Chapter 220
The sky was overcast with dark clouds, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and the big ginkgo tree in the yard rustled in the strong wind, scattering withered yellow ginkgo leaves all over the ground.
Tao Tao sat leaning against the window frame, looking at the gray sky, as if she had the illusion that it was about to collapse.
As a storm brewed, Rong'er directed her maids and servants to move the delicate potted plants into the side room. There were so many potted plants that a moment of panic ensued.
She watched the busy crowd, her gaze gradually losing focus, her thoughts drifting away with the wind.
Granny Wu walked to her side and gently advised, "Miss, it's about to rain heavily. Why don't you go inside first? I'll watch over things here."
Tao Tao placed her hands on the windowsill, resting her chin on the back of her hands. Hearing the sound, her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she said calmly, "It's okay, it's nice and fresh here."
"Do you think Duan Gan will find out that the Crown Prince sent gifts to the Prince's residence?"
Granny Wu paused for a moment, then nodded and replied, "Lord Duan knows most of what's happening in the capital."
"So, it's really not easy to keep some things from him, is it?" She turned to look at Granny Wu.
Granny Wu frowned slightly, her eyes seemingly scrutinizing her. For a moment, she didn't understand what she meant. She thought that since the two of them were of one mind, what did Miss need to hide?
Seeing her expression, Tao Tao chuckled, "Granny Wu, you're one of my people now, you wouldn't tell him everything, would you?"
Although Granny Wu was hired by the Prince's Mansion from the palace, she had already guessed that Granny Wu was sent by Duan Gan.
How could a mere prince's residence possibly mobilize a fourth-rank official in charge of etiquette and ceremonies, especially to serve as her personal attendant?
She smiled faintly and said, "My mistress now is you, County Princess, not Lord Duan. Naturally, I will put you first in everything. You can rest assured, County Princess."
Tao Tao: "That's excellent."
Suddenly, a piercing cracking sound rang out, followed by a servant's trembling apology, "Miss Rong'er, please forgive me, this servant didn't mean it..."
Rong'er, her face grim, scolded her impatiently, "What's wrong with you?! Don't you know these flowers are valuable and require utmost care? Your clumsy handling is unacceptable!"
"Miss Rong'er, spare me... spare me..."
The commotion caught Tao Tao's attention. Wu Mama, who was standing nearby, frowned and whispered, "Princess, this servant will go and see what's going on."
She nodded slightly, utterly bored. Seeing the broken, valuable potted plant on the ground, she felt no ripples in her heart. Instead, she watched with great interest the man's panicked appearance.
Before long, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. After finishing her business in the courtyard, Granny Wu told them to speed up their work.
Tao Tao stretched out her hand, and large raindrops fell onto her palm, bringing a slightly cool sensation. The cold wind mixed with rain blew in her face, making her shiver.
But she still didn't go in; instead, she felt it would clear her head more.
Leng Qiao is going to investigate matters in Xia Kingdom and will be away for the next two days. For a moment, I felt a little unaccustomed to it.
Qi Heng's gift-giving at this time was no accident; it happened right after the Empress's banquet. She had been wondering why the Empress had been looking at her so often that day.
In addition, Qi Heng had said some strange things to her before, which made her wonder if the banquet was caused by her.
She was tempted to go to the Eastern Palace to find out what he meant, and even worried that an imperial edict might follow soon.
"Princess!" Granny Wu's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Tao Tao looked in the direction of the sound, "What's wrong?"
She walked over, holding a small piece of paper in both hands, and said in a low voice, "This is what I found under a hairpin when I was taking inventory."
Tao Tao raised an eyebrow slightly, took the document and read, "No treasure can compare to you; may you be pleased."
She saw it, and suddenly her breath caught in her throat. Her palms clenched unconsciously, not wanting anyone to see. She blinked her long eyelashes, unsure of what to say.
"Granny Wu, let them all go down. You and Rong'er should go down as well."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The people in the courtyard gradually dispersed. With a clap of thunder, a heavy rain began to fall from the sky, hitting the ground and pooling into small puddles, creating ripples that blurred the reflections of the buildings on the water's surface.
The flowers, which had not yet been picked up, were severely damaged, with petals scattered all over the ground, which was truly a pity.
She thought that she couldn't go to Suizhou with Duan Gan anymore; she had to wait for the next imperial edict, which would surely come.
Just then, amidst the raging wind and rain, a person draped in a black cloak, holding a paper umbrella, slowly walked towards the Prince's residence.
Shen Lin, wearing a straw hat, followed behind him.
Upon arriving at the door, Shen Lin stepped forward and knocked on the door.
The gatekeeper's eyes widened when he saw the newcomer, and another person hurriedly went in to inform the steward, who rushed over without stopping.
He encountered them on the way, and braving the torrential rain, he quickly stepped forward and called out, "Your Highness, I am unaware of your arrival and have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me!"
Qi Heng ignored him and walked straight towards Tao Tao's courtyard. He had only been there once before, but he already remembered the way.
The steward, not understanding the situation, dared not stop him and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, the front hall is over here. Please move to the front hall, and I will inform the Prince immediately."
Qi Heng frowned and glanced at Shen Lin.
Shen Lin stepped in front of the steward and said, "No need. My Highness is here to see Princess Huaimin. Please step aside. He will see the Prince when he has time later."
While the two were talking, Qi Heng had already walked away.
Tao Tao was still perched on the windowsill, teasing Asu with dried fruit.
The parrot flapped its large wings, its little head swaying back and forth following her teasing gestures. Its hard, iron-like beak opened and closed, its little tongue stretched out as far as it could, but it just couldn't reach the food.
It got so angry that it jumped around, squawked and yelled, calling me a bad person and a bad cat.
Tao Tao found it even more amusing; the lively and adorable little bird, even when angry, would only hop around and wouldn't dare to peck at her at all.
All of this made her suspect that Ding Yunxiang had been pecked to death by it, but the huge bloody hole in her throat and the bloodstains found on the bird's beak were definitely the work of this wicked bird.
"It's not that I don't want to give you food, it's just that you never have any self-control. Look how fat you've gotten, you might not be able to fly."
Suddenly, amidst the torrential rain, there was a faint sound of footsteps. Tao Tao paused, raised her eyes, and looked out of the courtyard with a slightly wary expression.
Asu also sensed the unfamiliar presence and turned to look towards the door.
Before long, two black figures appeared at the door, one after the other, and then stood still without rushing in.
Shen Lin spoke up, "Princess Huaimin, my prince is currently outside the courtyard. Is it convenient for us to meet?"
Your Highness?
She frowned.
The cacophony of wind and rain masked many of the sounds coming from outside, making it difficult for her to distinguish whether the voices were familiar or not.
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