With such a large amount of gifts entering Jingde Palace, others learned of the news almost immediately.

Most of the people in the palaces were envious and jealous, but they couldn't say anything.

So far, Song Qi has not received any substantial rewards, and these rewards are nothing compared to Shao Jie's achievements.

Meng Yilan waited for Song Qi to come over, and after waiting for almost two hours, she couldn't help but go to Song Qi's palace herself.

When they arrived, they saw Song Qi holding a snow-white animal with a faint smile on his face.

"You've arrived?" Song Qi looked up at Meng Yilan, and rubbed the ferret's head with practiced ease.

Meng Yilan stared at Song Qi's hand and smiled at her: "I was waiting for you to come back, but then I heard you got a ferret and probably forgot about me, so I had to come here by myself."

My smile is a little bittersweet.

"Want a hug?" Song Qi handed over the ferret in her arms. "I named it Yaofeng."

"What does it mean?" Meng Yilan looked at Yao Feng, somewhat curious, but still hesitant to reach out.

"It doesn't mean anything." Song Qi smiled. It's just that her mecha is called Feng Yao, reversed. "It's very obedient, you don't need to be afraid."

Meng Yilan cautiously reached out her hand, and as soon as she touched Yaofeng, Yaofeng exploded, clinging tightly to Song Qi's clothes.

He turned back and glared at Meng Yilan, looking as if he wanted to bite her at any moment.

Meng Yilan's hand froze in place.

"It seems it doesn't like me very much." Meng Yilan sighed and wanted to touch Yaofeng with her hand.

Yao Feng avoided her completely, refusing to let her touch him even if it meant death.

Song Qi rubbed Yao Feng's head: "Yao Feng, be good."

Meng Yilan stared at Yao Feng, then suddenly reached out and rubbed him.

It feels great.

Meng Yilan felt a sense of satisfaction that words could not describe.

However, Yao Feng, caught off guard by the sudden attack, quickly became agitated. If Song Qi hadn't been holding him, he probably would have pounced on Meng Yilan's face.

Meng Yilan looked at Yao Feng, who was being held tightly by Song Qi, and a smug smile appeared on her lips.

"What do you need me for?" Song Qi stroked Yao Feng's fur and looked at Meng Yilan.

"Come here and ask you, what did the Emperor say?"

"He has agreed to send people to protect you, so don't worry," Song Qi said.

Meng Yilan looked at Song Qi and sighed imperceptibly, "I wonder when peace will finally return."

"It'll be soon." Song Qi carried Yao Feng in one arm and pulled Meng Yilan with the other as they entered the house. "You don't need to worry too much. First, have someone prepare the palace where Yata will be staying. If nothing unexpected happens, the people from Dacheng will leave ahead of schedule."

“It’s already been taken care of.” Meng Yilan looked at Song Qi. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, are you and Yata very close?”

"I'd say we're fairly familiar," Song Qi said, pouring Meng Yilan a glass of water. "She's quite an interesting person."

Meng Yilan picked up the cup, bit her lip, and then smiled at Song Qi: "Really?"

"Hmm." Song Qi nodded, feeling that Meng Yilan's tone and expression were a bit strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

The two played chess for an entire afternoon.

As it was getting dark, Song Qi saw Meng Yilan out the door.

Meng Yilan had only walked a few steps out of Jingde Palace when she turned back for a glance, her eyes filled with a complex emotion.

Nothing happened at the palace that night.

As Song Qi expected, the people from Dacheng said they wanted to leave early the next day. They weren't stupid; they knew the situation in Dajin was complicated. They were about to go through winter and didn't want to get involved in these things.

Yata was brought in as a concubine, with the title of Cheng, and lived next to Concubine Fang.

Meng Yilan sent several teaching nannies over to teach Yata the rules; they were all nannies from the palace known for their strictness.

Although Song Qi had only met Yata once, he had heard from many places that she was not doing well.

She hadn't expected Meng Yilan to send four nannies over so suddenly.

"Does the Empress have a grudge against Yata?" Song Qi asked the palace maid beside him.

The palace maid smiled, understanding Song Qi's meaning: "Her Majesty the Empress has never met Princess Yata before."

"I was just asking casually."

Song Qi attributed all of this to "Meng Yilan liking the emperor too much," although she couldn't see it at all.

She teased Yaofeng intermittently.

Then I saw a woman dressed in palace attire dart behind a rockery not far away.

Song Qi raised an eyebrow. The woman turned around casually, saw the person in the pavilion, and her expression froze.

Oh, Yata.

Song Qi laughed, and Yata glared at her.

Then, several people walked over from the garden path and immediately bowed to Song Qi.

"Your Highness, have you seen Consort Cheng?"

Song Qi glanced at Yata, who was frantically gesturing to him.

