According to Granny Ding, most of these girls were from the south or the far north. But as she slowly walked past them, she smelled a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance emanating from them—fragrances of osmanthus, pear blossoms, and peach blossoms. These flowers don't exist in the south or the far north. The girls were clearly locals.
Combining Qiuhe's words about these three flowers on the estate, Shen Lixue guessed that they were the daughters of the people working on the Lei family estate, who often walked under the osmanthus, pear, and peach trees, and whose bodies were tinged with this subtle fragrance.
Ding Mama fabricated their backgrounds simply to tell herself that these girls had no relation to them, and that once she felt at ease enrolling them in the Bamboo Garden, they would be Lei's best spies!
"This isn't quite right. This is the Prime Minister's residence, and the illegitimate daughters all receive their full allowances..." Granny Ding was extremely anxious. She thought Shen Lixue would at most kick out three people, but she didn't expect her to only keep four, which was far from what she had anticipated...
"The Bamboo Garden isn't very big, and I'm the only master here. With these few servants, it's more than enough!" Seeing that Granny Ding was still not giving up, Shen Lixue smiled and said, "If Madam insists on providing me with a full complement of maids, then I can choose when the slave trader brings out more people I like!"
"Young Miss..." Granny Ding was so anxious that she didn't know what to do. Cold sweat on her forehead condensed into beads and slowly flowed down.
"I'm a little tired!" Shen Lixue waved her hand to interrupt Ding Mama: "Mama, take these girls out. They must be tired after standing for so long!" Trying to plant a spy in her place? Dream on.
In the elegant garden, Madam Lei reclined on a soft couch, exuding grace and nobility. Two maids knelt beside her, carefully applying red nail polish to her fingernails.
"Madam!" Granny Ding opened the curtain and came in, her face extremely grim.
With a wave of her hand, the maids curtsied and withdrew. Lei sat up straight and asked coldly, "How did things go?"
"Reporting to Madam, all the people we arranged have been rejected by Shen Lixue!" Ding Mama lowered her head, her voice barely audible. Having served Lei Shi for so many years, this was the first time she had suffered such a crushing defeat.
"What? They were all rejected?" Madam Lei was shocked. "The Bamboo Garden needs to hire nine maids, and we sent twelve. How could she reject them all?"
"Shen Lixue only selected four maids, saying it was to save expenses for the Prime Minister's residence!" Granny Ding was also extremely frustrated. She had gone to great lengths, promising some benefits, and found eight servant girls from the estate, thinking that the Bamboo Garden needed nine maids. She thought that sending twelve maids to her would allow her to place several spies in. However, she never expected that Shen Lixue would only keep four, and those four were actually bought directly from slave traders and had no relation to them whatsoever.
"Shen Lixue is indeed clever!" Lei gritted her teeth and looked back at Ding Mama: "Did you give yourself away? Otherwise, why were all these spies exposed?"
“This… I have always treated those eight people and the four strangers the same, there is no way there is any flaw!” Ding Mama frowned. She led the twelve people in, and the way she looked at them was the same. Even when introducing their identities, the tone of her voice was exactly the same. She just couldn’t understand how Shen Lixue found out that the eight people were their spies.
"Fools, what a bunch of fools!" Lei glared at Ding Mama, gritting her teeth. She had been seen through, yet she didn't even realize where her weakness lay.
"Has Yingxue returned?" Lei asked, barely suppressing her anger and trying to make her voice sound normal.
"Reporting to Madam, the Second Miss has returned and is resting in Xueyuan Garden!" Knowing that Madam Lei was in a bad mood, Granny Ding answered cautiously, afraid that she would say the wrong thing and be severely punished.
"Hmm!" Lei Shi replied coldly. She was relieved to see Shen Yingxue back. "You can go now. I want to be alone!" Shen Lixue is really hard to deal with!
"Yes!" Ding Mama's idea was of no use at all, and things were ruined. She had been on tenterhooks, afraid that Lei Shi would be angry with her. Now that Lei Shi had driven her away, she was no longer blaming her. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and strode out of the room.
In the bamboo garden, Shen Lixue handed over the four new maids to Qiuhe for accommodation, and returned to her inner room alone. Lying on the soft couch, she thought about the letter Shen Yingxue had received that morning: who sent the letter, and what was written on it?
A sudden pain shot through her shoulder. Shen Lixue instinctively reached for her silver needle pouch, intending to prick it a couple of times to relieve the pain. But when she opened it, she found it empty. She then remembered that she had used all her silver needles to shoot the men in black. The only three remaining needles were for Dongfang Heng to detoxify and stop the bleeding, and she had forgotten them in his room afterward.
She needs a new set of silver needles!
Shen Lixue took the silver and the design, climbed over the wall and left the Prime Minister's residence, heading to the shop to have silver needles made. In ancient times, there were many rules for high-ranking noble families, and they had to report to the mistress before going out. Lei Shi had a grudge against her and would definitely use various reasons to suppress her and prevent her from leaving the residence. It was better for her to leave and come quietly.
After submitting the design and paying the deposit, Shen Lixue left the shop and slowly walked back to the Prime Minister's residence. The sun was high in the sky, and the golden sunlight was extremely warm.
