caravan from another country.
After Zhao Shuang'er's maidservant received it on her behalf, she glanced at it, frowning slightly. Indeed, she was the daughter of a merchant, with a strong smell of copper. She casually gave away such a nice bracelet as a reward.
Even in Grand Commandant Manor, only the old lady and her mother each had one.
"I've heard that the princess's family is distinguished and refined, and it's clear from the gifts she gives."
Zhao Shuang'er's words made the other concubines cover their mouths and laugh softly. Everyone knew the Minister of Rites was a top scholar, but he had married the daughter of a rich merchant.
And the status of merchants was low, so Lin Jiaojiao's mother, being a merchant's daughter, naturally became the joke of the capital.
As for Lin Jiaojiao, she didn't care. She was a merchant's daughter, so what? Who couldn't get along with money?
So she smiled and asked, "Do you like it, sister? I haven't had time to sort things out today, so I just took out some shabby things for you to enjoy. When the maids finish tidying up, I'll send you some better things."
In her eyes, these items that seemed valuable to others were just small change. Moreover, in her previous life, she hated Yan Sihan.
Due to Lin Zhengyang's greed for money, she only brought a tiny dowry with her, and most of her possessions were actually Yan Sihan's money.
After all, Yan Sihan was very thoughtful when it came to spending money on her.
In her previous life, he even bought her a panda to cheer her up.