With no outsiders around, Madam Liu inquired carefully about being blocked at the palace gate, and finally scolded, "These people who treat others differently based on their status, they think they can bully you just because your godfather and your father aren't here."

If the Northern Expeditionary Army hadn't left, they wouldn't have dared to cause trouble even if they had a thousand lives.

Jiayin naturally knew all this, so she smiled and advised, "Auntie, don't worry about it. When you go back, please tell Second Uncle that Princess and I didn't suffer any loss. On the contrary, the deputy commander and several troublemaking soldiers were punished and they are probably going to lose their heads."

"Moreover, my royal uncle also said that he has been neglecting me and the third princess recently, and that he will never let anyone bully us again."

Madam Liu inwardly groaned, realizing she had absolutely no trust in the Emperor.

There's been a lot of gossip going around lately, saying that the Emperor is old and senile, obsessed with women, and can't care about anything else.

Of course, you can't say this to Jiayin, that little girl.

So she had the nanny bring up the box full of fans.

This box of fans is full of fine pieces. Some have handles made of ivory, while others are made of purple bamboo. The fan surfaces are made of feather gauze, which is brightly colored, breathable, and embroidered with various flowers and birds. They are delightful to look at.

Jiayin picked up each fan and examined them closely, unable to put them down. She complained, "Auntie, these fans are so beautiful! I can't bear to give any of them to the princess. What should I do?"

Madam Liu covered her mouth with her handkerchief and laughed, replying, "Don't be so stingy. This trunk can be shared with the princess first. Your aunt can write to the family to find you another trunk!"

"Thank you, Auntie! This fan is wonderful. When we girls exchange gifts, this fan will definitely make them squeal with delight!" Jiayin said without any hesitation, which made Madam Liu even happier.

The two ate fruit and chatted idly.

Lady Liu inquired about Jia Yin's food, drink, and clothing in the palace before she felt at ease.

Seeing that it was getting late, Lady Liu was about to take her leave of the palace.

Jiayin was reluctant to part with her, so she pulled her to sit for a while longer, and then asked Shuiyun to prepare four bolts of tribute satin and two sets of writing implements.

These were all delivered by Eunuch Feng this morning. The Emperor specially ordered the opening of the private treasury as a reward to calm Jiayin and the Third Princess.

Jiayin added four extra boxes of pastries from the Imperial Kitchen, all of which were given to Madam Liu to take back.

Madam Liu wanted to decline, after all, she had come to visit her child, not to receive gifts, so she would actually be the one to benefit.

But Jiayin insisted, saying, "Auntie, these bolts of tribute satin have elegant colors, suitable for making clothes for Zhimin and Xiujie. The two sets of writing implements are also fine items from the south, best given to them for their studies."

"The other boxes of pastries were made by the Imperial Kitchen. Although they are not as delicious as mine, they are still presentable for you to give away. When I get home, I will bake you your favorite butterfly pastries myself."

As she listened to the introductions, Mrs. Liu's heart melted like a pool of honey.

How could such a sweet and considerate little girl not be her biological daughter?

Most importantly, it's not acceptable to bring her into the family as a daughter-in-law.

This is absolutely heartbreaking!

Lady Liu left the palace and returned home, carrying a lot of things and filled with regret.

Li Lao Er had actually been waiting here the whole time. Madam Liu didn't dare to delay and talked about it from the moment she entered the palace until she left. At the end, she smiled and said, "The princess is a clever and obedient girl. She never mistreats herself, no matter where she is. Her food, drink, clothing, and daily necessities are all comfortable and exquisite."

"Moreover, the palace maids and eunuchs of Zhilan Palace treat the princess with kindness and respect, and none of them dare to neglect her. You can rest assured, Lord."

"And what happened yesterday, the princess didn't take it to heart at all, let alone get scared."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and Li Lao Er bowed and thanked them.

After Madam Liu returned to the backyard, Old Master Liu asked, "How does the Earl plan to avenge the Princess?"

