Chapter 162 Power is a woman's best compensation...
Xiao Qiluo glanced around and then selected a few more capable old women to serve as new managers in the mansion.
The remaining people were also assigned to various places to work.
Several young girls who knew a little kung fu stayed in her courtyard for the time being.
"I need some clever servants in my residence. Once you've chosen them, send them over so I can select them myself."
Xiao Qiluo then instructed the slave traders to keep an eye out for Donghe and the others, saying they had been sold off and she didn't know if they could be found.
"I understand."
The human traffickers brought many people here, and when they left, they took many more people with them.
Many people were given a drug to make them mute, and they could no longer speak.
Now, everyone in the manor is a new person she has replaced, and the princess's manor is now under her control.
Xiao Qiluo immediately felt a great weight lifted from her heart.
Even so, she dared not let her guard down.
What she's doing now is far from enough.
He summoned the rest of them and gave them another dressing down. These people who hadn't been sold off had nothing to do with the Cui family, but that didn't stop him from having something to say to them.
Xiao Qiluo didn't give them a chance to worry.
All of these people were instructed by Xingzhi.
"In the princess's residence, you only have the princess as your master; everyone else is unimportant. You only need to, and can only, obey the princess's orders. Do whatever the princess tells you to do, and always put the princess first. Do you all understand?"
The people below responded in unison.
Xingzhi looked at the princess, and seeing her nod, he said, "Alright, everyone go and get to work."
Qiu Yan stood to the side, looking much better, and stared blankly at Xiao Qiluo. "Your Highness seems to have changed a bit."
Xiao Qiluo turned to look at her, "If I don't change, I'm afraid we'll never see each other again in this life."
Even though Qiu Yan was right there in the mansion, so close to her, she had no idea.
I never knew I could be kept so completely in the dark.
Xiao Qiluo felt that she herself was partly to blame. She tried hard to recall, but couldn't figure out what Cui Fang had that made her love him so wholeheartedly, to the point that she would give her life for him, besides his good looks.
Those reasons don't matter anymore. What's most important now is that you've come to your senses and are no longer letting him control your emotions.
The Empress Dowager is right. She will no longer let Cui Fang control her emotions, and she will no longer feel bad because Cui Fang glares at her.
Those who were not sold off are now given a chance by the princess, and they should cherish it.
They weren't exactly valued servants to begin with, and the people they bought now all held higher positions than them. But they were still old-timers in the household, so they were bound to hear and see things.
To show his loyalty, he immediately told Xiao Qiluo what he knew.
For example, Cui's mother would say hurtful things about the princess behind her back, and she even mocked the emperor for giving her secret guards, saying that it was just giving her men.
The maid trembled like a leaf. "The old lady also said that the princess cheated on the prince consort, and it's the princess's own fault that he went looking for someone else. A person like the princess should have been drowned in a pig cage back in her hometown."
After saying that, the maid looked up and immediately kowtowed, "Princess, spare me! Princess, spare me! I didn't say that."
When Cui's mother returned with her children, she overheard the maid's words.
With Xingzhi's instruction, Granny Yan, who could take on ten men, bypassed the little maid, grabbed Cui's mother, and slapped her twice.
Seeing that she wasn't being hit, the little girl immediately breathed a sigh of relief and consciously got up and stepped aside.
Another maid stepped forward, "Second Master said that the princess is just lucky to have been born into the royal family, but she doesn't know how to enjoy her blessings. He also said that the princess is exceptionally beautiful, if..."
Qiu Yan looked at Cui Hao. Although the maid hadn't finished speaking, she knew it wasn't anything good. "Pull out his tongue."
Another old woman, Hu, who could take on eighteen men, came over and cut off Cui Hao's tongue with scissors. He was in so much pain that he kept rolling on the ground. Cui's mother looked at her son, feeling sorry for him but not daring to go forward.
All of Cui's relatives in the mansion had been taken away, so no matter how loudly she shouted, no one listened to her.
If she started yelling and cursing, the people around the princess would come over and slap her in the face.
Cui Hao is really tough; he survived all that trouble.
