Peach Blossom was startled and quickly considered what Madam Nian had said. She wasn't stupid; from the moment Cui Ling came to find her until now, she knew what Madam Nian was up to.
"Thank you for your advice, Princess. But I am just a lowly maid, and I can't really offer any advice for myself," Tao Hua said instinctively, declining the offer. She knew that Lady Nian was not a benevolent mistress and would inevitably have to make some sacrifices. Now that Lady Yehe was favored by the Fourth Prince and had joined forces with the Fujin, she couldn't afford to bully Lady Yehe when she was helpless, just like before.
Lady Nian took off a string of seven-colored tourmaline beads from her hand and handed it to Cui Ling, saying, "This bracelet is a reward for you. Look at what they wear and what they have; I never skimp on anything. As long as they can serve this princess well, these things are nothing."
Cui Ling walked up to Tao Hua with the colorful tourmaline beaded string, grabbed her hand, and slipped the string onto her wrist. Tao Hua instinctively pulled back; she knew this string of beads was incredibly valuable. Although not as priceless as jade, this string of uniformly sized, multicolored tourmaline beads was still worth a fortune!
"This servant is utterly unworthy and unworthy; how could I possibly accept such a precious gift from Your Highness? This servant dares not!" Peach Blossom was thrilled. This bracelet was the most precious reward she had ever received. In the past, she had only received small items like pearl or gold earrings. Such a valuable gift would never be bestowed upon a maid like her; it wouldn't even suit her.
“I said you have it, so you have it. Take it, pawn it, it’s enough for your good-for-nothing brother to squander for a while.” Nian didn’t state her own request, as if she genuinely sympathized with Tao Hua’s predicament.
Peach Blossom was extremely conflicted. She knew this string of beads was worth several years' worth of her allowance, probably more. It felt like a huge, ill-gotten gain was placed before her. She desperately wanted it, but she also knew that taking it would mean doing someone else's bidding. What would Madam Nian ask her to do? If it was something that would cost her her head, she might take the money but not live to enjoy it!
Seeing Tao Hua's hesitation and struggle, Lady Nian smiled coldly and said, "Tao Hua, I won't make you do anything that will cost you your life, but it will definitely be something that involves betraying your master. If you're smart, you might be able to serve me here. I won't treat you badly then."
It must be said that Madam Nian was very good at understanding people's hearts. She knew that Peach Blossom was greedy for money, so she generously gave her a bracelet that could be hers for several years. She also knew that Peach Blossom valued her life and was not the kind of mindless servant, so she had Cuiling observe Peach Blossom in her room beforehand, making her envious of the clothes and food of the maids who worked for Madam Nian. Finally, she presented this condition that was enough to dispel Peach Blossom's concerns. So even as shrewd as Peach Blossom was, she was still tempted.
"Can the princess really take in this servant?" Peach Blossom's hand was less resistant, and Cui Ling smiled as she put the bracelet on her hand.
Perhaps it was psychological, but Peach Blossom felt that the tourmaline beads were incredibly cool and comfortable to wear on her wrist, and she suddenly felt noble.
"Of course. If you can help me figure out how the Yehe family managed to keep Master, I'll find a way to get you. Anyway, the Yehe family doesn't really value you; they might even be hoping you leave." Seeing that Tao Hua had finally been persuaded, Nian Shi inwardly sneered, but outwardly maintained a serious expression. In truth, someone with Tao Hua's personality wouldn't be kept by Nian Shi's side. Hong Ling and Lü Zhi were two people assigned to her, and she never discussed important matters with them.
When Tao Hua heard about this, she was delighted, because Ling Xiu from the Fujin's side had also come to her and asked her to find out the reason why Yehe Shi had suddenly gained favor, so it didn't matter if she casually revealed it to Nian Shi.
A feeling of relief and secret joy welled up in Tao Hua's heart. This time, she could do things for the Fujin and also get benefits from Nian Shi, just like last time. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.
But to Peach Blossom's surprise, was Yehe still the same princess she used to bully?
Blinded by the precious seven-colored tourmaline beaded bracelet in her hand, Peach Blossom readily agreed to Nian's request. After leaving, she went to fetch ice for Yehe.
After leaving Nian's room, she took off the bracelet from her wrist, held it in her hand, and examined it against the sunlight. It was indeed a fine piece. Peach Blossom carefully tucked the bracelet into her bosom, thinking to herself, "I should probably exchange it for silver. Someone of my status can't possibly wear it; if others see it, they'll probably think I stole it."
Meanwhile, Yehe Shi was in her room having Yuhen fan her with a palm leaf fan. Although the Mid-Autumn Festival had passed and autumn had arrived, the late summer heat was still intense, making her unable to sit still.
"That girl, why has she been gone for so long?" Yehe was sitting on the main couch looking at an ancient musical score, which the Fourth Prince had specially found for her. In order to make the Fourth Prince more willing to come here, Yehe had put in a lot of effort to study it. She wanted to learn the pieces on this ancient score and then play them for the Fourth Prince.
"Hmph, I could tell from her expression that she was very unwilling to go. Lotus doesn't say anything and does whatever she's told, but she always hesitates and refuses to go." Yuhen is now Yehe's most important trusted maid, while Yulu has taken a backseat.
"That's not up to her. Since she's my maid, she'll do whatever I tell her to do," Yehe said, frowning. "If she's no longer useful, keeping her here is pointless!"
"Does the princess want to drive these peach blossoms away?" Yuhen exclaimed in surprise.
“Naturally, we need to find a suitable excuse. After all, she is the Fujin’s person. If we send her away for no reason, I’m afraid the Fujin will become suspicious,” said Yehe Shi.
"Yes, I will keep an eye on her. When the time is right, we'll get rid of her. She betrayed the princess before and is also a spy that the princess planted here. Keeping her around will only cause trouble sooner or later," Yuhen said.
"Hmm. That stuff is almost gone. You should find an excuse to go out and buy more," Yehe suddenly said.
“Princess, that thing shouldn’t be used too often. If you use it too much, it will become addictive and…” Yuhen glanced at Yehe Shi cautiously.
"What will happen?" Yehe asked.
"It will drain your body. The internal fire in the user's body will grow stronger and stronger, but the essence will be slowly depleted with each act of indulgence," Yuhen whispered.
Upon hearing this, Yehe was slightly taken aback, and after a moment, she said calmly, "Help me to rest for a while."
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