Suddenly, several fast horses galloped towards them. Shen Lixue recognized the people riding them: Nangong Xiao, the Third Prince Dongfang Zhan, the Crown Prince Dongfang Hong, and Zhou Wenxuan. Behind them followed a large number of armored guards, holding long swords, looking solemn and dignified. Wherever the group went, the people stepped aside to make way for them.
"Chen Lixue!" The four horses stopped at the crossroads, and the guards behind them also stopped. Nangong Xiao, with his sharp eyes, spotted Shen Lixue in the crowd at a glance. He jumped off his horse and strode over, a charming smile on his handsome face.
Dongfang Zhan and Dongfang Hong didn't react much. They glanced at Shen Lixue and then looked at the other people on the street. Zhou Wenxuan, on the other hand, perhaps because of Shen Yingxue and Shen Yelei, looked at Shen Lixue a few more times, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.
"What are you doing?" Shen Lixue asked. Two princes, a crown prince, and the son of a high-ranking official were leading troops and on guard in broad daylight. Had something major happened?
"It's all because of that flute player from the Southern Frontier last night. The Emperor suspects there are still accomplices of them in the capital and has ordered us to investigate thoroughly!" Nangong Xiao lightly shook his folding fan, somewhat dismissive. There were only a few powerful sorcerers in the Southern Frontier. With one dead, the others would never dare to act rashly again.
"Nangong Xiao, which street are you on guard?" From afar, Dongfang Zhan looked over and asked Nangong Xiao for his opinion.
"You guys choose, the last one is mine!" Nangong Xiao replied nonchalantly. It was just a guarded street; it didn't matter which one it was.
"You're not planning to investigate every single household, are you?" Shen Lixue frowned. The capital is so big, and there are so many people. How long would it take to investigate the people of Southern Xinjiang using this method?
Nangong Xiao smiled slightly, covered his mouth with his fan, and said in a low, mysterious voice, "We're not investigating people, we're forcing them!"
"Forcing someone?" Shen Lixue looked at Nangong Xiao, her cold eyes filled with incomprehension: "What do you mean?"
"You'll understand soon enough!" Nangong Xiao smiled mysteriously.
"Nangong Xiao!" Dongfang Hong's voice came from afar.
"Coming, coming!" Nangong Xiao replied, hurriedly backing away. At the same time, he didn't forget to tell Shen Lixue, "It's getting late, you should go back now. Unless there's something special, stay in the manor for the next few days and don't come out!"
Nangong Xiao returned to Dongfang Zhan and Dongfang Hong's side, where he and Zhou Wenxuan were gathered together, talking about something. Armored guards stood guard with their swords drawn, while the common people quickly made way for them.
"How is it so coercive?" Shen Lixue wondered. She slowly followed the crowd, and as she turned the corner, the surroundings became quiet. The noisy voices were left behind. Looking around, the alley was quiet and empty, without a single person in sight. It was daytime, so why was this alley so quiet?
A horse suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her way. Shen Lixue looked up and saw Zhou Wenxuan sitting quietly on the horse, dressed in a brocade blue robe and wearing a jeweled headband, his eyes sparkling with starlight.
Turning around, two guards stepped forward, blocking her retreat. Shen Lixue's lips curled slightly as she looked back at Zhou Wenxuan: "Mr. Zhou, is there something you need?" Her tone was cold and devoid of warmth, and her dark eyes were as calm and still as an ancient well.
"Miss Shen, it's been a long time! How have you been?" Zhou Wenxuan stared at Shen Lixue standing in front of his horse, raising his eyebrows slightly. Although he was sitting on the horse and much taller than Shen Lixue, he still couldn't suppress her arrogance and sharpness.
"Mr. Zhou, did you come to me just to say these pointless things?" Shen Lixue asked sarcastically. Zhou Wenxuan was Shen Yingxue's admirer, and it was obvious that he had ill intentions for stopping her in this remote and deserted place.
“Miss Shen is straightforward, so I will speak frankly as well: leave the capital and return Prince An to Yingxue…”
Shen Lixue scoffed, "Zhou Wenxuan, I am Dongfang Heng's rightful fiancée. Why should I back out and let that imposter take my place?"
“Yingxue is the daughter of the Prime Minister, kind-hearted and gentle, unable to withstand too much hardship, while you grew up in the countryside and are stronger than her…” Zhou Wenxuan’s gaze was solemn, his words earnest, as if he were advising his disobedient student: “Besides, she is your own sister, and as the older sister, you should give in to her…”
Shen Lixue stared coldly at Zhou Wenxuan. Just because she was stronger than Shen Yingxue, she had to bear all the pain. It was reasonable and justified for Shen Yingxue to take her things, but she was ungrateful for taking back what belonged to her? What kind of illogical logic was that?
"I'm sorry, Mr. Zhou, I'm just a weak woman, I don't have your magnanimity to give away my beloved!" Regardless of whether Shen Lixue likes Dongfang Heng or not, Zhou Wenxuan really needs to be taught a lesson for taking other people's things and making it sound so high-sounding.
"Shen Lixue, it doesn't matter that you come from the countryside, are impolite, and lack manners. As long as you leave Prince An, I can teach you step by step and make you a true lady of noble birth. Even if you don't marry a king or general, you can still be a commoner's wife..." Zhou Wenxuan looked at Shen Lixue, painting a beautiful picture of the future, gently persuading her...