Chapter 147 Eavesdropping
When Master Xuan heard that He Xing had also been deceived by Lin Yuesha, he finally felt a little better. It wasn't that they were stupid, but that the brat was too shrewd.
"Nephew, don't worry, the Xuan family will give you an explanation for this matter."
After Master Xuan finished speaking, he looked around and saw that there were no maids serving him in the room.
"Yaoyao, where have all the servants gone? They're slacking off in broad daylight! You're too kind!"
Xiaoqian is dead, she's just a slave bound by a contract. When Master Xuan found out, he nodded and didn't take it to heart at all.
"Father, this is the prince's temporary residence. How can he bring so many servants?"
Xuan Yao dared not say that she had not yet won the Prince's favor, because she would lose face in front of the Prince of Zhenbei. She embellished her story slightly, saying that she was the savior who saved the prince at the last moment.
It's been several days now, and the wound is still aching and hasn't healed yet.
Master Xuan was convinced of this. He knew Xuan Yao's appearance well. Even if he doted on his daughter, he couldn't lie and say that Xuan Yao was beautiful. So, the reason why the Prince of Zhenbei took a liking to her must be because she had something special.
"The courtyard is just a bit too simple."
After some consideration, Master Xuan figured it was probably because the mansion wasn't big enough to accommodate everyone.
"Oh, right, call that brat over here and make her kowtow to us in public!"
Master Xuan was flogged, and his buttocks are still not fully healed. The bumpy ride in the carriage was extremely painful for him.
Now that there's an opportunity to torment Lin Yuesha, Master Xuan is determined not to let it go and insists on dealing with her.
“Father, haste makes waste. I’ve just arrived at your home, and it’s almost New Year’s. It’s better to avoid trouble and not invite bad luck.”
Xuan Yao reassured Master Xuan, explaining that Lin Yuesha was her maid, and if she made things difficult for the little girl, her life would be miserable. Moreover, whether Lin Yuesha could leave or not was entirely up to her.
“I lied to her, saying that as long as she served me well, I would let her go back home at the beginning of the year, and she actually believed me.”
Xuan Yao covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and her laughter was extremely eerie.
"That's right, we can't let that brat get away with it!"
Master Xuan was very satisfied with his daughter's actions, and Xuan Yao had made him proud. Ever since he learned that Xuan Yao had become a person of high status, his doorstep had been worn down by people trying to curry favor with him.
Master Xuan finally got his revenge and felt a great sense of satisfaction.
“Father, I may seem to be living a glamorous life in this mansion, but I have my own hardships.”
Xuan Yao brought it up, saying that the Prince's mansion was different from her home. Food couldn't be ordered casually, and servants had to be given benefits occasionally. Since she was new to the mansion, she needed to win over the servants and cultivate a few confidants.
"You don't need to tell me, Father has already prepared everything."
Master Xuan gritted his teeth, took out a small package containing silver, silver notes, and his private stash of gold ingots, totaling at least a thousand taels.
The money wasn't all from him; a few opportunists came to deliver New Year's gifts, some of which were a bit more expensive, and Master Xuan brought them to Xuan Yao.
You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub; you can't catch the King of Zhenbei without spending money.
The servants in the Prince's mansion were even more well-informed. If their daughter learned to win the Prince's favor, and gave birth to a son or daughter, they would surely be rich and noble in the future!
With the money in hand, Xuan Yao felt much more relaxed, and a smile appeared on her face.
"By the way, I saw there were only two maids in the courtyard, one doing chores and the other the maid who just served tea."
Master Xuan meant that the tea-serving maid was too attentive and deliberately obsequious. Servants who are easily bribed are the ones to be most wary of. Such people are opportunists who, once they have a conflict of interest, are most likely to betray their masters for personal gain.
“Father, a lowly servant will never be able to rise above his station.”
Xuan Yao smiled, and Hong Tao wished she were dead. She offered her some benefits, and this slut acted like a lapdog, even daring to dream of marrying her older brother and becoming her sister-in-law. How ridiculous!
Does a lowly servant girl deserve it?
Inside the house, several people were talking. Hongtao was carrying a copper kettle with a narrow spout. She was about to come in and ask if they needed more tea, but when she heard Xuanyao talking about her, she immediately stopped.
Hongtao didn't quite trust Xuanyao, but the offer was too tempting, so she tried her best to please her, hoping to gain something in return.
"What? You made a promise with that lowly servant girl to marry your elder brother?"
Master Xuan stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.
With her looks, a lowly maidservant like her wouldn't even be worthy of being the daughter-in-law of the Xuan family.
"Little sister, what do you mean by this?"
Xuan Zhi was so angry that he threw down his folding fan. Xuan Yao became the prince's concubine, and his status rose accordingly. He could marry the daughter of an official, not to mention that he was still a scholar.
Even if I am removed from the social status, I can't change the fact that I was once a lowly person. Xuan Yao, don't even think about stuffing all sorts of dirty and smelly things into his hands.
"Yaoyao, your eldest brother is the heir of our Xuan family, you can't marry someone like that."
Master Xuan dared not offend his daughter, so he could only patiently persuade her.
"Father, elder brother, you're overthinking it."
Xuan Yao explained that if there were any benefits, she would rather give them to the newcomer Hong Chou than let the slut Hong Tao benefit from them. She had already remembered what Hong Tao had said.
Right now, she's having a tough time at home and needs Hongtao's connections, so she made a grand promise. Once she gains the upper hand, she'll kick Hongtao aside and find the lowest-ranking coachman to marry her off to.
Hongtao has no chance of becoming the main wife, so Xuanyao plans to marry her off to a disabled coachman as a concubine.
"That slut doesn't even look at me, but I'll make her my concubine, hahaha!"
The concubines of a prince and the concubines of a disabled servant are both concubines, but their statuses are worlds apart.
"That's great! That's exactly how it should be!"
Master Xuan exclaimed in approval, "This is indeed my daughter!"
"Little sister, I'm relieved to hear you say that."
Xuanzhi put down his folding fan and calmed down. Actually, he had his eye on Zhang Qing'er, the only daughter of the county magistrate, and he felt that the two families were barely a good match.
The Xuan family and the Prince's Mansion are related, and Zhang Qing'er, as the daughter of the county magistrate, is still considered to be marrying above her station.
"That maid is a snob. You have to keep her in check and don't reveal anything before it's all done, so as not to arouse suspicion."
Master Xuan instructed Xuan Yao that if necessary, the family could cooperate in the charade.
"Yes, I'm good at that."
Xuanzhi has played the lovey-dovey trick countless times and is already very skilled at it.
"Okay, just be kind to her. Going too far will only arouse suspicion."
Xuan Yao got the money and fooled her father and elder brother. She was now gloating over her cleverness. She felt no guilt at all. Both sides were using each other. Her father and elder brother wanted to use her identity, so they naturally had to pay some money.
Hongtao sat by the window, listening to the conversation inside. She was so angry that she almost ground her teeth to powder. This family of shameless people had actually been planning this behind the scenes!
Haha, they really think she's a complete idiot, very good, very good!
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