Li Lao Er shook his head, "I haven't thought about it yet. I need to find out more about the hidden story, but in any case, the princess cannot be wronged for nothing."

Just as Liu Zhiheng was about to speak, Zheng He came over and said, "Lord, Mu Xu just found me and asked me to deliver a letter to you."

As he said this, he presented an envelope with both hands.

Li Lao Er raised an eyebrow, unfolded the letter, glanced at it a few times, and then burst into laughter.

"This lad is quite capable; no wonder he was personally chosen by the Marquis!"

Both Old Master Liu and Liu Zhiheng listened with curiosity. Liu Zhiheng asked, "What's going on? What do you mean by 'chosen by the Marquis'?"

Knowing he had let something slip, Li Lao Er quickly tried to cover it up, saying, "Mu Xu was rescued by the Marquis in Jiangbei. He is steady, accurate, and ruthless in his actions, so the Marquis specially kept him by the Princess's side as a guard."

"These past few days he was helping Da Yong investigate the destruction of military rations. Hearing that the princess had been wronged at the palace gate last night, he quickly investigated the cause and then led the clues about the destruction of military rations to the homes of several military officers suspected of instigating the destruction of soldiers."

Now, they'll be skinned alive, if not killed! It has to be said, this method is a bit old, but extremely effective!

Liu Zhiheng didn't think too much about it and replied with a smile, "Haha, good lad, that's really fast, we didn't even have to lift a finger."

Old Master Liu, however, was a wise and experienced man, and he felt that Mu Xu was not as simple as Li Lao Er had described.

But he didn't expose them, and laughed, "These military generals are mostly cowards like the Marquis of Zhenbei. When it comes to killing barbarians, they all shrink back. But when it comes to playing dirty tricks behind the scenes, they are all incredibly capable."

"Presumably, they wanted to test the Emperor's attitude towards the Marquis, so they used the Princess as a scapegoat."

Li Lao Er and Liu Zhiheng nodded in agreement, both sneering with utter contempt.

After exchanging a few more casual words, Li Lao Er took his leave.

He didn't have anything urgent, but Mr. Wen and his family didn't know the follow-up to the palace incident. It wouldn't be good if they heard about it and started to worry.

Sure enough, when he rushed back to the Earl's mansion, Mr. Wen, Jia Huan, and Wan'er were all waiting for him.

Hearing that Jiayin was unharmed and unharmed, and that Mu Xu had avenged Jiayin, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course, the whole family has never liked or been as satisfied with Mu Xu as they have ever been...

As dusk fell, the Third Princess and Jiayin had dinner together in Zhilan Palace.

The Third Princess hadn't eaten much all day, so Jiayin specially steamed her favorite shrimp dumplings, cooked red date and millet porridge, and served it with a few sweet and sour appetizers.

In fact, this was just ordinary home-cooked food, which was nothing compared to the princess's rations.

But the third princess just loved it. She ate seven or eight shrimp dumplings and drank a bowl of porridge in one go, and then she felt a little better.

Jiayin was relieved and led Caiyun and the other palace maids to talk about some interesting things.

Just then, Caiyun went out in the afternoon, and now, while serving her mistress, she said, "Princess, I heard that the Emperor was furious and punished several military officers. When I was walking on the path, I had to give way to them several times, but the guards dragged them away each time. It seems that the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice are going to be busy again!"

"Do you know what crimes they committed?" The Third Princess was already worried about her father's health, and when she heard that her father could punish criminals, she became interested.

Caiyun shook her head and replied, "I don't know the specific reason, but I overheard something that seemed to be related to the destruction of military rations."

Just as the Third Princess was about to press for more information, Shui Ling brought in two glasses of juice.

While the Third Princess was drinking her juice, Shui Ling quickly blinked at her mistress twice.

Jiayin looked puzzled, but still nodded gently...

Two updates today!