Xiao Xueying composed herself and asked the maid to invite Wen Yao, Xia He, and the others over.
Madam Yao, being a lively person, arrived with her voice before she did: "Sister Xueying, why did you have us all invited here?"
The people Xiao Xueying invited were all "his own people" whom Xue Shen had deliberately arranged in the backyard. Wen Yao, Xia He, and two other women were all selected from the Red Mansion. Xiao Xueying had dealt with them many times, and since they had been in the backyard of the Prince's Mansion for many years, they naturally had a familiar and close relationship.
She looked at Wen Yao, who was the most innocent and closest to her, and her expression was slightly unnatural for a moment, but she quickly concealed it. She forced a smile and said, "I called everyone here because something big has happened. I thought that if I told everyone in advance, everyone could be mentally prepared, make plans, and find a way out for themselves."
Seeing that her eyes were slightly red, Wen Yao sat down next to her and asked with concern, "What happened? Sister Xueying, just tell us directly, don't scare us."
Xiao Xueying lowered her head dejectedly and sighed, "Today, the Princess summoned me and told me... she wanted to send us away."
Wen Yao was taken aback: "What do you mean by sending us away?"
The other three also chimed in, asking, "Yes, please explain more clearly."
Xiao Xueying wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said in a low voice, "As you all know, the Prince is now devoted to the Princess, and now that the Princess is pregnant, he probably finds us concubines displeasing and has come up with the idea of ​​dismissing us..."
Wen Yao was even more puzzled: "But we didn't get in the way of the princess, so why does she dislike us?"
Xiao Xueying just shook her head and remained silent.
Xia He, however, saw things more clearly. She looked Xiao Xueying up and down and said, "Actually, we all know why we're in the backyard of the Prince's mansion. It's only natural that the Princess wants to send us away, but there should be a procedure for dismissing us, right? Didn't the Princess mention it?"
Xiao Xueying's expression shifted slightly before she slowly raised her head and said, "The Princess Consort said that since we were once the Prince's concubines, it wouldn't be good for his reputation if we were released and remarried. Therefore, she plans to build another nunnery next to Chuyun Temple, and once it's completed, we will go to the nunnery..."
Wen Yao looked incredulous: "Your Highness, Your Highness didn't say anything, did he? No matter how lowly we are, we have still done things for Your Highness. How could the Princess Consort treat us like this?!"
Xiao Xueying shook her head: "I originally wanted to ask to see the Prince, but I was probably afraid that the Princess would misunderstand. Now I can't even see the Prince, so what can I say?"
Xia He was still not quite convinced: "The princess doesn't seem like such a cruel person."
Sending them all to nunneries is forcing them to become nuns, which is no different from forcing them to die.
Xiao Xueying gave a bitter smile, her expression guilty: "Perhaps the princess discovered my past thoughts, which has implicated everyone."
Xia He paused for a moment, then began to sway.
She naturally didn't believe that the princess was targeting them for no reason. But if the princess had seen through Xiao Xueying's intentions and was taking her anger out on them, then it would make sense.
The women's expressions turned somewhat unpleasant. It would be a lie to say they didn't feel resentment, but rationally they knew that they had always behaved themselves in the backyard and never done anything out of line. Xiao Xueying was being targeted by the princess, which was actually innocent.
"So what do we do now?"
Wen Yao said angrily, "At worst, I'll go and beg the Prince. Although the Prince seems a bit fierce, he has never mistreated his subordinates."
Xiao Xueying pulled her back with a guilty expression: "This matter started because of me, so I should be the one to go. If we can get the prince to give us his opinion, that would be best. If not, I will bear the blame myself. In the end, it was my wrong thoughts that dragged you all down with me."
"But didn't you say you couldn't see the Prince?" Wen Yao said worriedly. "If all else fails, I'll go with you to storm the front courtyard. If we make a scene, the Prince will eventually have to see us."
Xiao Xueying shook her head and said helplessly, "We are going to ask the Prince for a way out, not to cause trouble. Today, in addition to telling me about going to the temple, the Princess also mentioned that the Prince's mansion will hold a flower viewing banquet at the end of the month. At that time, the mansion will be full of guests, so the Princess will probably not have time to guard against us. I will find an opportunity to meet with the Prince and have a talk. You keep an eye on things for me, and we'll be fine once things are settled."
Upon hearing this, Wen Yao immediately agreed.
Instead, Xia He frowned, and after leaving Xiao Xueying's room, she exchanged a glance with the other two.
Of the four, Wen Yao was the youngest and the most simple-minded. When she first entered the manor, Xiao Xueying took extra care of her, and she was always grateful to Xiao Xueying, obeying her every word without question.
However, the other three had all been through thick and thin in the Red Mansion and had seen many treacherous tricks, so they did not completely believe Xiao Xueying's words.
The three understood each other's concerns, and after Wenyao returned to her room, they gathered together again.
"Do you think what Xiao Xueying said is true or false?"
"I believe it's true that the Princess Consort of Qin knows her intentions and wants to send her to the temple. But it's not necessarily that she wants to send us all; perhaps she only wants to send her?"
Xia He added, "Moreover, it's really strange that she said she'd go see the Prince during the flower-viewing banquet and asked us to keep an eye on things for her. It doesn't sound like she wants to have a proper discussion..."
Everyone knew what Xiao Xueying was thinking, and Xia He understood what she meant with just a little explanation.
"You mean, she wants to...?"
Xia He nodded: "It's not impossible."
"Then what should we do? I don't think the prince is the kind of person who can be easily schemed against. We might end up angering him instead. Besides, the princess is pregnant. If she gets upset and something happens to her, we'll all be in deep trouble."
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