With the Lunar New Year approaching, everyone is busy buying New Year's goods and preparing for the holiday.

Song Yaozhu was also busy arranging things at home, after all, this year's New Year was quite different, she had two children!

When she was buying New Year's goods this year, she bought more things for the children, such as rocking horses, wooden swords, and all kinds of toys.

She also bought two more sheep that could produce milk, and had the small kitchen make milk cakes for the two little ones every day.

"Your Highness, Bai Sanyuan has arrived."

Bai Sanyuan's news this time made her very satisfied. During this period, their people kept an eye on Cui Maosheng, and it turned out that he was just borrowing money from relatives and friends. Someone even introduced him to loan sharks.

Perhaps he still had some sense and felt that his son wouldn't be so desperate as to take out a loan at exorbitant interest rates, so he didn't go that far.

“Last night, Cui Maosheng went to the home of Zhang Ying, the Vice Minister of War, and this morning he went to the Jingzhao Prefecture and gave the silver to the Prefect of Jingzhao.”

Was anyone else present at Zhang Ying's house?

“I had someone stake out the place until dawn, but no one else came out, so I’m here to tell Your Highness.”

Song Yaozhu smiled and praised him for handling the matter very well. Then she gave Caiyin a look.

Caiyin went into the house, took out a box, and handed it to him.

"You've been busy all year, take this and treat the people underground to a good reward."

Bai Sanyuan took the box, thanked the emperor, and withdrew.

Only after leaving the palace did he dare to open the box. At the bottom were five hundred-yuan silver notes, and on top were gold ingots.

Bai Sanyuan immediately closed the box and then went to the money exchange to get some loose silver.

Following the princess definitely brings good fortune!

Naturally, he wouldn't mistreat his subordinates. He realized from the princess that if he wanted his subordinates to work hard, he had to be willing to invest in them; otherwise, they wouldn't do their best.

Soon, someone set their sights on Zhang Ying's family.

Song Yaozhu had heard of Zhang Ying during the Tong Qian case. His wife, Madam Lu, was a frequent visitor to Tong Qian's brothel. At the time, she was caught having an affair with a male favorite of the Princess, causing a great uproar; the male favorite later died.

Song Yaozhu rested her chin on her hand in deep thought. She hadn't thought of this before, but now she felt that something was off.

The Princess's residence isn't some random street, so how did those male concubines come about?

Even if Tong Qian's men were indeed very capable, how did he manage to steal Lu Qingyu from the princess's residence?

Or perhaps, the eldest princess intentionally released Lu Qingyu?

Although Lu Qingyu was her male favorite, he was also Lu Shi's eyes and ears in the Princess's residence. Did Yuwen Xian truly intend to accept this "eye"?

If she were in her shoes, after learning about Tong Qian's situation, she might have used it to get rid of Lu Qingyu, her eyes and ears.

Is that why she flaunted Lu Qingyu at various banquets?

If that's the case, then Yuwen Xian is far more terrifying than she imagined.

No, it can't be called scary. It's more accurate to say that she was better at protecting herself than she imagined.

Zhang Ying went to work and attended banquets hosted by his friends as usual. Not long after his first wife's accident, he remarried. This second wife was also from the Lu family, and she was only a few years older than his daughter.

However, the marriage alliance between the Zhang and Lu families still exists.

After listening to the report from the people below, Song Yaozhu rubbed her forehead.

Throughout history, women have been victims of power struggles, but she really doesn't want to see things done against her will.

“This servant has discovered that this Madam Zhang has a rather good relationship with the Dowager Consort,” Caijin told Song Yaozhu. “The other day, when this servant went to Wanbaozhai to pick up something, I heard from the servants of the Prince of Yan’s residence that the Dowager Consort specially ordered a string of beads to give to this Madam Zhang!”

Song Yaozhu rubbed her thumb together and smiled.

It seems the Dowager has won over Zhang Ying.

I just don't understand what Zhang Ying was thinking. Why did he suddenly want to become the Prince of Yan's man? Wouldn't it have been better to be a greedy but loyal minister?

"Go to the Zhang residence and deliver a letter. I'll go and meet this Madam Zhang another day."

Cai Jin accepted the order and left.

When Madam Zhang received Song Yaozhu's invitation, she was taken aback. She thought she had never had any dealings with this princess, so why was she suddenly being invited?

After thinking about it, she told Zhang Ying about it.

"You can't refuse the invitation from the princess. Go and see what she wants to see you about. Remember to use your brain and postpone any requests you have to make."

Madam Lu nodded and left, her lips pressed tightly together, her heart filled with displeasure.

She was a victim of a family marriage alliance; she was just a puppet in the Zhang family and didn't need to have her own thoughts.

On the day of the appointment, Zhang Lu went to the teahouse private room with great trepidation. When she arrived, Song Yaozhu had not yet arrived, and not daring to order on her own, she only ordered a pot of tea. After sitting for nearly half an hour, Song Yaozhu finally arrived late.

Before Song Yaozhu set off, she knew that Zhang Lushi had already arrived at the place she had mentioned. She had a slightly different opinion of Zhang Lushi.

Upon arriving at the teahouse, Song Yaozhu glanced around the private room. Zhang Lushi had only ordered a pot of tea. Seeing her arrive, she immediately stood up, bowed, and then called for a waiter.

Song Yaozhu waved her hand, and Caiyin followed the waiter out. They had brought their own tea set and tea leaves; they only needed to borrow the stove here to boil some water.

Zhang Lu stood there nervously, not knowing why Song Yaozhu had summoned her.

If they wanted to inquire about Zhang Ying, she couldn't answer any of their questions. After all, she was just a puppet; how could a puppet know anything about its master?

"I have nothing to do, so I'd like to have a chat with you."

Zhang Lushi nervously twisted her handkerchief, "If Your Highness has any questions, I will answer them without reservation."

Caiyin brought in tea, and Song Yaozhu then realized that she was still standing, so she invited her to sit down.

"Sit down and try this tea."

Zhang Lu sat down awkwardly. Having never studied tea ceremony in her youth, she naturally couldn't discern the quality of the tea. But when the princess spoke, she nervously swallowed it whole.

At this point, Song Yaozhu had figured out what kind of person she was.

"If I gave you a chance to leave the Zhang family, would you take it?"

Zhang Lu suddenly looked up at Song Yaozhu, then quickly lowered her head again.

"I am a member of the Zhang family, and I have nowhere else to go but the Zhang family."

Her cousin, the previous Mrs. Zhang, thought she could live a carefree life after divorcing Zhang Ying. However, because she brought shame to the women of the clan, she was drowned alive in a pig cage by the clan chief.

She was a timid person from a young age, unlike her bold and reckless cousin. She was afraid of many things, including death.

Her current life is not what she wanted, but she dares not change it. She fears that life will be even worse in the future.

"Since that's the case, I'll be frank. A few days ago, didn't Cui Maosheng, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War and Treasury, go to your husband to borrow money? How much silver did he borrow?"