“Your servants Chun Su and Ting Chan Mama are not just for show,” Yan Qingli said dismissively. “If there’s anything you don’t know how to handle, just ask them for advice.”
Qiu Lanxi remained silent for a moment. She heard that Granny Chan was a former maid who had come to the princess's residence because she was worried about Yan Qingli. She was the real manager of the household. It seemed that Yan Qingli genuinely wanted her to manage the household since she had allowed her to come.
Do they really think of her as the mistress of a princess's mansion?
Qiu Lanxi was more inclined to think that this might be a kind of compensation, after all, the rumors about her were still spreading outside, and Yan Qingli had no intention of suppressing them.
“Then I shall accept your offer without hesitation,” Qiu Lanxi said somewhat uneasily. “Your Highness, please do not blame me if anything goes wrong.”
Yan Qingli reached out and stroked the top of her head, smiling, "It's not your fault."
She lowered her eyelids and thought that the rumors outside wouldn't dissipate anytime soon, and once she got busy, she wouldn't have to worry about them.
Yan Qingli knew very well that these rumors could not be ignored. If they were ignored, even if they were false, people would believe them to be true. Otherwise, why would anyone bother to intervene?
I just don't know who's so bored and has to make things difficult for her.
Yan Qingli knew very well that the person behind this kind of thing, which had no impact on her but was disgusting, must have a grudge against her, but their status was probably not very high, otherwise the rumors wouldn't be so harmless, only disgusting.
However, thanks to this rumor, her father, in order to appease her, actually let her take over the matter, which made things much easier.
Even so, if she manages to find out who's behind this, she will never let them go.
Harsh words can be as painful as a cold winter's day. She cries so easily; though she may not say it, she must have taken it to heart.
Yan Qingli was unaware that Qiu Lanxi had already attributed this to her. She looked down at the other woman, and Qiu Lanxi happened to look up. Their eyes met, and she gave a genuine smile: "Your Highness, you are so kind."
"It is truly my good fortune to have Your Highness's trust in me."
Her smile was radiant, and anyone could see that she was in a good mood. Yan Qingli unconsciously curled the corners of her mouth before lowering her head back to read.
The moment she stopped looking at her, the smile vanished from Qiu Lanxi's eyes.
She believed that Yan Qingli genuinely wanted her to manage the household, but precisely because of this, Qiu Lanxi would leave everything as it was, doing nothing but going through the motions. This not only represented further trust from the other party, but also a deeper level of connection.
She didn't want to be discarded like a cunning rabbit after Yan Qingli ascended the throne, nor did she want to be his secret lover. Based on their past relationship, she was sure she could leave. Perhaps he would be angry because of her departure, but Yan Qingli was a principled person and would eventually agree.
But it would be different if she took charge of the household.
By then, Qiu Lanxi will know some of the secrets of the mansion and her private affairs. Such a well-known person, unless death comes, would be someone anyone would choose to keep under their nose rather than let go.
Qiu Lanxi never imagined that she would be bound to Yan Qingli for the rest of her life, nor did she think that her current life was anything special. This was not a romantic relationship; it was a superior-subordinate relationship.
Yan Qingli always lost track of time when reading. Qiu Lanxi accompanied her for a while, but she couldn't stand the vertical lines and lack of punctuation in this era. Soon she became sleepy and changed her clothes to go to sleep.
The maid quietly tidied up Qiu Lanxi. Yan Qingli glanced at her, then lowered her head to continue reading. Only after Chun Su came to remind her that it was getting late did she put away her book and go to bed.
She looked down at Qiu Lanxi and brushed the strands of hair that had gotten onto her face. Lately, Qiu Lanxi had become increasingly bold, and her sleeping posture had become more and more unconventional, taking up most of the bed by herself.
Yan Qingli moved her a little further inside and pulled the thin blanket down. The weather was getting warmer, so it wasn't really suitable to cover herself up too tightly now, lest she get all sweaty.
However, as she pulled down slightly, she saw that her clothes were disheveled, with half of her shoulder and neck exposed from the neckline. Yan Qingli reached out to pull them back up, but her heart felt like it was burning with anger.
Yan Qingli had no intention of doing anything to her. She was not a frivolous or rude person, not to mention the timing was wrong. Only a 'thing' that is to be played with at will would be sent to bed without any etiquette. Otherwise, even a concubine would have to be carried into the mansion with documents and a sedan chair.
Although she had already done many things that were not in accordance with etiquette, Yan Qingli still adhered to her last bottom line.
His deep gaze fell on her for a long time before Yan Qingli looked away, and the room fell into complete silence.
...
…………
Yan Qingli used to get up early every morning, but Qiu Lanxi became lazy after she no longer had to go out with her, and often slept until late morning.
