Yuan Dong thought about it and understood what Meng Qi meant. She was taking advantage of today's dispute with the prince to clean up the servants in Jing'an Garden.
"Don't we need them to spread false information in the garden anymore?" Yuanyue asked.
"No need for that. From now on, if we don't want outsiders to know about what's going on in our garden, don't spread a single word about it. Yuandong, tell Li Mancang that Wang Chenghai will be in charge of all matters concerning Jing'an Garden from now on. Also, keep an eye on which courtyard of the inner house Li Mancang frequents. I remember he has a very important disciple, whose name I can't remember, so keep an eye on him."
Yuan Dong agreed, with a guilty look on her face, "It's because we servants didn't pay enough attention. It's up to Your Highness to take care of these things."
Meng Qi stood up and waved her hand, saying, "It has nothing to do with you. We're new here, and it's been incredibly difficult for us to manage the business to this point. We have to take things one place at a time. Isn't Jing'an Garden doing very well right now? In just over a month, we've already cleared out almost all the people who weren't on the same page with us."
Yuan Yue nodded happily, "Thanks to the prince's cooperation."
Yuan Dong sighed, "The prince's cooperation is based on the princess's efforts. Haven't you seen how much dirty water the princess has poured on herself for no reason?"
Yuan Yue heard this and said, "It's really hard for the princess. She has so many concerns. Even when Madam Liu returned to the Marquis' Mansion, she didn't dare to tell the truth to the Crown Prince's wife."
Meng Qi patted the two girls on the shoulders and said, "It's not as serious as you say. If you want to gain something, you have to give it up first. I married into the family with such a reputation. If I don't make a good gesture, how can the prince speak up for me and put on a show with me? As I said before, take your time. Tell them to do their job well and don't worry about anything I haven't told them to do."
Yuan Dong nodded, "Yes, I have told them that our focus now is on those three people. As for the others, as long as we can pay attention to them, it's good. If not, let them go for now."
Meng Qi hummed, "Those servants who do the rough work need to be helped more by the Hong Jin family and the Hu Er family."
Just as he was saying this, San Ya's voice came from outside, saying that Mother Liu had returned.
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In the outer courtyard study, Song Chengze shared his thoughts with everyone. Lu Jinzhou frowned and said, "It seems that Hanyuan or the abandoned palaces nearby must be hiding the secrets of Prince Duan."
Song Chengze nodded. "That's right. Last time we discovered that Second Brother was meeting with two of Meng Hai's subordinates at the iron shop, we knew that he had actually gone to the Han Garden in person. Yesterday, the princess brought back two more pieces of news. This is the result of my analysis with mother today."
Lu Jinzhou stood up and paced slowly around the room. "What exactly is going on? Prince Duan has been making frequent moves since the New Year. He's holding Meng Hai hostage here, and he's making arrangements in the palace there. Who is he targeting?"
Song Lu, the chief secretary of the Rui Palace, stroked his beard and whispered, "Could it be Prince Cheng? Didn't Your Highness hear Prince Duan say last time that it would take six months to see the effectiveness of Meng Hai's attack on Prince Cheng?"
Song Chengze nodded, then shook his head. "To deal with Prince Cheng, there's no point setting up operations in the palace. It's both inconvenient and dangerous. Furthermore, although Hanyuan is uninhabited, rumors have led eunuchs, palace maids, and even lower-ranking concubines to visit it several times in broad daylight. It wouldn't be easy for him to set up any operations."
Lu Jianzhou said darkly, "It would be great if someone could go and investigate the situation in Hanyuan and the surrounding palaces. Unfortunately, we don't have an excuse, and there's no one from Concubine Lian's side who can go and investigate."
"Mother does have an idea." Song Chengze said.
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