Chapter 291 Winning Hearts and Minds
Princess Shanmin was unable to "coincidentally" meet Xu Jinnian and received no response from him. In her anxiety, she ran to the main courtyard to ask Princess Pingyuan for advice.
At this moment, Princess Pingyuan leaned lazily against the chaise longue, while a maid standing beside her read Buddhist scriptures to her in clear and articulate speech.
Beneath the bed, two handsome young men knelt on either side, humbly massaging the shoulders and legs of the person on the bed, without making a sound throughout the entire process.
Princess Shanmin rushed in without announcing herself, and upon seeing the scene inside, she impatiently shouted, "Get out of here!"
The three quickly bowed to Princess Shanmin, but did not heed her instructions to leave.
Princess Pingyuan glanced at her daughter and said casually, "You may all leave."
Having received permission from their master, the three of them rose and slowly withdrew, closing the door behind them to prevent the mother and daughter's conversation from being heard.
Princess Shanmin plopped down on the couch and snuggled into Princess Pingyuan's arms, acting coquettishly.
"Mother, you said you would grant your daughter's wish, and I can't wait any longer. I want Xu Mingyu to come to the Princess's residence to be with me right away!"
"What's the rush?"
Princess Pingyuan gently scolded him, her tone tender and without any blame: "You admire him, so naturally you want to win his heart. Using your power to force him into your household is a bad strategy."
Princess Shanmin pouted, clearly disapproving: "Bring him into the manor first. We can take our time. I can't bear to see him lying next to another woman at night!"
Princess Shanmin considered going to the palace to ask Emperor Jinghe to issue an edict to demote Sheng An from wife to concubine and then bestow a marriage upon her and Xu Jinnian.
However, doing so would not sever the marital bond between Sheng An and Xu Jinnian, and might even cause Xu Jinnian to hate her, so she did not do so.
Princess Pingyuan shook her head and gently stroked her daughter's cheek:
“He and his wife were childhood sweethearts, and he even brought her with him when he came to the capital to take the imperial examination. If you forcibly separate them, he will only hate you, and he will never give you his heart.”
She was too hasty back then, prematurely revealing her purpose, and had to resort to forceful means to seize it.
As a result, his plan failed and he was thoroughly hated by that person. He would rather ruin his future by resigning from his official post and going into seclusion than ever set foot in the capital again.
Remembering the foolish things she had done, Princess Pingyuan unconsciously touched her neck, where there was a scar that would never go away, pierced by that person's own hand.
"Hmph, it all comes down to that good-for-nothing Xu Huaining. He schemed and plotted, but he couldn't get rid of that bitch and ruin her reputation!"
Princess Shanmin hated Xu Huaining again and refused to admit that it was Xu Huaining's sudden appearance at the Marquis of Yongyi's residence that caused her scheme to fail.
"Mother, I have a solution, and I need your help!"
Princess Shanmin clung to Princess Pingyuan's arm, acting coquettishly, her scarlet lips like a viper's forked tongue, as she uttered a wicked idea:
“That bitch is eight months pregnant. If she suddenly goes into premature labor, there’s a high chance she and her baby will die. As long as Xu Mingyu doesn’t find out the cause of the premature birth and doesn’t know it was his daughter, he’ll accept his daughter’s feelings sooner or later.”
Princess Pingyuan frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed: "What Minmin means is..."
Princess Shanmin's expression was sinister: "Give her 'Soul-Stealing' potion, so she can see herself becoming a harlot, and let Xu Mingyu see her lewd side and completely recognize her true colors!"
At that time, she will comfort Xu Mingyu, help him get rid of the pain of being betrayed by his beloved, and make him fall in love with her.
As for that slut, ha, she died with the reputation of a whore, and she won't be able to face anyone in the underworld.
Seeing her daughter lost in beautiful fantasies, Princess Pingyuan couldn't bear to disappoint her: "Alright, Mother will send someone to handle this matter."
Ecstasy is a sexual enhancement drug that not only does not harm the body but also makes one's complexion rosy and radiant after intercourse.
