Chapter 293 Zhou Zhining Endures Humiliation and Bears a Heavy Burden
Zhou Zhining was depressed all day.
Yao Qingling should have been like her, no, even worse. She should have been a slave!
She betrayed the Marquis's mansion, changed herself into a titled lady, and was even invited to attend a banquet in the palace.
Ha, just entering the palace. She has entered the palace many times before, and she has walked through almost every corner of the palace. What's so great about that?
Is it worth so many people talking about it?
Zhou Zhining glanced at the table next to her, her face full of displeasure.
Tao Weixian poured her some wine and said, "Those are just ignorant women and children. What they know most is who's been to a banquet. Yao Qingling is a merchant's daughter, and she became the first to attend a palace banquet, so she became someone they admire."
Zhou Zhining took a deep breath and drank her wine in silence.
In my heart I thought: You don't understand.
What she truly cared about wasn't the other ladies' envy of Yao Qingling, but rather what Zhan Xingzhuo thought.
Zhou Zhining had long realized that Zhan Xingzhuo had feelings for Yao Qingling.
He had tried his best to restrain himself and not show it in front of her. But the more he restrained himself, the more she could sense it.
In his eyes, Yao Qingling was once worthless, nothing more than a little woman who needed his care. He always thought that Yao Qingling was attached to him and loved him.
Even the divorce was nothing more than a fit of jealousy and spite; she would return to his side sooner or later.
However, Yao Qingling's changes gradually overturned Zhan Xingzhuo's preconceived notions.
Zhan Xingzhuo began to re-examine this woman.
When a man begins to scrutinize a woman, it means that she has taken root in his heart.
The more Yao Qingling changes, the more stunning she becomes to men.
So much so that Zhan Xingzhuo himself didn't realize that he had become indifferent and perfunctory towards Zhou Zhining.
He changed his clothes several times that morning, saying he couldn't be impolite at the palace banquet. But he was the second master of the Duke of Zhan's mansion; when had he ever worn shabby clothes? He dressed up like that simply so that Yao Qingling would think he looked good when she saw him at the banquet.
Seeing that she was still sullen, Tao Weixian clapped his hands.
Suddenly, all the lights in the shop went out, and a noisy commotion erupted all around. Just as the customers were about to question the shopkeeper, all sorts of lanterns lit up.
The last lamp, enormous in size, was placed in the very center of the first floor. As the light came on, the lantern began to rotate.
The lantern has six sides, each depicting a young girl on horseback, her smile bright, as if she is riding towards the boundless horizon.
"Isn't this...isn't this the Lantern King from last year's Mid-Autumn Festival?" someone exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the giant lantern.
There was supposed to be a lantern king display for the Lantern Festival, but a sudden downpour prevented it from taking place. Everyone was disappointed, but little did they expect to be able to enjoy a lantern feast right here at Yong'an Tower.
"There are still some differences. I remember last year's lantern king had a picture of swimming fish on it."
"Hey, now that you mention it, I remember too. But who is the woman in this painting?"
Everyone craned their necks to look closely at the girl, who was as beautiful as a fairy.
Tao Weixian smiled slightly at Zhou Zhining, her expression smug: "Do you still remember who that person was?"
She was Zhou Zhining in her teenage years, the second most beautiful woman in Shengjing City.
At that time, she was the beautiful and charming daughter of Grand Tutor Zhou. At the spring banquet, she rode her horse and sang, attracting the attention of countless talented young men, who showered her with flowers that filled several flower baskets. After the banquet, countless literati wrote poems praising her beauty and talent.
Back then, Zhou Zhining was dazzling.
It's not like it is now at all. People still have to wear a veil when they go out, and they have to perform the rites of a servant when they meet someone important...
Zhou Zhining looked at the girl in the lamplight, and her eyes welled up with tears.
A handkerchief was handed over, and the man said gently, "Zhi Ning, don't be discouraged. In my eyes, you have never been dim. You are just a pearl that has been temporarily covered in dust."
