Chapter 1002: Protection

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Qiao Xuan was not in the mood to listen any more. She was thinking about peony flowers.

That was just gossip for others, but for Qiao Xuan, it was a temptation that she could not give up.

If the peony flowers were really so precious, and if she could save them, the Emperor would definitely be very happy! Also, no one knew what would happen to the peony flowers in the future, so no one would dare offend her at all.

What if she was harmed, and the peonies went wrong in the future, and the Emperor could not find anyone to save them, then the culprit would definitely be investigated thoroughly. In that case, the culprit would definitely be doomed, when found out.

That was totally a protecting amulet for herself!

She and Shao Yunduan had no one to rely on in the capital, and the Tian Family hated them for no reason. If they had such a strong supporter, they would have nothing to worry about.

The more Qiao Xuan thought about this, the more excited she got.

Of course, it was not easy to make a big deal out of this. If the treatment failed, it would be a disaster.

But Qiao Xuan still wanted to have a try.

They had to take a huge risk to get the benefits.

Qiao Xuan did not care about the banquet any more.

Qiao Xuan’s relentless pursuit of information about the peony flowers paid off as the Madame willingly shared more details. She couldn’t help but be intrigued by Qiao Xuan’s genuine interest and straightforwardness.

Meanwhile, Madame Lin and her two friends had initially planned to embarrass Qiao Xuan during the banquet, but her unexpected confrontation had foiled their scheme. They were now apprehensive about getting involved further, fearing retaliation from Qiao Xuan.

In an attempt to undermine her, one of them had discreetly arranged for a plate of quail eggs, hoping to trick her. However, Qiao Xuan’s sharp senses enabled her to detect the potential trap, and she skillfully avoided it, leaving the others hesitant to make any further attempts.

Despite the tense atmosphere earlier, the meal proceeded smoothly, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Once the guests departed, Madame Lin took stock of the presents received. To her surprise, none of them compared to the valuable gift presented by Qiao Xuan.

This mixture of happiness and annoyance stirred within Madame Lin as she pondered the implications of Qiao Xuan’s extravagant offering. It was customary for a first-time visitor to bring more gifts, but this particular gift was exceptionally valuable, leaving Madame Lin with conflicting emotions.

They were relieved to have benefited from the gathering, but they also felt concerned about Qiao Xuan’s potential inability to explain her extravagant gift. However, a maid came up with a clever solution, suggesting that they assist Qiao Xuan in promoting her status.

Madame Lin found the idea quite brilliant and smiled approvingly. “You’re quite clever! That’s a wonderful suggestion.”

Many of the officials at the Hanlin Courtyard were financially strained, with some even living in cramped shared housing. Each winter, they had to resort to pawning or borrowing money just to make ends meet.

If word spread that Mrs. Shao was wealthy and generous, it would pique the interest of these officials, who would undoubtedly seek financial assistance from her.

Considering that Editor Shao was new to the area and had incurred the displeasure of the Tian Family, maintaining a low-profile was crucial. However, if he ever found himself in need of being asked to loan out money to those officials, he would definitely have to do so.