The weather gets hotter every day. On this day, the sun was blazing brightly in the sky, and there was no wind. Yuan Xi sat under the dense flowers and trees, looking through the account book in his hand. Although the trees above blocked the sun, he still felt the heat was unbearable. After sitting for a while, the thin shirt on his back was soaked by the sweat on his back.

Although she had prepared ice cubes in her room to cool off, she always felt too stuffy and was addicted to the fragrance of the gardenia, so she came here every day to read. An He stood behind her, and another round-faced maid was fanning her gently. The round-faced maid was specially assigned to her by Xiao Du. Her name was Ying'er. She was no more than fifteen years old this year. She was lively and simple, and she got along very well with An He. Although she was not as careful and sensible as Rong Xuan, she was much more reassuring.

Yuan Xi looked back at the two people who were fanning themselves and wiping their sweat with their sleeves. She felt a little sorry for them, so she said, "No need to fan them. You can all go to the pavilion and rest for a while." An He felt sorry for her young lady, so she bit her lip and hesitated. Yuan Xi smiled and said, "You are fanning me here and the pages of my book are flying everywhere. How can I read it calmly?" An He was relieved and said to her, "Then Madam, take care of it first, and we will serve you later." After that, she happily took Ying Er out to talk and play.

Yuan Xi stared at the account book in front of her, but her heart could not calm down. The chirping of birds and cicadas in the trees in front of her made her even more upset. Before she could figure out the cause of Aunt Wang's death, all the affairs and accounts of the Marquis's mansion were handed over to her. However, she was only seventeen years old and had no experience as a housekeeper. Therefore, she had to rely on the help of the chief steward Zhou Jingyuanyuan for almost everything, which was beyond her ability. Fortunately, these trivial matters filled her days, leaving her no time to think about that book, that person, or those inexplicable sorrows. She took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat that kept dripping down her forehead. She couldn't help but frown and sigh, feeling even hotter and hotter.

At this time, a little maid came in from outside. Yuan Xi recognized that this was Xi Qiu, the maid who often followed Xiao Du. Xi Qiu bowed to her as soon as she came, and took a delicate porcelain bowl from the food box in her hand and placed it in front of her. Yuan Xi looked down and found that there was a cherry ice yogurt in the bowl. This was a dessert that she rarely ate in the prime minister's mansion. The fresh and tender cherries paired with the iced sweet yogurt seemed particularly refreshing and tempting in this sultry weather.

Xi Qiu said, "The Marquis asked me to bring this to you. He said that the Madam works too hard every day, so he asked the kitchen to make this cherry yogurt for her to cool down." After saying this, he covered his mouth and smiled, and added, "The Marquis is really attentive to the Madam. We are really jealous of him."

Yuan Xi blushed, and felt a little strange, why did he know that she was reading here. But before she could ask more, Xi Qiu had already bowed and said goodbye with a smile. The bowl of dessert in front of her was really tempting. She scooped a spoonful into her mouth without thinking too much. The sour and sweet cherry, paired with the cool and delicious sweet cheese, immediately dispelled all the heat in her heart. The sweet and cool taste melted between her lips and teeth, and penetrated into her heart.

She scooped up the water one spoonful at a time, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth unconsciously. At this moment, she suddenly heard the sound of flowing water. She looked up quickly and saw the gurgling water pouring down from the eaves not far away, hanging and splashing like a waterfall. Yuan Xi widened her eyes in surprise. She looked more carefully and found that there was a huge water storage tank on the roof that was constantly pouring water. The clear water stirred up waves of coolness. The gardenia tree was pushed by the water flow and blew a breeze with the fragrance of flowers and leaves. Yuan Xi watched and she understood that this was imitating the cool palace in the palace, specially for her to cool down. Needless to say, it must be Xiao Du's idea. So she sat down and picked up the account book again, this time accompanied by the soft sound of water and breeze, and her heart was filled with coolness and joy.

