Meng Qi finally experienced the busyness of being a housewife at the end of the year. Although she had the help of Liu Mama and Yuan Dong, she was still busy from morning till night, meeting with the stewards, checking holiday gifts, and deciding on general matters.

After looking at the last two lists of New Year gifts in bright red and gold, Meng Qi nodded with satisfaction. These were sent to the Huainan Marquis Mansion and the Shen County Prince Mansion.

Meng Qi divided the holiday gifts from the Huainan Marquis' Mansion into two parts. Wang's Shanzhitang was packed separately. There were not many things, but each one was exquisitely made. It was delivered personally by Mother Liu.

"Lin Qing has been very busy lately. Let him have a good rest for a few days before the New Year." Meng Qi smiled at the woman standing there.

The woman's name was Qingrui. She was originally a maidservant by Meng Qi's side. After she was old enough to be sent out and married, she became Meng Qi's companion and stayed with her.

Qingrui's husband, Lin Qing, was a very capable man who managed Meng Qi's dowry farm. A while ago, Meng Wan borrowed him to go on an errand south, and upon his return, he was busy delivering the farm's produce to the government.

Qing Rui smiled and said, "No matter how busy I am, I am happy. The princess has handed over such a big job to me and my wife. It is an honor for me and my wife."

Meng Qi put down the list and said, "Now that you're here, follow Mama Liu to my mother's and my second sister's place and take the pheasant, wild boar, and roe deer meat you brought today."

Qingrui agreed and followed Mother Liu back.

Yuanyue brought out two sets of clothes and asked Meng Qi to choose which one to wear when she returned to her parents' home on the third day of the junior high school entrance examination.

Meng Qi waved her hand and said, "The prince is going to accompany me back to my parents' home, so I'll just wear the princess's personal attire that day."

Yuanyue put away her clothes and took out a box with many purses inside. "The red ones hold two taels, the green ones hold one tael, the blue ones hold five taels, and the yellow ones hold ten taels. Eunuch Wang and I have calculated and it should be enough."

Meng Qi nodded and said, "Give them all to Ms. Li later and tell her to remember them so that she doesn't get confused about who to reward and how much to reward."

On New Year's Eve, people would go to the palace to stay up all night and attend the royal family banquet. These rewards were indispensable. Any palace maids or eunuchs who saw them would always give them a purse and ask for auspicious words.

Yuan Dong came into the house and rubbed his hands. "Everything has been loaded into the car. Mother Liu took Qingrui and Lixia with her."

"Have you explained everything about the outer courtyard, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, Wang Chenghai and Eunuch Zhang went over it. Apart from the ones that the prince personally arranged for people to deliver, the last few were also delivered today."

Meng Qi breathed a sigh of relief and finally took a breath. She had been so busy over the past ten days that she had no time to think about anything else.

Meng Qi stood up and looked at the yard full of red lanterns. Although they were hung on weekdays, it was not like the end of the year. There were several rows of them hanging from the gate of Jing'an Garden to the eaves of the upper house. It looked very prosperous and festive.

"Princess, are you going to bring Ms. Li with you when you enter the palace this time?" Yuan Dong walked behind Meng Qi and asked.

"Of course. How can I not bring a female historian into the palace at such an important time? I also need her to help me see if there are any female historians provided by the Imperial Clan Bureau that she knows or is familiar with."

According to regulations, each prince's palace was to have at least two female historians. After Ms. Zhang's death, the clan affairs office would select someone else to serve in the palace. However, Meng Qi said that the palace was too busy at the end of the year and had no time to choose, so she would wait until after the New Year to decide.

Originally, these matters were decided by each princely palace. For example, the Cheng Palace had more female historians than the Empress's Palace, but no one said anything. Therefore, the Rui Palace was not anxious, and the Imperial Clan Court would not bring up such a trivial matter.

"Last time, she just asked Xiao Xizi to help her get medicine? Didn't she send any message out?" Meng Qi asked softly.

"Yes, the medicine Xiao Xizi bought was indeed for the rash on her body."

Meng Qi nodded. What did this Ms. Li mean? She could have gone out and bought the medicine herself. Even if it wasn't convenient, she could have asked the servant outside the Second Courtyard to run an errand for her. Why would she have to contact Xiao Xizi and make such a fuss, just to buy medicine?

"Princess, I think Wang Chenghai's idea is correct. You have too many things to do at the end of the year, and you have to distract yourself to think about what Ms. Li is going to do. It's really tiring. You haven't had a good rest for several nights." Yuan Dong said with concern.

Ever since Ms. Li tied a red rope on the west side gate last time, Wang Chenghai arranged people to keep an eye on Xiao Xizi early on, and saw that he really went to the back corner gate of the west side courtyard to talk to someone in the evening.

After the two separated, Xiao Chunzi followed the man until she was sure that it was Ms. Li, and then she came back to report the news.

Ms. Li was also a very alert and careful person. She probably never went directly back to the east wing after meeting Li Mancang, but always went around to the east. Even if someone saw her, they would mistake her for either the Xiaolin or Li courtyards. Then she would go back to the east wing along the path between the two courtyards.

Following Meng Qi's instructions, Xiao Xizi returned to his room in the west courtyard and was apprehended by Wang Chenghai.

Xiao Xizi told Wang Chenghai everything that Li Mancang had told him. Wang Chenghai asked him what Ms. Li had said to him. Xiao Xizi was very surprised and asked Wang Chenghai, was the person who contacted him Ms. Li?

When Wang Chenghai came back to talk, he couldn't believe it. Ms. Li dressed so well. She had been in contact with Master Li Mancang and his apprentice for more than two years, but they didn't recognize her or hear her voice.

What Xiao Xizi said was similar to what Li Mancang said. It was generally some news about the mansion that they knew, and some things that Ms. Li asked them to do.

This time, she only asked Xiao Xizi to help her buy medicine, and after buying it, he should put it directly in the corner pavilion in the east yard. She didn't say anything else.

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