Chunying's hair was a little loose at this moment, with a few strands of hair hanging down beside her pale cheeks.

Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with obvious anxiety and unease. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the handkerchief in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white. Her "anxiety" almost overflowed from her body.

Sui Mo's merciless sarcasm stunned her, and all color drained from her face.

Chunying is the most trusted personal maid of Zheng Huiyin, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zheng.

Taking advantage of the lull in the uproar caused by the fact that his name was not on the list of successful candidates, he hurriedly left the mansion at his young mistress's command.

As the personal maid of the eldest daughter of the main branch, Chunying was a respectable person in the mansion.

Even ordinary managers would treat her with great respect, and her attire and daily necessities were even more exquisite and refined than those of a poor young lady from a humble family.

Seeing that she was in a hurry but remained composed, the gatekeeper assumed that the young lady had something to do and dared not stop or question her.

She stepped out of the Duke's mansion with ease, with almost no trouble.

Chunying was not without support; she often went out to buy things for her mistress and was quite familiar with many people.

More importantly, her own brother, under the protection of Miss Zheng, ran a carriage and horse company that transported fruits and vegetables for wealthy and powerful families.

As soon as she left the mansion, she went straight to her brother's place, saying that there was an extremely urgent matter that required the immediate use of a carriage.

Seeing his sister's serious expression, her brother dared not delay and immediately harnessed the most stable and fastest carriage.

Chunying's first target was the Third Princess's residence.

She carried with her the sincere invitation written by her mistress, hoping that the Third Prince, who had once expressed appreciation for her mistress's talent, would lend a helping hand.

However, not only did she not see the Third Princess in person, but even the gatekeeper's attitude was cold and distant, and he directly refused to let her in.

This result was far beyond Chunying's expectations.

Logically speaking, even if one cannot meet the person in person, it would be reasonable to at least accept the visiting card.

Chunying was puzzled, but she dared not delay and rushed to the Fourth Princess's residence without stopping.

The result... was exactly the same!

The door remained cold and indifferent, the rejection indifferent and unyielding, without even a sliver of leniency.

Unable to see either of the two princesses most likely to offer assistance, Chunying had no choice but to settle for second best and, with a sliver of hope, seek an audience with the Fifth Prince, Qin Jingzhan.

This prince has always been detached from the center of power, and his maternal family is not particularly prominent. His elder brother, the second prince, has already been granted the title of prince.

Chunying had heard her mistress mention that the elders of the Duke's mansion had considered betrothing her to the Fifth Prince as a concubine, but the old Duke had ultimately rejected the idea.

The Empress's rule is too risky; the Duke's mansion is hereditary and there is no need to take the risk.

Before leaving home, Miss Zheng Huiyin said that the Fifth Prince was the next best hope.

If he still harbors even a sliver of ambition to seize the throne, he will inevitably need the assistance of the Duke of Zheng's mansion.

Even if it's just the position of a concubine, there's still hope for a future advancement.

This time, Chunying was still unable to enter the door.

However, the gatekeeper of the Fifth Prince's residence was relatively polite, informing her that His Highness had entered the palace and his return date was uncertain.

And so, Chunying waited outside the mansion, gazing longingly at the tightly closed vermilion gate.

As the sun began to set in the west, the Fifth Prince's carriage still hadn't returned.

Every moment of waiting felt like being cut by a dull knife, and anxiety and despair spread through my heart.

Chunying dared not return home to discuss the matter with her mistress again.

The news that his name was not on the list must have already spread among the noble circles and ordinary people in Fengjing.

The Duke's mansion cannot afford to lose face, and the old Duke's swift and decisive actions will not be delayed for long.

Zheng Huiyin's biggest worry was that she would soon be completely confined to her boudoir, cut off from all contact with the outside world.

Like goods waiting to be sold, she awaited the arrival of some unknown, impoverished scholar to marry her.

At that point, it will truly be a situation where no one can hear your cries for help.

Therefore, Zheng Huiyin repeatedly urged Chunying that this was probably her only chance to leave the mansion, and she must find a way to survive.

Finally, unable to wait any longer for the Fifth Prince, Chunying had no choice but to bite the bullet and head to the Sixth Princess's residence.

The one who tied the bell must untie it; everyone understands this principle, but is this "bell" so easy to untie?

Regardless of whether the young lady was framed or not, it was ultimately she who took action against the Sixth Princess first.

Of the two victims chosen at the time, the Prime Minister's family wouldn't even dare to consider it, but the Sixth Princess Qin Zhaoyue...

Although it was still a terrible choice, the princess's reputation for being greedy and lustful at least gave Zheng Huiyin a glimmer of hope: use money to buy her!

Upon arriving at the Sixth Princess's residence, Chunying remembered her mistress's instructions and was extremely generous, directly taking out fifty taels of silver and handing it to the gatekeeper.

The heavy silver coin finally knocked on the first crack in the door, and the doorman agreed to inform them.

Soon, Chunying met Suimo, the head maid of the Sixth Princess, who was said to have been a centurion of the Qingluan Guard.

She dared not harbor any ill intentions and immediately presented an object wrapped in layers of brocade handkerchiefs.

Inside was the gold filigree and jeweled Kalavinka hairpin that the young lady had purchased at great expense from the Qizhen Pavilion, hoping only to see the princess.

Suimo knew that her Highness had been schemed against in the Duke's mansion, and in principle, she would never accept it.

But... such a valuable piece of meat is being offered up right here, so why not take it?

Based on her understanding of His Highness, even if there was a past conflict, she might not refuse such an opportunity to blatantly take advantage of him.

So, after accepting the hairpin, he immediately sent someone out to inquire.

Upon learning that His Highness was entertaining Princess Shuofeng at Songtao Pavilion in Songyanfang, he brought Chunying by carriage to come over.

However, Suimo has no time to bother His Highness about this matter.

"Just wait and see." Sui Mo coldly uttered these three words before closing his eyes to rest.

"Yes, thank you, Miss Suimo..."

The warbler had no choice but to respond repeatedly, keeping its posture extremely humble.

Circumstances are beyond one's control; she was already extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to meet him, so how could she dare to make any other requests?

He could only peer through the gaps in the curtains, staring intently at the entrance of the restaurant.

On the third floor of Songtao Pavilion, in a private room named Lanyue, people were drinking and chatting.

Because of Helian Chaolu's poem, who can inscribe it on the wall again in a short period of time?

The old shopkeeper had planned to create a lot of hype, so she preferred to leave the third floor empty rather than open it to the public. Now it seemed as if they had booked the entire floor.

They served her with even more care than they had for Helian Chaolu. A huge round table was laid out with all sorts of early autumn seasonal delicacies. They gave the kitchen a strict order: every dish was made with ingenuity and refinement.

Meng Jian stood dutifully outside the private room.

Watching the endless stream of delicious food being served, and listening to someone's affected, silly laughter, my hand holding the knife stiffened again.