The hall immediately fell silent. Qingyan sat obediently in his chair. Soon, Li Dequan brought news that ten newly arrived servants were peeking around.

Qingyan sighed in frustration, her mind in turmoil.

She lacked Qingya's methods; the old house had always been well-behaved and rarely had such rebellious individuals.

Not ruthless enough?

Too soft-hearted?

A series of greetings appeared in her mind. Yin patted the back of her hand. Many of the servants were not ones that she, a novice, could recognize.

"My little darling, very good, much less than I expected!" Kangxi planned to give his two daughters-in-law a lesson. Consort Tong was personally taught by Kangxi, and Kangxi had encountered the same problems that Qingyan had faced long ago.

How shameful!

Qingyan lowered her head, and these thoughts arose in her mind.

After lunch, Qingyan and Yin saw everyone off and went to the study. As soon as she entered, she looked at Yin with a face full of grievance, which really made her feel heartbroken.

He hugged her from behind, and she felt a sense of security as she nestled in his arms.

"Si Si, I feel unwell!" Qing Yan disliked being schemed against. The Empress Dowager had sent a royal physician, and Qing Yan's face was tense. She felt a little scared. What if His Majesty hadn't discovered that there was a traitor among the servants in the mansion?

Will the Empress Dowager continue to get news about the Ulanara family from these people?

Her little face was all scrunched up, and she felt terrible inside.

Yin's face was dark. The Empress Dowager was restless even in the Cining Palace, and she had to be on tenterhooks to get Xiao Guai. How could he not be angry?

"Little darling, it's good that those unruly servants have been punished. Some of them who came from the palace have been sent back to the Imperial Household Department." Yin took a peach from the coffee table and peeled it for her.

She sat down angrily to the side, twisting the handkerchief in her hand, her heart filled with rage.

"Going back would be like letting a tiger return to the mountain," Qingyan said, looking bewildered. Yin's words were rather unreliable.

Yin smiled mysteriously. Those people were sent back to the Imperial Household Department. In the end, wasn't it Consort Tong who decided their fate?

"Fourth Brother, don't send them back. Send them all to work in the other courtyard instead." Qingyan's face was tense, and she secretly thought that she must give those damned shrewish servants a good beating.

Pfft!

Yin's icy expression crumbled, and the little guy was furious.

It was her first time on official business, and she encountered such a person; no wonder her face looked so unpleasant!

“Little darling, these people are not someone you can handle. Behind them might be generations of powerful families who have served the royal family. Do you think your fourth uncle can stand up to them alone?” Yin dared not discourage Little darling; reality is often the cruelest thing.

Qingyan stared blankly at him. The aristocratic families of the Imperial Household Department?

She also remembered that she had investigated many families of the Imperial Household Department in modern times. After the fourth prince, the princes were basically firmly controlled by the servants of the Imperial Household Department.

"Fourth Brother, those people are so hateful!" Qingyan waved her little paws twice in the air and said with a face full of resentment.

yes!

Yin understood in his heart that those people were only relying on the kindness of their ancestors.

“They are hateful, but there’s nothing we can do about it!” Yin also understood that these people had to be dealt with severely. “Little darling, those people temporarily control the royal family’s food, clothing, housing and transportation. If we are not careful, it could lead to irreparable consequences.”

Emperor Kangxi probably thought of this, which is why he allowed him to come and persuade Qingyan.

"Sisi, I'm heartbroken!" Xiao Guai leaned weakly against his chest, her face full of grievance.

Yin's eyes darkened; the little guy had really been wronged.

"Heartbroken?!" Qingyan rarely refuted Kangxi's words, but now she was hurt.

After finally coaxing Qingyan to sleep, Yin turned and returned to the palace.

The peace of the past few days allowed Qingyan to suppress her resentment, preparing to severely punish those people once the Fourth Prince ascended the throne.

In the morning, Qingyan was embroidering a purse in her hand. She looked at the silk thread that Sulan had brought from the Imperial Household Department. The quality was getting worse and worse, and there would be a shortage of betrothal gifts in the next few days.

Thinking back to the struggle a few days ago, she instantly understood what had happened.

"Sulan, have someone take Father's nameplate and send all these things to the Hall of Mental Cultivation intact. I refuse to believe His Majesty can tolerate this!" Qingyan was furious. The actions of the Imperial Household Department were becoming increasingly despicable, to the point that she could no longer bear it.

When the goods were delivered to Kangxi, Yin stood aside, listening to what Su Lan said. His lips twitched involuntarily. Xiao Guai's mind was not much bigger than his own.

Yin and his two brothers stared at Yin in astonishment. This little guy had quite a temper; wouldn't people gossip about his actions?

"Xiao Si, what's going on with you?" Kangxi had entrusted the task of supervising the Qingyan Pinli project to Yin, and this brat actually caused this commotion.

He thought that Feiyangu had a good temper.

"Uh... Little Darling is annoyed. Didn't Father Emperor plan to take action against the Imperial Household Department again after some time?" Yin said helplessly.

He secretly applauded Xiao Guai's actions. Apart from Yuqing Palace, all the other princes had their things withheld by the Imperial Household Department. In the first year that Yin arrived at the Prince's Residence, those cunning servants of the Imperial Household Department didn't even prepare ice for him and withheld the vast majority of his allowance.

"Speak!" Kangxi saw the resentment in the eyes of his sons and rediscovered his fatherly love.

Yin looked at Yin and Yin and told them directly about the situation of the prince. Even though he didn't like Yin and Yin, he couldn't let the servants bully their master.

"Damn it! Li Dequan, you go and investigate what Yin said yourself, and you go and appease Fei Yanggu immediately!" Kangxi felt a headache coming on. Fei Yanggu's crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide had infuriated him.

Yin nodded quickly. He knew Fei Yanggu's character all too well. After returning from the Nine Gates Commander's Office, he knew that Xiao Guai had suffered...

Just thinking about it made him break out in a cold sweat.

He mounted his horse at the palace gate and hurried towards his new residence.

On the other side, Qingyan wasn't bothered by the betrothal gifts at all; she was more worried about what to do if she couldn't finish embroidering the purse.

Aside from those given to Emperor Kangxi, Consort Tong, and the princes, the purses bestowed as gifts were mostly embroidered by the embroiderers in the mansions.

She looked down at the silk thread sent by the Imperial Household Department, feeling deeply uneasy.

Yesterday, there were still some usable ones, but now, there are less than half, not even a third.

"Princess, let me put these away first. Master prepared some for you from the south!" Su Lan circled around her, urging her to try to keep the peace.

During the few years Qingyan lived in the Prince's quarters after entering the palace, everything was supplied by the Imperial Household Department.

"No need, just leave it here. If I wasn't wrong, Sisi will be here soon!" Qingyan looked at the so-called silk threads on the table; they were basically just loose, flying threads. It was truly a feat for those people to tidy them up. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)