"Eldest Sister, hold it firmly," Pan Yueqing said with a warm smile as she gently took the cat into her embrace and then carefully handed it back to Pan Yingqian. Her tone was amicable, yet there was an underlying sense of shrewdness in her eyes, observing Pan Yingqian's every reaction.
"Thank you, Second Sister," Pan Yingqian replied with a polite smile, reaching out to take the cat. Her hand stroked the cat's fur, but her eyes betrayed a hint of annoyance, though she quickly masked it.
"Yue'er, what were you looking at so intently on the curtain's pattern?" Pan Haiyun cast a long, affectionate glance at Pan Yueqing. Concerned about her, he smoothly diverted the topic away from the tense atmosphere that had just prevailed. His voice was gentle, carrying the weight of a father's love and concern.
"The Empress Dowager's birthday is drawing near," Pan Yueqing began, her voice clear and composed. "She has always had a deep affection for chrysanthemums, often extolling them as flowers embodying the noble character of a gentleman. I noticed that the chrysanthemum pattern on the hidden design of Grandmother's curtain is truly remarkable. It doesn't seem to be a variety native to our Qi State." As she spoke, she gracefully motioned for Wan'er to lower the curtain, her every movement exuding elegance. "Does Grandmother still have any of this kind of fabric?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the old Madam Pan, full of anticipation.
Liu Yingwei, quick to respond, didn't even wait for the old Madam Pan to react. She turned to Pan Yueqing with a seemingly sincere smile, her voice overly sweet. "This fabric is an old stock taken from the warehouse. There's absolutely no more left. It's such a pity, Second Miss. You'd better consider other options!" Her eyes, however, held a glint of something else, perhaps a sense of triumph at being able to deny Pan Yueqing's request.
The old Madam Pan finally regained her senses and nodded in agreement. "Yue girl indeed has a sharp eye and a clever mind. But, alas, there's no more of this fabric. In previous years, the gifts we prepared for the Empress were always impeccable. You're young, so this year, you must come up with some outstanding ideas. It would be wonderful if you could help your father gain some favor in front of the Emperor." Her tone was a mix of encouragement and expectation, as she looked at Pan Yueqing with a hint of pride.
Pan Yueqing, observing Liu Yingwei's false smile, simply nodded in response. Then, with a feigned sigh, she said, "In that case, I'll have to bring out the flowing - cloud brocade that my mother brought as part of her dowry." At the mention of the flowing - cloud brocade, Liu Yingwei's eyes widened involuntarily. This was the very fabric she had carefully stored away, intending to use it for Pan Miaoqian's wedding. The thought of having to part with it was unthinkable. Forcing a smile, she said to Pan Yueqing, "That thing has been stashed away for so long. We'd have to rummage through so many things to find it. Why not look for something else?"
Pan Yueqing nodded again, as if in acquiescence, and then gracefully took her leave.
Wan'er, following closely behind Pan Yueqing, couldn't contain her curiosity. "Miss, why did you mention that strange chrysanthemum pattern to Concubine Liu? Isn't that just giving them a hint to curry favor with the Empress?" she asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Even better," Pan Yueqing said, turning around to take a long, meaningful look at Ci'an Pavilion. Her eyes were filled with a calculating glint, as if she had a well - laid plan.
"Miss, what do you mean by that?" Wan'er also turned to look at the pavilion, her eyes wide with bewilderment.
"The pattern of the equinox flower is quite similar to that of the gentleman chrysanthemum. Just imagine, if on the Empress Dowager's birthday, they present something with the pattern of the equinox flower, how would the Empress Dowager feel?" Pan Yueqing said, her smile never fading. There was a touch of mischief in her voice, but also a sense of cold - blooded calculation.
Wan'er finally understood, and her face turned as white as a sheet. "But Miss, if she gets angry, the entire Prime Minister's Mansion will be in trouble..." she said, her voice trembling with worry.
"Silly girl, what if the person presenting the gift isn't even qualified to offer a gift to the Empress in the first place?" Pan Yueqing said, smiling as she patted Wan'er's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. Your Miss is still looking forward to a long and prosperous life. I won't come up with a strategy that does more harm than good."
Gu Pan, in the warm sunlight, was carefully separating an already extremely fine silver thread into three strands. With a strand of peacock feather in her hand, she was about to blend it in bit by bit. From a distance, she saw Pan Yueqing and Wan'er returning. She immediately stood up and presented the silk thread in her hand to Pan Yueqing. "Miss, the green peacock feather looks a bit strange when put into the silver thread," she said, her eyes full of doubt.
"Try separating the peacock feather into one more strand," Pan Yueqing said, taking a look at the silk thread in Gu Pan's hand and nodding in approval. "The silver thread and the green jade would be perfect for embroidering the gem - like patterns on the phoenix's head."
