Everyone was afraid of being beaten, but compared to their master, what was a beating? Besides, their master had rewarded them with silver, an amount that a maid could only accumulate over many years, enough to ensure a worry-free life. It was truly a bittersweet experience.

Qingfeng lowered her head, stumbling back a few steps as they yelled at her. She muttered under her breath, "I just want to know the answers so I can be mentally prepared. If I'm going to get beaten up, I'll wear something warmer tomorrow."

The three women were taken aback, their minds racing. "Wear something warmer," they thought, already convinced that their master would punish them.

At the same time, she glanced at her master with such eager and ardent eyes. Nan Yi smiled bitterly. She had no idea how Yinzhen would handle it; she was still feeling uneasy.

She turned her face away, twisting the hem of her clothes, and said, "At worst, I'll give each person a hundred taels of silver," and then try to bribe the old woman who was beating her to be gentler.

The four maids' expressions twisted upon hearing this, their minds revolving around the money, the thirty strokes of the cane, the money, and the thirty strokes of the cane.

"I'll give it my all..." Yiren whispered, but inwardly she was groaning, "Oh no, my butt!" Nan Yi glanced at her battle-ready expression and his face darkened.

"It's just a beating, the real trouble is yet to come. You could lose your life if you're not careful," Nan Yi said solemnly, crossing his arms as he reminded the four of them.

The four maids turned pale upon hearing this. The mistress, impatient as ever, rushed forward and grabbed her mistress's sleeve, saying, "Did you get into trouble outside, mistress?"

Nan Yi glared at them and said, "Who do you take me for?"

The lover knew in her heart that he was a troublemaker, but she didn't dare to say it outright. "What is it?" If he hadn't caused any trouble, what could possibly be so dangerous as to cost her her life?

Nan raised her head and asked, "Where is this place?"

“Wanyue Pavilion,” the lover replied casually.

"Which one does it belong to?"

"Main courtyard."

Yiren listened to their conversation and her mind raced. She instantly understood that her master was probably worried that staying here would displease the other concubines and princesses. In the end, everyone would be jealous of her master and attack him. People say that those who are near the water get the moon first, and Wanyue Pavilion is the closest to her master.

She then spoke confidently, saying nonchalantly, "Master need not worry. I and Aunt Qiu are here, and besides, Master is protecting us."

Nan Yi rolled her eyes and said, "It's precisely because of him that things are worse." His attitude was unpredictable, and it was uncertain who he would protect. It certainly wasn't her. Thinking of this, she felt extremely depressed.

She took a deep breath and suggested to the maid, "How about we move back?"

Qingyun noticed that her master's expression was not well and asked softly, "Master, Wanyue Pavilion is very nice. Please feel at ease staying here."

Nan Yi waved his hand and said with a wry smile, "But I like Lanyuan Courtyard. It's so free. If I live here, I have to get up early every day to pay my respects, and there are people watching me. Don't you all think about this?"

She had to face the Fourth Prince every day. Besides, this was the main courtyard. If Lady Nara didn't like her, she could easily trip her up and she would be finished. Bloodshed could happen in Yinzhen's backyard all the time.

“The master is cursing,” the lover pouted.

"Oh ho, is that considered cursing? When I really curse..." Nan spat as she spoke, hands on her hips, adopting a Wang Po-style cursing style. The four maids' faces changed drastically, and they all made excuses to leave. "This servant needs to tidy the room," Qingyun said, turning quickly towards the door.

"This servant will go prepare dinner for my mistress," Yiren said, and then followed her off.

Qingfeng glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then left with the words, "This servant will go prepare my mistress's clothes for tomorrow," and ran off.

The room was left with only the lover and Nan staring at each other. Seeing that her master was about to start scolding her, she put her hand to her stomach and said, "Oh, my stomach hurts, I need to go to the toilet," and ran outside.

A faint voice came from outside the door, "Idiot, you can't say you need to use the toilet in front of your master."

"Then what should we say?"

How would I know?

Nan Yi watched the maids flee in a panic and shouted at them, "My clothes are all here, and I'm not hungry," but no one paid any attention to her. She could only go to bed dejectedly and lie there lost in thought.

Without even consulting her opinion, he made her stay at Wanyue Pavilion. What was he trying to do? If he wanted to punish her for discovering she had slipped out of the manor, there was no need to move her residence. Was he trying to keep an eye on her?

But then he felt something was off. He loved Nian so deeply, and they were so devoted to each other. Why didn't he let her live here? It would be convenient for them to be together every day, with her adding fragrance to his life. Nan Yi thought sourly.

Until the moment before she fell asleep, Nan still felt that it was most plausible that he wanted to monitor her. She fell asleep indignantly, and even in her dreams, she cursed him as a treacherous villain, wishing him to be impotent on their wedding night.

"Master, Wei Yun is returning to the manor."

"Let him in," the Eighth Prince put down the official documents in his hand and went to sit down in the outer study.

“This servant greets Your Highness,” a thin man in black said, kneeling on the ground with his eyes lowered.

"Get up."

"twitter"

The man in black stood up, glanced at Xiao Li Zi beside him, lowered his brows and remained silent. The Eighth Prince slightly raised his hand to Xiao Li Zi, who quickly retreated to the door to stand guard.

"Any news?"

The man in black nodded.

The Eighth Prince's expression changed, and he quickly walked up to him, saying, "Speak." He stared intently at the man in black, his expression slightly excited, his body trembling and tense. Finally, there was news; all his painstaking arrangements had not been in vain.

The man in black said, "Tonight, I took over the shift with Wei Yu. In less than a quarter of an hour, a masked woman arrived unexpectedly. She stayed for about an hour and a half, getting along very well with Xiao Xi and drinking quite a bit of wine."

Upon hearing this, the Eighth Prince was certain it was her. He wouldn't hide it from anyone else who was looking for Xiao Xi, but only her, it could only be her. Those two words piled up in his heart, making him feel hot whenever he thought of them, yet they kept lingering on his tongue, impossible to utter.

What were they talking about?

"They are all skilled in martial arts, and I dared not get too close, so I was unable to hear their conversation," the man in black said with a hint of shame.

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