Chapter 116 Just a maidservant

Princess Deyang wanted to say more, but swallowed her words.

What should have been a joyous celebration dinner turned into a somber atmosphere.

She put down her chopsticks: "Next time I return to the capital, I'll move back to the Duke's mansion."

When they divorced, Yao Qingling emptied almost the entire new mansion.

Zhan Xingzhuo was unwilling, saying, "I'm already used to the new residence."

Duke Zhan glanced at him, mistakenly thinking that he still couldn't forget Yao Qingling. He looked at the Grand Princess of Deyang and said indifferently, "I heard that Yao Qingling opened a shop selling goods from both the north and south of China. She does business in public herself?"

The Grand Princess frowned slightly.

No noblewoman from a prominent family would go into business on her own; Yao Qingling had already become the talk of the town among the powerful and wealthy.

By doing this, she was dragging her own status down again and again.

However, she was no longer a member of the Duke's mansion and had to find her own way out.

Princess Deyang didn't mean to look down on anyone; she had a special feeling for Yao Qingling.

After all, she was the daughter-in-law he had personally trained and who had relied on him; yet her initial intention to be kind to Yao Qingling was merely to take advantage of her.

However, regardless of the circumstances, with Yao Qingling lowering herself like this, the Duke's Mansion would never allow her to return.

Granny Jia whispered a few words in the First Princess's ear.

"Oh?" The Grand Princess was somewhat surprised and looked at Zhan Xingzhuo. "You have a new girl by your side?"

When Zhan Xingzhuo left Luozhou, he didn't originally plan to take Hongying with him, but she cried and said she couldn't bear to part with him, so he brought her back.

She was gentle and considerate, always putting him first, and very good at reading people's expressions, serving him very well. Zhan Xingzhuo had gotten used to her and found it more convenient and handy to have her around.

He said calmly, "She's just a maid who serves others."

Princess Deyang said nothing more.

Luozhou was long ago a desolate wasteland; there were hardly any decent girls left there.

The Grand Princess was not disappointed.

With this experience, Zhan Xingzhuo is about to be promoted to Vice Minister. His future is limitless, and with the Duke's mansion backing him up, if he were to marry again, he would definitely choose a noblewoman from a high-ranking family, no longer someone from a humble background like the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion.

Princess Deyang began to wonder whose daughter was still unmarried; Zhan Xingzhuo had been promoted and was returning to the capital, so perhaps another chrysanthemum banquet could be held at his residence after the beginning of autumn…

After finishing his meal, Zhan Xingzhuo returned to Xinfu.

He had drunk a lot of wine and was so unsteady on his feet that he couldn't even get on the carriage.

Suddenly, someone lifted my arm.

Zhan Xingzhuo thought it was Minglu and shook off his arm, saying, "Never mind, I can go up by myself."

"Brother Xingzhuo, it's me."

A soft, delicate woman's voice.

Zhan Xingzhuo was taken aback and turned to look at the woman in front of him, who had bright eyes and white teeth and shallow dimples when she smiled.

Under the moonlight, the woman was dressed in white, with silver thread embroidered with udumbara flowers on her clothes. Her hair ornaments were simple, yet she exuded an extraordinary aura.

Despite the hardships she has endured, she remains stunningly beautiful.

“Zhi Ning…” He was so excited that he held her hand tightly.

During this period, if it weren't for Zhou Zhining's frequent letters of encouragement, he wouldn't know how he would have gotten through those difficult days.

In order to return as soon as possible and to make achievements, he worked from dawn till dusk every day, exploring every possible way to govern Luozhou.

His dreams were filled with Zhou Zhining, who kept saying, "Brother Xingzhuo, I'm waiting for you."

"Zhining, what brings you here? I was just planning to come see you tomorrow." She paused, then quickly added, "I really couldn't get away today."

Zhou Zhining smiled and said, "I heard you were back, so I waited for you at the entrance of the Duke's mansion... Don't worry, no one saw me, and the Princess won't know."

Her smile was somewhat strained as she glanced towards the main gate of the Marquis's residence.

