Meng Qi listened to Zhang Decheng's respectful words, feeling half understanding and half surprised. She hadn't expected Li Mancang to work for Prince Cheng for the money he hadn't even received, and he didn't even know who his contact was. How incredibly stupid.
"The prince didn't believe it at first, the reason was so simple. Later, when Dong Hai broke one of his legs, he still said the same thing. He just said that he was not given a high position in the inner palace, and that Madam Hai was competing with him for power. He did the hard work, and the money-making and the communication work were not involved at all. What made him most upset was that although he and this servant were both eunuchs in charge of the palace, one in charge of the inner palace and the other of the outer courtyard, his status in the prince's mind was as different as heaven and earth.
"He said that when he first joined the prince, he was diligent and loyal, but things happened time and time again that made him lose heart. Especially two years ago, when the prince promoted Hu Changsheng to be in charge of Bibo Hall, completely ignoring the fact that he had been running the business for Xiao Xizi for so long. This was a big slap in his face, and he lost face in front of his apprentice."
Meng Qi snorted coldly, "Can this be used as an excuse for him to betray the prince?"
Zhang Decheng wiped his forehead and said, "Fortunately, he started to betray the prince two years ago. At that time, the prince didn't fully trust him. The information he could pass on was just some trivial matters in the inner chamber. It seems that sending someone to replace Princess Cheng's gift this time was the most significant move."
Meng Qi stood up. She believed what Li Mancang said, but she absolutely didn't believe that the information he provided would have such little impact on Prince Cheng's palace. Some things, spoken and heard, have very different effects.
"He didn't say how that person contacted him. I don't believe that he wouldn't know who that person was when they contacted him in the mansion. Even if he didn't know, there must be something familiar about that figure, voice, and the way they walked."
Zhang Decheng bent down slightly and said, "Yes, the prince asked the same question. He said she wasn't a lowly maid or a servant, and that she was very smart and knew a lot about the affairs of the mansion. She didn't look like a little girl, and her voice was obviously suppressed. I'm afraid she didn't want him to know."
"How did that person contact him?" Meng Qi turned around and asked.
Zhang Decheng showed an expression of disappointment, "If it hadn't been exposed today, we wouldn't have known that Li Mancang was such a gambler."
"Gambling? It's not allowed in the palace. Could it be that he went outside?"
Zhang Decheng nodded. "That's right. When the prince came back, he mentioned it to me. He was afraid that Li Mancang had been set up by Prince Cheng. Li Mancang said that three years ago, he returned to his hometown to bury his parents. Because he was appointed as the steward of the inner chambers of the prince's palace, although he was a eunuch, he was welcomed by the villagers. There were even more compliments. For several days, they were all around him, asking him for favors and trying to curry favor with him.
"Later, someone got him into playing guessing games, and he won quite a bit of money. After returning home, he was praised for his skill. He had just started playing, and was becoming addicted, but no one in the mansion would play with him. So he went to the market, initially only when he wasn't on duty. Eventually, he won every time, and every few days, his hands would itch, so he'd find an excuse to go out.
"I didn't expect that within half a year, he had lost almost all his money. The casino knew he was the inner chamber steward of the Rui Palace, so they generously lent him money on credit. After making back his money twice, he started losing again."
"How much did he lose?" Meng Qi asked.
Zhang Decheng shook his head. "I don't know the exact amount, and he didn't say. He just said that after the gambling house closed, someone who also frequented the gambling house said they could pay it back for him. Li Mancang knew there was no such thing as a free lunch, but if he didn't pay it back, the gambling house would come to the Rui Palace. He was afraid that this would be known to the prince, so he simply agreed, and the person who helped him pay the debt told him that as long as he did some small favors in the future, he wouldn't have to pay it back."
Meng Qi understood, "Will the news he spread cause a great loss to the palace?"
Zhang Decheng said, "The prince asked me to tell the princess not to worry. Although some of the matters in the palace are minor, they can be dug deeper. The prince also contacted Prince Cheng's words and deeds several times, and they seem to reveal something. The prince will deal with it himself."
"What about the palace? What does the prince say?"
"Li Mancang said he didn't know how to contact that person. It was always that person who contacted him, usually once every two weeks or so. The prince thought that even if he didn't attack Li Mancang this time, the fact that the peony fragrance dew was replaced with osmanthus fragrance dew would probably alert Prince Cheng or the person in the palace."
That's right, Meng Qi thought so too, which is why she didn't object to Song Chengze attacking Li Mancang. Sometimes, this kind of false and inconsistency can reveal one's true intentions.
"Is Xiao Xizi Li Mancang's godson?" Meng Qi asked.
"Yes, he is waiting for Xiao Xizi to take care of him in his old age and see him to the end of his life."
"Okay, it seems that Xiao Xizi must know something about this undercover agent of Prince Cheng in our mansion. I know what to do."
Zhang Decheng was not surprised at Meng Qi's cleverness. The prince originally wanted to come back and tell the princess about this matter, but when he arrived at the palace, he received an order from the palace and didn't know what had happened. The prince asked him to talk to the princess first, and specifically told him not to hide anything.
"How is Li Mancang now?"
"He's still alive. The prince means that the person in the palace must be dug out."
Meng Qi hummed, "It's both easy and difficult to find. After discovering the clues, I asked Wang Chenghai to keep an eye on those two courtyards. Now with the information provided by Li Mancang, I'm sure we'll have some clues soon. And the way the prince treated Li Mancang, I'm afraid he's forced me to reveal my true colors."
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