Sitting on the couch, Xiao Du looked at her from a distance through a crystal curtain. Seeing her frown finally relax and a sweet smile on her lips, he felt an indescribable satisfaction in his heart. He suddenly understood why the tyrants in the past would rather spend thousands of gold to make the beautiful woman smile. At this time, a servant outside the door shouted, "Mr. Luo is here."

Xiao Du quickly lowered the bamboo curtain, walked to the table and sat down, saying, "Please ask him to come in."

As soon as Luo Yuan entered the room, he heard the sound of running water outside the window, and he smiled and said, "This study of the Marquis is quite interesting."

Xiao Du thought of the man who was still reading outside the window, and smiled meaningfully, "Of course."

Luo Yuan sat down and said, "I don't know why the Marquis wants to see me today."

Xiao Du's expression gradually turned serious, and he said, "You know everything about Aunt Wang, right?"

Luo Yuan nodded and said, "I have heard roughly what happened. Prime Minister Xia's trick was indeed insidious. He first used the matter of his wife to force the Marquis to conduct a thorough investigation, and then led troops to arrest people at a critical moment, making Wang Shoucheng think that the Marquis had something to do with Xia in private. It is said that Wang Shoucheng has been claiming to be sick at home for several days because of his sister's death and is unwilling to go out. I guess he has already put all the blame on the Marquis' Mansion."

Xiao Du shook his head and said, "If it weren't for his sister, how could he have gotten to know the Marquis' Mansion and how could he have the money to make connections in the court. But in the final analysis, it was our Marquis' Mansion that paved the way for him, so we shouldn't turn our backs on him so quickly."

Luo Yuan said: "That's true, but everyone in the world is like this. He will remember this favor to his sister, but since his sister is dead, the hatred will naturally be attributed to the Marquis' Mansion."

Xiao Du sighed and said, "Fortunately, he has had many ties with the Marquis' Mansion over the years, and he is also at loggerheads with the Xia family, so he probably won't turn against them so quickly. However, I'm afraid there is something else going on with Aunt Wang."

Luo Yuan frowned and said, "Didn't I hear that the hostages have been captured? What other hidden secrets could there be?"

"Due to Prime Minister Xia's pressure, we could only investigate Rong Xuan's death in those days, and all the clues happened to point to Aunt Wang. Later, I realized that everything was too logical, as if someone was deliberately manipulating it. Moreover, it would take more than one person to plan and kill Rong Xuan, but we investigated for a long time and could not find out who around Aunt Wang was an accomplice. After Aunt Wang was imprisoned, she died inexplicably, which made me even more suspicious."

Luo Yuan frowned and said, "Lord Marquis, do you suspect that there is someone else in the Marquis's mansion who has problems? This person is hiding behind the scenes and making trouble, and then he gave everything back to Aunt Wang."

"That's right," Xiao Du said, "and I also suspect that this person has private contact with Prime Minister Xia. So I must dig him out, but unfortunately I can't find any clues now." He rubbed his eyebrows and asked, "By the way, has there been any movement at the border these days?"

Luo Yuan said, "According to the reports from Hangu Pass, the Wu people have recently made several small-scale attacks at the border, but they were all driven back by General Dai Zheng and his men. The emperor is very pleased and has ordered the entire army to be rewarded." He looked up at Xiao Du and smiled meaningfully, "If I'm not mistaken, the Wu people happened to attack at this time, so that Prime Minister Xia couldn't find a chance to attack Xiao's army. This should also be a good move arranged by the marquis."

Xiao Du smiled and said, "I just sent someone to tell Zheng Long about the current situation. They have followed me for so long, so they naturally know what to do." He also instructed, "Keep a close eye on them for me. If there is any movement from Prime Minister Xia, be sure to report it to me." Luo Yuan nodded in agreement, and the two talked for a while before Luo Yuan said goodbye and left. He walked through the courtyard gate and just as he walked onto the corridor bridge, he suddenly stopped and saluted, saying, "Mrs. Xiao."