Chun Su helped Qiu Lanxi change her clothes and asked in surprise, "Why is the base of your neck red, young lady?"
Qiu Lanxi was taken aback when she heard this. She glanced at herself in the mirror and, seeing that the marks didn't look like they were from sleeping, said dismissively, "They're probably mosquitoes."
Ultimately, it wasn't Yan Qingli who did it. After all, aside from other things, she's quite disciplined and seems to have no worldly desires.
"Then this servant will fetch the ointment." Chun Su frowned upon hearing this. "The summer mosquitoes have come rather early this year."
Chun Su did not doubt her illustrious princess. After all, if the princess wanted to do something, she would have done it long ago. How could she not have called for water even once at night for so long?
After leisurely tidying everything up, Qiu Lanxi heard Chun Su say, "Miss, the jewelry His Highness ordered for you has arrived. Would you like to take a look?"
Upon hearing this, Qiu Lanxi became somewhat suspicious. Yan Qingli was not the kind of person who was 'generous'; she would always take whatever she could from her own storeroom as a gift. Qiu Lanxi could guess why she did this—it was simply because she was short of money.
The princess was certainly not short of money, but none of the princes who wanted to achieve anything were not short of money. After all, if you want others to risk their lives for you, you must pay them enough. Yan Qingli naturally could not afford any more expenses.
The things she used to maintain appearances were obtained by occasionally begging in the palace, but most people thought she was showing off her favor with the emperor, and no one knew that she was actually poor.
In this situation, why would you still give her jewelry?
After looking at several sets of jewelry, Qiu Lanxi became increasingly certain that the other party had something to hide, because the jewelry was clearly something that only people of a certain rank could wear. Although Qiu Lanxi didn't care about these things, Yan Qingli was cautious and the gifts he gave her weren't too extravagant.
But this time she had clearly overstepped her bounds, and if the emperor found out, he would surely scold her severely.
Playing with the phoenix hairpin, Qiu Lanxi thought with great interest, "Isn't this something that only Yan Qingli herself can wear?"
Qiu Lanxi didn't think much of it. If she dared to give it to her, she dared to accept it. Even if she couldn't wear it out, she would still be happy just looking at the exquisite craftsmanship.
"Your Highness, do you think this matter is related to Prince Jin?"
"Your Highness? Your Highness?"
Yan Qingli came to her senses and said, "Lord Lu is overthinking it. It's just a small dispute, not enough to warrant a blood feud."
Before her death, Qiu Shi had a minor argument with the Princess Consort of Jin when she was fetching something for Yan Qingli, so she came to inquire about it today.
Prince Jin had a bad temper and an outspoken personality. Consort Rong was afraid that marrying someone with a fiery temper would lead to constant arguments, so she chose a gentle woman for him. Unfortunately, she was too gentle, which resulted in a lack of authority and a somewhat lax discipline in the mansion.
In addition, Prince Jin was a strong contender for the throne, and the people in his household also felt superior. However, ordinary people would not compete with the people in Prince Jin's household out of respect for Prince Jin. But the people in Yan Qingli's household were not afraid, so a dispute naturally broke out, and Prince Jin was thus drawn into the matter.
Moreover, even if he didn't, there are plenty of people who would want to drag him down with them.
Lord Lu nodded upon hearing this, also feeling that this matter had nothing to do with Prince Jin. He suspected that it was probably the remnants of the Teng Kingdom causing trouble. However, many people wanted to make their political enemies 'collude with the enemy and betray the country,' so the matter was not easy to investigate, and the clues were all messed up. No one knew which clues were true.
When it comes to striking at the enemy, those in the imperial court don't care at all about Yan Qingli's status, making an already murky situation even more unbearable.
Seeing Yan Qingli lost in thought, Lord Lu assumed she was also troubled by the case and remained silent. In reality, Yan Qingli had no intention of solving it at all.
I wonder if she's noticed...
Yan Qingli felt a little guilty. She hadn't done anything yesterday, just unconsciously rubbed it. She thought the mark would be gone when she woke up, but she didn't know if she had unconsciously touched it too hard or if her skin was too delicate. The mark was still there when she woke up the next day, which was obviously a bit too much.
She felt somewhat guilty about this, as such sneaky behavior was really not respectable. How could she, a princess, do such a thing as stealing a beauty?
If we really want to do it, we should do it when she's sober.
Yan Qingli was a little annoyed by this, and unconsciously dawdled until dark before going back.
"Your Highness, you're back?" Qiu Lanxi waved her round fan, and as soon as she saw her enter the room, she immediately threw the fan aside and walked over. Seeing that her expression was not good, she couldn't help but say, "Your Highness is not in a good mood?"
