"This servant will certainly remain diligent, do my best, and be mindful of my conduct in serving Princess Zhenguo well," Song Dujuan promised.
Butler Chai looked at that face; there seemed to be a shrewdness between his brows, and also a hint of restrained resentment.
He gave a half-smile.
"Miss Guilan, if you perform well, you will be of use. Just remember this sentence. This is also the intention of Princess Zhenguo."
Although he didn't understand why Princess Zhenguo would specifically "take care" of Wang Guilan, he was sure that Princess Zhenguo must have her own reasons for doing so.
Having known people for decades, he could tell that Guilan was not a simple-minded person.
Seeing that Qiao Lian'er was so satisfied with her, Song Dujuan felt at ease and had more confidence in her plan.
Moreover, if she's so easily fooled, it seems Qiao Lian'er isn't as clever as the legends say.
Once he was by Zhu Xiang's side, his daily tasks consisted of boiling water, washing handkerchiefs for Princess Zhenguo, and sometimes wiping tables and vases inside the house.
Song Dujuan is finally a little closer to Qiao Lian'er.
She discovered that Qiao Lian'er rarely showed interest in the dressing and jewelry of young women; she spent most of her time reading books, looking at account books, and making decisions.
She listened intently for several days and learned that Qiao Lian'er had several fiefdoms, each quite large, and apparently also had mines in a foreign country, related to jade and gemstones.
Qiao Lian'er did not deliberately hide any of these things.
This dispelled Song Dujuan's suspicion that Qiao Lian'er had not been on guard against her at all.
If they could seize all of this through their kinship with Qiao Lian'er, the immeasurable wealth would be more than the Song family could ever spend in eight generations.
A dark thought arose in Song Dujuan's mind.
If the entire Qiao family were to die, then everything would naturally fall to their relatives.
According to the original plan, the Song family members were first allowed to enter the Qiao family one by one, clinging to this big tree like dodder vines. Then, the kinship was revealed, and the deed was done, making the Qiao family forever responsible to the Song family. They were given positions and houses, and if they were lucky, the Song family would become the masters of this house, marginalizing the Qiao family.
But Song Dujuan changed her mind. Once she got the position and the shop, she would send the entire Qiao family away and become the master of the Qiao mansion as a relative, to avoid any unforeseen complications.
She was startled by herself, but quickly became even more determined.
The bolder you are, the more you will produce.
Song Dujuan followed beside Zhu Xiang, holding a washbasin in her hands.
"Sister Zhuxiang, the Qiao residence is really big! Did Princess Zhenguo buy it herself, or was it a gift from the Emperor?"
Zhu Xiang glanced at her: "Why are you asking this?"
"I'm just curious. Our Princess Zhenguo is highly valued by the Emperor, so she shouldn't need to buy a house herself."
If Qiao Lian'er bought it herself, then it's only natural for her relatives to inherit it; if it was a gift from the imperial family, then it should be taken back.
Zhu Xiang said, "I arrived later, so I'm not sure, but I heard other people talking about it. It must have been Princess Zhenguo who bought it herself."
He frowned and said, "Speak less in the manor, especially about the Zhenguo Princess. Don't ask too many questions. Although the Zhenguo Princess won't care about these trivial matters, it will damage the atmosphere of the manor."
Song Dujuan got the answers she wanted and felt a surge of excitement.
If they bought it themselves, then it belongs to the Song family.
Once outside the room, Zhu Xiang took the basin and said, "Go and boil another pot of water."
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