Chapter 21 He felt a little pity for her
For the first time, Wen Xingluo clearly expressed her disgust towards the Wen brothers and sisters in front of Xie Guanlan.
Xie Guanlan smiled slowly: "So in Miss Wen's eyes, what is valuable? The power of the Zhenbei Palace? Or the gold, silver, pearls and jade that your grandmother gave you as a reward?"
Wen Xingluo hugged the boots tightly and looked up at the young man in front of him.
It seemed as if she could no longer bear it, and her round almond-shaped eyes were filled with disgust.
She said, "My Lord, please clarify this. In the final analysis, wasn't it your father who forced my mother to marry him? A man uses his power to seize a woman, yet is stingy with his efforts towards her own flesh and blood, bullying an orphan and a widow. Is this the way things are in your Zhenbei Palace? Don't say I haven't coveted your wealth and power. Even if I did, so what? I followed my mother to remarry, so you have the obligation to raise me!"
Their eyes met.
The cicada window reflected the tense posture of the two people, as if a newborn tender green lotus had tensed its body, trying to fight against the evil spirit that was taking its life in the spring night, and stubbornly bloomed a lotus in this cold night.
Wen Xingluo's face tightened.
After an unknown amount of time, she felt a little scared after her initial bravery.
Since they were all under each other's roof, perhaps she shouldn't have used her eloquence to offend Xie Guanlan.
She was impulsive.
She lowered her head, curled her fingers, and began to mend the sole of her shoe again.
Her voice was very low, and in the quiet winter night, there seemed to be a hint of sobs. "I am still young and cannot start my own family. If the prince insists on sending me back to the Wen family, then I will have to live the same life as before, serving as a slave to the Wen brothers and sisters.
"Your Highness suspects that I'm greedy and vain. Yes, I admit that I love gold, silver, pearls, and jade. Who in the world doesn't like these things? But more important than these things is my time. Here, my time belongs to me. I don't have to serve anyone and can do whatever I like. To me, time is more precious than gold, silver, pearls, and jade."
Xie Guanlan was silent.
His eyes dropped from her forehead to her hands.
Perhaps it was a problem she brought from the Wen family, her fingers had frostbite and did not look slender and white in the winter. Even after carefully applying medicine after coming to the palace, her fingers were still slightly red and swollen.
A black thread passed through her fingers.
Flexible and fine, it repairs the soles of the shoes perfectly.
She is fourteen years old.
In the many years that have passed, during those cold winters, was she the one who sat alone on a small stool, with her head down, making clothes, shoes and socks for the Wen brothers and sisters?
At this moment, Fushan hurried over, his voice slightly exaggerated: "Oh no, Master! Something has been lost in Canglang Pavilion. It's the Pisces jade pendant that the late princess left for you! No outsiders have entered or left Canglang Pavilion today, only Miss Wen has been here!"
Xie Guanlan glanced at him coldly and said quietly, "Look carefully. Come back and report if you really lose it."
Fushan was nervous.
The prince's answer was different from what they had planned!
He cautiously probed: "So... is it lost or not?"
Xie Guanlan: “…”
Wen Xingluo had already figured out what it meant.
She put down the boots she had sewn, stood up and said, "So the prince asked me to come here tonight not because of the boots, but to frame me and accuse me of theft so that he can drive me out of the mansion."
Xie Guanlan remained noncommittal.
Wen Xingluo stared at him, emphasizing each word: "It's hard for you, my Lord, to worry so much about me."
The candlelight lit up her face.
The girl's dark, clear, round almond-shaped eyes were already filled with tears.
She suppressed a sob, bowed with red eyes, and turned away quickly.
Fushan was bewildered: "My Lord?"
Xie Guanlan leaned against the desk with one hand resting on his brow.
His eyes fell on the pair of boots that had been re-sewn.
Somehow, what kept running through my mind was Wen Xingluo's hands covered with frostbite.
Fushan asked again, "Have you regretted your decision and don't want to kick Miss Wen out of the palace? Actually, Miss Wen is quite likable. If she stays in the palace, she can always make the Dowager Concubine happy. Since the Crown Prince is often away from home, she can stay in the palace and fulfill her filial duty to the Dowager Concubine on your behalf."
Xie Guanlan ordered, "Send the bottle of Baoxiang Liuli Cream in my storeroom to Xiejinyuan."
