Chapter 215
"Yes, Your Majesty." The soldier accepted the order and withdrew.
Emperor Xia sighed helplessly, stood up, walked to the door, looked at the cold crescent moon, his expression melancholy, his heart filled with longing.
Sister, where are you? Are you alright...?
...
Tao Tao got up and reached out to tuck the blanket around her. Looking at her sleeping face, she sighed inwardly, thinking that from her perspective, she was indeed quite pitiful.
But from the child's perspective, it's also pitiful.
From the original owner's perspective, it was even more pitiful. She never enjoyed a single day of happiness. Not only did her father want to sell her, but her mother also wanted to abandon her and take her younger brother back to their hometown.
She was not born as a product of love.
And from Xia Chaohua's mouth, all she heard about her daughter was that she was obedient, well-behaved, and sensible. Who did these words offend?
Giving these words to a little girl puts invisible pressure on her. What good are these praises anyway?
She deserved to be sold by her father, and in a choice between two options, she was ruthlessly abandoned by her mother using this excuse.
Because you are obedient, sensible, and compliant, you deserve bad treatment and are destined to endure all unfairness.
Screw you! Go to hell!
If Xia Chaohua thinks her daughter is a sucker, then sorry, the Tao Tao in front of her is not her daughter at all.
If she doesn't want to acknowledge her as her daughter, then so be it. In the past, she would be nervous and scared, worrying about what would happen next.
Until recently, when considering her options, she was also thinking about how to preserve Xia Chaohua's identity as his daughter.
But if you think about it carefully, for her and Xia Chaohua now, their status in the Celestial Empire is unequal, and she is the one who truly holds the initiative.
Now that she knows everything, controlling Xia Zhaohua would be a piece of cake for her.
"Mother, it's your turn to be a good girl and listen to me now, understand?"
Tao Tao rested her chin on her hand, blinked her long eyelashes, slowly stood up, sighed wearily, and walked towards the door.
The next day, Tao Tao returned to the Prince's Mansion early in the morning.
With nothing to do in the morning, I spent my time in the yard watering and tending the flowers, reading some newly published novels, and lying in a rocking chair under the ginkgo tree, snacking on some treats – a picture of leisurely comfort.
Before long, the steward walked in from outside. Wu Mama, who was standing to the side, glanced at Tao Tao, walked slowly to him, and asked, "Is there something important?"
"The Crown Prince has sent some things over; may I ask the County Princess to move to the front hall?"
Upon hearing this, Granny Wu and Rong'er simultaneously looked at Tao Tao, who was lying on the rocking chair. They saw her lift her eyelids to glance at her, then get up and lazily stretch.
As she walked, she couldn't help but wonder why the Crown Prince's Palace would send something over.
Upon entering the front hall, the black-clad figure standing in the center turned around; it was none other than Shen Lin, the Crown Prince's bodyguard.
Tao Tao shifted her gaze from him to the small wooden boxes in the hands of the guards on either side, and the large sandalwood box on the ground, raising her eyebrows slightly.
Upon seeing her, Shen Lin hurriedly came forward, cupped his hands respectfully, and said, "Princess, His Highness has sent me to deliver some small trinkets. Please take a look and see if you like them. If you don't, please let me know and I will pass it on to His Highness."
After he finished speaking, he looked at the people and gestured for them to open the items.
In no time, the entire front hall became glittering with gold, and even in daylight, the exquisite ornaments still emitted a light that was dazzling enough to blind people.
One of them was carrying a tray, on which was an exquisite cloud-shaped shoulder piece made of jade mixed with pearls.
The pink and aquamarine jade forms an intricate pattern, surrounded by lustrous white pearls as edging, and adorned with tassels of tiny, rice-grain-sized pearls. It is so exquisite and beautiful that one glance is enough to tell that this cloud-shaped shoulder piece is priceless.
Not to mention Tao Tao, even others couldn't help but gasp in surprise when they saw it.
Besides these, there were also accessories for the youngest daughter, such as hairpins, jewelry, jade pendants, and even exquisite pastries and snacks.
Tao Tao's eyes showed a hint of surprise. Although Duan Gan had given her many gifts, including clothes, handkerchiefs, fans, and even glass vases and porcelain hand warmers.
But that didn't stop her from being amazed and fond of what she saw.
However, one should not accept gifts without merit. Why would Qi Heng send these things so openly and without any attempt to conceal them?
Such a high-profile behavior is not like Qi Heng's.
But the fact is that he had it delivered. She couldn't help but wonder what his intentions were. Moreover, the Crown Prince was so close to other members of the royal family. Wasn't he afraid of arousing the Emperor's suspicion?
Or perhaps he intentionally sought to befriend the Prince's Mansion. Although the gift was ostensibly given to her, wasn't it also a sign of his connection with the Prince's Mansion?
But Murong Huai Shi is on Duan Gan's side, and the Crown Prince couldn't possibly not know that. Could it be that Qi Heng is trying to sow discord?
It's no wonder she overthinks things. Anyone would have doubts about Qi Heng's unusual behavior, especially since she was already planning to take things one step at a time.
"Princess, you...don't you like any of these?"
Shen Lin looked at her and said hesitantly.
Every single item here was personally selected by His Highness, who put a lot of thought and effort into it. Moreover, this is the first time His Highness has gone to such lengths to please his young lady.
Tao Tao exclaimed in confusion, then smiled and said, "I like it, I really like it, but these things are too expensive. I appreciate the sentiment, but you can take these back with you."
Upon hearing this, Shen Lin frowned and said, "Princess, His Highness put a lot of thought into selecting these for you. Is it inappropriate to refuse them so easily?"
"The effort your prince willingly put in, and me..."
She paused mid-sentence, realizing something, and changed the subject, saying, "In that case... thank you, Your Highness."
Seeing that she accepted it, Shen Lin's expression improved for a moment. He clasped his hands and said, "The goods have been delivered. I will return to report to Your Highness."
Tao Tao nodded slightly and replied with an "okay".
Just as Shen Lin went out, he happened to run into Chen Jinghe, who was coming to the Prince's Mansion. The two of them stepped over the threshold at the same time, and both of them looked at each other with cold faces.
After only a quick glance, Chen Jinghe raised his chin slightly and strode inside.
Those practiced steps made one think they were from the Privy Council.
Shen Lin muttered a disgruntled complaint in his mind.
However, he was still puzzled as to why Duan Gan's men would suddenly come here. They hadn't brought any guards, so they weren't here to arrest anyone.
Or have they become so close that they frequently interact in private?
No, I need to tell His Highness first.
He then quickened his pace, mounted the horse at the gate, and led his men toward the East Palace.
In the front hall, Tao Tao hadn't figured out how to deal with these things when she heard the steward rush in to report that people from the Privy Council had arrived.
She was immediately startled. Why did they have to come at this time of year? Could they have run into someone from the Crown Prince's palace?
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