"How can I swallow this?" Liang Ying's eyes reddened with anger. Over the years, whenever Xu Lingqing mentioned this matter, she would be worried and unable to sleep for many days. At the same time, she felt guilty and became obedient to Xu Lingqing, changing from a 20/80 split to a 40/60 split.
Xu Lingqing is still not satisfied!
Song Yue smiled and said, "I have a plan."
Liang Ying raised a slender eyebrow.
...
After attending banquets for half a month straight, Xu Lingqing was starting to feel overwhelmed.
"Your Highness, the Second Prince and the Sixth Prince have sent over more clothes and jewelry." The maidservant smiled as she carried the items in. "The two princes are so kind to you. All these pieces of jewelry are the latest styles and are quite valuable."
Xu Lingqing glanced at it casually, a smile appearing on her face, and then asked if there was any news from the palace.
The maid shook her head.
Xu Lingqing frowned.
She knew in her heart that the two princes wouldn't stay in Northern Chu for long. If Zhao Zhiyan didn't gain military power before they left, she would eventually be reduced to her original state and fall into Song Yue's hands, to be tormented by others.
The two of them are now locked in a deadlock, with a life in between.
Therefore, she had to be prepared.
If she couldn't rely on Zhao Zhiyan, she would take the silver notes and follow the Xuanyuan brothers back to Japan.
"Send someone to urge them again."
"yes."
Xu Lingqing realized she hadn't seen Zhao Zhiyan for several days and asked about him. The maid replied, "The prince has been staying in his study and rarely goes out."
She thought for a moment and decided she wasn't in the mood to coax anyone. She took off her jewelry and lay leisurely on the couch, but then she noticed that the maid seemed hesitant to speak.
"Just say what you want to say, don't beat around the bush like that," she said.
The maid took out a storybook from her bosom and handed it to Xu Lingqing: "It's been circulating in the capital recently. You, you should take a look."
Xu Lingqing took it suspiciously, opened it, frowned, and after flipping through a few pages, she immediately became agitated: "Where did this notebook come from?"
"This servant does not know the source, but I have heard that several inns and teahouses have been talking about this for a while now. They say that there is a very powerful nanny in the capital who has taken in several talented young girls, trained them, and then sent them to the side of important people."
This kind of thing only happens in brothels.
The girls coaxed the guests, using all their charm to please them.
But... everything written in this book is so familiar.
They were clearly targeting me.
Born in the countryside, orphaned at a young age, or weak and helpless, they were bullied and then sold into slavery, ending up in the hands of a nanny where they were disciplined for several years.
Music, chess, calligraphy, painting, medicine, arithmetic—specialists teach them all, even how to speak. They teach them to feign weakness, play the victim, and scheme to frame others…
Xu Lingqing's face flushed red.
To her surprise, Xuan Yuanming had a tea-serving girl by his side, whom he took everywhere. The girl had a beautiful and refined appearance, with a stubborn look in her eyes, though she was a little thin. She stood obediently beside him.
This girl brought him along several times when Xuanyuan Ming came to see her.
"Who is this?" Xu Lingqing finally couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
"This is Aqin."
Xu Lingqing smiled slightly at Aqin.
Aqin responded with a faint smile, quickly lowered her head, and stood timidly behind Xuan Yuanming, as if she were the one who would bully her.
"Don't be afraid, Aqin. This is Sister Qing, whom I told you about. She's kind-hearted just like you." Xuan Yuanming's gaze towards Aqin was gentle.
Aqin nodded: "I know the Eighth Prince's Consort."
She gently tugged at Xuan Yuanming's sleeve, and Xuan Yuanming immediately stood up: "Sister Qing, I have something to attend to, so I'll head back now. Take good care of yourself, and I'll come to visit you another day."
Xu Lingqing nodded with a smile, watching the two figures leave. Xuan Yuanming protected Aqin behind him, following closely behind.
Since Aqin appeared, Xuanyuanming no longer visits every day. Sometimes he comes every two or three days, sometimes every three or five days, and when he does, he only stays for a short while before leaving in a hurry.
This made Xu Lingqing feel uneasy.
"Go and send a message to the Sixth Prince, telling him that I made his favorite peach shortbread and asking him to come as soon as possible."
The maid nodded.
Half an hour later, Xuanyuan Ming arrived, this time without Aqin by his side.
"Sister Qing." Xuan Yuanming looked very anxious.
Xu Lingqing asked with a smile, "Did something happen?"
“Aqin caught a chill while keeping watch yesterday and has fallen ill.”
"She's just a maid, why are you so nervous?" Xu Lingqing said nonchalantly, but when she saw the displeasure on Xuan Yuanming's face, she quickly changed her words: "I, I didn't mean that. I was just curious. Why would a maid make you so nervous? This isn't like you."
Xuanyuan Ming's ears turned red upon hearing this.
Seeing this, Xu Lingqing understood everything and forced a smile: "What's the background of this girl?"
"When we first met, I broke her mother's belongings. I never expected that when we met again, she would be doing hard labor at the post station. I then learned that she had come to seek refuge with relatives, but they rejected her. She had no choice but to raise her younger brother alone. Sister Qing, I have never met anyone with such a stubborn temper."
When Ah Qin was mentioned, Xuan Yuanming felt both angry and helpless.
“I offered her money, but she refused. If I hadn’t happened to see her being harassed by a drunk customer, I don’t know what would have happened to her. She said she would work as my maid for a month as a way of repaying my kindness.”
Xu Lingqing sighed deeply. Wasn't this a classic case of being fooled?
Such poor acting skills actually fooled Xuanyuan Ming.
“Ming’er, she must have approached you on purpose because of your expensive clothes.” Xu Lingqing said earnestly, “You are of noble status, and she is just a maid. It’s fine if she wants to take a concubine, but you must not have any improper thoughts.”
Xuan Yuanming suddenly looked at Xu Lingqing: "Aqin comes from a clean family, does not steal or rob, is righteous, and is not afraid of power. She is a good girl, just like Sister Qing back then."
"How can they be the same? She's just a maid!" Xu Lingqing said with a hint of disappointment.
Xuan Yuanming was suddenly taken aback and blurted out, "Didn't Sister Qing also come from a village back then?"
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