Cui Bao'er trembled with fear. Before the maid could even complain, she kowtowed desperately, "Sister-in-law, please forgive me, good sister-in-law! I know, I know everything! My brother did all this on purpose. Mother said women need to be controlled. Even a princess is a woman, no different from any other woman. I also know that the woman my brother is keeping outside is named Ruan Rou'er. She saved my brother when he was injured before, and she still has the jade pendant he gave her. Sister-in-law, please forgive me! I'll never dare to do it again!"
"What did you say?" Xiao Qiluo suddenly stood up.
Cui Bao'er didn't know which question she was asking, and just stared at her blankly.
"You're saying the woman your brother is keeping on the side is his savior?"
"Yes, it was my brother who said it himself. He said he had finally found his savior. He also said he wanted to marry her as his equal wife and that they would be on equal footing from now on. He said he would never allow anyone to hurt his benefactor, not even his sister-in-law."
Xiao Qiluo couldn't believe what she was hearing. Then she thought that Cui Fang might have been saved more than once.
She saved him once, and someone else probably saved him once too.
Does Cui Fang give a jade pendant to everyone who saves him?
“My brother has only been saved once, and he still remembers his savior with gratitude,” Cui Bao’er said.
Xiao Qiluo sat back down.
"So that's how it is. Cui Fang, you really are... blind and clueless."
Cui Fang's eyes should be completely blinded; there's no point in keeping them.
At that moment, he looked at me with those empty eyes, his face full of deep affection and longing. Thinking about it now, it felt a little disgusting.
At that time, she was full of hope that Cui Fang would marry her as promised. Even if she lost the jade pendant, it didn't matter, as long as she told him about their agreement.
It turns out she was just being delusional. Cui Fang didn't recognize her savior; he only recognized the jade pendant she had given away.
Whoever has that thing on them will consider that person their savior.
Xiao Qiluo smiled and looked at them.
"What a pity."
He ignored those people and left with his men.
She replaced a number of servants in the princess's residence, and some of them, after being reprimanded, are now much more obedient. Everyone knows that in the princess's residence, the princess is the most respected person.
Things have been noticeably different these past few days; the entire princess's residence has become much more organized.
Xiao Qiluo also learned a lot from Master Jiu in her dream.
She was overwhelmed by the stories of princesses from various dynasties and the deeds of emperors.
Their resolve to ascend to that supreme position grew even stronger.
Master Jiu found many stories of emperors for her. The world is full of wonders, and these emperors were all real. Surely some of their stories could be applied to her.
She also didn't neglect archery and horsemanship. Originally, she was only supposed to study for three hours, but Xiao Qiluo gritted her teeth and increased it to five hours. She really didn't have time to learn slowly.
She has to be faster, even faster.
Every day after finishing her lessons with Master Jiu, she would be so tired she could barely keep her eyes open, and it was her mother who would send her home. The chafing marks on her legs from riding horses would disappear the next day, which must also be thanks to her mother's help.
"Mother, if you hadn't come back, I wouldn't be who I am today."
It's too early to say all this now. What you've done is far from enough. An emperor's duty is to benefit the entire nation, not just the residence of a mere princess. This is far from sufficient.
"I know, I will definitely try my best."
【Qiluo, it's time to go see your father, the Emperor.】
Xiang Bei also knew that Xiao Qiluo was somewhat reluctant to meet her father.
In her memory, there were always images of her arguing with the emperor because of Cui Fang. She felt guilty towards her father, so she kept avoiding seeing him.
When Xiao Qiluo's heart was exposed by her mother, she could only smile helplessly. As a princess, how could she have the face to see her father, the emperor, when she was reduced to this state, being disciplined by her mother-in-law and scolded at will by the servants in the mansion?
Your father only has you as his child. Now that you have a goal, you should make plans accordingly.
Going to see the emperor would also be a good way to test his attitude.
His daughter was still alive; he couldn't possibly be so foolish as to bypass her and pass the throne to his son-in-law.
"Mother, may I think about it some more?"
Xiang Bei sighed and grabbed the system, "Didn't I tell you to give her lessons tonight? Why didn't you teach her some of the ruthless decisions of an emperor?"
"Host, calm down, things have changed a lot," the system explained.
