Chapter 17: Yuhuayuan wears the same clothes and is teased
Soon, the people involved in this matter were connected in Pei Zisu's mind.

It was half a year ago that the King of Han reported the construction of the Huai River dike.

Because the snowfall was different from the past, experienced officials inferred that there might be heavy rains in July and August this year, causing flooding, so they requested the repair of the dam in advance to ensure people's livelihood.

Luzhou is a place where iron mines are concentrated, so the order for iron ingots for building the dike had been sent there a long time ago. The King of Han even sent someone to Luzhou to ask them to act faster. However, he did not expect that despite all the precautions, someone would actually make a fuss about these life-saving iron ingots. Pei Zisu was so angry that his teeth were itching.

Didn't they fight desperately on the battlefield to protect the beautiful country and innocent people behind them?
However, these officials completely ignored the lives of the people and used such things as inferior products as substitutes for good ones. If they were really used, it is easy to imagine what the result would be for the stability of the dam. When the money was paid and the dam was built, the people would still be flooded when the flood rose. Every single thing here was aimed at Hanzhou.

When he died in his previous life, the dam had not yet burst.

But within a few months, Hanzhou suffered a disaster. His soul lingered for a long time, perhaps because he died in the Huai River. Naturally, he witnessed how difficult life was for those displaced people in the lower reaches of the Huai River. That's why Pei Zisu secretly investigated the matter.

It is not difficult to imagine that the person behind the scenes is either the Prince of Yi, whose ambition is obvious, or the corrupt Luzhou officials. But no matter who they are, they should pay the price for their actions!
After closing the box in front of him in silence, he quietly left in the dark.

When he left, he didn't even break the door lock, and the people around were still sleeping soundly.

The next day, the sky was light and cloudy.

When Jiang Shiyuan stood up, she heard some busy footsteps outside. She sat up and looked at the sky outside. It was already bright. She remembered her agreement with Princess Qinghuan, so she called out to the outside.

"Liuhua."

"The servant is here."

Pushing the door open and lifting the curtain, Na Liuhua was already prepared. He held a copper basin in his hand and placed it on the shelf. He immediately wrung out a handkerchief and handed it to Jiang Shiyuan, saying with a smile.

"The eldest lady has returned to the Marquis' Mansion and sleeps much more soundly than at home."

"That's right. I barely woke up yesterday."

Jiang Shiyuan replied with a smile that her body was most afraid of heat, so the room she lived in in the Marquis' Mansion was specially modified.

There is a specially built rain pavilion behind the eaves. When summer comes, it starts to rain continuously to lower the temperature of the house. There are cooling fans inside, so her house is several times cooler than outside. However, the cost of building it is not cheap.

In order to do these things for her, the Wenyuan Marquisate put a lot of effort into it.

But the Jiang family had just moved here from Xuzhou and had neither financial resources nor craftsmen, so they could only plant a few trees in front and behind the yard where she lived. However, they were not trees that had grown for many years, so they were not big enough to cover the entire house.

Naturally, Jiang Shiyuan was no longer as comfortable and carefree as he had been living in the Marquis' Mansion.

After a simple wash, Luluo brought a loose dress, which was very comfortable to wear in summer, but it was a bit too homely. Jiang Shiyuan took a look and spoke.

"Have you forgotten that I have an appointment with the princess today? It's not proper to wear this. Go get me the long dress with purple woven with silver silk and lotus flowers that my aunt made for me a few days ago. Also, find the silver-plated and gold-inlaid butterfly-flower hairpin with red agate. If I look too plain, the princess will say something."

"Young lady is really thoughtful. I'll go right away." After putting on the clothes and fixing her hair with the hairpin, Jiang Shiyuan, who was originally as pretty as a lotus in water, immediately turned into a fairy among flowers. The hairpin was especially lively and elegant, very grand, and became the finishing touch of her entire outfit.

After taking a few bites of the small dish that had just been served, Jiang Shiyuan put down his chopsticks.

Her appetite was average, so the maid Liuhua did not persuade her too much. Instead, she brought her some mint water to clean her mouth and then started to put makeup on her girl.

Jiang Shiyuan has a very good foundation, so she doesn't need to draw eyebrows or eyes. She just needs to apply some powder to cover up the original paleness. She uses a little bit of Yanyuzhai's new bud red honey on her lips, dissolved in clean water and then applied. It will not fade for half a day and will become more natural.

After looking at himself in the bronze mirror and seeing that he was dressed properly, Jiang Shiyuan went out.

She first went to pay a visit to Old Madam Wang's Yuhua Courtyard, and after telling her that she was going to the Princess's Mansion today, the old lady asked Uncle Qing to prepare the carriage and assigned a few servants who knew martial arts to follow her. Only then did she feel at ease to let her go.

Unexpectedly, when Jiang Shiyuan walked to the corridor in the front hall, he met Pei Zisu.

Today he was not dressed as eye-catchingly as he was at the banquet yesterday. He was wearing a purple waisted round-necked brocade robe with a kite crown and swastika patterns embroidered with silver thread. At first glance, it seemed to clash with Jiang Shiyuan's long skirt.

His second cousin Wang Kuan, who was standing next to him, was always a person who liked to watch the fun, so he stepped forward and made a joke and said.

"The way you two are dressed today is really eye-catching. I was wondering why Zi Su never wears clothes of this color. I see..."

Wang Kuan's eyes shifted back and forth between the two of them, causing Pei Zisu to chuckle. His already bright peach blossom eyes were slightly raised at this moment, and he looked at Jiang Shiyuan with some clarity, but was interrupted by the slight frown between her brows.

"Second cousin, are you already talking drunkenly so early in the morning?"

He spread his hands innocently, and then said no more. Yesterday he was still worried about his cousin's lack of good marriage prospects, so when he met them today, he naturally had to say a few words, but he didn't expect to upset his cousin, so it was better to keep quiet.

Pei Zisu glanced at Jiang Shiyuan, who had dressed up specially today, with a lot of admiration in his eyes, and then he opened his mouth and asked a question.

"Are you leaving the house, An Nian?"

"Well, Princess Qinghuan invited me, I'll go over and talk to her."

"Oh? What a coincidence! I also received the invitation sent by the Princess's Mansion yesterday. So we can go together."

Jiang Shiyuan looked at Pei Zisu with some doubt. When did he become so close to Princess Qinghuan? How come he didn't know?
But since the other party had the post, she couldn't say much. She just bowed slightly and then spoke.

"Brother Pei will ride a horse, while I will take a carriage. Although we are going the same way, there is a difference between men and women. If we enter the princess's mansion together, I'm afraid people will criticize us. So let's go one after the other. Judging from the direction cousin is going, he is probably going to pay his respects to my grandmother. Ah Nian will leave first, please."

After saying that, Jiang Shiyuan left with his maids Liuhua and Luluo.

Her steps were still steady, and she didn't seem to be running away. She was indeed raised by Old Madam Wang herself. After she reached the round gate and disappeared from view, her second cousin Wang Kuan came closer and said something.