All the members are good people, only the host is a pervert

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window lattice into the house, illuminating the tranquility. Lin Ruan got up early, dressed carefully, and sent Xie Yunze away.

Soon, light footsteps were heard outside the door, followed by two whispers: "Princess, all is well!" The voices were soft and timid, obviously a little nervous. Lin Ruan smiled slightly and whispered: "Come in."

The door slowly opened, revealing two women walking in with their heads bowed. They were dressed in plain clothes, their steps light and graceful, like two frightened deer. Upon entering, they hurriedly knelt, bowing their heads in greeting, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Seeing this, Lin Ruan called out softly, "Get up, there's no need to be so reserved." Her voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, bringing warmth to one's heart.

The two exchanged glances, then stood up tremblingly, still not daring to look up at Lin Ruan. Lin Ruan shook his head helplessly and waved his hand, signaling An Lan and the other attendants to withdraw. After everyone left, only Lin Ruan, Pearl, and Feicui remained in the room.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the room was extremely solemn, as if time had stood still. Pearl and Jade stood with their hands hanging down, quietly waiting for Lin Ruan's instructions, their hearts filled with uneasiness.

"I know you two were originally serving the Prince Consort. Now, what are your plans? Tell me."

Feicui and Zhenzhu didn't understand what Lin Ruan meant. They were just maids and their indentures were in the hands of the princess. What plans could they have?

To put it bluntly, even if Princess Changle beat them both to death right now, their parents in the Anning Marquis's Mansion wouldn't even be able to cry for them.

The two simply lowered their heads and said, "We will follow the princess's instructions."

"You two must know how to read," Lin Ruan thought for a moment and said, "You should learn from Rouju first. When you have learned everything you need to, I will go to Jiangnan with my husband to travel. I will rely on you to help your sister Rouju with the work in the mansion."

Lin Ruan didn't even ask whether the two of them could read. How could someone who caught Xie Yunze's eye not be able to read? Lin Ruan didn't waste her breath.

The two of them couldn't help but look up, their gazes landing on Lin Ruan, their hearts filled with anxiety and uneasiness. They had already prepared for the worst, believing that Lin Ruan might deliberately make things difficult for them. They even thought that the best outcome would be to assign them to guard a remote and simple courtyard and send them away far away, so that at least they could save their lives.

However, what they had never expected was that Lin Ruan would make such an unexpected decision—to appoint them as housekeepers! This news was like a thunderbolt to them, completely shattering their previous expectations. For a moment, both of them were stunned, looking at Lin Ruan in disbelief, as if wondering if they had heard correctly.

Yes, although it was late when they entered the princess's residence yesterday, Feicui and Zhenzhu were not idle. They seized the opportunity to inquire about some of the palace's news from a young maid. They knew that this young lady, Rouju, was no ordinary person—she was the princess's most trusted and respected personal maid! Normally, Rouju single-handedly managed all matters of the inner courtyard. For those lowly maids and servants, meeting the princess was nearly impossible; they could only convey information or carry out tasks by reporting to Rouju.

So Lin Ruan asked them to learn under Rouju, and said that after she and her husband went to the south of the Yangtze River, she would let them help Rouju share the burden. The meaning was self-evident.

The two of them knelt on the ground excitedly and kowtowed to Lin Ruan, "Thank you, Princess."

Lin Ruan didn't ask them to get up, but just said slowly, "I also know that being a maid is not easy for you. You have no choice but to serve the prince consort and keep your heart with a man. Besides the handsome prince consort, it is more about fighting for a way out for yourself and making a fortune."

Lin Ruan spoke directly, "The Prince Consort wants me to send you far away, but I can't bear to see your precious pearl go to waste. You see, most men are unreliable." She didn't care about the changes in the faces of the two people on the ground, or how embarrassed they looked. She continued, "Perhaps you have also thought that having a son can be a lifelong support, but can you guarantee that your son will be able to live up to his reputation? To put it bluntly, if your son is as virtuous as the Prince Consort, and doesn't have the status of the second son of the An Ning Marquis, can he really win you a respectable reputation?"

