Xue Shen went to Fanlou to retrieve the precious duck, and as expected, he had a servant deliver one portion to the Ministry of Works, while he himself took the other portion back to the Prince's Mansion.
Shen Youying was strolling in the garden, surrounded by maids and servants.
Now that there's no need to hide anymore, and everyone in the Prince's mansion has been reprimanded by Xue Shen, she's always surrounded by maids and servants wherever she goes.
Shen Youying walked for a while and then sat down in the pavilion. Danzhu poured her some tea and said, "Several ladies sent their invitations to pay their respects today."
She had a good memory and told Shen Youying which ladies were from which families.
Since the news of Shen Youying's pregnancy spread, many ladies from the imperial family and noble clans have sent invitations to visit her. However, Shen Youying finds it troublesome to receive so many people and has not seen them.
But now that Xue Shen is going to compete with the Crown Prince and the Emperor, it wouldn't be good to keep refusing these ladies who have taken the initiative to send invitations, as they may have been instructed by their husbands' families.
Shen Youying thought for a moment and said, "Send invitations to the ladies who sent them before, and tell them that I have acquired several pots of early-blooming peonies and invite them to come and admire the flowers."
Peonies do exist; they were brought back from Luoyang by Xue Shen.
The gardener must have used some method to make the peonies bloom early, which is quite a novel sight at this time of year.
When Xue Shen came over carrying the food box, he heard her instructing Danzhu to call Wang Deshun and Xiao Xue over, talking about arranging a flower viewing banquet.
"What flower-viewing banquet? I don't know anything about it."
Xue Shen placed the food box on the table, lifted his robe, and sat down beside her.
Shen Youying then told him her plan: "I can't just stay in the mansion and be lazy forever. I have to meet people eventually. Instead of meeting them one by one and making people guess, I should hold a banquet in a grand manner and let everyone who wants to come come."
Xue Shen frowned: "Isn't this too tiring?"
Shen Youying laughed: "I'm not a porcelain doll, and besides, there are Wang Deshun and Consort Xiao in the mansion, so I only need to use my mouth, I don't need to do anything."
Xue Shen hadn't heard the name "Consort Xiao" in a long time, and was taken aback when she suddenly mentioned it. He said with dissatisfaction, "You call her Consort Xiao more naturally than I do."
Shen Youying was taken aback by his words, and glared at him, saying, "Why are you making false accusations first? This isn't a concubine I appointed, so she's not called Concubine Xiao. Do you expect me to call her 'sister' or 'younger sister'?"
Xue Shen frowned deeply at the thought of the scene.
He pondered for a moment and said, "There's no need to use them to cover things up now. Keeping them in the manor is just a waste of their youth. Why not find an opportunity to release them all? I'll provide dowries for those who want to get married, and I'll give money to those who want to make a living on their own. It's better than delaying the manor."
Shen Youying thought about it and felt that this was not a bad idea. Xue Shen would definitely not be able to go to the backyard again in the future. Rather than leaving him in the Prince's Mansion to waste his life, it would be better to let him go and find another way to make a living.
“Then I’ll find a day to ask them for their opinions,” Shen Youying said.
Xue Shen nodded, then pinched her earlobe and said, "Xiao Xueying is someone my mother left me, and she has done her best all these years. She was originally an orphan and entered the palace at a young age, so she should have nowhere to go. If she doesn't want to get married, you can arrange a good place for her and give her some extra money, which can be considered as repaying her for her loyalty over the years."
Shen Youying replied, "I know, I won't mistreat her."
Xiao Xueying had just approached when she heard Xue Shen's words. She froze, staring at Xue Shen in disbelief: "Your Highness?"
Xue Shen glanced at her, guessing that she had overheard what had just been said, and nodded, saying, "You heard that? When you have time, think about where you're going. If you have any ideas, just tell the Princess. The Princess won't mistreat you."
Shen Youying glanced at Xiao Xueying, then at Xue Shen, thinking that Xue Shen was indeed completely unaware of Xiao Xueying's thoughts.
She didn't expose him, but instead said softly to Xiao Xueying, "The prince is right. You are all meritorious people. Now that the mission is complete, it would be best if you could have a satisfactory destination."
Xiao Xueying's face was pale and her fingers trembled slightly. She looked at Xue Shen and pleaded, "Your Highness knows that I am an orphan and have nowhere to go."
Xue Shen naturally knew this, otherwise he wouldn't have specifically instructed Shen Youying.
Upon hearing this, Shen Youying said, "The prince and I own many shops, including cosmetics and jewelry stores. Wang Deshun can't manage them all by himself. You are good at managing the household and accounts, so I think you can help share the burden."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xueying clenched her fists.
She wanted to stay in the Prince's mansion, to stay by the Prince's side, instead of being busy outside all day like Wang Deshun, never even getting to see the Prince.
She looked up at Shen Youying, wondering if her arrangement showed she had seen through her thoughts.
But she loves the prince wholeheartedly, and doesn't care about titles or status. She just wants to stay in the backyard of the prince's mansion and catch a glimpse of him from afar. Is that not allowed?
The late Empress clearly intended for her to be the Prince's tutor when she sent her to his side. If it weren't for Shen Youying's interference, the Prince wouldn't have treated her so cruelly…
She's already been so docile and tolerant, yet she can't even tolerate this much for Shen Youying's sake?
Resentment welled up in Xiao Xueying's heart, but she could only clench her fingers tightly, using the pain to remind herself to endure. She slightly curtsied and said, "Thank you for your forgiveness, Your Highness."
Seeing that she agreed, Shen Youying breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, these were people left behind by the late Empress. Even if they had some ulterior motives, as long as Xiao Xueying didn't take any action, she didn't need to argue with them. She could just settle them down and send them away properly.
The details of arranging the women in the backyard can be discussed later. Shen Youying first talked to Wang Deshun and Xiao Xueying about the arrangements for the flower viewing banquet a few days later.
This was the first time the Prince of Qin's residence had hosted a banquet, so naturally, no mistakes could be made.
Shen Youying spent a lot of time and effort discussing the banquet rules with the two of them, and then had people send out the invitations one by one. After that, she only needed to follow the rules and purchase the necessary items for the arrangement.
These trivial matters were handled by Wang Deshun, Xiao Xueying, and their subordinates, while she only needed to focus on the important things.
After the banquet was over, Shen Youying kept Xiao Xueying behind alone.
She gently repeated Xue Shen's words: "That's what His Highness means. He won't mistreat anyone. When you get back, ask the others what they think. Feel free to speak your mind. I'll arrange where everyone goes after the flower viewing banquet."
Xiao Xueying agreed softly, but after leaving Tingmei Pavilion, she could no longer suppress the jealousy and hatred in her heart.
她将自己关在屋里，面目狰狞地看着铜镜，却怎么也想不明白，自己到底比沈幼莺差在了哪里。
肖雪迎看着铜镜，温柔的神色一点点扭曲狰狞。
“我已一退再退，既然你不仁，就休怪我不义了。”
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