PDLP Chapter 161 I beg you to send me to the Marquis' Mansion.
Chapter 161 I beg you to send me to the Marquis' Mansion.
Qiuyao looked at Xianghe, who had just put on her clothes and was still kneeling on the ground, and felt very angry.
She secretly hated Xianghe for being useless and always causing trouble instead of helping anything.
Finally, Qiuyao had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to the room of the wife of Duke Chengguo, where the wife of Marquis Xuanning was also there.
The servants had already been dismissed, so Lady Chengguo simply got straight to the point:
"I believe you all know the truth behind today's scandal, so I won't elaborate further. Since this girl has gotten into trouble in my house, I can't just sit back and do nothing. It's better for the wife of the Marquis of Xuanning to take her back and decide what kind of status she should be given. It's all up to you two masters."
Lady Chengguo did not want to make a big deal out of the matter, so she wanted to keep things quiet and let the son of the Marquis of Xuanning marry Xianghe. She could then say that it was a marriage that had been arranged, thus earning herself a reputation for kindness.
The wife of Marquis Xuanning was actually not very happy with this arrangement.
After all, his son was the crown prince, so how could he take a maid as a concubine before he even got married? According to the status of the Marquis's mansion, even the legitimate daughter of an official could be taken as a concubine.
But Qiuyao was the concubine of Prince Yong after all, and she was heard to be quite favored. Her maid was raped by Wu Dacheng, so she couldn't just stand there and say nothing.
So after weighing the pros and cons again and again, the wife of Marquis Xuanning reluctantly agreed to let Xianghe be a concubine, and she found a day to bring her to the Marquis's mansion in a sedan chair.
Then, Lady Chengguo turned to Qiuyao and asked for her opinion.
In fact, Qiuyao was not very willing either.
Xianghe was a maid that she used at her disposal, and she knew many of her secrets. If she really entered the Xuanning Marquis Mansion, she might reveal all of them at any time.
After thinking for a while, Qiuyao put on a kind tone and asked Xianghe:
"You and I are master and servant. Whether you like it or not, I respect your wishes. If you want to continue to stay in the palace and serve me, I will not let you down in the future. I will find you a good marriage and arrange a generous dowry for you.
Of course, if you are willing to follow Prince Wu, I will not force you to stay. Whether your life is good or bad in the future, it has nothing to do with this concubine."
Qiuyao's words seemed to be thinking about Xianghe, giving her the right to choose.
But only Xianghe could hear that Qiuyao was reminding herself not to forget her duty. If she stayed in the palace, she would still be able to find a good marriage in the future.
But if she becomes Wu Dacheng's concubine, whether she lives or dies in the future will have nothing to do with Qiuyao.
However, Xianghe has been with Qiuyao for so long and has her own ideas.
Every time Qiu Yao encountered difficulties, she would first ask him to be a food for the eunuchs in the palace. Now her innocence has been lost, and many people at the banquet saw it. In such a situation, which decent family would want her?
Qiuyao said this simply because she wanted him to continue working like a slave for her.
At this moment, Xiang He regained some clarity. Although her status would be lower if she became a concubine in the Marquis's mansion, if she could serve Wu Dacheng well and have children in the future, her position would be secure.
But if he continued to stay with Qiuyao, he might be pulled out again if he encountered any difficulties next time.
Instead of doing that, why not be brave and give it a try?
She is not a child anymore. If she delays any further, she will probably be betrothed to a groom or a guard.
Thinking of this, Xiang He gritted her teeth, knelt down respectfully towards Qiu Yao, kowtowed twice, and said:
"I am deeply grateful for your kindness in training me, Your Majesty. However, this time, my innocence has been lost. If I return to the palace, I am afraid that Your Majesty will be implicated. Therefore, I beg Your Majesty to allow me to be sent to the Marquis' Mansion!"
Qiuyao paused in fanning herself, as if she had not expected Xianghe to make such a choice, and a surge of anger rose in her heart.
"You have to think it through. Without my protection, are you sure you can survive in the Marquis' Mansion?"
Xiang He gritted her teeth, ready to risk everything, "This servant dares not expect the blessing of the Majesty, but I beg the Majesty to give Xiang He some respect, considering the many years of service I have received."
What she meant was that Qiuyao should give her a dowry, or speak to the Wu family and give them some instructions, so that she would not be bullied in the Marquis' Mansion.
Qiuyao's face was so gloomy that it looked like water could drip from it.
"Okay, that's great. Since it's what you wish, I'll agree to it."
Qiuyao's face was sullen. She took off a green bracelet from her hand and handed it to Xianghe, saying:
"This bracelet, whether you pawn it or sell it, should be enough to provide you with food and clothing in the Marquis's mansion. Xianghe, you chose your own path, and I hope you will take good care of yourself in the future."
Xianghe looked at the bracelet and felt a chill in her heart.
This bracelet was a reward from Prince Yong. Although it is worth a few silver coins, it is a bit exaggerated to say that it allows her to live a life of luxury in the Marquis's mansion.
But this cannot be blamed on Qiuyao. She has never worried about money. Even when she was in the cold palace, she always asked Xianghe to do everything, including the money given to her by Zhang, which was given to Xianghe to manage the palace servants.
On the contrary, she herself actually had no idea about money.
Xiang He suppressed her grievances with tears in her eyes and leaned over to express her gratitude.
"Thank you very much for the reward, Your Majesty."
……
As for Qiu Ning, not far from leaving the Duke Cheng's Mansion, he met a few acquaintances.
It was Wan Zilang, whom I hadn’t seen for a long time, as well as Ye Haoyang, Su Jingan and a few others.
Considering that Qiu Ning didn't eat anything at the banquet, Gu Li took her out for dinner, and happened to meet the people mentioned above.
"Oh, am I seeing things? The beauty who just walked past was Qiu Ning?" Ye Haoyang was the first to notice Qiu Ning and poked Wan Zilang's arm.
Seeing this, Wan Zilang hurriedly turned around and looked over. Wasn’t it Qiu Ning?
However, Qiu Ning today is different from the way she dressed as a man in the past, including when she wore a palace maid's skirt.
At this time, Qiu Ning had obviously dressed up carefully, and looked even more bright, charming, lively and smart.
Wan Zilang stared blankly for a long time, a little dazed.
"Hey, Brother Zilang, we've met each other after all. Shouldn't we go over and say hello?" Ye Haorang asked.
Wan Zilang came back to his senses in a second and was about to walk towards Qiu Ning, but suddenly he saw that there was someone following Qiu Ning.
He was tall and wore a black brocade robe with gold details. When he walked side by side with Qiu Ning, his hand touched Qiu Ning's hand intentionally or unintentionally.
Wan Zilang's eyes widened in an instant.
The next second, his steps were faster than his brain, and he ran directly behind Qiu Ning and slapped Gu Li with his hand.
"Where did this scoundrel come from, actually coveting my little Aning?"