Xi Luo felt something was wrong, so she returned to report to Xie Zhaozhao.
Xie Zhaozhao asked Xiluo, "Did you sneak out on your own?"
"No, it's time to poison them again."
After he finished speaking, Xie Zhaozhao couldn't help but laugh: "I almost forgot, is Princess Yurong still taking the Panacea?"
"Yes, she's very addicted. Gu Jiaojiao gave her several more bottles this time. She extorted 20,000 taels of silver per bottle from her. Princess Yurong was furious and said that she would have to make up for the loss from Madam. She said that you would have to pay 100,000 taels of silver per bottle."
"Oh, it's so expensive? Then let her keep it for herself!"
Xi Luo was gone in an instant.
Xie Zhaozhao glanced at a corner, and Bei Chen walked out from the shadows with perfect composure.
"Your subordinate shall depart immediately."
"You must be extremely careful and not alert anyone."
If we can sneak into the villa at night, we can probably uncover some secrets. By daybreak, those people will definitely have run away from their comfortable nest.
Xie Zhaozhao only wanted to get her hands on the list and didn't want to alert anyone. Even if she got the list, she didn't want to take any action for the time being.
She wanted to find out what was wrong with these people.
Now that she has become the wife of a high-ranking official, she cannot be a weak, parasitic vine.
However, she couldn't understand how these court officials could still have the leisure to frequent prostitutes when there was a major border war, a prince's accident, and His Majesty's serious illness.
How dare they?!
The next morning, Nanxing and two other messengers left the capital and returned to the northwestern battlefield.
In addition to taking away four jars of beef and pepper sauce, he also brought a photo of Xie Zhaozhao looking plump and a letter from home.
Bei Chen spent ten days staking out Huiyue Manor and finally returned.
He handed Xie Zhaozhao a long list, which included as many as forty officials of all ranks in the capital's imperial court.
In addition to the Three Offices and the Six Ministries, there were also local officials.
The news at the villa was even more explosive.
The Huiyue Manor was divided into two parts, front and back. The back courtyard housed more than a hundred young boys and girls, all of whom were exceptionally beautiful.
The front section also served as a brothel and male escort service, a pleasure area catering to all sorts of high-ranking officials and nobles. Besides one-on-one sexual intercourse, there were also open-air group runs and perverse sadomasochistic acts...
If an official takes a fancy to a girl or a male prostitute, he can bring her back to his residence.
It's free!
There's no such thing as a free lunch!
The so-called free gift naturally hides a bigger scheme.
Xie Zhaozhao looked at the list, copied it twice, and put them in different hidden compartments.
She shared the same thought as Princess Yu Rong: now was not the time to present this list; His Majesty couldn't afford to concern himself with such matters.
**
Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the palace issued an edict that officials of the third rank and above, along with their families, should enter the palace to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with His Majesty.
Xie Zhaozhao is now nine and a half months pregnant and could give birth at any time, so she sent someone to reply to the palace, saying that she was unable to attend the palace banquet.
Consort Xi specially sent a palace carriage to Qingpu Garden to pick her up. Liuli respectfully said, "Madam, the Consort takes care of His Majesty every day and has no time to look after you. Now that the whole family is reunited, she misses you very much."
Xie Zhaozhao heard Yuanyuan's message in the courtyard and said, "Let Aunt Liuli wait a little while."
She said to Lu Feiyan, "I cannot disobey the imperial decree, and I will have to trouble you."
Lu Feiyan blinked her big eyes and said, "I really enjoy being by Madam's side; it's not tiring at all."
Upon learning that Consort Xi had sent someone to fetch Xie Zhaozhao, Xie Anfeng immediately rode to Qingpu Garden.
He dismounted at the gate and frowned at Liuli, saying, "Zhaozhao is about to give birth. Is it really necessary to attend the palace banquet?"
Liuli smiled and said, "This is Her Majesty's decree. Her Majesty misses the Grand Secretary's wife."
Xie Anfeng said, "I will go back to the palace with you and tell the Empress the truth. I will take responsibility for any consequences."
Liu Li's face fell, and she said, "What are you saying, Lord Xie? Her Majesty meant well, have you misunderstood? What responsibility? It's just a family reunion dinner with so many people, how could she possibly plot against the Grand Secretary's wife?"
Xie Zhaozhao's face darkened, and she said, "Aunt Liuli, my father is a second-rank official in the imperial court. How dare you speak to him like that? I can barely walk now, and my father is distressed for me, not disobeying the Empress. Since the Empress insists on sending me to the palace, then I'd better be careful!"
"The Lady of the Grand Secretariat is right to reprimand me. I know I was wrong. Shall we go? Her Highness is getting impatient."
If Xie Anfeng and Xie Zhaozhao didn't go soon, it would be considered disobeying the imperial decree.
Upon entering the palace, after a series of ceremonies, Xie Zhaozhao was helped into the banquet hall by Yuanyuan and Lu Feiyan.
Upon entering, the palace maid said that only one maid could be brought in, and stopped Lu Feiyan, telling her to wait outside the hall.
Xie Zhaozhao said, "I am pregnant and about to give birth. Lu Feiyan is my personal physician."
The palace maid bowed her head respectfully and said, "This is the rule in the palace. We are only allowed to bring one maid. I hope that the Grand Secretary will not make things difficult for me."
Another palace maid said, "The imperial physicians are on standby at all times, so the Grand Secretary's wife need not worry."
Lu Feiyan said, "Madam, please have Sister Yuanyuan wait outside. I can take good care of you."
She usually refers to herself as "I," but this time, to accompany Xie Zhaozhao, she referred to herself as "this servant."
Zhang Yanyan's mother came over, smiling, and said, "What's wrong? Why did you come when you're so unwell?"
"I'll be celebrating the festival with His Majesty and the Empress," Xie Zhaozhao said with a smile. "The palace rules state that I can only bring one maid. The two sisters are both vying to take care of me, and they're having trouble deciding who to bring in."
Madam Zhang smiled and said, "That's easy. I'll go and tell the Imperial Concubine that both maids can go in."
Xie Zhaozhao said, "Then I'll have to trouble Madam Zhang."
Not long after Madam Zhang entered, she asked for a favor and said to the palace maid at the door, "Her Majesty said that since the Grand Secretary's wife is in poor health, she will make an exception and allow both maids to enter the palace."
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