The woman didn't respond and walked towards the path.
The woman poured half a tael of silver from her purse and fiddled with it happily. This man was truly generous. Every now and then, he'd go out on his own duty, and he'd always give her a generous gift. He didn't say much, just told her when he'd be back, and she'd be back by then. But I'd never seen him like that. He wore a cloak in winter and a veiled hat in summer.
The old woman didn't care. Everyone in this courtyard had their own way of making money, but she was guarding this corner gate, earning at most a handful of sunflower seeds and peanuts. This man was so generous, and he always came once or twice a month. The reward money he earned in just one month was almost as much as her monthly salary in half a year. Naturally, she hoped to keep this business going for a long time.
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Meng Qi had just finished washing up when San Ya came to the door to announce that the prince had returned.
Meng Qi quickly put on her nightgown and tidied her hair. Just as she reached the door, Yuanyue lifted the cotton curtain from outside and Song Chengze strode in.
"Why are you back? I was thinking of bringing some midnight snacks to Bibo Hall later."
Song Chengze let Yuan Dong come forward to take off his cloak. Hearing Meng Qi's words, he smiled slightly, "It seems that I am too impatient. Why don't I go back?"
Meng Qi rarely saw Song Chengze joking like this. She only saw that his eyebrows were full of smiles, and his pair of obsidian eyes looked even deeper under the dim candlelight.
It was rare to see Song Chengze showing his emotions so openly, and Meng Qi guessed that it must be something good.
Meng Qi burst out laughing, "Your Highness, you should at least give me a chance to apologize, right? Everyone in the mansion is watching."
After hearing her say this, Song Chengze said in a deep voice, "Has everything been arranged with Madam Hai?"
Meng Qi also put away her smile. "Did I go too far? Should I wait a while longer?"
Song Chengze shook his head. "The Lin family was granted the title of Viscount by my father because their eldest daughter married me. When Mrs. Lin first married in, although she had learned etiquette, managing a royal palace was still very difficult. Therefore, she relied heavily on the two female historians and Nanny Hai. At that time, it was thanks to Nanny Hai that she helped her manage the inner chambers. Later, when Mrs. Gong married in, the customs and habits of Shanxi were very different from those of the capital. She had a long time to adapt, let alone manage the inner chambers.
"Besides, at that time, because of Lin, I mean, after Lin's sister came into the mansion, and before Gong came in, it wasn't appropriate to let Madam Hai, a single servant, manage all the important matters of the inner chambers. So, Madam Li and Little Lin were put in charge. After Gong came in, she had to adapt to life in the capital, learn to manage the household, and take care of her health. So, Madam Hai still took care of the important matters of the inner chambers."
Song Chengze took a deep breath and continued, "As you can imagine, the inner house has been in chaos for the past few years, with frequent changes to the newly established rules. I have no other options. I can't manage the inner house myself, nor can I let Madam Hai manage the household affairs. Even Madam Li and Madam Xiao Lin are not suitable. Therefore, the situation of the three of them managing the inner house has been in place until you entered the house.
"You said at the beginning that you didn't want to interfere too much in the affairs of the inner house. Actually, I was relieved. On the one hand, I didn't trust you to manage it well, but I also really didn't want to have to change people and habits in the inner house and worry about those trivial matters again."
Meng Qi nodded, poured a cup of tea and placed it next to Song Chengze, then sat opposite him.
Song Chengze took a sip. "Originally, I thought, since we've made everything clear, you can just ignore it. It's not a bad thing given the current situation. But what you said the other day made me think for a long time. You're right. The chaos inside and the chaos outside are two different things. I can turn a blind eye to them for their own interests, but I can't allow the affairs of Prince Rui's Mansion to be exposed to outsiders in their fight for power."
Meng Qi hummed, "That's why you cooperated with me to attack Matron Hai. Don't worry, what I said that day was not without basis."
Song Chengze nodded, "I know, that's why I let you do it. You were right to attack Madam Hai first. After all, she is still a servant, and her attitude towards you is indeed disrespectful."
Meng Qi shook her head. "I never cared about that. I just wanted to take care of the inner house as quickly as possible so that the prince would have no worries."
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