"So, now you just have to wait for Wu Zhengda to make a choice."
Song Chengze nodded, "He is smart and will be of use to me."
Meng Qi nodded and said, "Yes, he will be a great help to your future success."
"I want to go and do some makeup for my third sister in a while. I want to tell her about Wu Zhengda. No matter how much Meng Hai has told my third sister about Wu Zhengda, and no matter whether what they said is true or not, I want to remind her to pay attention. If she helps Wu Zhengda work for you in the inner house, it will be better for her."
Song Chengze didn't expect Meng Qi to be so thoughtful. He said with relief, "Uncle Lu is right."
"What did he say?"
"I found a treasure."
Meng Qi's eyes welled up when she heard this. In her past and present lives, this sentence was probably the highest praise Song Chengze had ever given her. She had never imagined that Song Chengze would say this about her. At that moment, she suddenly felt the joy of being affirmed and the relief of being recognized. It was like a rebirth, or perhaps the reward for all the hard work she had endured since marrying into the Rui Palace.
Song Chengze looked at Meng Qi's appearance. Under the candlelight, her still childish face showed a sense of relief as if she had experienced vicissitudes of life. He suddenly felt very distressed, as if this little girl had been working hard, paying, and planning, and all of this was just for his words, which were not a compliment to her.
"I'm only telling you these things about this side of things. It's not that I don't want you to know the rest, but it's all beyond your reach. You've already been very troubled by the affairs of the inner chambers." Song Chengze spoke very slowly. "As for the palace, my time with mother was limited that day, so there are some things I haven't told you yet."
Meng Qi was a little surprised. Was there anything else discovered in the palace?
"It was you who mentioned that person called Madam Zhuang last time."
"Have you found out anything?" If Song Chengze hadn't mentioned it again, Meng Qi would have almost forgotten about this person.
"Do you remember what Mother said about finding the old palace maid named Lan Xin who served the late Empress Dowager and later served Consort Zhuang?"
Meng Qi nodded. "Does she know Madam Zhuang?"
Song Chengze hummed, "This Madam Zhuang is very strange. She's just an ordinary woman. Even though my sister was working as a maid-in-waiting to the late Empress Dowager, her status wouldn't allow her to enter the palace at any time and see her sister freely. Furthermore, at that time, she didn't know any medical skills, or rather, she knew but didn't see anyone."
Meng Qi was surprised. "So, she didn't enter the palace because of her medical skills?"
"Yes, after her sister left, she disappeared. When she returned to the palace, she was already Madam Zhuang, a skilled doctor."
"Lan Xin doesn't know what's going on?"
Song Chengze shook his head, "I don't know if she knows or not."
"What do you mean?" Meng Qi was puzzled.
"Lan Xin doesn't have any relatives now. She works alone in the laundry room of the West Six Palaces. As someone who has experienced life and death, she has seen through everything."
Meng Qi looked at Song Chengze's focused gaze and suddenly understood what he meant. Someone who wasn't afraid of life or death wasn't afraid of being threatened or intimidated. If she wanted to learn more about Madam Zhuang or the talented Zhuang from Lan Xin, she would probably need time to slowly influence her.
"Will it take a long time?" Meng Qi asked softly.
Song Chengze suddenly felt that talking with Meng Qi was becoming more and more easy. There was a lot of things and a lot of words that he really didn't need to bother explaining or clarifying. She understood as soon as she heard it, and she wouldn't dwell on it.
"Probably not. Do you remember Aunt Guan?"
Meng Qi nodded. Of course she remembered the aunt who raised her before her marriage. It was only when she entered the palace last time that she found out that she was actually Concubine Lian's person.
"She and Aunt Guan had a past relationship and had experienced some things together. Aunt Guan is trying to find out more about her."
Meng Qi understood that some things really could not be rushed. Besides, some of the things concerning Madam Zhuang did not seem to affect Song Chengze's major events at the moment, so there was no need to rush.
Song Chengze took a sip of tea and said, "Okay, I've almost finished what I wanted to tell you. Now tell me what you discovered."
After hearing this, Meng Qi sat up straight, and suddenly there was some pity in her eyes when she looked at Song Chengze.
Song Chengze has been very good at observing other people's micro-expressions since he was a child. When he saw Meng Qi like this, his heart skipped a beat. Could it be that he had discovered another "traitor" in the mansion?
"First, let me tell you about Bai Shi. If nothing unexpected happens, she should be Prince Duan's woman."
Because he had heard Meng Qi say it before, Song Chengze was not very surprised about the fact, but he felt deeply sad.
"Ms. Bai, how could she be like this? She was a maid who came with the dowry, but now she is a concubine in the palace. She has never suffered any hardship and her life is decent. What does she want? How did my second brother bribe her?" Song Chengze had a hurt expression on his face.
He considered himself to be a very tolerant person towards the women around him. There had been no hostess in the mansion for many years, which caused these women to sometimes jump around for their own little calculations and interests. As long as it was not a matter of principle, he would turn a blind eye.
He had never treated them harshly, even though Bai was only his concubine, and although he visited her less frequently, especially in recent years, he had hardly visited her at all. But he gave her everything she deserved, and because she was helpless, he even asked Matron Hai to take good care of her.
"She shouldn't have been bribed by Prince Duan." Meng Qi said coldly.
Song Chengze withdrew his thoughts and asked with a little confusion, "What do you mean?"
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