Chapter 1453: Chapter 1431: True or False
The Crown Princess stood up holding her hand and laughed, “Since you’re here today, why don’t you co to the garden and choose a flower you like? Tomorrow I’ll pick it and pin it for you.”
Manbao blinked and asked, “Are flowers ant to be pinned?”
“Of course. Flowers are for appreciating, and for pinning too.”
Manbao followed the Crown Princess to see the flowers she prepared. These peony flowers were all grown in pots, not as lush as those in the Imperial Garden, but the color was excellent, and they were charmingly pretty.
These were all carefully selected by the Crown Princess.
Looking at these flowers, Manbao said happily, “Crown Princess, what color peony do you like? How about I gift you a flower to pin tomorrow?”
Recently, she wanted to sell flowers to those she found suitable, but neither this nor that seed appropriate, so she hadn’t made a move.
Zhou Wulang and Zhou Lijun couldn’t help but ask her if she wasn’t planning to sell flowers this year.
But now Manbao realized that besides selling potted flowers, pinning flowers could be very nice too.
The Crown Princess was taken aback and laughed, “I was supposed to gift you, how did it beco you gifting ?”
Manbao sincerely said, “Your Highness, these pots of flowers are all excellent; it’s a sha to cut them for pinning. It’s better to leave them for appreciating. I have flowers suitable for pinning.”
“That’s where you’re mistaken. Pinning flowers also requires careful selection. Keeping good flowers on their branches for viewing is certainly delightful, but cutting them and pinning flowers to adorn beauties is also joyful. Therefore, the best flowers should be selected, not those chosen easily.”
Manbao winked at her, “Why don’t you wait until tomorrow to see, I guarantee you’ll like it then.”
The Crown Princess hesitated slightly but then nodded.
After lunch, Manbao left the palace, happily returned to Changqing Alley, and as soon as the guards left, she skipped out excitedly.
Directly on the street, she bought many pots of blooming peony flowers from farrs, with various colors and flower shapes.
She temporarily stored them in her system space, realizing after a turn in the flower market that everywhere was crowded with people; no deserted place seed secure enough to leave such excellent flower varieties.
So she scratched her head and could only go ho first.
Upon arriving ho, she saw Lord Tang being entertained by Mr. Zhuang.
Lord Tang looked up and smiled, “I heard you left the palace, so I intentionally ca later. How is it, have you found that stone?”
Manbao nodded in silence, “I found it. Today, I finally confird that its toxin is completely removed.”
Lord Tang was puzzled.
Manbao fetched a wooden bucket from the kitchen, filled with so clear water, and as she passed through the yard, she said to Lord Tang who was staring at the bucket, “Please wait a mont.”
Manbao took the bucket back to the house, and although Lord Tang’s gaze followed, he didn’t co along.
He was curious to know what the girl was up to but restrained himself.
Mr. Zhuang was accustod to the peculiar antics of the children; the best approach was to let them be, as long as they didn’t cause trouble, they could play as they wished.
However, he was curious too, about what evidence Manbao brought back that warranted Lord Tang to personally collect it.
Manbao took out the gemstone that had been soaked all morning, washed it in clean water, then wiped it dry with a cloth before handing it to Lord Tang.
Lord Tang saw the unwashed brownish dicine on the stone, slled the dicinal aroma mingling with human scent, and remained speechless for a while.
Manbao placed the stone before Lord Tang and smiled, “Senior Brother Tang, this is the stone.”
Lord Tang touched the stone, feeling its moistness, noting that even dry stones beco cooler and more damp after being wiped.
Lord Tang’s forehead twitched, “Why soak it in dicinal water?”
“To remove the toxin,” Manbao replied, slightly guilty but maintaining her composure, “I soaked it for seven tis seven forty-nine days. I’ve checked it, all toxins are cleared; you can even sleep with it, no problem.”
Lord Tang frowned, scrutinizing Manbao’s face, uncertain whether he believed her. After a while, he nodded, stood up and said, “Get a box to store it.”
The original wooden box from the Crown Prince for holding the gemstone was quite valuable, so Manbao couldn’t bear to use it. She instead retrieved a small rattan box made by her fourth brother.
Lord Tang watched her place the precious gemstone into such a simple rattan box and was speechless for a while.
In front of Mr. Zhuang, he endured, but once outside the yard, he handed the rattan box to his Xiaos and turned to point at Manbao, laughing and scolding, “I’ve never seen a more stingy girl than you.”
Manbao, “I’m known for being generous in my family.”
Lord Tang: …
Before getting into the carriage, Lord Tang asked, “Would it be convenient to share the prescription for soaking the stone?”
Manbao shook her head repeatedly, “No way, it’s a secret recipe. It not only detoxifies the stone but has other uses too, definitely can’t give it to you.”
Lord Tang probably foresaw her reply; after nodding, he lowered the curtain and instructed the coachman to drive.
The Xiaos and the coachman sat on the carriage reins, lifted the curtain and probed inside, “Sir, should we return ho or go to the capital prefecture?”
Lord Tang thought for a mont and said, “To the capital prefecture.”
Lord Tang opened the rattan box and stared at the gemstone inside, his heart suspecting it was fake.
That girl, stingy and petty, yet never stingy with her dical skills or prescriptions; this he had heard of in Yizhou. Whenever discussing dicine, she was straightforward, never hiding her recipes.
Can detoxifying a stone be more valuable than prescriptions used for people?
Arriving at the capital prefecture, Lord Tang carried the rattan box inside, instructed soone to fetch several tubs of clean water, then began washing the stains off the gemstone.
After changing the water three tis, he finally cleaned out the interior dirt from the gemstone.
The gemstone was quite large, carved into a rooster shape.
Lord Tang carefully felt it, noting the minimal carving marks, suggesting it was naturally rooster-like before human sculpting and polishing enhanced it.
The rooster gemstone’s comb was vivid red, and previously the Crown Prince had ntioned it emitted a gentle red glow at night, akin to a glowing pearl.
The gemstone’s wings were distinctly feathered, with red transitioning to yellow, and so green at its tail feathers.
The Crown Prince said each colored segnt would glow; by day it appeared as a multi-hued, smooth jade, even more striking at night.
Therefore, when it was presented, he particularly liked it. Even when he was in a bad mood due to drinking, he often fiddled with it in his hands.
At night, engrossed in playing, he would directly place it beside his bed while sleeping.
So when he learned that the gemstone was toxic, he was extrely shocked.
However, whether or not it glows at night, Lord Tang didn’t know. Having cleaned it ticulously, Lord Tang noted its colorful, smooth appearance, seeming like a vibrant gemstone.
Lord Tang frowned, concluding it didn’t appear fake; given Manbao’s acidity in one day, she couldn’t have sourced such a convincing fake item.
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