Insufficient balance

  Tai Ping finally came in high spirits, but left in great anger. On the way back, she became angrier and angrier, thinking that she had already revealed her noble princess identity, yet Xiao Ting still refused to yield. Did teaching me how to paint become a calamity? Do I need to treat you like a venomous snake?

  Who dares to humiliate themselves like this from a young age?! This guy really deserves to die!

  She changed into a light pink trailing long skirt and palace attire, her hair was also let down and re-combed into a morning sun bun. She still felt resentful in her heart, and ended up smashing a teacup again, and found fault with two servants and had them beaten twenty times each, only then did she feel slightly more comfortable in her heart.

  At this time, the maid Qingnu brought up a new pot of tuan tea and said with her head bowed, "Your Highness, just now Mr. Xue came to visit and wanted to invite you to go spring hunting in the south of the city for two days, he is still waiting in the outer living room, do you want to see him or not?"

  "Xue Gongzi? Which Xue Gongzi? Xue Shao? Not seen!" Taiping waved her sleeve and sat down on the couch with a huff, but immediately came back to her senses and stared at her, "You dare to provoke me by mentioning this when I'm angry? Did Xue Shao offend you?"

  Qing Nu lowered her head and smiled very cleverly, "Where is it? What kind of person am I, a slave girl, and what kind of person is Xue Gongzi? How dare he offend me, a lowly servant like this?! I think Your Highness has never liked him anyway, so I must ask you before answering. Even if I had the audacity to deceive you, I wouldn't dare do it in front of you!"

  "Hmph, I'm too lazy to bother with your nonsense. Remember this, you and Dugu can do whatever you want, even if it's fighting all day, I don't care. But there's one thing, don't drag my name into it. If that Xue Shao comes again, I'll be gone. You deal with him for me! What a pest, always coming to bother me!"

  Qing Nu covered her mouth and laughed, "Yes, Your Highness!"

  There was such a thing that suddenly interrupted, and the anger in Taiping's heart also unknowingly dissipated a lot. Her hatred for Xiao Teng didn't seem so intense anymore. She called out to Qing Nu who was about to leave, "Come here, I know you always have many clever ideas, come help me think of something."

  "You're really muddled, Tuing!" The old lady jabbed a finger at Xiao Tuing's forehead and then sighed, "Miss asked you to go teach her painting, why didn't you go?"

  "Mother, you've heard it all? But... she's Princess Taiping!"

  "Alas, you! What's wrong with Princess Taiping? Such a great opportunity! You teach the princess how to paint, and she can't even give you some indication? If she just helps you get your name out there a bit, it'll be easy for you to make a name for yourself. Not to mention entering the imperial court, but even taking the imperial examination, with my son's abilities, isn't it a sure thing?"

  Xiao Ting silently lowered his head. As a traverser, although he didn't know much about history, he knew that from the late period of Gaozong to the Wu Zhou period, the central government of the Tang Dynasty was very chaotic, with various struggles coming and going in disorder. At this time, relying on anyone would not be a stable solution, and it might even bring disaster to the whole family! As for Taiping Princess, Xiao Ting only remembered that she seemed to be a lustful woman in history, so he had no good feelings towards her, avoiding her as much as possible, how could he be willing to have any connection with her.

  But for the old lady, Xiao Ting knew that these things had not happened yet, so how could she explain it clearly?

  He hesitated for a moment before saying: "My son doesn't want to cling to others, let alone cling to a woman!"

  The old lady looked at her son in a daze, and after a long while, she let out a faint sigh.

  He and his father aren't like that because they're too proud and won't bow their heads to anyone, that's why they ended up in trouble! Otherwise, how can you say it's a family affair?!

  "What are you staring at me for?" Taiping suddenly felt her face burning, and she couldn't help but glare at Qingnu. She told her about how she had seen Xiao Teng from yesterday to today, asking him for guidance but being rejected, and now he was staring at her with such a piercing gaze, making her feel flustered in her heart.

  This little devil, there seems to be a snake in her eyes!

  Qing Nu hastily lowered her head, covering her mouth and laughing. When she smiled, her eyes would curve into a crescent shape, exceptionally lovely and charming.

  "You little wretch, if you dare to laugh at me again, I'll marry you off to a craftsman's family and let you suffer for the rest of your life!" Qing Nu was such a clever and wise little maid, every move she made seemed to touch people's hearts. Whenever there was something difficult to handle, letting her come up with an idea would often easily solve it. As a result, over the past few years, Taiping had been using her like a little strategist, and the two of them were more like sisters than mistress and servant, being very affectionate on a daily basis.

  "Does Your Highness really want him to teach you painting? There are many talented people in the Tang Dynasty, and there are also many good painters. Why bother finding him, can't someone else do it?" She blinked her eyes, shining brightly as she looked at Taiping.

  Tai Ping glared at her again, "Of course we have to find him, otherwise why would I need you to come up with ideas? Originally it wasn't that he was the only one who could do it, but he actually dared to refuse me, this tone I won't swallow!"

  Qing Nu blinked her eyes thoughtfully and nodded slightly. Her eyes curved into a smile, "It's not like we have to force him... it can be easily arranged!"

  "What should we do?" Taiping hastily asked.

  "You've been wanting to learn painting recently, so just post some posts and gather those who can paint together for a literary gathering. Just say that we want to publicly select a teacher to teach us book painting, and then invite Yan Laishang to be the judge. The scene will surely be quite grand."

  After a pause, Qingnu continued: "At that time, just invite him over. Firstly, with Yan Lao Shangshu present, which young and talented person wouldn't want to show off? Secondly, inviting is better than forcing, at that time as long as you help him stir up public anger, those scholars will foolishly rise up and attack him, I'm afraid he won't even be able to avoid fame. As long as he becomes famous, everything will be in your control, right? You can completely use the name of recruitment to invite him to our Princess's residence! What do you think of this plan?"

  Tai Ping nodded repeatedly as he listened, but after some thought, he couldn't help but say anxiously: "The problem is that there's simply no way to get him here! That guy, he's beyond redemption!"

  Qingnu smiled, "He will come, on that day, I'll accompany you to meet him. Didn't the Emperor grant you half a imperial carriage? We'll ride in that half imperial carriage to meet him, dare he not come?"

  Tai Ping was taken aback by the words, and he slapped his hand on the table as he stood up, "You... what's that called again? Ah yes, Hurrying ducks onto a shelf! You're at it again with this idea, it's too damn clever!"

  She paced back and forth in the room, rubbing her hands together, but suddenly stopped and turned around, asking with a slightly timid expression: "He has a very stubborn temper, and his bad mood is not small. It seems that he especially dislikes being forced by others. If I do this, will it instead make him anxious? Then..."

  Qing Nu suddenly lowered her head and covered her mouth, bursting out laughing again. Tai Ping's face turned bright red in an instant, "You little scamp, don't laugh! You're still laughing..."