Prince! The political conspiracy is not a play, the show is real

A few days later, Tao Yao felt a little depressed when she saw the six large boxes of gold and silver jewelry being carried into her room early in the morning.

They had clearly agreed to get married in the spring of the following year, but I don't know what Shi Yiqian and Zhou Yan discussed that "expedited" the wedding process. However, only ten days later, all the things needed for the wedding had been purchased.

Shi Yiqian and Zhou Yan agreed to marry on New Year's Eve at the villa Zhou Yan had purchased in the capital. The reason for choosing the date was comical: Zhou Yan wanted to marry his wife quickly and then rush back to his hometown in Jiangnan for the Lunar New Year, celebrating both his wedding and the New Year together—a perfect "double happiness."

Tao Yao shuttled between the several large boxes of gold, silver and jewelry, picking up each one and examining them carefully. They were indeed genuine treasures.

"Wow, Second Miss, Mr. Zhou is really generous! The ceremony is so grand and lavish, it's as good as marrying a wife." Huai Ling had never seen so many golden things in her life, and she was a little dumbfounded as she stood there.

Tao Yao sneered, put the Phoenix Blood Jade Bracelet back to its place, and shook her head, saying, "How can this be considered generous? It's just a formality. He brought all these jewels to me, and after I marry him, he'll bring them all back to his own house. It's ostensibly a gift to me, but in reality, it's still his. I'm just taking advantage of it."

Huai Ling nodded, seeming to understand, and said, "Second Miss, although I don't understand the profound principles you are talking about, from the marriages I have seen over the years, the husband's family who can hold such a grand ceremony is always ten thousand times better than those who are penniless. Second Miss, if you ask me, the master still has your best interests at heart."

Tao Yao raised her hand, gently tapped Huai Ling's head, and said, "I know whether my father is doing good for me or not. Although I don't want this marriage, maybe it's really the best, as you said. So, I don't blame my father."

Huai Ling nodded and said, "Second Miss, I'm glad you can think it through." As she spoke, Huai Ling held Tao Yao's hands, her eyes reddening a little, "Huai Ling has already asked the master to be the second lady's maid. No matter what happens, Huai Ling will stay by her side."

Tao Yao's heart moved, and she said, "You want to marry me? Has my father agreed?"

"Yes." Huai Ling smiled happily, "Wherever the Second Miss goes, Huai Ling will go."

Tao Yao sighed and said in a somewhat irritated tone, "It's not that I don't want you to marry with me. It's just that the days you've spent growing up with me have been hard enough. I'm afraid that life will be even harder in the Zhou Mansion. I don't want you to have to endure it with me."

As Tao Yao spoke, she couldn't help but sigh. The fate of people like her and Huai Ling, who were born into a humble and lowly state, was truly beyond their control.

"I'll find a suitable time and beg my father to return your indenture and release you. The world is vast, and there's nothing I can do that wouldn't give me more freedom than being a servant in this mansion."

"No!" Huai Ling rejected her outright, bowed her back, and knelt straight down. "Huai Ling has been used to being a servant for half her life." Halfway through her words, her voice gradually became tearful. "Second Miss, let alone asking for mercy on my behalf, you can't even make decisions about your own affairs, so how can you ask for mercy on my behalf? ... Second Miss, Huai Ling has made up her mind. For the rest of my life... I just want to stay by your side."

Seeing her like this, Tao Yao couldn't help but feel sad and heartbroken, and quickly knelt on the ground with her.

The master and servant looked at each other for a moment, their eyes reddened, and the next second they hugged each other tightly.

Tao Yao gently patted Huai Ling's head and said softly, "Good girl, it's a pity that you followed the wrong person. If I have the chance in the future, I will definitely take you to live a good life."

Huai Ling burst into laughter and said with emotion: "Second Miss, as long as I can be with you, no matter whether it is bitter or sweet, it is a good life."

In the days leading up to her wedding, Taoyao had a rare few peaceful days. The only thing that disturbed her was the occasional hawk flying over the yard. The hawks were huge, and the sound of their flapping wings often startled Taoyao out of her dreams. But when she opened the window to look for them, the hawks had vanished in an instant.

The quiet time passed extremely quickly, and in the blink of an eye it was the day before New Year's Eve.

Tomorrow she is getting married with Zhou Yan - Tao Yao tried on the red veil that she was going to wear tomorrow, and looked left and right in front of the dressing mirror, but she did not have the real feeling that she was going to be a concubine.

Could it be that Shi Yiqian didn't want to publicize the influence of this marriage, so there were no extra arrangements inside or outside the mansion, and she still lived in the mansion as usual, so she felt particularly calm?

Huai Ling, on the other hand, had been so busy for several days that she hadn't had a good rest. She said she wanted to prepare well for her future trip to the south of the Yangtze River and packed several boxes of food and daily necessities. Tao Yao opened the luggage and saw that Huai Ling had actually brought in all her belongings from childhood.

Tao Yao was a little amused and said, "Huai Ling, I'm getting married, not fleeing. There's no need to bring little clay figurines, puppets, and rattles, right?"

Huai Ling held the clay figurines that Tao Yao had thrown out, her face filled with shock and grievance. "Second Miss, you used to treasure these so much, are you really not going to take them with you?"

Tao Yao waved her hands: "The past is the past, and the future is the future. If I still rely on these things to make a living in the future, what future will I, Tao Yao, have?"

Huai Ling reluctantly set the puppets and clay figurines aside, muttering, "Yes, these were given to the Second Miss by the Master when she was a child. After the Second Miss grew up, although she no longer missed these little things, she still took them out from time to time to look at and touch them. Huai Ling thought, if I take these things with me, the Second Miss can take them out and look at them when she misses home, which can be considered a reminder of her home."

"Huai Ling, you're getting married tomorrow. Today, I want to have one last good time!" Tao Yao suddenly smiled cunningly.

Huai Ling was a little scared. Ever since she fainted from hunger and woke up last time, the Second Miss always had a new idea every day, and they were all ideas that disobeyed the old master...

So, Huai Ling dissuaded him with some resistance, "Second Miss...how do you want to have a good time? Why don't you just forget it...let's just live peacefully for the last few days we stay in the Shi Mansion, okay?"

But Tao Yao was extremely excited: "Hey, the more time is running out, the more we should have some fun!" She paused, then said, "I won't make it difficult for you this time. I'll act alone, and you just need to cover for me at home. Is that okay?"

Huai Ling knew, of course, that it didn't matter whether she agreed or not—once the Second Young Lady had an idea, nothing could stop her.