Su Yingxue (2)

Before going to the dining hall, Su Yingxue went into the washroom to wash her hands.

Just as he straightened his sleeves, a slightly plump figure walked in; it was Liu Zhaowan, the manager of the Prince's Mansion's needlework room.

Liu Zhaowan was about eighteen years old. She was well-dressed, her hair was neatly styled, and she was adorned with all kinds of pearls and jade ornaments. Her eyes and brows revealed a cunning, and she also had a silver tongue. She was a well-known "know-it-all" in the Prince's mansion. There was very little that she did not know about the affairs of the mansion or the interactions between people.

They came at just the right time.

Upon seeing Su Yingxue, Liu Zhaowan immediately greeted her with a warm smile and curtsied, "Greetings, Steward Su. It's been quite a while since you've been back to the manor. You must be having a hard time at the estate. You look much better."

"Steward Liu, you're too kind." Su Yingxue returned a polite smile, wiping her hands with a silk handkerchief as she casually asked, "Is everything alright at the manor? It seems the Prince has... gained a new concubine?"

Liu Zhaowan's eyes lit up. She leaned closer, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of excitement at sharing a secret, "You mean Gu Jinghong? Oh, don't even mention it! That girl, Guard Changfeng 'picked her up' from some random corner!"

"Found it?" Su Yingxue frowned slightly; its origins were even more humble and unappealing than she had imagined.

“That’s right!” Liu Zhaowan looked around, lowering her voice even further. “And you know, the Prince was seriously ill a while ago, even the Empress Dowager was alarmed. This matter is probably related to this girl. But this girl is quite cunning. I don’t know what tricks she played in front of the Prince, but she didn’t get a beating and moved into the side room of Chen’an Residence…” She paused deliberately, giving Su Yingxue a knowing look.

Su Yingxue's heart skipped a beat, and her face darkened. However, she calmly took a handkerchief to wipe the water from her hands, her face seemingly mocking: "Isn't Steward Liu quite concerned about the Prince's movements? How come he can't do anything about a new maid?"

These words finally struck a chord with Liu Zhaowan. She paused for a moment and said, "Miss Su, you know that I... sigh, I've been in the manor for three years, and I've said less than ten words to the Prince in total..."

Just as Su Yingxue was about to teach Liu Zhaowan a lesson, a maid's clear voice rang out from outside the washroom: "Steward Su, the Prince has arrived at the dining hall and invites you to dine there."

Liu Zhaowan immediately fell silent and resumed her respectful demeanor as a steward: "Oh, His Highness is waiting for you. Go quickly, Steward Su."

Su Yingxue had no choice but to suppress her doubts for the time being and nodded to Liu Zhaowan: "Thank you, Steward Liu."

He quickly composed himself and strode toward the dining hall.

When Su Yingxue stepped into the dining hall, Xiao Chengyan was already seated in the main seat, with Changfeng standing beside him. Gu Jinghong, on the other hand, was quietly standing not far behind the prince with her head bowed, ready to serve the dishes at any time.

"Yingxue is late, please forgive me, Your Highness." Su Yingxue bowed.

"It's alright, please sit down," Xiao Chengyan said calmly.

Su Yingxue sat down to the right of the prince as instructed, and the steward began to direct the maids to serve the dishes.

Being able to sit down and dine with the prince in the palace is a great honor, an honor that is rare for others, but not difficult for Su Yingxue.

After each report, regardless of whether the prince was present, Su Yingxue would be invited to dine at the prince's residence. Although she didn't know why, in her heart, this was what set her apart from all the other maids and stewards; she was indeed particularly favored by the prince.

Thinking of this, Su Yingxue became even more certain of the prince's preferences—he was by no means someone who coveted physical appearances; only those who were intelligent enough could be valued by the prince. This mutual attraction based on temperament and personality was the most enduring.

Su Yingxue put on a polite smile, preparing to say a few polite words to bridge the slight distance created by her earlier report and the unfamiliar maid.

