Chapter 331 A Small Note

Li Nanke's eyes welled up with tears as she recalled the radiant, cheerful, and insightful Consort Wang she had seen last year.

Ignoring the old woman, he walked up to Consort Wang and looked up at her with a smile.

"I just saw the little bird fly over there."

She pointed to the pavilion not far away.

Consort Wang's eyes lit up, and she followed her gaze, then suddenly shoved the nanny.

"Little bird, I want to catch the little bird."

The old woman was caught off guard because Li Nanke didn't follow her instructions to pretend to be a little bird, and she was also caught off guard because Consort Wang would suddenly push her away. She stumbled and fell on her bottom.

Consort Wang, heavily pregnant, hurried towards the pavilion.

Where is the little bird?

The old woman jumped up angrily and gave stern orders to the palace maids.

"Quickly, what are you waiting for? If anything happens to the Imperial Concubine, none of us will have enough heads to go around."

The palace maids hurriedly chased after them.

The old woman was furious. She glared at Li Nanke and hurriedly chased after him.

Li Nanke didn't say anything and just followed.

Consort Wang leaned on the railing of the pavilion, searching around.

"Where's the little bird? Where is the little bird?"

No matter how the nanny and the palace maids tried to coax her, she refused to leave.

In the end, it was a palace maid who coaxed her to sit down.

"Your Highness must be hungry. Shall we eat our fill before we look for the little birds?"

When Consort Wang heard that there was food, she touched her belly and then sat down.

The old woman pursed her lips and looked at Li Nanke.

"Since His Majesty has sent the County Princess to speak with the Imperial Concubine, the County Princess should sit down and refrain from leading the Imperial Concubine astray."

If anything were to happen to the imperial heir in the Imperial Concubine's womb, I'm afraid the County Princess and the entire Marquis of Anping's mansion would not be able to bear the responsibility.

The old woman stared sharply at Li Nanke.

Li Nanke smiled slightly and nodded.

"I understand, I will keep the Imperial Concubine company."

The old woman was satisfied with her attitude, and her expression softened slightly.

A palace maid brought over some snacks and placed one in Consort Wang's hand.

She coaxed him gently, as if soothing a child, "Your Majesty, this is your favorite dish, abalone with butter. It's delicious. Please try it."

Consort Wang stared at the pastries in her hand as if she didn't recognize them, looking at them with a grin from side to side.

"Abalone, hehe, let the little birds eat abalone."

As she was speaking, she tried to get up again, but the nanny, who was already on guard, pressed her down.

"Your Majesty, please have some snacks. They are very delicious. Look, Princess Fu'an is eating some too."

He then looked at Li Nanke.

Li Nanke picked up a piece of abalone with ghee and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, I also love abalone with ghee, it's really delicious."

As she spoke, she opened her mouth to bite, but before her lips even touched the pastry, Consort Wang suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm.

"The little bird's, mine, is mine."

Li Nanke's hand trembled, and the pastry rolled to the ground.

Consort Wang gripped her hand tightly, her face contorted in horror, her words becoming increasingly incoherent.

“It’s mine, it belongs to the little bird, and I won’t give it to anyone else.”

"I want to catch little birds, catch little birds."

She pulled with such force that Li Nanke staggered and almost fell forward.

"Your Highness, Imperial Concubine."

"The Lady of Fu'an County"

The maids and servants rushed forward, helping the Imperial Concubine and pulling Li Nanke along, creating a chaotic scene.

It took quite a while to separate them.

Consort Wang was helped to sit in a chair, and she stared blankly at Li Nanke as if she were tired.

The old woman breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Li Nanke.

"The county princess?"

Li Nanke shook his head, indicating that he was fine.

"Granny, may I sit with Her Highness alone for a while?"

The old woman frowned deeply. "The county princess saw what happened just now. His Majesty has ordered that if anything happens to the Empress or the Crown Prince, our heads will roll."

"Princess, please stay here and keep the Empress company."

In the small pavilion, besides her and Consort Wang, there was a nanny and four palace maids who completely blocked the pavilion.

Li Nanke felt somewhat helpless, but he knew he couldn't send the nanny and palace maids away.

He could only tell Consort Wang some interesting stories about his time studying at Jingxing Academy.

No matter what she said or how interesting the story was, even if the standing palace maids were amused, Consort Wang remained sitting there, completely dazed and motionless.

Li Nanke had talked until his throat was dry, and he had nothing more to say, so he asked a palace maid.

"Could you please find me a book, sister? I'd like to read to the Imperial Concubine for a while."

The palace maid looked at the old nanny, who nodded slightly.

The palace maid then brought Li Nanke a Buddhist scripture.

Li Nanke had been reading for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea when Consort Wang actually fell asleep in her chair.

She quietly closed the book and looked at the old woman.

The nanny instructed the palace maids to bring over a small, soft couch, and two maids helped the Imperial Concubine onto the couch.

The imperial concubine waved her hand, mumbled incoherently, and fell asleep again.

The old woman whispered, "This is the first time in days that Her Highness the Imperial Concubine has slept so peacefully."

No wonder His Majesty praised the county princess as a blessed woman.

Li Nanke smiled.

"Since Her Highness the Imperial Concubine is asleep, I shall take my leave."

"Princess, please wait."

The old woman stopped her with a smile.

"Your Highness must be very thirsty after saying so much. Have a cup of honey water."

As soon as he finished speaking, a palace maid brought him a cup of honey water.

Li Nanke reached out to take it, but the palace maid's wrist trembled and the teacup overturned.

A cup of honey water was spilled all over her.

The old woman scolded sternly, "You're so clumsy! What if you burn the princess?"

The palace maid was so frightened that she knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.

"Oh dear, this servant deserves to die, please forgive me, Your Highness."

Li Nanke stared at her wet dress for a moment, then shook her head.

"It's alright."

The old woman looked guilty.

“The palace maid was clumsy and startled the princess. How about this, I’ll find some of our princess’s childhood clothes for her to change into first.”

The princess she was referring to was Princess Zhaoping, the biological daughter of Consort Wang.

Princess Zhaoping married two years ago and lives in her fiefdom with her husband.

Li Nanke wanted to refuse, but the old woman said, "It's getting colder today. If the princess goes out of the palace in a wet dress and catches a cold, we servants will be held responsible for her death."

Li Nanke thought about it and then agreed.

The palace maid who had just knocked over the teacup came over and led her into the room, carrying a dress that was about the same size as her.

"I'll put it here myself."

The palace maid, however, remained kneeling on the ground and refused to get up.

"Please allow me to help you change your clothes, Your Highness, otherwise the nanny will punish you even more severely."

Li Nanke stared at her for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

"OK."

The palace maid visibly breathed a sigh of relief, stepped forward to carefully help Li Nanke change her clothes, and tidied up the clothes she had taken off before handing them to Zisu.

Li Nanke then left with Zisu.

After passing through the long corridor, at the corner leading to the Daqing Hall, we saw Chen Cong, who had been waiting there for a long time.

Shen Cong narrowed his eyes slightly, looking her up and down.

"Why did you change your clothes? What happened?"

Li Nanke shook his head at him and lowered his voice, saying, "Ninth Brother, let's go find a safe place to talk."

Shen Cong's expression hardened, and he said nothing more.

The two quickly left the palace and went to Yunqi Tower.

Li Nanke removed the exquisite ball from his head, poured out a small piece of paper, and handed it to him.

"Given by the Imperial Concubine."