USWHC -Chapter 453 A Toad Wants to Eat Swan Meat (Part 3)

The moment Ji Yi heard this, he immediately put on a look of deep gratitude, knelt to the ground, and kowtowed: “Thank you, Princess. But you saved my life, and I can’t just take your money!”

“It’s only a small sum, nothing to worry about. You should take it,” Princess Lanxin said, her face full of pity.

Ji Yi, however, was firm: “One should remember a kindness for a thousand years. Princess, you saved my life, and I already have no way to repay you. If I were to accept your money without giving anything in return, I’m afraid I would never be at peace in this life!”

At that moment, someone came forward with the silver notes. Xiang Lian quickly helped him accept them, saying: “Why are you being so stubborn? Since the princess is rewarding you, just take it! As for the future, we’ll deal with that when it comes. If you really rise to prominence later, returning this small amount to the princess will be easy, won’t it?”

Isn’t he already not short of money? Ji Yi quickly declined: “No, my wife taught me that one should not take something for nothing without giving back. If this were payment for work I’ve done, I would gladly accept it. But since I haven’t contributed a single bit of effort for the princess yet, even if I take this money now, my heart would still feel uneasy!”

Princess Lanxin couldn’t help but sigh: “Your wife really is a good girl! She’s raised you so well! But if I don’t give you any money and just let you go, I’d feel uneasy too…”

At that moment, Xiang Lian quietly suggested: “Why not let Mr. Ji do some work in the residence, and treat this money as his advance wages?”

Ji Yi’s eyes lit up immediately. What a great idea! He secretly glanced at Princess Lanxin and saw that she still looked hesitant. After all, casually letting a man stay in the household wasn’t entirely safe.

He quickly added: “If the princess can give me a chance to earn my keep, I would be eternally grateful. But this money is too much—I only need to receive wages monthly!”

Princess Lanxin thought, “Ah, he really is an honest boy!” Her hesitation vanished, and she nodded: “Very well, you can take on some tasks in my accounting office. You won’t be considered a servant, just someone helping out. When your name tops the imperial exam, you may leave on your own!”

What a favorable work arrangement! Ji Yi immediately agreed, practically jumping with joy. Wahahaha—his plan succeeded; he could finally blend into the princess’s residence!

＊

“Brother Ji, come on, have some snacks!”

“Brother Qian, oh, this is too much! You’re so kind, even sending food for me!” Ji Yi said, putting on a polite front.

“No problem. It’s yours anyway!” Steward Qian said generously.

Ji Yi instantly felt a mental facepalm—didn’t they already eat half of it? He awkwardly laughed: “Then everyone eat, everyone eat!”

“Oh my, ever since Brother Ji came to the princess’s residence, we’ve been so lucky. All the maids keep sending food over; I can barely eat it all!” Old Wang from the accounting office teased.

Steward Qian mischievously said: “He’s going to top the imperial exams. Can we, mere servants, compare to him?”

Ji Yi smiled awkwardly: “No, we’re all the same. Anyone who can serve in the princess’s residence must be extraordinary.”

“Heh, you’re right. Back in the day, the emperor personally selected us carefully. Especially our accounting office—take Old Wang, for example! He’s also an old provincial scholar!” Steward Qian laughed.

Old Wang scratched his head, embarrassed: “I only passed the provincial exam, nothing beyond that.”

“Brother Ji!” At that moment, Xiang Lian gently pushed the door open, smiling sweetly—utterly delicate and charming.

Steward Qian and Old Wang immediately bowed respectfully: “Sister Xiang Lian, what brings you here?”

Xiang Lian held a small food box in her hands, blushing: “Brother Ji has been busy all morning and might not have eaten yet. I made some pastries for him to try.”

But when she looked down and saw everyone already eating, her expression immediately darkened: “You’ve already started eating?”

“No, this is ours. We were just snacking; Brother Ji hasn’t eaten yet!” Steward Qian saw that she was jealous and quickly stuffed the remaining pastries into his mouth. “Uh… you two talk, you two talk!” he said hurriedly, retreating out.