After seeing Qian Yingying off, Lin Shuang and Bai Lu tidied up and wiped down the tea set and chairs in the room.

Xi Que asked Ji Fengyao, "Miss, do you really believe Qian Yingying?"

"She's a shrewd and astute person. She came to use my influence to help her remove the constraints around her. What she said to me was probably not entirely a lie," Ji Fengyao said with an indifferent smile.

While tidying up, Lin Shuang suggested, "Your Highness, I think the Fifth and Sixth children in the outer courtyard are very clever. Why don't we let them serve the Sixth Madam?"

Ji Fengyao said, "Let Steward Zhou take her to choose for herself first. You can also take Wu'er and Liu'er over for her to see. If she likes them, she can keep them; if she doesn't, bring them back and put them in the inner courtyard to serve her."

Xi Que said dismissively, "She's just a concubine, and one who's unlikely to gain favor. She'll be sent away sooner or later. Why does Miss have to be so accommodating to her? Aren't the maids in our courtyard better than those outside?"

"Xi Que, would you feel at ease if two people were placed outside to accompany us?" Ji Fengyao asked Xi Que gently.

The little sparrow tilted its head: "Of course I don't want to. Who knows if they'll give me something dirty or smelly, or something from a cat or a dog?"

“That’s it. As the saying goes, ‘Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you.’” Ji Fengyao subtly taught Xique as if she were her own younger sister: “Besides, she lives in our mansion, and we are watching her everywhere. Do we need to go to the trouble of putting two people around her and making her uncomfortable?”

"Your Highness's insight is brilliant," Lin Shuang said, turning around to praise.

Xi Que nodded as if she understood, "I understand. Although I don't quite understand, I will remember whatever Miss says!"

As soon as Yuan Yan was taken to the stable, two guards immediately whipped her to clean it.

Although she had undergone rigorous training, she had never experienced such disgusting training. Moreover, ever since she left the training base, she had been pampered by her master's side, and this stinking stable almost made her faint on the spot!

No one invited Wanyan to dinner in the evening.

Wan Yan was starving, so she asked the old man who guarded the stable. The old man took pity on her and silently gave her a half-eaten steamed bun.

Wan Yan looked at the ring of teeth marks on the half-eaten steamed bun: "..."

That old geezer, how dare he humiliate her!

Just then, she saw a group of guards passing by the stables, carrying baskets of finely roasted beef, chicken, and mutton.

The old man greeted the group familiarly: "Going to feed the ghost mask again?"

“Yes, Old Xu,” a guard replied.

Old Xu's face broke into a relieved smile as he said, "It's good that Ghost Face is back. With it here, I can save myself the trouble of taking night watch."

"Of course, you should go back and rest," the guard replied with a smile.

After saying that, the two groups separated, completely ignoring Wan Yan and not paying any attention to her.

Wan Yan's mind raced: Ghost Mask? Isn't that the Ninth Prince's war cavalry?

From what the old man said:

When Ghostface hadn't returned, he was the only one on night watch in the stable;

After Ghost Face returned, even he stopped keeping watch at the stables at night.

Even if the Ninth Prince is very powerful, his warhorse is nothing more than a mere beast. They actually worship a beast to such an extent. I really don't know whether to say they are too naive or they are just finding a noble excuse for their laziness!