217: This is a huge misunderstanding.

"Miss Li, you are truly beautiful, and... you resemble someone."

"You are also very beautiful. However, I don't quite understand. You are already with child, so why are you still doing this kind of work? Could it be that the Prince's Manor doesn't even have a single servant?"

"Making a pregnant woman do this kind of thing?" Li Qingluo couldn't help but voice the doubt in her heart.

"We do. The Prince also told me to rest, but I get bored just sitting around, and I'm used to doing these things."

"I'm very content with things as they are now. Besides, I still have about two months left. It's fine if I'm careful."

"I only do some light tasks. As for the rest, they are all left to the servants." A blissful smile appeared on Xiao Die's face, especially when mentioning the impending birth, she couldn't help but gently stroke her belly.

A maternal glow shone on her face.

Li Qingluo was shocked. She hadn't expected that Xiao Die was merely a maidservant.

This somewhat overturned her worldview. In this era, a woman's status was very low.

Especially a maidservant, essentially just a 'tongfā yātou' (a maid for personal service). To put it bluntly, she was merely a tool for her master to vent his desires.

"These matters should be left to the servants. Could it be that the Prince's Manor hasn't hired any?" Along the way, Li Qingluo hadn't seen many servants.

Hearing Li Qingluo's words, a smile appeared on Xiao Die's face, showing no dissatisfaction.

"There are servants. The Prince's Manor has never lacked for servants. It's just that regarding matters concerning the Prince, I still prefer to handle them personally."

"In my view, I am very happy to be able to serve the Prince and the Princess Consort."

Looking at the smile on Xiao Die's face, Li Qingluo knew she wasn't lying. She was genuinely very happy and content.

This made Li Qingluo even more curious, wondering if Duan Zhengchun treated others the same way.

"Then... how does the Prince treat his other wives?" Like a curious child, Li Qingluo began to inquire about Duan Zhengchun from Xiao Die.

"Of course, the Prince is very good to his other wives as well. Moreover, in the Prince's Manor, all the wives are treated equally."

"Everyone gets along very well, just like real sisters."

"The Princess Consort and the others don't treat me like a servant either; they truly treat me like family."

Speaking of this, Xiao Die wore a look of pride.

Along the way, Li Qingluo managed to learn most of the affairs of the Prince's Manor, and her impression of Duan Zhengchun began to change.

From the information gleaned from Xiao Die, while Duan Zhengchun was somewhat of a philanderer, he was still quite good to his women.

At the very least, he didn't love them and leave them. In this era, it was normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines.

However, those who could treat them all equally simply didn't exist.

Even the Current Emperor couldn't achieve this. She didn't know about other Imperial Dynasties, but she had certainly never seen anyone treat his women the way Duan Zhengchun did.

After preparing the bathwater, Xiao Die looked at Li Qingluo in her red wedding dress, feeling very curious.

"Sister Li, have you already married the Prince?"

"Ah? N-no, not yet."

Hearing Xiao Die's words, Li Qingluo's pretty face inexplicably flushed red.

It wasn't because of Xiao Die's question, but because she remembered what had happened between her and Duan Zhengchun in the carriage earlier.

Seeing Li Qingluo's reaction, Xiao Die, as a woman of experience, could easily tell there was something more to it.

In her view, the two must have already held a wedding ceremony; otherwise, how could Li Qingluo's wedding dress be explained?

She just couldn't understand. The Prince had been in the manor all this time without going out. How could he have held a wedding with Li Qingluo?

The Prince is truly amazing! Sitting at home, and a beauty is delivered right to his door.

Xiao Die smiled and didn't press the matter further.

"Sister Li, there's no need to deny it. The Prince rarely brings women back."

"However, as long as it's a woman who returns with the Prince, and a beautiful one at that, she is definitely the Prince's woman."

"From now on, we are family. Sister Li, if you need anything, just say the word."

"Whether it's financial matters or martial arts, the Prince is never stingy."

"Aiya, I... I haven't, I'm not!"

"Don't misunderstand. Our relationship isn't what you think."

Seeing Xiao Die's misunderstanding, Li Qingluo hurriedly began to explain anxiously.

However, just thinking about what had happened between them earlier, she herself didn't know how to explain it.

"I'm not misunderstanding. Could it be... Sister Li, you don't like the Prince?"

Xiao Die looked at Li Qingluo with a smiling expression, as if to say, 'Keep making up stories, I already know the truth.'

"I..."

Li Qingluo was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to refute.

Deny it? They had already consummated their relationship. Admit it? She had done that kind of thing with Duan Zhengchun without even marrying him first. In this era, that would be seen as impure.

If she admitted it, wouldn't she be telling them she was a woman of loose morals?

"Alright, Sister Li, there's no need to explain. I understand."

"Something must have happened between you and the Prince, right?"

Xiao Die looked at Li Qingluo with a smile.

When she saw the look of surprise on Li Qingluo's face, Xiao Die knew she had guessed correctly.

"How did you know?" Li Qingluo asked subconsciously.

But after asking, she immediately regretted it.

"Because, among our wives, two of them got to know the Prince in exactly the same way."

"Both are now in the Prince's Manor. So, looking at your situation, it should be similar."

"Can you tell me how you met the Prince?" Xiao Die looked at Li Qingluo with curiosity.

She also wanted to understand Li Qingluo's situation better, to make future interactions smoother.

"Since I've already entered the Prince's Manor, there's nothing I can't say."

Li Qingluo then recounted what had happened earlier to Xiao Die. After hearing her story, Xiao Die's expression became somewhat peculiar.

Li Qingluo's situation was exactly the same as Qin Hongmian's back then. The only difference was that Li Qingluo had been kidnapped.

While Qin Hongmian had been ambushed, the root cause was essentially similar.

"Sister Li, don't worry. Since the Prince said he would take responsibility for you, he definitely will."

"Moreover, the Prince is very good to his women. He never shows favoritism to anyone."

"From now on, we are all sisters. We must get along well."

With a gentle smile, Xiao Die took Li Qingluo's hand and led her into the room.

Inside the room, bathwater was already prepared.

"Sister Li, after such a long journey, you must be very tired. First, take a bath to relax. I'll have someone prepare some food."

After making the arrangements, Xiao Die left the room directly.