Qian Jiujiu had butterflies in her stomach, but Mu Yexiao only glanced at Qian Jiujiu and nodded. "Fine, how much do you want?"
Qian Jiujiu was clueless about the currency here, so she could not help peering at Hong Ling. "Hong Ling, how much is you pay every month?"
Hong Ling was stunned for a second. Nonetheless, she answered with ease though she could not understand the reason behind the question.
"Princess Consort, my pay for a month is five taels now that I'm a senior servant beside you."
Qian Jiujiu gave a quick answer, then blinked her eyes as she calculated the currency in her heart.
A senior servant beside the Princess Consort only earns five taels a month, it seems like the things here are not expensive. She then turned to smile at Mu Yexiao.
"I'll need five hundred taels."
Mu Yexiao, who was sipping tea, nearly choked himself. At first, he thought Qian Jiujiu would only ask him for 50 taels. Hong Ling could not even have a hundred taels for a year.
If Qian Jiujiu was calculating based on this fact, she would not have asked for so much, a whole five hundred taels.
Even though the five hundred taels were nothing to him, it should be considered a huge amount for Qian Jiujiu, a little girl who grew up in a village.
"Mu Yexiao, don't tell me you don't have this much too? The almighty Lord Xiao is so poor?"
Mu Yexiao's constant silence left Qian Jiujiu astonished and the words slipped as she looked at Mu Yexiao.
In response, Mu Yexiao rolled his eyes. "Dong Chen, give the Princess Consort what she wants."
Dong Chen was dumbfounded. Give her just like that? He could not resist the frustration in him. "Yes, Your Highness."
Getting the permission now, Qian Jiujiu stood up abruptly and went in front of Dong Chen. With her hand outstretched, she eyed Dong Chen.
"Give it to me."
Dong Chen retrieved the silver from his pocket and immediately, Qian Jiujiu took it, then turned to leave with Hong Ling. "Come on, let's go shopping."
Studying Qian Jiujiu's leaving figure, Dong Chen looked at the Prince with confusion. "Your Highness, your kindness toward her seems to be too much."
Mu Yexiao only gave Dong Chen a light glimpse. "Send someone to protect her."
Dong Chen was infuriated. Sending someone to protect her now? Nevertheless, he did according to the Prince's instruction.
Qian Jiujiu knew nothing of this. Instead, she pulled Hong Ling back to her room and said, "Hong Ling, give me a set of the servant's clothes."
Hong Ling was befuddled. "Princess Consort, why do you need a servant's clothes? We have already gotten the Prince's permission, you can go out as you wish."
Qian Jiujiu rolled her eyes. "I'm not that dumb. There was an imperial edict from the palace, saying that I can only serve the Prince in the manor, how can I go out?"
"Of course I have to dress up as someone else to leave the manor."
Still unable to understand, Hong Ling hurriedly found the clothes of a servant and helped Qian Jiujiu into it. Once she had it on, she twirled.
"Not bad. Hong Ling, from now on, call me Little Jiu. I'm the Princess Consort's maid, Little Jiu. Now, we're going out to buy things for the Princess Consort, okay?"
Looking at Qian Jiujiu's failed attempt to hide her identity, Hong Ling thought it was funny. The Princess Consort did not seem to be the same as the other ladies.
With that, both of them successfully went out of the manor. Watching as the passers-by walked past them in the streets, Qian Jiujiu took a deep breath and exclaimed, "I smell freedom."
Hong Ling jumped. She thought the Princess Consort was about to run away, but Qian Jiujiu then turned around and looked at Hong Ling.
"Lead the way, let's go to the drugstore. I want to get some stuff."
Quickly, Hong Ling brought Qian Jiujiu to a drugstore. After Qian Jiujiu stepped into the store, she started contemplating the surroundings. "I want to see the shopkeeper."