mtlumby2d Chapter 41 He Mingwen's Scheme
Chapter 41 He Mingwen's Scheme
Overjoyed, Qin Yaoyao began preparing all the necessary items for the wedding. She personally drew exquisite patterns, ready to embroider her beautiful wedding dress! Originally, He Yanxi offered to take care of all the preparations, but Qin Yaoyao insisted on doing this important thing herself. Reluctantly, He Yanxi agreed, promising to handle the matters as soon as possible and then take her to see the preparations. Qin Yaoyao happily nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll prepare your wedding dress too." He Yanxi readily agreed.
After He Yanxi left, Qin Yaoyao immediately instructed Qiuye to go to the storeroom and retrieve a piece of bright red ice silk brocade to make her wedding dress. Ice silk brocade, as its name suggests, gives a cool and refreshing feeling, making it especially suitable for summer clothing. Soon after, Qiuye returned with the fabric, saying, "Miss, the fabric has arrived." She then gently placed the fabric on the table. The other maids, seeing this, gathered around, exclaiming, "This fabric is perfect for making clothes this season! It will surely be both cool and comfortable to wear!"
Qiu Ye smiled and said, "This fabric is not only cool to the touch, but also soft and gentle. Unlike some fabrics that look nice but are expensive and don't feel good to the touch, some even irritate the skin." Qin Yaoyao immediately agreed, "Qiu Ye is absolutely right. For people with sensitive skin, this fabric is a lifesaver." Ying Chun exclaimed, "Qiu Ye, I never imagined you were so knowledgeable, knowing even these things." Qiu Ye couldn't help but laugh and replied, "How could I be so clever? I just overheard the shopkeeper talking when I went to the shop with you that day. I was curious because I heard it was expensive, so I listened very carefully. If you asked me about anything else, I'm afraid I wouldn't know anything, hehe." Ban Xia chimed in, "Even so, you're quite remarkable to remember so many details. If it were me, I might only remember that it's 'cool and comfortable'!" Dong Xue also nodded in agreement, "Indeed."
After listening to their conversation, Qin Yaoyao pondered for a moment, then turned to Qiu Ye and asked softly, "Qiu Ye, are you interested in doing business? If you are, I can arrange something for you."
Upon hearing this, Qiuye gently shook her head and softly replied, "Miss, I only wish to stay by your side and have no desire to take on any managerial position. I am already content to take good care of you on a daily basis."
Qin Yaoyao nodded slightly to show her understanding, and then said, "Fine! Since that's how it is, then so be it! If you change your mind in the future and want to give it a try, just let me know and I will make proper arrangements for you."
Qiu Ye smiled and replied, "Yes, Miss. I certainly won't stand on ceremony with you."
Qin Yaoyao smiled in response and said gently, "Yes, all of you are the same. If you have any concerns, feel free to tell me, and I will do my best to help you."
Before the words were even finished, the maids knelt down one after another and said in unison, "We are willing to accompany Miss forever. No matter where Miss goes, we will follow closely behind, unless Miss no longer needs us..."
After helping them up, Qin Yaoyao said softly, "How could I possibly abandon you? Since that's the case, then wherever I go in the future, I will take you with me. Even if I marry into the royal family in the future, I will definitely bring you with me. I wonder if you would like to come with me?" Hearing Qin Yaoyao's sincere words, everyone was overjoyed and nodded in agreement.
Qin Yaoyao picked up the piece of ice silk brocade, preparing to make her own wedding dress. She decided to sew He Yanxi's wedding gown first, so she personally drew an exquisite pattern. After completing the drawing, she devoted herself entirely to the process. Meanwhile, the other maids, each with needle and thread, were also intently embroidering various items. For a moment, the entire room was exceptionally quiet; even the sound of a needle dropping could be clearly heard. Everyone was absorbed in their work, silent and still.
However, it wasn't long before Dongxue couldn't contain her emotions any longer. Clutching her meticulously embroidered handkerchief, she suddenly broke down, slumped onto the table, and muttered to herself, "This is just too difficult!" Her voice shattered the silence in the room, but the others remained focused on their embroidery, undistracted.
Seeing that no one paid attention to her, Dongxue pouted and muttered in dissatisfaction, "Why are you ignoring me?" Yingchun chuckled and replied, "Isn't it normal that you find it difficult? When you were learning needlework, you swore that you would never pick up a needle and thread to embroider anything. It's only natural that you find it difficult now." Banxia and Qiuye chimed in, "That's right, that's right."
Watching the maids chatter and laugh, Qin Yaoyao's mood brightened, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips, but her hands didn't stop moving. Before long, the fabric for the clothes was cut, and the maids' embroidery work was nearing completion. Everyone began to display their work.
