Additionally, the boxes that were carried in, ten enormous chests about half the height of a human, were now all piled up in front of her.
At this time, one of the men, who appeared to be the leader, stepped forward and politely bowed to Ye Jiu, "Miss, my name is Xiang Dong, and I am a guard assigned by the Prince to serve you. As for these gifts, they have all been meticulously selected by the Prince himself for you."
Given the Prince’s hasty visit, it naturally would have been impossible for him to bring these items himself. However, he had spent a whole day personally choosing them. Prominent figures, aware that the Prince was gathering such items, each vied to offer up their treasured possessions.
In the past, the Prince certainly would not have bothered with such things, but it had to be said that the gifts this time truly touched his heart.
He had originally intended to prepare just a few gifts, but as he looked around, he felt that everything nice seemed suitable for Ye Jiu, and gradually he ended up preparing so many.
Of course, what they did not know at the time was that another batch of items was still in the private stores of the Royal Residence, and in the not so distant future, they too would be selected and sent here.
As for the gifts, they were of little consequence; whatever they were, they could simply be accepted and stored away. However, faced with these extraordinary and robust men, Ye Jiu felt a great deal of pressure.
"Hehe..." Ye Jiu laughed awkwardly, "Xiang Dong, then I’ll call you Brother Dong. Could you please return and inform your master, the Prince, that I will accept the gifts in these chests? However, you all are clearly not ordinary servants. Here at our manor, the heaviest task is farming the land. Keeping you all here would truly be a waste of your talents; you’d be better off returning."
"I dare not be addressed in such an honorific manner by the Miss," Xiang Dong said, bowing deeply and then kneeling on one knee, the men behind him also dropping to their knees in unison, "We have been given to the Miss by the Prince, and if the Miss does not accept us, we would not be able to remain by the Prince’s side upon our return. We implore the Miss to be merciful and provide us with a way to live."
"We earnestly request that the Miss show mercy and grant us a means to survive." Their orderly voices echoed through the courtyard, creating an impressive scene.
Outside, everyone was discussing the affairs at Ye Jiu’s end. Ye Gaosheng had received the news early and, accompanied by Qingyue, was heading in their direction.
Similarly, the old Ye couple, having heard from Auntie Fu about the Prince sending people and gifts to Ye Jiu, were filled with worry.
Originally poor, their family’s current possessions had all come through Ye Jiu’s efforts. With the Prince’s manner of giving, if he found out the truth and set his heart on competing for their daughter, who could resist such temptation!
"What shall we do, old man?" He, who usually had ideas, now turned and asked the old Ye man.
"What can we do?" The old Ye man’s mood was no better than hers as he held his head and slumped down on the kang, "We’ll just have to take it as it comes!
If the formidable Prince had any designs on competing with them, they might not be able to win, and it would already be fortunate if they managed to keep their lives safe.
Just like the fourth son had said back then, the Liu Family, over the formula for soap, broke his leg. Despite many witnesses to the incident, the fourth son still had to suffer the consequences!
There’s an old saying that rings true: the arm cannot twist the thigh.
Seeing the old Ye man’s dejected figure, He became angry and, without paying him any further attention, turned and walked outside.