Half an hour later, all the nuns and maids in the courtyard arrived and stood in half of the courtyard.
Shangguan Wan Ning was sitting in the pavilion, holding a fan and shaking it gently, scanning every face one by one with her indifferent eyes.
"Miss, please have some tea." Lutong placed the tea within Shangguan Wanning's reach, then took two steps back and stood aside.
Shangguan Wan Ning put down the fan, picked up the cup and took a sip of tea, and said slowly: "I am not feeling well these days, as you all know. Lu Tong is a little busy serving me, and I want to pick a few more smart and capable people.
Stay with me."
"I don't want to waste the time to go out and buy a new one, so I just choose among you. Don't worry, as long as you are thoughtful and considerate, I will definitely not treat you badly."
Shangguan Wan Ning stood up and walked slowly past a group of servants, picking out two elderly nuns and two servant girls who were pruning flowers and plants in the garden.
"What are your names?" Lutong asked after leading them into the house.
"Slave Xiaodong."
"Slave Aling."
Lu Tong glanced at Aling a few more times and said: "You are quite handsome. From now on, you will follow me and serve the eldest lady. You have to remember that although the eldest lady has a kind heart and never scolds her, she also
You have to be extra careful, you know?"
"Yes, I understand."
For several days, Shangguan Wan Ning stayed at home to recover from her injuries and never left the house.
The injury gradually healed, but a shallow scar could still be seen on her forehead. This made her feel very annoyed.
"Miss, the second prince is here." Lu Tong walked in and reported.
Shangguan Wan Ning frowned in disgust, asked Lu Tong to find a piece of gauze to cover her face, and came to the garden.
"See the Second Prince."
"Get up quickly." Xiao Zhenting looked at the graceful Shangguan Wanning, and couldn't help but feel a wave of throbbing in his heart. "I heard that you fell into the water and got injured a few days ago, and I was very worried. But...after all, men and women have the same
No, I can't come see you right away. I finally found an excuse to visit your father today so I can see you. You won't blame me, will you?"
Shangguan Wan Ning lowered her eyelids, smiled slightly, and shook her head slightly.
"This is a medicine prepared by the palace doctor. It is specially used to remove scars. You will definitely need it."
"Thank you, Second Prince, for your kindness."
Shangguan Wan Ning winked, and Lu Tong stepped forward to take the medicine.
"Alas." Xiao Zhenting sighed deeply.
"The second prince sighed, but he has something on his mind?"
Shangguan Wan Ning's words played into Xiao Zhenting's hands. He looked at Shangguan Wan Ning's clear eyes and began to vomit bitterness.
"Ning'er, you may have heard that the imperial brother came back from a victorious battle. These days, things are going on in the court. Those villains who act according to the prevailing circumstances all come forward to please me. I...I will
I’m almost forced to have no place to stand.”
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's triumphant return is a great joy for the court. Shouldn't the Second Prince also be happy for him? After all, you are brothers. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince also serves the country."
Xiao Zhenting was startled and stared at Shangguan Wan Ning with some confusion.
In the past, when he complained about these things in front of Shangguan Wan Ning, she would give him gentle comfort, and was even willing to go to his father and grandfather to speak good words for him, so that he could reverse his decline as soon as possible.
Why did she become indifferent this time?
Xiao Zhenting couldn't tell exactly when Shangguan Wan Ning started to treat him differently.
"Ning'er, my brother has won the battle and I'm naturally happy for him. I just felt sad for a moment that the world is so cold. And..."
Xiao Zhenting lowered his head and sighed, and said: "I originally thought that if I could get more love from my father, I would be worthy of you, and your father would agree to our marriage. Otherwise, I will be just a prince born from the royal family.
That’s all.”
These words sound so familiar.
In the past, Xiao Zhenting had used such a tone and manner to express his feelings for her more than once.
Now think about it, how can a man who wants to rely on the power of the woman's natal family to fight for power be worthy of being entrusted with him for life?
How come you were blind in your last life?
Facing Xiao Zhenting's affectionate remarks, Shangguan Wan Ning's attitude was much colder.
"Second Prince, since ancient times, marriages have been dictated by parents and matchmakers. Since my parents have always disagreed with us being together, Ning'er probably won't have the luck to stand by your side."
Shangguan Wan Ning stood up, saluted, and said softly: "Ning'er feels unwell and wants to go back to her room to rest. Please leave."
"Eh..." Xiao Zhenting looked at Shangguan Wan Ning's leaving figure, his eyes showing anger and viciousness. "Shangguan Wan Ning, you can never escape from my grasp."
Xiao Zhenting was about to walk away when he saw Shangguan Xiaoxiao walking towards her.
"Second Prince, my sister doesn't know what's good and what's good. Don't be angry."
Xiao Zhenting's face was ugly, and he could feel Shangguan Xiaoxiao's affection for him.
This woman is good-looking, and her eyebrows are somewhat similar to Guan Wan Ning's. In the dead of night, she can look at plum blossoms to quench her thirst.
It's a pity that she is Shangguan Wan Ning's concubine. If he just accepted her like this, it might affect his overall plan.
"Second Prince, the flowers in this garden are in bloom, why not... let Xiaoxiao accompany you to enjoy the flowers and take a walk, so as to relieve your sorrow."
When Shangguan Xiaoxiao saw that Xiao Zhenting did not refuse, he took a bold step forward and wanted to hold Xiao Zhenting's arm.
"If you really want to help me..." Xiao Zhenting's voice suddenly turned cold, "Just stay away from me. You can't do anything well, you're a useless waste."
After saying that, he walked away, leaving Shangguan Xiaoxiao standing there, tears of humiliation rolling in her eyes.
Shangguan Wan Ning returned to the room and had just taken off her veil when the newly chosen Nanny Li who served beside her walked in with tea.
"Miss, when you and the second prince were chatting in the garden just now, the second prince was hiding behind the rockery and watching secretly. They talked a few words after you left, but they didn't seem very happy, and the second prince left angrily.
The second lady was crying for a while in the garden."
Shangguan Wan Ning smiled coldly, feeling both pitiful and hateful towards this concubine.
"Miss," Xiaodong walked in quickly, with a bit of nervousness on her red face, "A-Ling went out quietly just now. The slave girl followed her to the second miss's yard, but... the slave girl couldn't get in."
"I already know, you've done a good job." Shangguan Wan Ning winked at Lu Tong.
Lutong understood, walked to the dressing mirror, took out a few taels of silver, and rewarded Nanny Li and Xiaodong.
"In the future, I can help the young lady with peace of mind, and your benefits will be indispensable."