The downside is that pregnant women should not take it, as it can greatly irritate the pregnant woman and the fetus, potentially leading to miscarriage or premature birth.
This medicine was specially developed by Princess Pingyuan to enhance the pleasure of sexual intercourse, but outsiders were unaware that the princess's residence possessed such a medicine.
Sheng An was completely unaware of the schemes plotted by Princess Pingyuan and her daughter.
As her due date drew closer, Sheng An rarely left her home. With family and friends by her side every day, she wasn't bored at all.
When she got into the mood, Sheng An would have Zhang Zhaodi teach her bamboo weaving.
She is quick to learn and has nimble hands. Under Zhang Zhaodi's guidance, the little dragonflies, snakes and caterpillars she made were very vivid and cute.
That day, several elders went to a teahouse to listen to storytelling, leaving only the four young people of Sheng'an at home.
Zhang Zhaodi taught Sheng An to weave puppies, and Xu Jinnian taught Zhang Daikui to read.
Ever since Zhang Zhaodi hired a tutor for him who could read account books and write, Zhang Daikui felt a strong sense of crisis and would pester Zhang Zhaodi to teach him to read whenever he had free time.
Even during his trip to the capital, he didn't neglect this important matter.
Whenever Xu Jinnian was home, Zhang Daikui would come over to study.
It's a good thing for a couple to grow together, and Xu Jinnian naturally didn't think it was unnecessary, so he patiently taught this older student.
Unfortunately, Zhang Daikui had absolutely no talent for reading and writing. Even though he studied very hard, Xu Jinnian found it very difficult to teach him.
If you teach ten new characters every day, you're lucky if they can remember three or four the next day.
Seeing Zhang Daikui sweating profusely and unable to remember how to write the characters he had learned yesterday, Xu Jinnian said patiently, "There's a sweet soup that's been simmering in the kitchen. Drink it and then continue practicing."
Zhang Daikui was embarrassed and said in a simple and honest way, "Brother, I'm just too stupid. Luckily, Yu Bao takes after his mother and learns much faster than his father."
Xu Jinnian shook his head and smiled, "Everyone has different strengths. Your strength isn't in your mind, but in your healthy, strong body that rarely gets sick."
Zhang Daikui's eyes brightened, clearly comforted. He couldn't help but roll up his sleeves and clench his fists, revealing bulging muscles on his thick arms.
Sheng An caught a glimpse of this and winked at her best friend: "Sister, you're so lucky!"
Zhang Zhaodi didn't grasp the other layer of meaning of happiness, and a smile appeared on her face: "Yes, I've always felt that I'm very happy."
Even though her family was poor in her early years and she ate and dressed very simply, she still felt that she was the happiest girl in the whole village.
In the kitchen, Aunt Gui, the cook, was simmering a sweet soup. Seeing that it was almost done, she said to Hongxing, who was helping her:
"I need to go to the outhouse. Remember to turn off the heat, take the soup bowl out to cool, and have Hongliu take it to the madam and the others."
Hongxing lowered her head and replied, "Mm."
Seeing that she remained silent and taciturn, Aunt Gui couldn't help but offer a suggestion:
"If you keep your mouth shut in the future, you might have a chance to serve the little master after he is born, and you won't have to spend all day in the kitchen surrounded by smoke and fire."
Hongxing lowered her head even further.
Seeing this, Aunt Gui shook her head helplessly and walked away.
Once Aunt Gui was out of sight, Hongxing slowly raised her head, her eyes fixed on the steaming sweet soup on the stove, her hand unconsciously reaching into her sleeve.
When I came to my senses, there was a small paper packet in my palm.
Hongxing pursed her lips, stared at the small paper package for a long time, and a hint of struggle flashed in her eyes.
Finally, she walked step by step to the stove, lifted the lid of the soup pot, gritted her teeth, and poured all the medicinal powder in.
Just then, a voice that terrified Hongxing came from the doorway: "What are you doing!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com