The old madam urged Hua Dingzong to speak up. She was confident her eldest son would take her side.
And that was usually the case. Whenever the old madam and Madam He had a disagreement, Hua Dingzong would almost always side with his mother, on the grounds that filial piety came first.
This time, however, Hua Dingzong, for once, did not grant the old madam her wish.
He had already wronged his second daughter by forcing her to marry Prince Zhao.
Riddled with guilt, he wanted to give his second daughter a larger dowry as a form of compensation. In the future, once she was established in the Prince's Mansion, she could then lend a helping hand to the Zhong'an Bo Mansion.
Neither husband nor wife would budge.
The old madam returned in defeat. She was so furious she skipped lunch, hiding away in the Buddhist prayer room to sulk.
In the end, it was the eldest daughter, Hua Qingqing, who had to step in and coax the old madam back into a good mood.
When Hua Manman heard about this, she couldn't help but sigh to herself.
'She really is the protagonist of *Palace Intrigue*, after all!'
'All she had to do was show up, and handling a mere old madam was a piece of cake.'
Speak of the devil.
Hua Qingqing arrived at Youlan Residence.
As the protagonist of *Palace Intrigue*, her looks were, of course, impeccable.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say her beauty could topple nations.
Otherwise, how could she have risen above three thousand other beauties to become the final champion of the palace intrigue?
She was a very traditional sort of protagonist for a palace intrigue novel.
Before entering the palace, she was a sweet, innocent, and simple little flower who treated everyone with kindness.
It was only later, after experiencing a series of conspiracies and plots in the palace, that she gradually 'darkened,' becoming more and more adept at scheming.
At this moment, Hua Qingqing was still maintaining her 'innocent flower' persona, appearing utterly pure and harmless.
Even though she knew full well that her younger sister disliked her, upon hearing that she had been injured after jumping into the lake, she still came to visit, bringing a soup she had made with her own hands.
"Second Sister, this is a soup with kidney beans and pig's feet. I know you don't like scallions, so I made sure not to add any. Why don't you try some and see if you like it?"
'It's a peace offering from the protagonist. Of course I have to accept it!'
Hua Manman lifted the bowl, took a large gulp of the soup, and praised it enthusiastically.
"This is delicious! You're an amazing cook, Sister!"
Hua Qingqing was taken aback. "Second Sister, you..."
In the past, every time her younger sister saw her, she would find fault with everything, constantly nitpicking and looking for trouble.
Before bringing the soup, Hua Qingqing had already braced herself to be mocked and scorned by her younger sister.
She never expected this kind of reaction.
This filled Hua Qingqing's heart with suspicion.
Hua Manman quickly realized what was happening. She had broken character.
She immediately set the bowl down, cleared her throat, and tilted her chin up, deliberately putting on an arrogant expression.
"I was just messing with you. You didn't actually take me seriously, did you? Who would want this pathetic bowl of soup anyway?!"
With that, she let out a loud huff.
But she didn't notice the small piece of kidney bean stuck to the corner of her mouth.
Combined with her half-swollen cheek,
it made her look less like a spoiled, vicious side character and more like a poor, adorable little white kitten.
The suspicion in Hua Qingqing's heart quickly dissipated. She even felt a sudden impulse to reach out and pat her younger sister's head.
But she knew she and her younger sister weren't close enough for her to casually pat her on the head. So, she could only suppress the urge and smile warmly.
"You're getting married next month, and I don't have anything special to give you. This jade bracelet was left to me by my mother. I've worn it ever since. If you don't mind, I'd like to give it to you as part of your dowry."
With that, she slipped a white jade bracelet from her left wrist and placed it in front of her younger sister.