Half an hour later, all the maids and servants in the courtyard had arrived and were standing in half of the courtyard.
Shangguan Wanning sat in the pavilion, fanning herself gently, her indifferent eyes sweeping across every face.
"Miss, please have some tea." Lu Tong placed the tea within Shangguan Wan Ning's reach, then stepped back two steps and stood aside.
Shangguan Wanning put down the fan, picked up the cup and took a sip of tea, then said slowly: "I have been feeling unwell these days, as you all know. Lutong is a little too busy to serve me, so I thought of picking a few more smart and capable ones to stay by my side."
"I don't want to go out and buy it again, so I'll just choose from among you. Don't worry, as long as you are considerate and thoughtful, I will definitely treat you well."
Shangguan Wan Ning stood up and walked slowly past a group of servants, selecting two elderly maids and two servant girls who were originally trimming flowers and plants in the garden.
"What are your two names?" Lu Tong asked after bringing them into the house.
"My servant Xiaodong."
"My servant, A Ling."
Lu Tong looked at Ah Ling for a few more times and said, "You are pretty, so you will follow me and serve the young lady from now on. You must remember that although the young lady is kind-hearted and never scolds you, you still have to be extra careful, understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
For several days, Shangguan Wanning stayed at home to recuperate and did not go out.
The injury gradually healed, but a shallow scar could still be seen on her forehead, which made her feel very upset.
"Miss, the second prince is here." Lu Tong walked in to report.
Shangguan Wanning frowned with some disgust, asked Lutong to find a piece of gauze to cover her face, and came to the garden.
"Meet the Second Prince."
"Get up quickly." Xiao Zhenting looked at the graceful Shangguan Wanning, and his heart could not help but surge with excitement. "I heard that you fell into the water and got injured a few days ago, and I was very worried. But... after all, there is a difference between men and women, so I couldn't come to see you right away. Today I finally found an excuse to visit your father to see you. You won't blame me, right?"
Shangguan Wanning lowered her eyelids, smiled slightly, and shook her head gently.
"This is a medicine prepared by the imperial physician in the palace. It is specially used to remove scars. I'm sure you can use it."
"Thank you for your kindness, Second Prince."
Shangguan Wanning gave a wink and Lutong stepped forward to take the medicine.
"Oh." Xiao Zhenting sighed deeply.
"The Second Prince sighed for a long time, but is there something on his mind?"
Shangguan Wanning's words hit the mark exactly what Xiao Zhenting wanted. He looked into Shangguan Wanning's clear eyes and began to complain bitterly.
"Ning'er, you probably heard that my brother has returned from a victorious battle. He is very popular in the court these days. Those opportunists have come forward to curry favor with him. I... I am about to be forced to have no place to stand."
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has returned triumphantly, which is a great joyous event for the court. Shouldn't the Second Prince also be happy for him? After all, you are brothers. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is also serving the country."
Xiao Zhenting was stunned and stared at Shangguan Wanning with some confusion.
In the past, whenever he complained about these things in front of Shangguan Wanning, she would give him gentle comfort, and was even willing to speak well of him in front of his father and grandfather so that he could recover from his bad situation as soon as possible.
Why is it that this time...she has become indifferent?
Xiao Zhenting couldn't explain clearly when Shangguan Wanning's attitude towards him began to change.
"Ning'er, my brother has won the battle, so I am naturally happy for him. I just sighed for a moment, the world is so fickle. And..."
Xiao Zhenting lowered his head and sighed, saying: "I originally thought that if I could gain more favor from my father, I would be worthy of you, and your father would agree to our marriage. Otherwise, I will always be just a bastard prince of the royal family."
These words sound so familiar.
In the past, Xiao Zhenting had expressed his feelings for her in this tone and expression more than once.
Now think about it, how can a man who wants to rely on the influence of the woman's family to fight for power be worthy of entrusting your life to?
Why was I blind in my previous life?
Faced with Xiao Zhenting's deep affection, Shangguan Wanning's attitude was much colder.
"Second Prince, since ancient times, marriages have been decided by parents and matchmakers. Since my parents have never agreed to our being together, Ning'er probably doesn't have the blessing of standing by your side."
Shangguan Wan Ning stood up and bowed, then said softly, "Ning'er is not feeling well and wants to go back to her room to rest. Bye."
"Hey..." Xiao Zhenting looked at Shangguan Wanning's departing back, his eyes revealing anger and viciousness. "Shangguan Wanning, don't even think about escaping from my grasp."
Xiao Zhenting was about to leave when he saw Shangguan Xiaoxiao walking towards him.
"Second Prince, my sister doesn't know what's good for her, please don't be angry."
Xiao Zhenting's face looked very ugly. He could feel Shangguan Xiaoxiao's affection for him.
This woman is good-looking, and her features are somewhat similar to Shangguan Wanning. When the night is quiet, she can quench her thirst by looking at her.
Unfortunately, she was Shangguan Wanning's half-sister. If he accepted her like this, it might affect his plans.
"Second Prince, the flowers in the garden are blooming. Why not... let Xiaoxiao accompany you to appreciate the flowers and take a walk, which will also comfort your sorrow."
Seeing that Xiao Zhenting did not refuse, Shangguan Xiaoxiao bravely took a step forward and wanted to hold Xiao Zhenting's arm.
Xiao Zhenting's sharp eyes moved, shocking Shangguan Xiaoxiao.
"If you really want to help me..." Xiao Zhenting's voice suddenly turned cold, "Stay away from me. You can't do anything right, you useless piece of shit."
After saying that, he walked away, leaving Shangguan Xiaoxiao standing there, with tears of humiliation welling up in her eyes.
Shangguan Wanning returned to the room and had just taken off her veil when the newly chosen Nanny Li, who was to serve her, came in with tea.
"My dear, when you were chatting with the Second Prince in the garden just now, the Second Miss was hiding behind the rockery and watching secretly. After you left, they exchanged a few words, but it didn't seem very pleasant. The Second Prince left angrily. The Second Miss cried for a while in the garden."
Shangguan Wanning smiled coldly, feeling both pity and hatred for this concubine sister.
"Young Miss," Xiao Dong walked in quickly, with a bit of nervousness on her red face, "A Ling just went out quietly, and I followed her to the Second Young Miss's yard, but... I can't get in."
"I understand what's going on. You've done a great job." Shangguan Wanning winked at Lutong.
Lutong understood and walked to the dressing mirror and took out a few taels of silver to reward Li Ma and Xiaodong.
"In the future, just help the young lady with your work, and you will definitely get some benefits."
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