Chapter 435 That Beggar?

"Who's fat!"

Xie Yunqi retorted angrily, "I've clearly grown taller. All that extra weight went into growing taller, so how could I have gotten fatter?"

Singing and covering her mouth, Xie Yunwen explained, "My fifth brother was under a lot of pressure from Consort Li's studies, so he didn't have time to run around and was under a lot of stress. He always ate sweets to relieve his boredom, which is why he gained weight."

"Fourth Brother, what do you mean by 'jumping around'?" Xie Yunqi complained. "And you actually think I've gained weight?"

Xie Yunqi pinched her cheek, puzzled: "There's clearly none."

This time, Xie Yunwen and Sheng Sheng both burst out laughing.

Xie Yunqi waved her arms, trying to interrupt their laughter: "Hey, stop laughing, stop laughing! You're still chatting away. Sheng Sheng, why don't you hurry up and take Shi Tou and the others inside to rest!"

Xie Yunqi's attempt to divert attention was utterly disingenuous. After laughing for a while, she instructed Zijuan to take people to pack up all the things she had brought back, and also gave instructions to Huang Ying.

"Sister Oriole, I also brought back a little fox." Sheng Sheng showed her the little fox. "Her name is Little Fox!"

As soon as Huang Ying's fingertips touched the little fox's soft fur, her eyes lit up: "Princess, this little fox's fur is as smooth as satin, so cute!"

Huang Ying carefully took it, and seeing the little fox timidly shrink into Sheng Sheng's arms, she smiled and coaxed, "Don't be afraid, I'll take you to get something to eat."

She comforted the little fox, saying, "Don't be afraid, little fox. This is Huang Ying. Let her take you to settle down."

Only then did the little fox feel relieved enough to run into the oriole's arms.

Huang Ying immediately had an idea and instructed the palace servants, "Go and fetch a clean down cushion, and prepare some warm water!"

Under the soothing words of the oriole, the little fox gradually relaxed its guard. The oriole said, "Princess, this servant will go and make a nest for the little fox!"

"Mmm." Sheng Sheng nodded at her, then told Yan Hu and Shi Tou to go play somewhere else, and then went with Zi Juan to tidy up their things.

Xie Yunqi and Xie Yunwen wanted to help, but they didn't want to interfere with the girls' things, so in the end they could only play fetch with Shitou in the yard.

In the courtyard, Xie Yunqi teased the stone while clutching the embroidered ball: "Take this!"

The hydrangea flew out, and Stone chased after it with a roar. Xie Yunwen and Yan Hu watched them with smiles, occasionally reaching out to help Stone clear away flowerpots at his feet. The atmosphere was lively and cheerful.

Sheng Sheng collapsed onto her long-missed soft couch, took a deep breath, and sighed, "It's still so comfortable to be home."

Zijuan laughed and said, "When the princess is out eating, drinking and having fun, she doesn't say that at all."

Sheng Sheng rolled around on the bed again, burying her face in the quilt and chuckling, "That's different! No matter how fun it is outside, it's not as comfortable as my own soft couch."

The outside world may be interesting, but her warm home is the only truly happy and secure haven in her life.

After a while, Huang Ying came in and told her that she had already ordered someone to go to the Imperial Household Department to have a new nest built exclusively for the little fox.

"By the way, Princess, I think Stone has grown bigger than we initially expected. Princess, do you think we should get Stone a bigger house?"

"OK."

Sheng Sheng agreed without much thought; the stone was indeed very large.

The white tiger was already large, and Stone seemed to be one of the larger white tigers.

The brothers that Shengsheng met at Zhennanguan were all smaller than Shitou.

It must be because the food here is too good!

Sheng Sheng smiled and said, "Go ahead, build a big house for Stone, and paint it pink. Oh, and by the way, why not change the color of Yan Hu's house too? How about a pale yellow?"

"I will do as the princess says. Then this servant will send another palace maid to the Imperial Household Department."

As Huang Ying spoke, she walked out, but halfway there, she turned back.

“Oh, Princess, I almost forgot,” Huang Ying said. “The Second Prince said he wanted to embroider a layer of gold-threaded soft armor on Xiao Fen, saying that it could protect her from some attacks and make it safer for her to travel by carriage in the future. So, before things got too busy after the New Year, our palace sent two eunuchs to take Xiao Fen to the south of the city to find someone to embroider it.”

Xiao Fen is the pink carriage that Xie Yunchuan gave to Sheng Sheng. Before leaving, in order to keep a low profile, Sheng Sheng did not use her Xiao Fen and left it in the palace.

Sheng Sheng thought Huang Ying was simply reporting to her, so she nodded and said she understood.

Unexpectedly, this was not the main point Huang Ying wanted to make.

"That's not the point. The point is that on the way there, we encountered a beggar who asked Xiaofen whose carriage it was. The two eunuchs thought he was just a beggar, so they gave him some silver coins and sent him away without paying him any attention. But when we came back, the beggar found out from somewhere that Xiaofen was Your Highness's carriage and stood in front of the carriage begging to see you."

"That man claimed to be the steward of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, surnamed Wang, and said he could help the princess. But he wouldn't say exactly what he could help with, insisting that he had to see you in person to tell you. The beggar's hand was broken, and he looked very destitute. How could he possibly be the steward of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion? The two eunuchs thought they had encountered a madman, so they quickly ran away, ignoring the beggar. It was only after they returned to the palace that they told me, fearing that something might go wrong."

Huang Ying was somewhat puzzled and said to Sheng Sheng, "I thought she was crazy, so I didn't take it to heart and even forgot to tell the Second Prince. Today, when I saw the Princess, I suddenly remembered. I don't know why, even though I thought it was just a small accident before, I have a strong urge to tell the Princess about it."

Sheng Sheng jumped out of bed in surprise, asking repeatedly, "What did you say? Steward Wang from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?!"

"Yes, that's right. I wouldn't be mistaken. Otherwise, should I call those two eunuchs over and tell the princess again?"

"No need, Huang Ying. Luckily you remembered and told me." Sheng Sheng smiled at Huang Ying.

"Princess, what's wrong?"

Zijuan noticed her somewhat agitated emotions and exchanged a glance with Huangying. Both of them were puzzled and could not hide their worry.

"nothing."

Sheng Sheng asked Zijuan, "Zijuan, where is Niu Qingru?"

Zijuan replied, "Princess, rest assured, I have already arranged for her to stay in a side room in Yuqing Palace. There are palace maids helping her settle in now."

As soon as she finished speaking, Zijuan seemed to realize something and asked her in surprise, "Princess, do you think that after Cuilan handed you over to that nanny, that nanny sent you to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?"

That's why the princess was so excited when she heard the man claiming to be the steward of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

"Zijuan, you're so clever!"

With tears welling in her eyes, she praised him.

She never told anyone about her time in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. In other people's eyes, she was still in a state of having lost her previous memories due to an illness.