She was both pitiful and innocent, yet still attached to the affection the Duke's mansion had once shown her.

Zhan Xingzhuo saw this and squeezed her hand: "It doesn't matter if someone sees us."

"I'm not the same person I used to be. Zhi Ning, I can protect you better from now on."

He held her hand, smiled at her gently and happily, his gaze very direct.

Zhou Zhining lowered her head shyly.

She whispered, "Brother Xingzhuo, I miss you so much, and Xiao'er misses you very much too."

Zhan Xingzhuo nodded and replied, "I miss you too."

The entrance to the Duke's mansion was not a place for heartfelt confessions, so Zhou Zhining helped him into the carriage.

Inside the carriage, where no one could see, Zhou Zhining hugged Zhan Xingzhuo, pressing her face against his chest and whispering, "Brother Xingzhuo, I really missed you."

Especially when he was at the Ministry of Agriculture, I looked forward to his visit every day.

Zhan Xingzhuo gently patted her back, his face somewhat gloomy.

He said, "It was my fault for sending you to a place like the Sinong Temple. I didn't protect you well. Zhining, I didn't climb high enough..."

His experience in Los Angeles gave him new insights.

He lowered his eyes and gently stroked Zhou Zhining's hair.

Zhou Zhining shook her head and got up from his arms: "Brother Xingzhuo, you have done very well. I don't blame you."

She lowered her eyes, her voice lowered, and rubbed her fingers: "Actually, although those days at the Ministry of Agriculture were tough, I felt much lighter inside. Maybe... I really did atone for the Zhou family's sins."

Seeing her suppressed sadness, Zhan Xingzhuo knew that she said those things just to make him feel better.

He felt even more heartbroken.

"Zhi Ning, the Zhou family is innocent; they have only failed."

Zhou Zhining smiled and shook her head: "Let's not talk about this anymore. Tao Weixian picked me up from the Sinong Temple, and I'm still at Hengwu Villa now."

Zhan Xingzhuo nodded; Prince Xin had mentioned it to him.

The two talked for a while longer, discussing Xiao'er and Zhou Zhining's life at the Sinong Temple.

"...Doing accounting can't be idle either, there aren't enough people, so we have to go up and help."

Zhou Zhining exaggerated the work she did, so that Zhan Xingzhuo would always feel guilty and sorry for her.

She rolled up her sleeves, revealing faint scars on her snow-white skin.

Tao Weixian found a doctor and treated her with the best scar-removing medicine. In a few more days, the scars will be completely invisible.

"This is outrageous! They took the money and still dared to ask you to do things..."

The man stroked her fair and delicate skin, his heart fluttering, feeling his blood surging, and he quickly withdrew his hand.

Zhou Zhining lowered her eyes and slightly curved the corners of her lips. She naturally withdrew her hand and said, "Tao Weixian plans to open a shop selling goods from both the north and south of China and wants me to be the shop owner so that I can make money for him."

The mention of the shop caused Zhan Xingzhuo's body to suddenly cool down.

The image of Yao Qingling and Lin Shiyuan being intimate, which he had witnessed firsthand, flashed through his mind.

His breathing became heavy, and his eyes darkened.

Zhou Zhining: "Are you unhappy that I opened a shop just like Yao Qingling's?"

Zhan Xingzhu scoffed dismissively: "Then you stole all her business. She owes you, and she should pay it back."

Zhou Zhining would have been happy to hear those words alone; but she was also observing his expression.

These words sounded more like he was angry with Yao Qingling.

Zhan Xingzhuo then realized something and said again, "Zhi Ning, being a shop owner... this is something you shouldn't be doing."

Noble ladies all possessed social status and position, while merchants of the Li Dynasty were of low status, wealthy but powerless.

Even as a government slave, Zhou Zhining only needed to be herself.

"I'll go tell Wei Xian and ask him to have someone else do it."

"No, Brother Xingzhuo, I promised Weixian." Zhou Zhining pulled the man who was about to get up, bit her lip, and lowered her voice. "I am just a servant now, so it doesn't matter if I show my face."