Yuan Xi was preparing to go back to her room with An He and Ying Er. When she saw the man in front of her, her heart trembled. Many words came to her mind, but she just nodded in return. Neither of them spoke again, but just lowered their heads and passed by. Yuan Xi took a few steps, suddenly turned around and whispered, "Little Master, I'm sorry." I'm sorry that I couldn't respond to your feelings.

She paused before continuing, "I'm sorry, the book you mentioned may have been lost."

Luo Yuan was shocked, and he felt bitter in his heart, but he pretended to be relaxed and said, "It's okay. If Madam Xiao wants to see it, I'll find it for you."

Yuan Xi did not dare to look at him again, and bowed her head and said, "Don't bother, I'm afraid I don't have time to look at him now." After saying that, she turned around quickly and left in a hurry before the tears could flow out. So be it, the branches that should not grow should be cut off before they grow big, which is a good thing for both him and her.

Yuan Xi returned to her room in a daze, not knowing what she had eaten or done until dusk, when a maid suddenly brought news that the princess had sent her to her room to meet her. Yuan Xi found this a little strange, but she did not dare to delay and hurried to the courtyard where the princess was.

In the upper room, which smelled of sandalwood and medicine, the princess was holding a Buddhist rosary and closing her eyes to rest. Her face was much rosier than before, and she looked much more energetic. When she saw Yuan Xi, she smiled for the first time and said, "Please sit down first."

Yuan Xi hurriedly sat down and asked respectfully, "What is it that Grandma asked me to come here for?"

The princess said, "Too many things have happened in the palace these days. Although I have always disliked Wang Shuyao, I never thought she would do such a thing." She sighed and said, "Now all the affairs in the palace are handed over to you. Can you handle it?"

Yuan Xi hesitated for a while, and then told the truth: "I have only been in the mansion for a short time, and I am not good at these things. I have to rely on Zhou Zongguan to help me with most things."

The princess shook her head and said, "Although Zhou Jingyuan is an old man in the mansion, he is not the master after all. Now is a time of internal and external troubles, and the housekeeping of the mansion must not be missed. Unfortunately, my health is really not good. Let me put it this way. If you feel tired, you can ask Aunt Cai for help. She used to serve in the old master's room. She is quite capable and familiar with the affairs of the mansion. She has moved into Xuan'er's yard now, so it will be convenient for you to find her."

Yuan Xi thought of Aunt Cai's face, which always seemed to be indifferent to the world, and thought that this was a solution. However, she still found it a little strange, and could not help but look up at the princess in confusion, seeming to be hesitant to speak.

The princess seemed to understand what she meant and sneered, "You are afraid that I will be jealous of her and that she will become another Wang Shuyao, right? Don't worry, she has always been timid and afraid of things, and she would not dare to act rashly even if she had the courage. Now that she has finally got her daughter back, she is eager to show her ability. She will definitely do her best to help you." She sighed and said, "Although I hate them in my heart, I still have to put the safety of the Marquis's Mansion first. Do you understand my painstaking efforts?"

When Yuan Xi heard her say this, he felt relieved, so he thanked the princess and said a few more words of greeting before leaving.

The sky gradually darkened, and a bright moon hung on the top of the tree. Aunt Cai was writing in her room when she suddenly saw a figure flash by outside the window. Her face changed, but she pushed open the door as if nothing had happened and said to the maid, "I'm going out for a walk, you don't have to follow me." Then she walked out of the yard slowly, and when she saw that no one was following her, she quickened her pace and came to the back of a secluded rockery.

There was already a person standing behind the rockery. As soon as she walked over, she frowned and whispered, "Why are you looking for me now? What if someone sees us?"

The man smiled sarcastically and said, "Madam Cai is in a different position now. Do you disdain to see a small character like me anymore?"

Aunt Cai's expression eased and she said with a smile, "How could that be? I am in this situation today thanks to you. But the limelight hasn't faded yet, so it's better for us to have less contact."

The man said, "I don't want to come to you either, but you haven't done what you promised me."

Aunt Cai smiled coldly and said, "Are you talking about her? Don't worry, even though she is enjoying her glory now, I will make her feel the pain of falling to the bottom soon."