Chapter 90 Plan

“Sigh, your house is now completely surrounded by the Dai family. I was afraid you would get involved, so I sent you to my residence first. Xiao Jue really did something unethical.”

The eldest princess would naturally not release her. She had gone to great lengths to protect her under her wing, and if she were to return to the Xiao family, she would surely be implicated innocently.

Actually, there were still some things she didn't say.

When Xiao Jue went to the Dai family, he said a lot of things to smear Xiao Yuxuan. Anyone with eyes could see that Xiao Jue was worried that she had revealed something to Dai Cheng.

But now it seems that Yu Xuan was completely unaware of the truth. It must be that Xiao Jue was paranoid and felt guilty for his actions!

The princess trusted her judgment; in this matter, Miss Dai and Yu Xuan had done nothing wrong, and she would never allow them to bear the blame.

Xiao Yuxuan nodded obediently, turned her head and whispered instructions to Bi Sui:

“Bihui, then you should go home first and tell your father and mother… no, tell Li Mama that I am at the Princess’s residence now and will go back later, so that they don’t worry.”

"Also, there's an embroidery frame in the room with my unfinished 'A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains' painting. Please place it carefully and make sure it doesn't get chewed up by mice or anything like that..."

Her words were rather cryptic, and Bi Sui was momentarily taken aback, but quickly understood.

"Yes, this servant will go right away."

The young woman hadn't touched a needle and thread in a long time; there was no "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" painting on the embroidery frame, but there was something new she had acquired that day in the silk embroidery frame...

Nie Youran slowly turned her gaze, which landed gently on Xiao Yuxuan.

The little girl looked at me with a clear and innocent expression, as if she really knew nothing about the matter. However, upon closer inspection, one could see a hint of pleading and grievance in her clear, bright eyes.

Well, she's only using these petty tricks to protect herself, so why should I be the villain?

Nie Youran poured herself a glass of wine. The strong liquor went down her throat, but she became even more sober.

Suddenly, a maid quietly walked in from outside the door. Seeing Master Nie and Xiao Yuxuan inside, she went straight to Aunt Meng's ear and whispered something in her ear.

Xiao Yuxuan wisely lowered her eyes, refraining from guessing the shape of her lips.

Aunt Meng's expression turned serious for a moment, but she quickly returned to normal.

She said gently, “Your Highness, dinner is ready. Would you like someone to bring it in now?”

The princess was so angry that she had no appetite and didn't want to eat. But when she turned her gaze to the little girl in riding clothes sitting at the low table, cross-legged and carefully comparing the characters in her hand under the light, her heart softened.

That said, she went to the horse farm to learn how to ride horses today, and I haven't even asked her how it went yet. She must be tired and hungry right now, but she didn't complain at all and obediently helped them read.

She didn't know why, but she always felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to Xiao Yuxuan. If she didn't know that Xiao Yuxuan still cared about the Xiao family, she would have wanted to ask her to move in with her immediately.

"Hurry up and send it, I'm really hungry."

This was Xiao Yuxuan's first time having dinner at the Princess's residence.

Compared to the delicate and light breakfast, dinner is much more substantial.

She glanced at them and saw that almost all of them were dishes she liked. Her tastes were remarkably similar to those of the princess.

Aunt Meng served food to the Princess, and Lan Xin also went to Xiao Yuxuan's side to serve her food.

Seeing Xiao Yuxuan's nonchalant attitude, Nie Youran knew that the Princess's residence already treated her as half a mistress. She lowered her eyes and slowly let out a breath.

If things continue like this, Mianmian will become even more inseparable from this little girl.

So be it, so be it.

As long as it makes her happy.

Nie Youran couldn't quite explain her feelings towards Xiao Yuxuan.

At first, I must have admired her; she was ambitious, had well-hidden ambitions, and was intelligent and clear-headed.

But the prerequisite is that she can control her greed.

People are always greedy, and everyone understands the principle of "it's good to have a big tree to lean on." She is only fourteen years old now, and being able to get rid of her family and find a good husband by relying on the princess is already the best outcome.

But if Xiao Yuxuan wants more... she has seen too many cases of insatiable greed, from the initial petty gains to the later struggle for power and influence, people are never satisfied.

It all depends on which one Xiao Yuxuan is.

"Was the instruction from that master today good?"

The eldest princess had been busy with matters concerning the girls' school and was unaware of the crown prince's hand injury. Her question clearly carried a hint of sarcasm.

A blush crept onto Xiao Yuxuan's cheeks, and she looked embarrassed as she said:

"What merit or ability does Yu Xuan possess to deserve the personal instruction of His Highness the Crown Prince? It is truly a waste of her talent."

The eldest princess, however, put away her teasing and became serious:

“Learning about horses requires laying a solid foundation from the very first lesson to avoid making mistakes in minor details later on. I have witnessed Jun’er’s abilities, and he is the same age as you. I think learning from him won’t be too boring. For him, it’s a good way to relax and avoid him being too busy with official business all day to exercise.”

Xiao Yuxuan choked, she hadn't expected there to be several reasons.

For some reason, the emperor's health has been deteriorating in recent years, and the crown prince has changed from practicing martial arts, reading, and handling government affairs every morning to participating in politics all day and reading in his spare time.

The princess noticed his busy schedule and realized that she was subtly trying to make him less overworked.

On the other side, at the Xiao residence.

When Bihui came out of Lanting Pavilion, she was carrying two large baskets. The cloth coverings were not completely covering them, revealing some food, plasters, gauze, and other similar items inside.

She struggled to carry it, and after walking a short distance, she ran into Li's mother.

Just when Li's mother was at her wits' end, the eldest son was making a fuss about breaking off the engagement. The master and mistress had been negotiating with the Dai family for a long time, but the eldest son still insisted on his own opinion and was determined to break off the engagement.

Heaven have mercy! The wedding date has already been set, all the auspicious steps have been taken, and the wedding is just a few days away. Why is the eldest son making a fuss about canceling the engagement?

It is said that it was because the eldest son had a sweetheart and did not want her to be relegated to the status of a concubine.

Madam Xiao's headache flared up again, so she sent her to the room to get some ointment to relieve it.

"Hello, Aunt Li!"

From a distance, Bihui put down her basket and greeted them crisply.

Mother Li's gaze fell on her; she was the person who served Fifth Miss closely.

Since Chunwen and Caihe were tortured to the point of near death and thrown into the woodshed to await their demise, the only people the Fifth Miss could rely on were Bihui and the two maids borrowed by the Princess.

Leaving aside the two borrowed ones, Bi Sui was bought into the mansion when she was a child and used to serve Madam Xiao. She was also quite familiar with Madam Li.

"Where are we going? Has Fifth Sister not returned yet?"

Bi Sui answered dutifully, adding that Xiao Yuxuan had been kept behind by the Princess to talk, and would probably be back later.

At this point, Madam Li couldn't care less about these things. It was good that Fifth Miss wasn't in the mansion, so she wouldn't have to hear about these upsetting things. Madam was also too busy to worry about anything else.