Gu Pan suddenly understood and smiled brightly. "I never thought there was such a method! Miss, you're so ingenious! The Empress Dowager didn't like the phoenix totem in previous years because the green gem on its head didn't suit her taste. If we use silver thread, it won't be too ostentatious or obtrusive."
Pan Yueqing smiled and nodded. In her previous life, when she was on the battlefield, she had seen the silver phoenix patterns of the Sogdian Kingdom. At that time, the Empress Dowager had been very fond of them and had even ordered someone to bring an embroidered piece to be placed among her burial objects. She was absolutely certain that this would be a surefire gift.
"Miss, the eldest Miss and Miss Liu are here," a young maid announced cheerfully from outside the door.
Pan Yueqing had just changed into a dark - blue velvet jacket. Holding a thin strand of gold wire, she was about to add a few stitches to the character "Fu" (blessing) on the embroidery frame when she heard the maid's announcement. She put down the embroidery, raised her head, and saw Pan Yingqian and Liu Ya walking in from behind the crane - shaped screen. She greeted them with a warm and friendly smile and signaled Gu Pan to serve tea.
"Second Sister, what are you busy with?" Pan Yingqian noticed the unfinished embroidery on the small table in front of Pan Yueqing. Although it was widely known that the Third Miss of the Prime Minister's Mansion was a talented woman in the capital, few people knew that the Second Miss was a master of embroidery. She was well aware that the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion had invited many skilled embroiderers to teach Pan Yueqing in the past.
"Grandmother's birthday is approaching, and I wasn't sure what to give her. So I thought I'd make her a padded jacket with the pattern of 'longevity, happiness, peace, and health' featuring pine trees and cranes," Pan Yueqing said, her smile unwavering as she held the needle. "What gift are you planning to give Grandmother, Eldest Sister?"
Pan Yingqian's smile froze for a moment. When she, a low - born concubine's daughter, was about to marry into the Earl's Mansion, the old Countess had been extremely disdainful. She had begged her father to have her name recorded under the main wife's name in the family genealogy so that she could marry with the grandeur of a legitimate daughter. But deep down, she was still a concubine's daughter, and she was often made things difficult by the old Countess in the Earl's Mansion. Thus, she was extremely sensitive to any mention of the Su family's elders.
"The Earl's Mansion has everything," Liu Ya interjected, noticing Pan Yingqian's discomfort. She took a sip of tea and smiled. "But finding a truly satisfactory gift always takes some time. We can't rush it."
Pan Yueqing nodded slightly in understanding, continuing to thread the needle as she said jokingly, "Grandmother doesn't like extravagance. As long as Eldest Sister shows her sincerity, it will be fine. If the gift is too expensive, Grandmother might even be displeased."
After a bit of friendly banter, Liu Ya smoothly changed the topic. "Who will be at the tea party in three days? Big Cousin, could you give us a hint?" In the presence of the elders earlier, she hadn't dared to ask, but now in private, she was eager to find out.
The tea party? Pan Yueqing slightly raised her eyes and looked at Liu Ya, who was smiling expectantly. It was an unspoken consensus in the capital that many pretty girls from small families would use the opportunity of the tea party and similar events, taking advantage of their relatives' connections, to meet the sons of high - ranking noble families. Presumably, Liu Ya was also eyeing this as a stepping - stone to enter the high - society circles.
Pan Yingqian smiled and said, "This is a gathering for us women. When it comes to discussing poems and books, we may not be very good at it, and men don't like to listen to us talk about needlework. We'd just end up finding each other boring, so this time, we'll be seated separately."
Liu Ya's expression gradually dimmed, and she nodded in disappointment.
"Second Cousin," Liu Ya said, looking at Pan Yueqing, who had been sitting quietly. She took Pan Yueqing's hand affectionately and smiled. "I've also prepared a gift for the birthday of the old Madam of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion. Could Second Cousin take me along to broaden my horizons?"
"I'm afraid not," Pan Yueqing replied without even looking up, firmly rejecting Liu Ya. She knew very well that Liu Ya wanted to go to the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion because she saw no chance of meeting those high - ranking young masters at Pan Yingqian's tea party and had turned her attention to Pan Yueqing. Ordinarily, if Pan Yueqing were willing, it wouldn't be a big deal, but at the moment, she simply wasn't in the mood.
Rejected by Pan Yueqing, Liu Ya's face turned extremely ugly. She stood up awkwardly and took her leave. With only Pan Yingqian and Pan Yueqing left in the room, to Pan Yueqing's surprise, Pan Yingqian suddenly said, "I came here to apologize."