Seeing the two of them still hadn't spoken, Lin Ruan didn't rush. As she'd said before, he was always soft-hearted and patient with girls. She continued, "Or, how many unfilial men are there? Although every dynasty has advocated governing the world with filial piety, you've also been around the inner chambers. Even if you haven't seen it, you've certainly heard it. If a child is unfilial, there are so many ways to make the old lady in the mansion swallow her anger."

"So!" Lin Ruan lazily leaned against the gorgeous chaise longue, raised her finger slightly, and hooked it at Feicui and Zhenzhu who were kneeling beside her. Seeing this, the two of them immediately knelt forward obediently.

When the two of them got closer, Lin Ruan first gently pinched Feicui's small and delicate chin, and looked at her beautiful face carefully; then, as if she was still not satisfied, she reached out and kneaded Zhenzhu's smooth and silky hair, and said softly: "As the saying goes, 'A good bird chooses a tree to roost in', do you understand this truth? Men or sons, they are all unreliable. However, as long as you follow this princess closely, this princess can guarantee that you will have wealth and prosperity for the rest of your life, and you will have no worries about food and clothing." After that, Lin Ruan raised the corner of her mouth slightly, revealing an imperceptible smile.

She tried to flatter the two maids: "You serve me, first of all, and you don't have to worry about the mistress getting jealous and beating you to death or selling you off, right?"

As if thinking of the maid being beaten to death or sold, the two of them showed fear again. Lin Ruan pretended not to notice and continued, "I am Princess Changle, personally appointed by the Emperor, and my mother is the Princess Zhenguo. The Emperor is my uncle, so you don't have to worry about the Master being convicted and dragging you down, right?"

"Besides, if men and sons are unreliable, can money be unreliable? If you are loyal to me, I will not treat you badly. When you are old, you don't have to worry about being left alone. The Princess's Mansion will not treat any loyal servant badly and will definitely support you with honor. As the saying goes, 'A seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister's door, you may not say that your life can compare to that of a high-ranking official's wife, but at least it is more comfortable than those of small officials with less financial resources,'" Lin Ruan said. "Of course, if you like someone, as long as his character is decent, the Princess's Mansion will also give you a generous dowry. With the palace watching over you, you don't have to worry about your men and sons being unreliable. What do you think? Think about it carefully."

The two had already been completely absorbed in the beautiful future Lin Ruan had described, their minds already becoming hazy and blurry. Just then, Lin Ruan glanced down at the ground and caught sight of four pairs of eyes, gleaming brightly. Her lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile as she spoke softly, "You don't have to rush to answer me now. You can take your time to think it over. After all, you've been kneeling here for a long time. You should get up and stretch your legs. Think carefully about this when you return. Today will be a welcome day for you, and I'll grant you a day of rest. Tomorrow morning, go find your sister Rouju."

After the two of them left, Lin Ruan asked An Lan to tell Rou Ju to pack the things she needed to take to Jiangnan.

"Tell Rouju not to pack too much," Lin Ruan thought to herself. "No need to pack anything big, so people don't think we're not coming back. Just one box of big sweaters will do, and some light, thin clothes," Lin Ruan thought. "We'll be leaving from Jintang Ferry after the spring, and we don't know how long the boat trip will take. Tell Rouju to have the kitchen dry some more vegetables. We're also preparing New Year's goods right now, so smoke some more bacon and sausages, okay?"

After saying that, he thought for a moment and then said, "Go tell your sister Luo Mei that the managers of the shops outside are almost ready. Let's put the shops in the capital aside. Forget it. Ask her to come see me directly later."

An Lan should claim yes.

After meeting Luo Mei, Lin Ruan let go and devoted herself to going to the outskirts of Beijing to see the snow scenery every now and then with Xie Yunze.

Hmm... Watch "Snow Scene".