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Their relationship was strained, preventing them from appreciating valuable gifts. Valuable presents held intricate meanings beyond mere social gestures.

Nevertheless, during the New Year, he presented them with food, pouring considerable effort into the gesture, though its value wasn’t substantial.

Qiao Xuan graciously accepted the money, bestowing thick red envelopes upon Uncle Qing and Aunt Qing.

As an officer, Shao Yunduan had the privilege of reciprocating the gifts. These two red envelopes encompassed nearly two-thirds of their offerings, signifying a certain distance between them, with no one taking undue advantage.

Still, I acknowledged your kindness for the time being.

Zhao Shu inquired and deciphered her intention. Though somewhat disheartened, Madame Shao’s acceptance indicated a glimmer of hope.

He resolved not to persist any further, lest he become bothersome.

At most, they might request Aunt Qing to perform a ceremonial kowtow on the New Year’s first day.

With the New Year approaching, the Crown Prince planned to reward them.

Given Shao Yunduan’s substantial contribution and Minister Old Yun’s kinship, the Crown Prince held them in high regard, leading to a notably generous reward.

Beyond an array of confections, tea leaves, and palace-crafted meat dishes, the bounty included several calligraphy pieces, paintings, and antiques. Qiao Xuan was also honored by Princess Consort with two lengths of brocade, two pieces of fine leather, a pair of purses adorned with jade pendants, golden bracelets, golden hairpins, and cloud brocade handkerchiefs.

The gestures were lavish.

However, it was evident that the East Palace’s financial liquidity was limited. Non-monetary items predominated.

Following the East Palace’s New Year offerings, colleagues started visiting one after another.

Furthermore, Qiao Xuan had plans to prepare presents for her family.

Returning these gifts wasn’t a straightforward task. Offering presents carried great significance and served as tokens of appreciation. Simultaneously, they had to be tailored appropriately to avoid offense and respect taboos.

Particularly in this instance, Qiao Xuan had invested considerable effort, despite her lack of prior experience.

While Shao Yunduan intended to consult the manager of the Crown Prince’s mansion on this matter, Qiao Xuan firmly rejected the idea. Allowing such a consultation might project an image of incompetence and inadequacy.

This demonstrated her competence and perhaps even caught Princess Consort’s attention. If she appeared ineffectual, solely resorting to flattery and jealousy, the Crown Prince might deem her unsuitable for Shao Yunduan, potentially leading to unfavorable consequences.

Suffering those outcomes wouldn’t be worthwhile.

Her aspiration was to become a distinguished Madame.

At that juncture, she would wield influence and affluence. She might even persuade Shao Yunduan to retire from the court, leaving behind a timeless legacy. That way, her life would attain perfection.

How rare were such perfected lives in the world?

Qiao Xuan hadn’t foreseen that Madame Lin from Hanlin Academy was also bestowing gifts.

Madame Lin had schemed against her in the past, causing a sense of guilt within him. Thus, he attempted to curry favor with her, seemingly fearing potential retaliation.

For Qiao Xuan, such trivial matters held no place in her current priorities.

The events at Hanlin Academy seemed distant, and the actions of those madames no longer impacted her life.

Even if someone harbored ill intentions, they wouldn’t find an opportunity to execute them.

Maintaining her reputation was of no concern.