Yingchun embroidered a handkerchief with a delicate crape myrtle flower in the lower left corner. The flower was brightly colored and the stitches were fine, making it extremely beautiful. Banxia embroidered a small and exquisite garment with a fresh and elegant daffodil pattern, giving a sense of tranquility and beauty.
However, the most surprising thing was Qiu Ye's reaction. She unfolded the item on the table, revealing a beautiful purse. Qin Yaoyao, with her sharp eyes, noticed that the purse was embroidered with bamboo! Not only Qin Yaoyao noticed this, but even Dong Xue, who was usually a bit slow to react, saw it at this moment.
Everyone praised Qiu Ye's work, and Qiu Ye lowered her head shyly, a blush creeping onto her face. Qin Yaoyao smiled and praised, "I didn't expect Qiu Ye's craftsmanship to be so exquisite! This purse is truly beautiful!" Receiving praise from her mistress, Qiu Ye felt a surge of pride and gained even more confidence in her skills.
Looking at the purse Qiu Ye was embroidering, Qin Yaoyao asked curiously, "Qiu Ye, who are you going to give this purse to?" Hearing Qin Yaoyao's question, Qiu Ye realized she had actually embroidered a bamboo stalk. She reached for the purse, but Qin Yaoyao, quick as a flash, grabbed it first and asked meaningfully, "Qiu Ye, tell the sisters, who is this purse for?"
Qiu Ye stammered under the persistent questioning, hurriedly replying, "No...nobody! I just embroidered it for fun." However, Ban Xia interrupted her with a laugh, saying, "Don't talk nonsense! You usually like to embroider flowers and plants, why are you suddenly embroidering bamboo?" Ying Chun chimed in, "Yes, and the purse you chose is gray, which is clearly more suitable for a man." Seeing this, Qin Yao Yao continued to press, "Alright, Qiu Ye, stop hiding it from everyone! Tell us quickly, who is the real owner of this purse?"
Faced with everyone's questioning, Qiuye knew she could no longer hide it, so she blushed and told them the whole story behind the purse.
While Qin Yaoyao's side was filled with joy and laughter, the other side was in complete chaos and turmoil. Since participating in the poetry competition, the Third Prince had been recuperating in his residence and was forbidden from leaving. Because He Yanxi intentionally concealed the arranged marriage and forbade anyone to tell the Third Prince, he was completely unaware of the matter and had not paid attention to any other affairs, instead focusing entirely on the search for the gold mine.
This afternoon, the Third Prince was pacing back and forth in his room when a secret guard suddenly entered. He Mingwen recognized the guard as the one sent out to investigate the gold mine and became excited, eagerly asking, "How is it? Have you found any clues?" The guard knelt down and bowed his head, replying, "Your subordinate is incompetent and has not found any useful information."
Upon hearing this answer, He Mingwen's face instantly turned extremely gloomy. He widened his eyes and questioned with a hint of annoyance in his voice, "What exactly happened? Didn't you already follow the clues I gave you? Why are you still finding nothing!" The guards did not dare to delay and quickly reported the entire process and final result to the Third Prince in detail.
It turned out that they had encountered a sudden attack on their way to the South City, which delayed their journey by several days. After a difficult and arduous trek, they finally arrived at the South City. However, upon careful exploration, they were astonished to find that the address given in the message was completely unreachable—it was a desolate wasteland, with neither caves nor any trace of mountains! At this point, everyone realized that the rumors about the gold mine were utterly fabricated!
In fact, they were unaware that during the days they were delayed, He Yanxi had already swiftly taken action, claiming the mountain for himself and guarding it closely. Moreover, the information they received was itself inaccurate; it merely happened to match a local place name, but the actual location was far off. Thus, He Yanxi easily changed the target location with a simple trick, leaving them confused and without a way to find him. It should be understood that even the government has no right to trespass on privately occupied territory without solid evidence of illegal or disorderly conduct. Upon hearing this, He Mingwen seemed to have suffered a heavy blow, his body involuntarily leaning back and slumping heavily into his chair. His heart was filled with despair and helplessness. He had originally pinned his hopes on the legendary gold mine to compensate for the enormous losses incurred by the family, but now he knew that hope was nothing but a mirage. At this moment, he was trapped in a deep predicament, unsure of what to do next.
Just as He Mingwen was feeling distraught, the steward rushed in, bringing even worse news. The steward nervously leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Your Highness, the Emperor has decreed that the fourth young lady of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion be given to Prince He Yanxi of Zhenbei as his wife!" Upon hearing this, He Mingwen's face instantly darkened, an uncontrollable rage welling up within him. His eyes widened, his teeth clenched, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
"Damn it! That He Yanxi not only stole my valuables, but also the woman I love!" He Mingwen cursed through gritted teeth. The anger in his heart burned brighter and brighter, as if it would set the whole world ablaze. However, faced with this situation, he felt powerless and could only watch helplessly as he lost everything.