Just then, Xiao Chengyan's gaze swept over Gu Jinghong, who was standing quietly behind him, and he suddenly spoke: "Changfeng, Jinghong, sit down and have some with us."

The moment these words were spoken, the dining hall fell silent! Even the maids serving the dishes paused for a moment.

Su Yingxue's smile froze completely, and her fingers holding the teacup tightened abruptly, her knuckles turning white.

Changfeng is one thing, but how could Your Highness allow a maidservant... to sit at the same table?!

This is unheard of!

The Prince's mansion has strict rules and a clear hierarchy. Even a capable steward like Su Yingxue would never be allowed to sit at the same table as her master without the Prince's special permission! What right does this Gu Jinghong have?!

Gu Jinghong was also taken aback for a moment, and looked up at Xiao Chengyan, seemingly surprised and hesitant.

Xiao Chengyan glanced at Gu Jinghong, his seemingly calm tone carrying a hint of coldness, "Aren't you hungry?"

"Thank you, Your Highness." Gu Jinghong curtsied and silently walked to the lowest seat at the end of the long table, the one furthest from the head seat, and sat down quietly. Changfeng also sat down next to her.

Lunch begins.

Because Xiao Chengyan was wearing a light yellow brocade robe today, and with the addition of Gu Jinghong, Changfeng and Su Yingxue, the overall dining atmosphere was much more gentle than usual.

Su Yingxue suppressed the turmoil and intense bitterness in her heart, trying to regain her composure. She began to report some lighthearted topics to Xiao Chengyan, such as the fresh seasonal fruits that had just arrived in Jiangnan, or the ingenious gadgets that had been newly acquired at a certain estate, in an attempt to attract the prince's attention and highlight her "special" status as someone who had worked with the prince for many years and knew his preferences.

"Your Highness, this was specially delivered by Yingxue from the manor in the south by fast horse..."

"Your Highness, look at this..."

However, she soon discovered that the prince only occasionally responded with an "uh-huh" to her words, and his reaction was indifferent.

What annoyed her even more was that Xiao Chengyan's deep gaze would occasionally and seemingly casually sweep across the end of the dining table and land on the woman in plain clothes who was eating quietly and making almost no sound!

That gaze, perhaps lingering for only a moment, perhaps carrying a hint of inquiry, perhaps simply confirming that she was eating quietly, but in Su Yingxue's eyes, every single glance pierced her heart. That focus, that subtle concern, was something Su Yingxue, through years of diligent work, had never received!

The prince actually paid so much attention to a maid at the dinner table? And a maid of unknown origin, who was suspected of being "unlucky"!

A profound sense of loss, jealousy, and resentment instantly gripped Su Yingxue's heart like poisonous vines. Looking at Gu Jinghong's calm and beautiful face, a surge of anger welled up within her, but with the prince present, Su Yingxue could only barely suppress her rage and force a smile as she ate her meal.

When the meal was halfway through, the steward of the Prince's residence came in and whispered a few words in Xiao Chengyan's ear.

After hearing this, Xiao Chengyan told Su Yingxue to enjoy her meal and then got up to leave the table.

Seeing this, Changfeng judged that it must be a matter of military affairs, so he also stepped forward and left.

Only Su Yingxue, Gu Jinghong, and a few servants from the Prince's mansion remained in the kitchen.

Su Yingxue put down her silver chopsticks, picked up her teacup, and spoke with an elegant and graceful posture. As if speaking casually, her gentle yet clear voice reached everyone's ears.

"Seeing that His Highness looks so well today, Yingxue is also quite relieved. Speaking of which, when I was reporting in the study just now, I mentioned the cold wave response at the mulberry orchard in the northern suburbs, which involved balancing the procurement of charcoal and the insulation of the mulberry trees, which was quite a delicate task."

