While Xiang Wan excitedly dreamt of becoming famous for her skills, diligently practicing every day and slowly improving her proficiency, rumors quietly spread that Qin Rong was increasingly being bullied by her stepmother and stepsister in the mansion. When Xiang Wan finally came to her senses and overheard the servants' gossip, she was somewhat bewildered. Logically, the three of them studied together every day, and Qin Rong hadn't done anything unusual, yet the scene from the original story had still occurred, leaving Xiang Wan feeling rather troubled.
She didn't believe in any protagonist's halo. All protagonists had different fates simply because of their different choices; some became protagonists, while others became cannon fodder. All she had to do was protect herself and the Queen Mother, and never become cannon fodder in someone else's story.
Xiang Wan instructed her personal maid, Xiao Zhu, to gather information, while she also took Xiang Xia to the Queen Mother's place, hoping to hear some inside information from her.
Xiao Zhu was a maid that the Queen Mother later arranged for Xiang Wan. Her parents had died, and she was bullied while selling goods on the street. The Queen Mother rescued her and, to repay her kindness, voluntarily sold herself into the household. The Queen Mother saw that Xiao Zhu was clever, knew how to be grateful, and was still young, so she arranged for her to be by Xiang Wan's side.
When Xiaozhu told Xiangwan about the rumors that evening, Xiangwan realized that Qin Rong was not as harmless as she appeared.
The servants in the manor were all people arranged by Qin's mother when she was alive. After the Queen Mother dismissed a few obstinate servants, there was a moment of unease among them. Qin Rong took advantage of the servants' fear, occasionally lamenting the hardships of life in the courtyard, and her gazes towards Xiang Wan and her sister's courtyard were full of restraint. She never spoke loudly in front of the Queen Mother, and when she occasionally didn't feel like eating, she would say she didn't want to trouble her mother when the maid suggested going to the kitchen to make something she liked. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but sometimes Qin Rong would use her monthly allowance to ask someone to go out of the manor to buy things, but she would say things she didn't want anyone to know, leading the maids to believe that the Queen Mother had forbidden it, which made them somewhat resentful.
Before the Queen Mother arrived, the servants always prioritized Qin Rong, and even when she made a mistake, she was always given lenient punishment. Now that management is stricter, she is more likely to be severely punished for her mistakes. Seeing their young mistress looking so depressed every day, their dissatisfaction gradually grew, and eventually, rumors spread that Qin Rong was being abused.
"Miss, these people are awful. They made us bear the stigma of bullying people for no reason," Xiaozhu said with some resentment.
"What do you think of Miss Qin's character?" Xiang Wan didn't answer the question directly, but instead asked Xiao Zhu this question. To be fair, these things couldn't all be blamed on Qin Rong, but she wanted to know what impression the people around her had of Qin Rong. It would be best to establish Qin Rong's hypocritical image now, so that she would have a better chance of dealing with her later.
"Miss, do you want to tell the truth?" Xiaozhu frowned and asked.
"Of course, if it's not the truth, what else would you want to say?"
“I’ve only met Miss Qin a few times and don’t know how she treats people, but I’ve heard the maids around me say that Miss Qin is a generous and kind person. But this time, such rumors are not unrelated to Miss Qin. Miss, we should be more careful in the future. I always feel that she is not simple.”
After hearing this, Xiang Wan looked at Xiao Zhu with new respect. She hadn't expected her to say such a thing. It seemed that she wasn't the only one who was wary of Qin Rong, which was good.
But the thought that the Queen Mother and Xiang Xia only believed that the servants were gossiping and spreading such rumors gave her a headache.
"Miss, perhaps Madam and Eldest Miss are just trying to silence others. If even Miss Qin is punished, wouldn't that confirm the rumor?"
Xiao Zhu's words startled Xiang Wan. She had always assumed that the Queen Mother and Xiang Xia shared her thoughts, but she hadn't considered that they were true natives of this era, with many ideas different from hers. Having never experienced much intrigue and power struggles, she didn't understand the mindset of people in this time, and acting rashly would only lead to her downfall. Xiao Zhu's reminder made her somewhat relieved that she hadn't acted impulsively. It seemed she still needed more experience; speaking less and observing more was the right approach. Of course, necessary reminders were also essential; at least knowing the plot, coupled with the Queen Mother's precautions, might have been able to change the outcome.
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