"Mother, I understand what you mean." After thinking for a while, Xiao Qiluo looked up at the sky.
"Father still has his brothers, so I'm afraid it won't be that easy."
With members of the imperial family present, it's unlikely that court officials would easily agree to her ascending the throne as a woman.
"Your father has never considered adopting another child, Qiluo. Rather than being a princess favored by the emperor, you should seize power for yourself. Seeing you like this breaks my heart. You must know that power is a woman's best tonic. I don't think you're any less capable than those members of the imperial family."
"Mother, I don't think I'm that bad. I just feel that I haven't learned enough."
After reading about the deeds of those emperors, how could Xiao Qiluo not feel heartbroken? She was only one step away from the throne.
What does it matter if she is a woman? This prosperous era can also be created by women.
"I still have some concerns; Father Emperor won't agree." Xiao Qiluo wanted a foolproof plan.
She first had to change herself. A princess who only knew about love and romance, even she couldn't be sure that she wouldn't be infamous for eternity if she sat on that throne.
It's okay, acceptance always takes time. Just remember, nothing is inherently impossible; the purpose of life is to constantly break the rules. You are the emperor's only child, which gives you a natural advantage.
[It's not easy for women to survive in this world; they're burdened with many shackles, and even princesses aren't necessarily exempt. Take, for example, the savior Cui Fang apologized to. Do you think she approached Cui Fang with that jade pendant because she loved him more as a person, or because she loved his power?]
Xiao Qiluo pursed her lips and remained silent.
Because she admired Cui Fang, her father gave Cui Fang a chance.
Because Cui Fang was her husband, her father valued him highly and gave him a lot of power.
【Qiluo, you must understand that Cui Fang's power actually stems from you. Without you, Princess, he couldn't have obtained the title of Junior General and so quickly risen to his current position. Qiluo, why can't women participate in the imperial examinations? Are educated women necessarily inferior to men?】
Xiang Bei felt she had said enough.
If we keep talking, the princess will probably be even more unable to hold on.
[Your mother will tell you this first. Listen to what your husband has to say tonight, Qiluo. Think it through carefully before you tell your mother.]
Xiao Qiluo nodded.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.
At this moment, Xingzhi walked over and said, "Princess, there is a man outside who claims to be the prince consort. He wants to come in, but he is being stopped by the old woman at the door. Should we let him in?"
Xiao Qiluo looked at her, "Claiming to be the imperial consort? If he's not, just throw him out."
Xingzhi looked at the princess and explained, "The new old woman doesn't recognize the prince consort, so this is how she relayed the message. Since there's no order from you in the manor, we naturally dare not let anyone in at will."
Even a prince consort wouldn't do.
She had to be informed and given permission by the princess before she could be allowed in.
In the past few days, while reorganizing the princess's residence, Xiao Qiluo had almost forgotten about this person. His arrival was the perfect opportunity to deal with him.
"Let him in."
Although Cui Fang has been mentioned frequently these past few days, Xiao Qiluo still feels very uncomfortable and is somewhat resistant to facing matters concerning Cui Fang.
That emotion was somewhat beyond her control, and this feeling reminded Xiao Qiluo of Cui Fang, whom she was about to face, so she had to be on high alert.
She was very sensitive to emotions, and the Empress Dowager asked Ninth Master to help her make good use of this feeling.
Cui Fang's sudden return made her feel inexplicably uncomfortable. The various odd things that had happened when Cui Fang was mentioned before, and the fleeting joy she felt when he returned, all made Xiao Qiluo wary.
Cui Fang arrived shortly after. Seeing her sitting in the hospital room, he paused for a moment, then frowned and said unhappily, "What are you doing here? Where is Mother?"
Xiao Qiluo steadied her breathing, tried to suppress the unease in her heart, looked up at Cui Fang, and said nothing.
“How dare you! This is the princess’s residence. Where can’t the princess stay? And, consort, don’t forget your manners. You should greet Her Highness the princess.” Xingzhi scolded.
Cui Fang looked at Xingzhi impatiently and said, "Who are you? I've never seen you before. How dare you speak to me like that? Guards! Guards!"
Xingzhi stood there, motionless, but her gaze was fixed on Cui Fang.
