"It seems like the people in the manor are deliberately trying to convey something to me. Go to Yipinju and ask where Huo Baichuan is. Tell him to find a way to come see me," Zhao Shu said solemnly.

Xiao Guozi nodded, bowed, and withdrew. After leaving, he immediately rushed to Yipinju.

However, he had only taken a few steps when he was stopped by Xiao Zhu's subordinate. The man who stopped him was a swill dumper. He bent over and pretended to accidentally pour a whole cart of swill into Xiao Guo's arms, then pretended to be terrified and wiped it off for Xiao Guo.

"Excuse me, excuse me, let me wipe it for you." The man pounced on Xiao Guozi.

Xiao Guozi always had a good image and never bullied the poor. At this moment, he said very gently, "It's nothing. Be careful next time. You only bumped into me. If you had bumped into the princess or the prince, beheading would be the least of your worries."

"Yes, yes, I'll be more careful next time." The man nodded and bowed, and when he got closer to Xiao Guozi, he said, "There are people watching us. It's not the previous groups. They're new and haven't figured out the situation yet."

Xiao Guozi's expression remained unchanged, but his heart sank a little. He pondered for a few breaths, and then said, "Let's go, let's go home and change our clothes."

After saying this, he entered the Prince's mansion with a bad expression. He didn't even have time to change his clothes before going to find Zhao Shu. "Princess, there are people watching outside. They are not the same people as before, but new ones. I don't know whose people they are. What do you think?"

Zhao Shu frowned, but still said, "When did our mansion become unsupervised? It's alright, let's continue. Don't be afraid. Take a few more people with you. Do you think they would dare to commit violence in broad daylight under the emperor's nose?"

Even so, in these extraordinary times, I am still quite worried. Upon hearing this, Xiao Guozi quickly retreated again. This time, he took a few trusted guards with him and went to Yipinju with them following him.

Yipinju was a place where Weitingsi collected intelligence. As soon as Xiao Guozi arrived, the branch manager learned that Xiao Guozi had been followed. He hurriedly led Xiao Guozi inside, "Manager Guo, is there something wrong with the princess?"

The person in charge dared not be negligent. Now all of Wei Tingsi's subordinates knew about Wei Tingsi and Zhao Shu's affair, but they just didn't publicize it. They all understood in their hearts that Zhao Shu was the future mistress and the mistress's confidante, so she was an honored guest.

Since following Zhao Shu, Xiao Guozi has been respected by many people, and he doesn't think much of it, but the impression he has is still quite good.

"Someone's following me," Xiao Guozi said as he went upstairs. "Is Lord Huo there?"

"Steward Guo, is the princess looking for Lord Huo?" The steward was on guard, thinking that Lord Huo was as handsome as Pan An and extremely talented, so he had to be careful and not let him have any dealings with the princess!

Xiao Guozi didn't see through his little scheme and nodded, "The princess sent me to ask if Lord Huo is here. If he is, please ask him to find a way to see the princess."

The steward's heart skipped a beat, his eyes darted around, and he decided to ask more questions. Ignoring Xiao Guozi's frosty expression and seemingly clueless manner, he asked, "May I ask what business the princess has with Lord Huo?"

"Of course there's something going on. Whether you're here or not, just tell me straight. The princess is waiting for news; it's urgent." Xiao Guozi was a little unhappy, wondering if Marshal Wei's men were giving the princess a warning.

Hmph, no matter how much you try to discipline her, the princess is still the one in charge. Marshal Wei is like a cat in front of the princess. What is there to be proud of?

The steward's thoughts differed from Xiao Guo's. The more he listened, the more uneasy he felt. What was the purpose of the princess and Lord Huo, a lone man and woman, meeting with this master?

Xiao Guozi waited for a long time without getting an answer, and became impatient. "Shopkeeper, give me an answer!"

The steward, quick-witted as ever, had an idea. "Steward Guo, how about this? I'll first write to the Marshal, and then have the Marshal speak to Lord Huo. What do you think? Although Lord Huo lives in Yipinju, I don't know exactly where he lives; only the master knows."

"Alright, hurry up. Something has happened at the Xiao residence. If we don't act quickly, it could lead to a major disaster. I'll head back now. Prepare a few portions of Yipinju's signature dishes for me to take back for the princess to try."

Upon hearing that something had happened at the Xiao residence, the steward had no time to think about anything else and immediately said, "I'll go and send a message to Lord Huo right away. Eunuch Guo, go to the kitchen and tell them to serve you some food."

"Hey! You..." Xiao Guozi was speechless with anger, but before he could finish speaking, the manager left.

At the Yongwang Mansion, Zhao Shu waited in the courtyard for about half an hour before Xiao Zhuzi finally arrived. He bowed breathlessly and said, "This servant greets the Princess. Princess, why did you summon me here?"

Zhao Shu gestured for Chu Chun to pour tea, "Let's talk while sitting down."

"Yes, Your Highness, this servant thanks you." Little Zhu sat down and took a sip of tea.

After taking a sip of tea to moisten her throat, Zhao Shu asked, "Have you discovered anything about the Xiao residence?"

"The Xiao residence? Nothing seems amiss, everything is as usual." He said in surprise. Upon hearing Zhao Shu's words, his first thought was whether something had happened at the Xiao residence. He then racked his brains, but couldn't recall any information about the Xiao residence.

Zhao Shu frowned. "Think about it carefully. Is there really no problem? For example, Jiu Niang's blind massage therapists, or the maids in the Xiao residence."

“Your Highness, is this what you’re referring to? Since Mr. Xiao left the capital, the Xiao residence has been entirely managed by Ninth Sister. Ninth Sister personally replaced all the maids, and the blind masseur who used to massage her passed away and was buried in the outskirts of the capital.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shu's gaze sharpened. "What did you say? Jiu Niang changed the maid herself? And how did those blind people die?"

"It seems she caught a cold. When the servants of the Xiao residence were dismissed, Ninth Sister gave them a lot of severance pay. Some people even said that Ninth Sister was generous," said Xiao Zhuzi.

If that's the case, it's actually a common occurrence and nothing to be surprised about. But Jiu Niang was poisoned, and those blind masseurs also died of a cold. It seems that Jiu Niang is the same as them.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!