"Why so many gifts?"
Fang Ruotang stood at the gate, watching her aunt Cui Shi and her maids and servants counting the gift boxes, and was a little surprised.
When Cui saw Fang Ruotang, she smiled. When she saw the Crown Prince standing beside her, she immediately handed the book in her hand to the old woman next to her and stepped forward to greet him.
The Crown Prince slightly turned aside to avoid the greeting and returned a junior's greeting, something Cui Shi had never expected. But seeing her niece grinning foolishly beside her, she quickly snapped out of her reverie.
"These are all for you."
"For me?" Fang Ruotang pointed to her own nose, her voice full of disbelief.
To put it bluntly...
Fang Ruotang has grown up without receiving any gifts from anyone other than her family. She has never even received a silk handkerchief. After all, she has been in poor health since childhood. Not only does her family keep a close eye on her, but girls from similar backgrounds around her also dare not approach her.
After all, if something were to happen to her when they asked her out, those girls could very well be stigmatized and have nowhere to turn for help. So, they simply stopped associating with her altogether.
Feeling a sense of novelty, Fang Ruotang eagerly reached out her hand towards the pile of gift boxes.
"This gold hairpin with butterfly and flower pattern is so beautiful!" Fang Ruotang casually opened a brocade box in front of her, and the first hairpin caught her eye.
She picked it up, held it above her head, and looked back at the Crown Prince.
Is it pretty?
"nice."
The Crown Prince had never tried to please a woman before, but seeing the joyful smile on Fang Ruotang's face, he realized that she liked these ornaments and that he would collect some even better ones to present to her in the future.
Fang Ruotang took it in her hand and looked at it, then said happily, "I think it looks good too. Big sister will definitely look beautiful wearing this."
Madam Cui smiled helplessly, "Your eldest sister doesn't need these things, so don't worry about her. Besides, I've already inventoried these things, and they need to be returned to their respective households."
It's a real headache. If those young ladies weren't so different from these objects, they would probably be piled up like this in the gatehouse of the Prime Minister's mansion.
However, seeing that the Crown Prince was there, Cui did not mention this matter to Fang Ruotang. She only glanced at the honest and well-behaved eldest daughter of the Li family standing to the side.
"Why?" Although Fang Ruotang had no one to socialize with, she had seen Shu Shi handle these matters quite often when she was staying in Shu Shi's house.
If even a second wife of the Shu family was like this, then the first wife, Cui, who was in charge of the entire Prime Minister's household affairs, was even busier.
The two women were adept at these social interactions. If other households sent them generous gifts, they would reciprocate with gifts of equal value; this was their custom.
This was the first time Fang Ruotang had ever heard of returning gifts.
"They bring you gifts because they want you to do them a favor. What if they make things difficult for you after you accept these gifts?"
Fang Ruotang clearly didn't understand the intricacies of the situation.
"Keep any you like." The Crown Prince didn't think there was anything wrong with it. If his subordinates wanted to show their respect, he would keep any they liked; that was giving them face.
Cui choked and couldn't say anything more.
However, Fang Ruotang naturally listened to her aunt and immediately put the hairpin back. She then happily took her arm and rubbed her head against her shoulder, looking like a spoiled little girl.
“I don’t like these, Auntie, please return them! Anyway, Auntie will buy me whatever I like.”
That's true.
Cui was in charge of the household's finances, and each branch and individual could not simply draw upon as much silver as they wished, except for Fang Ruotang, who was an exception.
From childhood to adulthood, everything she used was of the highest quality.
"It just so happens that your third sister is back. Tomorrow, the four of you sisters should take some servants with you and go shopping in the city. Buy whatever you like."
As Cui spoke, she gently stroked Fang Ruotang's jade-like cheek, her eyes filled with tenderness for her.
"Okay, thank you, Auntie." Fang Ruotang nudged Cui Shi's head with her fluffy little head again.
It was a very childish thing to do, but Fang Ruotang had always been like that.
This intimate gesture made Cui beam with joy, but considering that the Crown Prince was present at the main gate, she said a few words and then prepared to invite the person into the mansion first.
Just then, the imperial carriage from the Princess's residence slowly approached.
Prince An, seated on a tall, fine horse, followed beside the imperial carriage.
Fang Ruotang followed beside Cui Shi and peeked over to see the scene of Prince An arriving with three carriages carrying more than a dozen large boxes. She clicked her tongue in amazement.
"Are you here to give me a gift too?"
After Prince An dismounted, Fang Ruotang asked him curiously.
Cui's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. She gave Fang Ruotang a wink, but Fang Ruotang didn't even glance at her and didn't see it.
Prince An looked at the gift boxes that hadn't been packed up yet at the door, slowly raised his lips, and smiled gently, "Yes, I'm here to give you a gift too."
Fang Ruotang shrugged, "Don't bother sending it, my aunt said I can't accept it."
Cui looked as if she had swallowed a bitter pill, and glanced at Fang Ruotang, wanting to shake her awake. How could this be the same?
The person who came to the manor earlier with his daughter and gifts was asking Fang Ruotang for medicine, but Prince An came to express his gratitude for saving his life.
Even so, the gift was still a bit too much; those who didn't know the situation might have thought the Princess's residence was there to propose marriage.
"Thanks to the help of your esteemed sixth young lady, my mother's life was saved. Compared to my mother's life, these gifts are nothing. I hope Madam Fang will not refuse them. My mother was going to come along today, but guests arrived at the mansion just before she left, so she did not come to bother us. My mother will definitely visit in person next time to express her gratitude. I hope your mansion will not take offense."
Prince An spoke in a clear and gentle voice, recounting his story in a leisurely and engaging manner.
He unconsciously makes people want to listen carefully to what he has to say.
“Your Highness An is too kind…” Cui Shi had just opened her mouth when she heard Fang Ruotang’s thoughts echo in her mind. She paused for a moment before continuing her polite conversation with Your Highness An.
[You saved the Princess's life, yet you didn't even get to hold Prince An's hand. What a loss! Hurry up and go for it.]
I saved the Eldest Princess not for Prince An's sake, but because I genuinely admire her.
[I don't care, I don't care! You go up there right now! You absolutely must kiss Prince An today, or I'll never give you any more pills again!]
The little mirror was rolling around and throwing a tantrum in Fang Ruotang's mind.
Prince An, who had been talking to Cui, suddenly stopped talking. When Fang Ruotang's gaze unconsciously fell on his lips, he pursed his lips slightly, then swallowed, and his Adam's apple slowly bobbed.
Upon seeing this, the Crown Prince frowned, gave a faint snort, and exuded the unique aura of a superior, instantly changing his demeanor.
"Ziqi, the Emperor intends to entrust you with the task of growing new grain. Go to the palace now to meet the Emperor and grow new grain as soon as possible so that the people will be free from hunger sooner."
Prince An avoided Fang Ruotang's innocent yet intense gaze, raised an eyebrow at the Crown Prince, and found it somewhat amusing. He was grateful to Fang Ruotang for saving his mother, and it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to repay her with his body, but he could never be so abrupt as to harass the beauty at the gate and ruin her reputation.
Although Fang Ruotang's reputation was completely ruined by the leak of her true feelings, she tried to salvage what little she could.
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