"We need to ensure the temperature is high enough to withstand the cold, but also avoid scorching the new shoots with excessively strong charcoal fire, and we also need to accurately calculate the costs… Miss Gu was here just now; I wonder if she has any insightful suggestions regarding these mundane matters?"

She spoke at a measured pace, with a smile on her face that seemed to genuinely seek advice, but her gaze was fixed on Gu Jinghong like a probe.

Su Yingxue was very confident that such a complex and delicate task was beyond the comprehension of a shallow "vase" like Gu Jinghong. She should know that she was not a good match for the prince!

Gu Jinghong was eating in small bites when she heard this. She looked up and her clear gaze calmly met Su Yingxue's scrutinizing eyes.

She shook her head slightly, her posture humble yet composed, her voice clear and calm: "Steward Su is too modest. The Prince's business is well-managed, and the stewards each perform their duties. Jinghong is merely a maidservant; how dare I presume to discuss such important matters?"

...Is this fear?

Su Yingxue's lips curled into a smile, her expression deepening as she became even more certain that this "pretty face" was useless. With a hint of "tolerance," she continued:

"Miss Gu, why be so modest? To serve the Prince with your writing skills, you must be intelligent and quick-witted. The Prince has always been unconventional in his use of people, so it's good to hear different opinions. For example, I just mentioned the new batch of Shu brocade looms purchased in Nanyuan. The debugging process was quite complicated. If Miss Gu has any thoughts, please feel free to speak them."

A hint of helplessness flashed deep in Gu Jinghong's eyes. Then she put down her silver chopsticks, sat up straight, and looked at Su Yingxue with a frank expression. Her voice was not loud, but each word was clear, like pearls falling onto a plate.

"Since Steward Su insists on asking, Jinghong will presume to do so."

"What I just heard in the study was Steward Su's report on the income and expenditure details of each estate last month: the total surplus increased by 32 percent compared to last month, mainly due to the sale of warhorses at the western suburbs horse farm and the bumper harvest of fish in East Lake. Among them, the mulberry orchard in the northern suburbs is expected to have a 20 percent reduction in harvest due to the early arrival of the cold wave. The solution is to allocate 1,800 taels of silver from the surplus to purchase 12,000 catties of high-quality silver bone charcoal, and to increase the temperature day and night to protect the seedlings. Steward Su reported that the damage is under control and subsequent losses can be kept below expectations."

Su Yingxue's smile froze completely, and the color drained away little by little. After a long while, she realized that she had bumped into the wrong person. Gu Jinghong spoke smoothly and fluently, repeating Su Yingxue's core data and measures that she had just reported in the study word for word. But just now, she was clearly just grinding ink!

Gu Jinghong looked calmly at Su Yingxue, whose face had turned pale, and continued, "However, I believe that although Steward Su's plan is comprehensive, there is one aspect that has not been considered thoroughly."

Everyone was taken aback when they heard Gu Jinghong speak.

The reason why Steward Su has a higher status than other stewards in the Prince's mansion is because the Prince relies on him.

The prince was unmarried and preoccupied with military affairs, leaving him with many properties and daily matters to attend to. He entrusted these matters to Su Yingxue.

At first, everyone thought that a young lady like her would have little knowledge of money and commerce, but the prince had a discerning eye. Every business entrusted to her not only suffered no loss but also increased in profit. Her decisiveness at crucial moments and her appropriate handling of situations were truly admirable.

Because of her taking care of the affairs and managing the Prince's estate in an orderly manner, the Prince was able to free himself from mundane matters and focus on important military and national affairs.

Therefore, although everyone in the manor respectfully calls her "Steward Su," they all know perfectly well that the power she wields and the Prince's trust in her are far beyond what an ordinary steward can match.

And now, a mere maidservant who "serves men with her beauty" actually dares to say that Steward Su has not thought things through...

For a moment, everyone at the table exchanged glances, all subtly waiting to see how the arrogant Gu Jinghong would handle the situation.