Xiejinyuan is the courtyard where Wen Xingluo lives.
Baoxiang Liuli Ointment is the best medicine for wounds. It can perfectly remove any kind of scar.
When Fushan heard this, he knew that his prince was planning to keep Miss Wen.
He happily replied "Yeah" and hurried to do it.
Gold Courtyard.
Wen Xingluo sat upright under the candlelight, having already changed into pajamas.
She turned the bottle of precious ointment and curled her lips, which were as light red as petals.
It seems that she won the bet tonight.
Xie Guanlan is a person who attaches great importance to family affection.
As the eldest brother, he loved his younger brothers, so he despised the actions of the Wen brothers and sisters.
He felt a little pity for her.
A little bit of pity from the higher-ups was enough to make her stay.
Wen Xingluo drooped his eyelashes, dug out a large piece of ointment, and slowly applied it on his frostbite.
It's the end of the year in a blink of an eye.
The academy was on vacation, and Xie Yanchen also returned to the palace from the charity cemetery. The palace was bustling with activity.
Because Wei Si claimed to be ill, the old queen dowager was still in charge of the household supplies and miscellaneous affairs of the palace.
The old woman took Wen Xingluo under her wing, teaching her little by little how to command servants and win people's hearts, how to organize accounts and coordinate banquets, and all these tedious things, which were all necessary skills for being the mistress of a wealthy family.
Wen Xingluo didn't know whether she would get married in the future or whether she would need to use these skills.
But she is willing to learn hard.
During the first month of the lunar year, the palace had guests coming to pay New Year's greetings every day. The old empress dowager brought Wen Xingluo with her and asked her to try to socialize with the ladies.
After lunch, a stage was set up in the back garden for opera performances, and Wen Xingluo helped the old concubine to change her clothes.
The old man said slowly, "The closeness and intimacy of officials and the movements of various families can be glimpsed from the women in the inner chambers. So, little girl, don't underestimate our social interactions over the past few days."
Wen Xingluo seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before she said, "I heard that Protector Zhao was dismissed from his military post by Big Brother a few years ago. Today, his wife and daughter came to visit and presented a valuable gift. I'm sure they're asking Grandmother to speak on their behalf with Big Brother so that Protector Zhao can be reinstated. Her daughter is quite young, and she keeps mentioning that Big Brother needs someone to take care of him. Could it be that she's also hoping..."
"That's right." The old concubine looked at her approvingly. "But Zhao Zhongzhi embezzled military funds, which is a taboo for your brother. So we can't accept these money and beauties. Now they are still waiting in the hanging flower hall. Can the little girl take care of them for me?"
Wen Xingluo knew that the old man wanted to test her how to deal with people.
She bowed and said, "I'm willing to share your worries, Grandma."
Nanny Chen escorted her out, laughing as if chatting casually, "Speaking of which, Protector Zhao followed the old prince for twenty years, accompanying him through life and death numerous times, so he was quite loyal. He was also old, and in the end, he made a mistake and embezzled twenty thousand taels of military pay. Fortunately, the prince, mindful of his past achievements, paid the difference out of his own pocket and spared his life."
Wen Xingluo knew that this was Nanny Chen's intentional warning to her not to embarrass the Zhao mother and daughter.
She accepted the favor and said, "Thank you, Aunt Chen."
Nanny Chen watched her leave with approval before returning to serve the old concubine.
The old concubine sat on the couch: "Xingluo, this child, first saved the fourth child, and then she was filial to me and made me happy in every way. I really like her. If she can be trained, she may be able to marry into a wealthy family in the future."
Nanny Chen sighed, "It's a pity that her background is a bit low. After all, she is not our prince's biological daughter."
Hanging Flower Hall.
Xie Guanlan originally came to Wansongyuan to tell the old concubine that Xie Yanchen had returned to the charity cemetery.
When passing through the corridor, I saw Zhao's mother and daughter sitting in the flower hall.
He knew what the mother and daughter were thinking, so he didn't stop. Just as he was about to move forward, he heard familiar footsteps coming from behind the screen.
He looked.
The person who came out to entertain the Zhao mother and daughter was actually Wen Xingluo.
He knew that from the end of the year to the first month of the lunar year, Wen Xingluo had been learning how to behave in society from his grandmother.
But I don’t know how she is learning.
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