Shi Xiuzhu's shameless and thick-skinned behavior is truly eye-opening.
Yinreng deeply regretted his decision; he would have been better off marrying a blockhead, someone who would have held the position of Crown Princess while he and her family wielded power. The transaction was completed, and the cooperation was pleasant.
This person is living too shrewdly and sneakily these days.
Shi Xiuzhu didn't care about Yinreng's opinion of her. Now that she was married into the family, she couldn't just be allowed to die casually.
Feeling confident and fearless, Shi Xiuzhu racked his brains to make Tong Wanyan happy.
Before Yinreng could react, Shi Xiuzhu's head almost touched Tong Wanyan's stomach.
"Sister Tong, pregnancy must be very hard, right? I heard that pregnant women often get leg cramps when they are about to give birth. Would you like me to massage them for you?" Shi Xiuzhu asked with genuine concern.
She had seen too many pregnant women in her family suffer, and felt incredibly sorry for a beautiful woman like Tong Wanyan who had to endure the pain of childbirth.
Yinreng coughed lightly: "Xiao Yan is being taken care of by me, so you don't need to meddle. If you like beautiful women, feel free to go to the Imperial Household Department and pick a few good-looking ones to bring to the main courtyard."
Shi Xiuzhu's face hardened, and he said seriously to Yinreng, "Your Highness, you mustn't misunderstand my feelings for Sister Tong. Sister Tong is as pure as moonlight, and I only want to give her the best. I don't have any ulterior motives."
“Sister Tong, you must believe in my heart. Seeing you is like a monk seeing Buddha; I am your devotee.” Shi Xiuzhu turned to Tong Wanyan and said.
Tong Wanyan was overjoyed: "The Crown Princess is such an interesting person. From now on, we'll be like sisters, so let's visit each other often."
"Sister Tong is right." Shi Xiuzhu was so happy to hear that the whole world seemed to be shining.
Yinreng pulled Tong Wanyan's hand away defensively, saying, "I forbid it."
“It’s enough that Sister Tong likes me. Whether Your Majesty approves or not is unimportant. In the future, won’t the child still have to call me ‘Empress’? I can help Sister Tong take care of the child, while Your Majesty has to go to court. You’re never around. Obviously, I’m more reliable.” Shi Xiuzhu puffed out her flat chest, sparing no effort to belittle Yinreng.
For some reason, Tong Wanyan seemed to see two male peacocks displaying their beautiful plumage.
Yinreng was speechless: "My child with Xiaoyan only needs one mother."
Shi Xiuzhu blinked: "I was just saying. According to the rules, shouldn't all the children in Yuqing Palace call me 'Madam'? If Your Highness allows, I would prefer that Tong's children call me 'Father'."
"How dare you!" Yinreng was furious.
He knew this guy was trying to steal his wife; shameless!
Shi Xiuzhu nodded in agreement: "You're not very bold. Can you make a deal with me? Don't worry, Sister Tong, I never intended to take your child. The rules are for outsiders to see. Behind closed doors, let the child treat me as either an aunt or an uncle."
Shi Xiuzhu was spouting nonsense; not a single word of it sounded serious.
But her expression made it seem like she was speaking from the heart.
Shi Xiuzhu lingered in the South Courtyard for quite a while, until Yinreng could no longer contain his temper and was about to explode, at which point she cleverly excused herself.
Her perfect control of the situation was infuriating, leaving Yinreng breathless with anger.
Tong Wanyan patted his back with amusement: "Aside from occasionally saying something a bit out of line, the Crown Princess is mostly thoughtful and acts with propriety. She's a very good woman. It's quite rare that you were so angered by her, Your Highness."
Yinreng hugged her waist, looking aggrieved: "She tried to take you from me, how could I not be angry? Fortunately, she didn't have bad intentions, unlike Empress Fucha. Otherwise, I would have plenty of ways to get rid of her."
"Alright, alright, the Crown Princess is like an advisor, and will be your right-hand woman from now on. It's fine to indulge her a little. Besides, she doesn't mean any harm. It's a good thing if she likes me more. It will save Your Highness from having to worry about me and the Crown Princess not getting along when you go to court." Tong Wanyan comforted Yinreng, stroking his hair.
Yinreng casually stroked Tong Wanyan's belly: "She only dares to be so unrestrained in front of me because of this little bit of usefulness. In short, Xiaoyan belongs to me."
"It's yours, it's yours." Tong Wanyan was in a good mood.
Shi Xiuzhu returned to the main courtyard, and as soon as he entered the house, he couldn't stop smiling.
"Little Lian, the happiest thing in my life is marrying the Crown Prince." Shi Xiuzhu was in an extremely good mood.
Xiaolian carefully used a pole to open the window, unaware that someone was eavesdropping on them.
"Your Majesty is so magnanimous. This servant sees it clearly: Your Majesty and Consort Tong are a perfect match, and there's no way a third person could get in between them. Consort Tong comes from a noble family and is favored by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager; she's no ordinary concubine. In this situation, what will Your Majesty do in the future? Are you going to spend the rest of your life alone in an empty room?" Xiao Lian was extremely anxious.
She had seen the used quilt while tidying up the trunks earlier, and only then did she realize that the Crown Prince had not consummated his marriage with his mistress.
If they don't consummate their marriage on their wedding night, won't it be even more difficult in the future?
Shi Xiuzhu smiled and affectionately pinched Xiaolian's nose: "When have you ever seen me as someone who values romantic love?"
“When you were at home, you favored the women, and the maids in the manor received a lot of care from you. But women always have to get married and have children!” Luckily, she was a loyal servant who had served her for many years; otherwise, Xiaolian would not have dared to say such a thing.
The smile in Shi Xiuzhu's eyes faded considerably: "Isn't she married? Whether she can have children or not depends on fate."
"If you haven't consummated your marriage, why are you having an affair with the young prince?" Xiaolian stamped her feet anxiously.
Shi Xiuzhu's eyes held a detached indifference; her ambitions were never in the backyard.
“Then it’s just not meant to be. Prince Hongzhao is favored by Father Emperor and is the eldest grandson of the Emperor. His status and abilities are impeccable. My father has a successor and doesn’t have to be limited to my womb. At the very least, there’s the one in Sister Tong’s belly. Double protection, no doubt about it,” Shi Xiuzhu said.
"Master, you have such a big heart." Xiao Lian couldn't persuade Shi Xiuzhu and muttered softly.
Shi Xiuzhu said quietly, "My heart is indeed big."
Having revealed this much, Shi Xiuzhu was unwilling to say more.
Xiaolian is ultimately a servant; she can offer some guidance, but too much will only harm herself.
No matter how loyal a subordinate is, no one can be as trustworthy as yourself.
The deal between Shi Xiuzhu and Yinreng is too absurd; the more people who find out, the more danger they will face.
The fact that they had not consummated their marriage was not kept from Xiaolian, so as to prevent Xiaolian from being arrogant and causing trouble for the people in the south courtyard in the future, just because she was a member of the main courtyard.
Shi Xiuzhu took a short, relaxing rest, then summoned Granny Ling, and the two handed over some of the steward's badges.
Tong Wanyan still managed the expenses and servants of the South Courtyard herself.
Ling Mama was in charge of the front courtyard where Yinreng lived and his retainers.
The remaining tasks were all handed over to Shi Xiuzhu. The account books were clear and complete, and there were no difficulties.
The trouble that some people wanted to see in Yinreng's harem did not happen, which disappointed them greatly.
Emperor Kangxi, who was constantly worried about impending disaster, stopped paying attention to the Crown Princess after three days.
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