He called out for a long time, but no one came.
"Xiao, what's going on? Why are there so many unfamiliar faces in the manor? Why are you in Mother's courtyard? Where is Mother? Where are Hao'er and Bao'er?"
Cui Fang didn't understand. He had only been away from home for half a month, so why were there so many servants he didn't recognize at the house? They even stopped him at the gate and said that he couldn't enter the mansion without the princess's order.
It's ridiculous. The princess's residence is his home, yet he can't even enter.
I came back originally to ask my mother why there has been no news about the matter of me asking someone to pass on the message that I wanted to marry Rou'er as a secondary wife.
Rou'er was so anxious she cried, thinking that her mother didn't like her and that's why she wasn't speaking up for her. He was also getting impatient, so he had no choice but to come back and ask his mother himself.
Not only was he blocked at the door and not allowed to enter, but when he arrived at his mother's courtyard, he found that Xiao Shi was there. Even his younger brother and sister, who would always come out to greet him when he returned, were nowhere to be seen.
Xiao Qiluo clutched her chest; her heart was pounding. Whenever she looked at Cui Fang, her cheeks would flush, and she would unconsciously show a shy expression.
Something's not right. This is definitely not right.
She had every right to be angry; as the prince consort, how dare she treat him like this.
But she had no control over her emotions at all.
"Mother!" Xiao Qiluo called out to Xiang Bei in her heart, she was about to lose control of herself.
"Xiao! I'm asking you a question."
"Cui Lang," Xiao Qiluo looked up at Cui Fang and called out sweetly.
She felt she truly loved her husband, and that she couldn't live without him.
Even if the prince consort wanted her life, she would gladly offer it up.
The system space emitted a piercing alarm sound.
"Commander, what's going on? Xiao Qiluo's condition is not right."
The system also noticed this, and after investigating for a while, it discovered the cause, its tone becoming somewhat serious.
"Host, we've found out. The cause lies with the male lead."
Because the male protagonist's halo was 100% in the previous worlds, the system naturally assumed that the male protagonist's halo in this small world was also 100% and did not pay attention to the male protagonist's situation.
But when it was checking the cause of the alarm, it discovered that the protagonist's aura in this small world was actually 200%.
"Is there a bug?"
"No, it was added to the male protagonist by the world's consciousness. Moreover, the consciousness of this mission world is not in Xiao Qiluo, but in the male protagonist Cui Fang."
Xiang Bei didn't quite understand, "Does the Heavenly Dao of a small world allow world consciousness to interfere like this?"
The system shook its head. "The Heavenly Dao is the Heavenly Dao, and the World Consciousness is the World Consciousness. The Heavenly Dao is the world derived from the original text, which is the plane we are in now. You can understand the World Consciousness as the author's own setting. When the author set it up, he gave the male protagonist the identity of a future emperor, which is equivalent to giving the male protagonist a certain amount of luck."
Xiang Bei clicked her tongue, "It's increased to two hundred percent. This is more than just a portion of luck."
"Anyway, that's how the male lead is set up. The existence of the world's consciousness adds an aura and charm to him. Because the male lead's luck is too strong, it has a great influence on the female lead. When the female lead sees him, she will unconsciously fall in love with him. This can also be considered a unique bond between the male and female leads."
Xiang Bei almost swore.
He forced himself to swallow it back.
Swearing won't help now; we need to find a solution.
"Is there any way to resolve the current situation?" Xiang Bei asked.
"Let me see." The system checked.
"Currently, the situation is okay. As long as the male lead's halo can be completely shattered, the female lead will no longer be affected."
"How do we break it?"
"We can't do it; the female lead has to shatter the male lead's halo."
"Commander, can you stop talking nonsense and say something useful?"
"Host, calm down, I've thought of a solution. The male lead's aura is added to him by the world's consciousness, while the female lead's aura is currently a bit weaker, only 96%. The female lead can be clear-headed when facing others, but she has no bottom line when facing the male lead."
Xiang Bei slammed her fist on the table. "Master, can't I really fight that world consciousness one-on-one?"
This world consciousness—no wonder it couldn't be found in Xiao Qiluo; it actually ended up in the male protagonist.
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