“Isn’t it right here?” Song Qi pointed to the artificial hill.

Yata froze: "Shao Jie!"

"Haven't you already learned the rules for four or five days? Why are you still like this? Granny, is this how you do things?" Song Qi picked up Yaofeng, rubbing its head as she looked at them.

"Shao Jie! What grudge do I have against you?!" Yata tried to run away again, but the old woman had already caught her.

Song Qi looked at Yata being taken away by the nanny, shook his head, and laughed: "How pitiful, don't you think?"

"Yes." The palace maid nodded.

Yata originally wanted to die rather than submit, but under the grudges' devilish teaching, she eventually succumbed.

Finally, after twenty days, they successfully sent the old women away.

Then, on the twenty-first day, when he went out, he had an argument with Consort Fang and almost got into a fight.

When the two of them arrived at Fengyi Palace, Song Qi happened to be playing chess with Meng Yilan.

"We beg Your Majesty the Empress and Your Highness the Imperial Concubine to make the decision." Consort Fang immediately knelt down upon seeing the two of them, sobbing softly.

Song Qi looked at Consort Fang and raised an eyebrow. This woman was quite something. Last time she was all brash, but now she's gone for the innocent and delicate look.

"Heh." Yata glanced at Consort Fang and sneered, "Are all the people of your Great Jin so shameless?"

"Consort Cheng!" Meng Yilan frowned, her voice rising several octaves.

Song Qi glanced at Meng Yilan, and it was the first time he had ever seen her so angry.

Yata looked at Meng Yilan and realized she had said the wrong thing, so she shut her mouth.

"What exactly happened?" Song Qi asked, resting her chin on her hand. She never dreamed that one day she would be sitting here, mediating a conflict between two women.

"I only wanted to invite Consort Cheng out for fun, but she refused and even insulted me," Consort Fang said, pretending to wipe away her tears.

This play is so fake it's almost unbelievable.

"Why don't you explain what you said? Was that an invitation?" Yata clenched her fists and looked at Fang Pin. She had hated this kind of pretentious woman since she was a child.

"What did she say?" Song Qi asked, looking at Yata.

Yata bit her lip: "I don't want to repeat it."

Meng Yilan frowned: "Since you are unwilling to speak, how are the Imperial Concubine and I supposed to make a decision?"

"Your Majesty, I know I usually have a bad temper. I really meant well by inviting my sister to the Imperial Garden. I thought she would be bored here, but who knew she would say that I... that I have no shame and that I am of lowly status." Consort Fang spoke up at just the right moment.

Yata's face darkened.

Song Qi took a sip of water and looked at Yata. She knew that things were probably not like that, but if she didn't speak up, no one would speak up for her.

The palace maids behind Yata wanted to speak, but they didn't speak the Great Jin language.

"Is that so, Consort Cheng?"

Yata's face turned even uglier.

Song Qi looked at her quietly.

“In that case, let the old woman go back and teach Consort Cheng the rules again, and have her copy the ‘Rules for Women’ and ‘Precepts for Women’ three times for me,” Meng Yilan said.

Upon hearing the word "nanny," Yata immediately looked up at Meng Yilan, as if to say something, but finally let out a cold laugh: "Yes."

Song Qi tapped on the table.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Consort Fang bowed.

After watching the two leave, Song Qi looked at Meng Yilan beside him and said, "You seem to really dislike Yata."

"Huh?" Meng Yilan looked at Song Qi with a puzzled expression. "No."

“You rarely act like this.” Song Qi looked at Meng Yilan. “What did she do to offend our Empress?”

When Meng Yilan heard the words "our Empress," her ears turned red: "She didn't provoke me, I was just a little unhappy when she mentioned the Great Jin."

"Don't push her too hard," Song Qi said.

As someone abandoned by Da Cheng, who knows what he might do if pushed to the limit?

Meng Yilan glanced at Song Qi and frowned: "I didn't ask her to do anything."

"Let them come back after three days, nanny," Song Qi said, looking at Meng Yilan.

Meng Yilan frowned, somewhat displeased, but finally nodded: "Okay."

Sensing Meng Yilan's low spirits, Song Qi was a little confused. He reached out and ruffled Meng Yilan's hair, then pinched her cheek.

When most people are angry, this is the best way to appease them.

Meng Yilan looked up at Song Qi, her eyes filled with helplessness.

Song Qi bid farewell to Meng Yilan and left Fengyi Palace.

As soon as I stepped outside, someone approached me.

"Your Highness, we have found the person you asked us to find."

"Where is it?" Song Qi narrowed his eyes.

"He's already dead."

Song Qi frowned. Although he wasn't very surprised, he was still somewhat unhappy.

"How did he die?"

"He fell into the well and drowned."

Song Qi nodded and sighed softly, "I understand, you can go now."

"yes."