Even if a man's motives are impure, his sweet talk always pleases a woman.
Zhou Zhining wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and sniffed gently, quickly regaining her composure.
“This King of Lamps costs a hundred gold pieces, and you just bought it like that. No wonder the Duke of Shen scolded you.”
Tao Weixian said indifferently, "What does a mere hundred taels of gold matter as long as you like it?"
"On the Lantern Festival, you didn't go to the palace, nor did you stay home with your family. You came to keep me company, but I didn't give you a pleasant look. Tao Weixian, are you disappointed in me?"
The man's gaze fell directly on Zhou Zhining's face, his intensity blatant: "Zhining, I know you miss the Grand Tutor and the others. Your teacher isn't by your side, and Brother Xingzhuo has gone to the palace. You only have Xiao'er by your side. How can I bear to leave him?"
Zhou Zhining blushed under his intense gaze and lowered her head slightly: "Don't say anything."
Tao Weixian touched her face: "Zhi Ning—"
"Miss Zhou!" Minglu's untimely appearance made Tao Weixian quickly withdraw her hand.
He remained calm, his hands behind his back, and looked at Minglu indifferently: "Minglu, what are you doing here?"
The other party was, after all, the young master of the Duke's mansion. Although Minglu was very unhappy, he still bowed to him and then said to Zhou Zhining, "Miss, the Second Master returned to the mansion and found you were not at home, so he came out to meet you. The Second Master is waiting outside right now."
He glanced outside, his tone slightly cold.
Zhou Zhining's breath hitched slightly.
She thought Zhan Xingzhuo no longer cared about her, but he actually came out to pick her up?
Was it because he couldn't let her go that he left the palace early?
Why did he come out to pick her up when it was raining so hard outside?
This made Zhou Zhining overjoyed, and she immediately forgot her earlier unpleasantness.
But at the same time, she felt guilty and uncomfortable.
Zhou Zhining glanced quickly at Tao Weixian, then lifted her skirt: "Let's hurry up, don't keep Xingzhuo waiting."
In an instant, Tao Weixian was left behind.
Once she stepped out of the room, her pace slowed down, as if her earlier eagerness was to escape Tao Weixian's entanglement.
She glanced at Minglu and said in a low voice, "Minglu, Xingzhuo knows that I am working for Prince Xin."
She took out a silver ingot from her sleeve and handed it to Minglu.
Minglu stared at the silver ingot, his voice muffled: "What does the young lady mean?"
Zhou Zhining said, "Jin Mantang does business with the Duke of Shen's mansion, and as the manager, I inevitably have to entertain them. I said the same thing to Brother Xingzhuo."
"He understands my difficulties and he can forgive me, but it still makes him unhappy. You are the most considerate person in his life, so you probably don't want to see him unhappy, right?"
Minglu pursed her lips.
But he was the second master's loyal servant.
Zhou Zhining glanced at him, stuffed the silver into his hand, and said, "Minglu, you know about the relationship between Second Master and the Duke of Zhan's mansion. With the Duke's mansion having a heir, Second Master can rise to power on his own."
"However, because of me, Second Master refused to bow his head to the Duke, and I felt guilty. I always wanted to make it up to him and repay him. He was weak and powerless in the court, so I thought that I should get closer to Prince Xin and the Tao family. In this way, the Duke of Shen and Prince Xin could give him some help in the court and make him less burdened."
“Minglu, as you know, Lin Shiyuan has now become a rising star in the court. Who still mentions the great achievements that Second Master made in Luozhou?”
Her eyes were slightly red, and she felt wronged and heartbroken.
Minglu then realized that Zhou Zhining had endured humiliation and hardship all for the sake of the Second Master.
He squeezed the silver coins, nodded, and said, "Miss Zhou, I won't tell the master. You didn't earn this silver easily, so send it to the north."
The money was back in Zhou Zhining's hands.
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