A hint of embarrassment and helplessness flashed in Mei Yun's eyes, but she could only accept this arrangement helplessly.
After all, she couldn't leave the Prince Duan's residence, otherwise she would lose all possible opportunities.
After finishing his business, Zheng Dinglian got up to leave.
Meiyun dared not say more, for fear of arousing the suspicion of Princess Duan and thus becoming wary of her.
Night gradually fell.
Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, Gu Qinlan's first New Year after marrying into the Zheng family, and Zheng Dinglian's first New Year spent at home since coming of age. Therefore, the Zheng family attaches great importance to this occasion.
Zheng Huiyi and Zheng Huaiyu, the aunt and niece, had begun preparing for the New Year's Eve dinner several days in advance, with some of the more complex dishes even being meticulously prepared starting yesterday. Before dawn, the two girls got up and busied themselves, directing the kitchen staff to work diligently throughout the day.
Finally, the time for the banquet to begin arrived.
The Zheng and Jiang families' relatives and friends prepared two lavish banquets.
There was one table for the men and one table for the women. At the men's table, besides Zheng Fenghui and Zheng Fengyun, there was also Jiang Ye's son.
At the women's table, besides the female relatives of the Zheng and Jiang families, Mei Yun was also arranged to spend this warm New Year's Eve with them.
Mei Yun eagerly desired to sit next to Princess Duan, but Zheng Huiyi seemed to have already discerned her subtle thoughts and deliberately arranged for her to sit at the very end of the banquet, far away from Princess Duan.
Zheng Huiyi had long been aware of Mei Yun's little scheme, but she was unwilling to expose it directly, fearing it would affect the relationship between her brother and sister-in-law. Therefore, she and Zheng Huaiyu tacitly joined forces to secretly give Mei Yun a series of cold treatments.
Mei Yun's tenacity and resilience made her unwilling to back down even in this situation. Seeing that she could not get close to Princess Duan, she simply stood up and politely said, "Madam, may I serve you the dishes?"
Princess Duan smiled and replied, "There's no need for such formalities. These trivial matters will be taken care of by others."
Meiyun insisted, "Madam, I sincerely hope to serve you; otherwise, I cannot find peace of mind."
Princess Duan wanted to decline again, as she felt that Meiyun, as a guest, should not be doing the work of a servant.
Surprisingly, Gu Qinlan smiled and said, "Since Miss Mei's intentions are sincere, Mother might as well grant her wish." As soon as she finished speaking, she turned to the maid who was originally responsible for serving food to the Princess Consort of Duan and said, "Miss Mei will take care of the old lady in your place. You can go and have your meal first."
On this joyous New Year's Eve, Gu Qinlan's suggestion undoubtedly lightened the burden on the maids, and as the mistress of the house, she was naturally happy to see it happen.
The maid was overjoyed and thanked Gu Qinlan profusely. She then handed the chopsticks to Meiyun and went to enjoy her New Year's Eve dinner in a relaxed and happy manner.
The Zheng family had always been kind to their servants. That evening, every household gathered together in celebration. Not only did the masters enjoy a sumptuous feast, but the servants also had their own meal. The little maid had been secretly saddened, thinking she would have to eat leftovers, but unexpectedly, someone else shared the task with her.
Mei Yun was initially displeased. She had hoped to use the opportunity of serving dishes to win the favor of Princess Duan, but Gu Qinlan had demoted her to the role of a maid in just a few words. Disappointed, Mei Yun looked at Princess Duan with anticipation.
She thought to herself, how could Princess Duan possibly allow her to be reduced to the position of a maid?
However, to everyone's surprise, the innocent Princess Duan smiled and said, "Since that's the case, then I'll have to trouble you, Miss Meiyun."
Mei Yun felt a tightness in her chest, but she dared not show any sign of it on her face. Instead, she had to put on a cheerful expression and stand up in the spot that originally belonged to the maid.
Princess Duan said with a smile, "This past year has been difficult for all of us, but fortunately we have made it through without any major incidents. Come, tonight is New Year's Eve, a time for family reunions. Let us raise our glasses together to commemorate the past year and welcome the new year."
Everyone, including several young children, raised their glasses to toast each other, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.
Only Meiyun, holding a pair of chopsticks, stood alone behind Princess Duan, watching others' joyous reunion with a heart full of grievances.
What frustrated her even more was that the Princess Consort seemed completely oblivious to her inner turmoil, and she was very adept at giving orders, making her serve this dish one moment and that dish the next, and even making her serve food to Gu Qinlan from time to time, which made her anger even more intense.
After the family had finished eating, Gu Qinlan said, "Miss Mei, you've worked hard. I've already instructed the servants to prepare the meal and send it to your residence. Please go and eat quickly."
Princess Duan said with a smile, "Yes, Miss Mei, go and eat quickly, don't let yourself go hungry. I'm here, you don't need to wait on me all the time."
Mei Yun tried her best to suppress her emotions, bowed gently and respectfully to everyone, and then took her leave. Once she left the dining hall, Mei Yun's face instantly turned ashen, revealing her utter disappointment and resentment.
That old shrew! And that cunning Gu Qinlan! How dare they humiliate her like that!
They treated her like a maid, and after using her, they didn't hesitate to kick her out of the house!
She was determined to climb into Zheng Dinglian's bed, and once she gained his favor, she would make those people pay!
Mei Yun secretly made a vicious vow, unaware that her every move was being observed by the maids in the mansion.
Before she even returned to her temporary residence in the small courtyard, the news had already reached Gu Qinlan's ears.
Fuyu whispered a vivid description of the situation to Gu Qinlan.
Ever since Meiyun shamelessly tried to stay in the Duanwang Mansion, she and Hongdou had already greeted all the maids, old women, and male servants in the mansion.
The entire staff of the Prince's Mansion were like brothers in arms. Although they each had their own selfish motives, they were still able to distinguish right from wrong when faced with matters of principle.
The contrast between the state of the Prince Duan's mansion a year ago and now is stark. All these changes are due to the lady. Even if they are ignorant, they know which life is sweeter.
How could they possibly tolerate a vixen disrupting the rare peace in the palace!
Even if some ignorant and presumptuous maid in the manor tried to climb into bed with him, they would be ruthlessly exposed.
Moreover, the Crown Prince had already vowed to spend his life with his wife and would never love another woman.
Therefore, Mei Yun's every move was under the watchful eyes of everyone.
After hearing the report, Gu Qinlan couldn't help but slightly raise the corners of her mouth, waved to Fuyu, indicating that she didn't need to pay attention and let Meiyun act like a clown.
Gu Qinlan was quite satisfied with Zheng Dinglian's current approach. If she were too nervous about someone he didn't care about, it would only make her seem petty.
Moreover, Mei Yun has not yet done anything out of line. If she overreacts, it will only lower her own status.
If Zheng Dinglian truly regards the oath as an indispensable principle in his life, then she won't need to worry too much about Meiyun's affairs.
Upholding the integrity and fidelity of marriage has never been solely the responsibility of women; it is also an inescapable duty of men. Since he has made this promise, he should fulfill it through concrete actions.
Therefore, she never had the idea of taking any action against Meiyun.
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