Seeing that Qiu Lanxi's expression was natural, Yan Qingli felt a little relieved. She took a sip of tea before saying, "I reckon there will be quite a few visiting cards at your residence recently. If I'm not here, you should handle the reception accordingly. If Chun Su didn't remind you, just pretend you don't know. If they're on the list, then you should speak accordingly."
Qiu Lanxi asked in surprise, "I'm here to receive you?"
She felt that Yan Qingli's idea of abducting her onto the ship was truly a wicked scheme. What right did she, a commoner without status or rank, no, a criminal, have to entertain those people?
“I believe you are capable,” Yan Qingli said, stroking her face. “Just be flexible and adaptable. I trust you.”
Everyone has a special skill, and in Yan Qingli's opinion, Qiu Lanxi's skill is her mouth. It would be a waste to only use such a mouth to say sweet words.
She didn't know how much ability she had, but she could discover it for her.
not to mention……
Yan Qingli glanced at Qiu Lanxi. Using her beauty to please someone was not a long-term solution. A woman's ambition would be worn down by being confined to the inner quarters, and all she could see was the square sky and her 'good man'. She did not want Qiu Lanxi to be like that.
She fought for the throne not only for herself, but also for the women of the world. So how could she follow the example of men and confine her women to the inner quarters?
Of course, if things don't work out after she sends them out, Yan Qingli won't care; it's not like she can't afford to support them.
Yan Qingli clearly didn't want to dwell on this matter any longer. Qiu Lanxi pouted and had no choice but to give up her refusal. Seeing that she was still a little unwilling, Yan Qingli couldn't help but pinch the tip of her nose: "You'll know how much I care later."
Qiu Lanxi raised her chin and twitched the corner of her mouth: "Hehe."
I'm afraid I'm the one who put in the effort and suffered the most, and I'll still be cursing.
Yan Qingli found her smile a bit strange, assuming she was just going along with her politely. She shook her head helplessly. How many people would want such an opportunity? Only she lacked ambition.
"Let someone bring the meal." Yan Qingli didn't say much more. She believed that once Qiu Lanxi had experienced the feeling of having the power to influence others with her words, she wouldn't be willing to give it up.
After all, she was not as weak as she appeared. Everyone knows that only with strength can one protect oneself. How could she refuse such an opportunity to seize power?
In Yan Qingli's view, Qiu Lanxi was a smart person, and a smart person naturally knows what to grasp. Even if she didn't have any grand ambitions, she should still understand the principle of following the example of her superiors.
After finishing her meal, Qiu Lanxi noticed that she was about to pick up a book to read again: "Your Highness, I would like to take a walk in the garden to digest my food."
Yan Qingli raised her eyes upon hearing this: "Go ahead."
Qiu Lanxi hummed in agreement and was about to walk out when she was suddenly stopped by the other party.
"etc--"
"Your Highness?" Qiu Lanxi thought she was planning to go with her, after all, she had even put down her book. But she just bent down and tied a sachet around her waist.
"There are a lot of mosquitoes at night, so take this with you."
Qiu Lanxi paused for a moment, couldn't help but glance at her, and then smiled and said, "Your Highness is so thoughtful."
Yan Qingli lowered her eyelashes and stepped back: "Alright, go ahead."
Qiu Lanxi glanced down at it before leaving. Once she was far away, she couldn't help but lower her head and squeeze the sachet, as if her body heat still lingered on it.
Those in power bow their heads, and the cold-hearted become gentle; this is the kind of thing that is hard to resist.
She chuckled softly, but any ambitious person, regardless of gender, would be described as ruthless and heartless.
Any ambitious person will instinctively try to win over their core supporters, regardless of their status, simply to maximize their own interests.
Qiu Lanxi approves of this behavior; if it were her, she might have done something even more outrageous. But she doesn't want to sink into depravity because of it.
Looking at the flowers vying for attention in the garden, Qiu Lanxi patted her chest and thought, "Flowers don't stay red for a hundred days, and flowers that are targeted will only be picked and won't be vibrant for more than a few days, so I have to be more careful."
She certainly admired Yan Qingli; such a person was indeed hard to dislike. She was ambitious but also had principles. She wasn't the kind of person who would abandon everything to achieve her goals, nor was she autocratic. Even though Qiu Lanxi could only rely on her, she still gave her a certain amount of respect. But so what?
This is not a relationship.
Qiu Lanxi warned herself again.
Looking at the bright moon in the sky, Qiu Lanxi's smile slowly faded, and the flutter in her heart vanished without a trace.
Qiu Lanxi wasn't heartless, so of course she wasn't completely indifferent to Yan Qingli. Yan Qingli was a beautiful, rich, and wealthy woman who was always in front of her. She didn't speak harshly or look down on anyone. Besides, in this kind of place, the only people she could talk to were her maids and herself.
The maids, on the other hand, were usually very dutiful and could not be spoken to.