Song Xibai didn't hesitate much. She instructed Granny Fangqi to continue tidying up the backyard, and then took Wei Hong and Fuliu to the front yard.
As Song Xibai walked through the second gate and along the familiar path to the front yard, he suddenly heard a loud commotion.
Looking up, I saw that Grandpa Lai was leading four or five local villagers to clean up the kitchen.
Don't be fooled by the fact that the eunuch always bows and scrapes in front of Song Xibai and the Crown Prince; in public, he puts on quite a show.
Song Xibai frowned and reminded him, "Keep it down."
Upon seeing Song Xibai appear, Grandpa Lai wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, jogged over, and bowed.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, it will be finished soon. By the way, what would Your Majesty like to eat first thing tomorrow morning?"
Song Xibai had no appetite, waved his hand, said "whatever," and then went into the main house.
The eunuch tugged at Fu Liu's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "What does Master mean by this?"
"Can't you see? The master isn't in the mood. You can make some of the dishes the master likes!"
The old man's chubby face scrunched up like an orange.
"No appetite? That won't do..."
Since the Crown Prince sent him to accompany Song Xibai, Eunuch Lai must be a trusted confidant among confidants and very trustworthy.
Back when she was in the Eastern Palace, besides the people around Song Xibai, only Eunuch Lai guessed that she was pregnant.
There were a lot of dietary restrictions, and His Highness the Crown Prince repeatedly reminded them and asked about them every day. Those with a keen eye would naturally notice.
However, the father-in-law pretended not to know anything and didn't even tell his two apprentices.
Grandpa Lai stroked his smooth chin, his eyes darting around, and suddenly an idea came to him.
He called his apprentice over and whispered his instructions.
"Go and find out who was in charge of the meals when the master came to the estate last time. Also, find out what dishes the master liked to eat back then."
The conditions on the estate are not as good as in the palace. The vegetables and meat are fresh, but seasonings, dried goods, and tonics are scarce.
When Father-in-law came out this time, besides a change of clothes, the rest of his bag was filled with his unique seasonings.
I can adapt to local conditions too.
The old man thought to himself, and then turned around and directed the others to work.
Meanwhile, Song Xibai entered the house and saw two people standing in the hall.
The one directly facing him was naturally Commander Yue.
The other person turned around upon hearing the noise, only to find it was an unfamiliar guard.
The guard had a knife at his waist, but he was dressed in ordinary cloth, which looked out of place.
He immediately knelt down and bowed to Song Xibai upon seeing her.
"I am a guard of the Prince of Wu, and I have been sent by the Prince and Princess to deliver something to the Lady."
Song Xibai immediately called out.
"How did your prince and princess know I was here?"
“Yesterday, His Highness the Crown Prince left the palace and met with our Prince outside the city. He gave the Prince a box and specifically instructed that it be delivered to the estate today.”
There were too many things to do yesterday, and Song Xibai's mind is still a bit foggy! It took her a while to remember that the Crown Prince did indeed leave the palace yesterday.
It was precisely because the Crown Prince was not in the Eastern Palace that the people in the shadows dared to target Consort Rouliang.
Could it be that the Crown Prince left the palace to prepare for this in advance?
He had long suspected that the person behind the scenes would take the opportunity to make a move.
So, was the high-profile search of the palace and arrests also a deliberate act?
Thinking of this, Song Xibai was furious.
That damn man, he never explains anything to me! Is he trying to drive me crazy?
She took several deep breaths to suppress her anger.
Where is that thing?
The guard untied the bundle from his back, and after unwrapping it, a flat, square box was revealed.
Wei Hong took the box, but didn't dare to get close to Song Xibai. She opened it in front of the guard.
Inside the box was a thick stack of papers.
The guard kept his head down, not daring to look: "Now that the goods have been delivered, my mission is complete, and I should leave."
Song Xibai did not try to keep him. The situation was unclear, and if it were discovered that the Prince of Wu's residence and the Crown Prince had close ties, it might cause trouble.
However, she still said it.
"Commander Yue, go and fetch twenty taels of silver."
Commander Yue turned around and went to the next room, where he brought out two silver ingots.
Song Xibai took the silver and personally handed it to the guard, saying in a friendly manner.
"Young man, you've taken a risk on this trip. Thank you for your hard work. Here's not much money, take it and have some tea. Be careful on your way back, hide this knife well, don't let anyone notice anything amiss."
The guard was a trusted confidant of the King of Wu, and could be described as extremely loyal. He was not the kind of person who would be greedy for money, but Song Xibai's gentle tone still moved him.
"Thank you for your kind gift, Madam!"
He pounded his chest, solemnly accepted the silver, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd and strode away.
As Wei Hong watched him walk away, she couldn't help but mutter to herself.
"The reward money given by the master is too much."
Twenty taels! The young mistress of the Crown Prince's Palace only receives this much monthly allowance. Even the most important guards in the Prince of Wu's mansion can only earn a maximum of five taels of silver a month.
Commander Yue tapped the back of her head with his finger.
"You silly girl, what do you know? Your Highness did well."
Wei Hong covered her head, pouted, and looked like she wanted to talk back but didn't dare, which made Song Xibai burst out laughing.
She patted Wei Hong's head and explained softly.
"His Highness's situation is still unclear, and we don't know how the Emperor intends to deal with him. At this time, it's always good to have more support. Although Prince Wu seems out of control, he has the support of his maternal grandfather's Lan family and his wife's family, the Qi family of the Duke of Zhenguo, which carries considerable weight in the court."
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