Chapter 189 Using a Pinhole Camera...
"Your Highness has arrived." As soon as she heard the noise, Nanny Liu looked over immediately, her tone full of affection and her face beaming with a relieved smile.
—It was as if they had been waiting for this day for many years.
Qi Chengming felt extremely awkward looking at her. Not wanting his wet nurse to misunderstand, he put on a stern face and pretended to be very serious as he ordered, "You two are the ones bestowed upon you by the Emperor? Come here and let me see what your names are."
"Greetings, Your Highness." Two palace maids gracefully bowed, displaying their beautiful figures and charming manners, yet they did not break the rules. They were clearly not the kind of maids who were used to being ordered around. They said, "This servant is Zhao Shi." "This servant is Qi Shi."
Qi Chengming, however, was horrified by what he saw.
He admitted that he enjoyed the feeling of being gently flattered and completely relied upon by a beautiful girl. Who hasn't had fantasies in ancient times? But the next moment, he couldn't help but become alert.
No, he still can't stand it.
Qi Chengming came from the modern world and was used to how normal girls should interact. Since he couldn't treat others as playthings and only enjoy this kind of fake flattery, the thought of having to treat a woman who was openly offered to please him as his wife made him feel uncomfortable and terrified.
Fighting for the throne is already exhausting enough; surely it wouldn't be necessary to engage in such intrigue and distrust within one's own family? He can't compare to people from ancient times or those in palace dramas, and he really doesn't want to do it.
Then take care of your lower body.
Qi Chengming calmed himself down and continued, his face stern, "That's strange. I was asking what you're called in the palace!"
The two palace maids looked at each other in astonishment, neither daring to speak for a moment. They were anxious but hesitated, unable to utter a word.
They only use their original surnames when they are in the inner quarters of the Prince's mansion. If you ask them what they are called in the palace, it means they want to be palace maids.
The wet nurse was also taken aback, and tentatively asked, "Your Highness, are you asking them their names in the palace because you intend to...?"
“It just so happens that I’m short one first-class palace maid in my courtyard. They were bestowed upon me by the Emperor, which gives them an extra touch of prestige. I was thinking of having them work in the main courtyard first and see how it goes.” Qi Chengming said this without any expression on his face, glancing at the two palace maids.
The wet nurse fell completely silent: "..."
It seems Your Highness is fully aware of the situation; you are not unaware of the intricacies involved, but simply have no interest in it.
This shows they're determined to pretend they don't know anything and treat the palace maids who serve them as their personal maids.
Disappointed, Liu, the wet nurse, could only pretend to be unaware and sit upright, quickly hiding her pleased expression.
Qi Chengming's words were clear, and the hesitation and unease on the two palace maids' faces disappeared. They bowed down in unison and honestly said, "This servant begs Your Highness to bestow a name upon us." "Please, Your Highness, grant us a new name!"
Qi, who had been the first to ask for a reward, lowered her head and quickly suppressed her eagerness, reverting to her dutiful demeanor as a palace maid.
She was very calculating.
If the prince has no intention of intervening, which of them, with their considerable influence, can possibly do so? Bringing up His Majesty would only result in offending the prince first.
Moreover, the prince promised her the position of his personal head maid, which was very tempting. Who didn't know that a personal head maid might eventually end up in the inner palace? Even if she didn't, it was still a respectable position in the prince's service, a top-notch job.
But the two imperial maids... the prince made it clear that he only reserved the position of a first-class maid.
It depends on who performs better.
Qi hurriedly resumed her normal palace maid demeanor, secretly thinking that if the one next to her wasn't smart enough and persisted in angering the prince... she might immediately become his personal head palace maid?
As a result, the other party did not dare to say anything, but instead followed her words and begged the prince for a reward, accepting the status quo.
Qi kept her head down, showing no disappointment.
There's plenty of time; she'll eventually outdo the other person!
"..." Qi Chengming had sized up the two palace maids through their expressions and had a general idea of what was going on.
Qi was clever and had many schemes, yet she was also very perceptive. In comparison, Zhao was more slow-witted and simple-minded, and somewhat serious. She was a step behind in accepting her fate and asking for a name. She originally thought that she was a palace maid bestowed by the emperor to serve him, so how did she become a personal maid? Only then did she belatedly realize her obedience.
The extras are not noticeable; at least Gan Tang should be able to keep the two of them in check.
Qi Chengming thought for a moment and said, "You will follow the names Gantang, one of you will be called Chestnut and the other Persimmon Frost. You will receive the allowances of second-class palace maids first."
Qi, who had a playful and cute appearance, was named Chestnut, while Zhao, who had a sweeter appearance, was named Persimmon Frost.
The two men thanked the emperor respectfully and withdrew under the varied gazes of the other palace maids and eunuchs.
Once they left, the unpredictable atmosphere in the main room subsided considerably.
Qi Chengming could no longer maintain his dignified prince demeanor. He sat down on a stool and asked with a worried expression, "Xiao Dezi! Go and find out quickly, did Father Emperor only bestow palace maids upon me, or did all my brothers receive them?"
"Hey!" Xiao Dezi, who had been standing guard outside the door without daring to breathe, responded quickly.
Seeing that no one was around, Nurse Liu clutched her heart and asked worriedly, "Your Highness, you're getting on in years... I'm afraid His Majesty won't be able to stand it anymore. If we manage to get away with this, there won't be a third first-class palace maid in our household receiving a stipend, will there?"
What are you really thinking?
She didn't ask that question.
"Wet nurse," Qi Chengming said formally, his tone serious. "I only hope to advance and retreat together with my future princess, so I won't waste my time on these trivial matters."
"This...!" The wet nurse was so shocked she could hardly close her mouth. No wonder His Highness always avoided Ya'er, whom she raised. "Your Majesty, will His Majesty agree?"
"We have to give it a try." What Qi Chengming didn't say was that he had spent so much effort returning to the capital, using both appeasement and confrontation, to make Emperor Hongren less wary of him. The situation would only escalate in the future, and perhaps Emperor Hongren would even be pleased to hear his request.
Before long, Xiao Dezi hurriedly returned and calmly replied, "Your Highness, it is only our residence."
"I understand," Qi Chengming replied calmly, his heart finally at peace.
That clearly means that Emperor Hongren suddenly remembered that his older son, who was still single, was going to find him a suitable partner.
"Once you enter the palace tomorrow, go and find out who spoke to the Emperor today." Qi Chengming didn't quite believe that Emperor Hongren would care so much that he suddenly thought of this.
Xiao Dezi didn't respond, but instead proudly raised his head slightly and said smoothly, "The two guards left by Lord Cui have some familiar eunuchs. I just thought of that and went to make arrangements. They said there are several ministers and imperial clerks there..."
Eunuchs can all be called "Little Yellow Gate," but in the capital, it's generally used to refer to the lowly eunuchs guarding the palace gates. As Qi Chengming listened, he heard a familiar name on the list of those who had pledged allegiance to him.
"This is really..." Qi Chengming shook his head, and breathed a sigh of relief after understanding the reason.
Others may not know his situation, but when those who have pledged allegiance to him mention this to the emperor, it is actually an attempt to curry favor, implying that the prince is grown up and that someone should take care of his long-delayed marriage.
Qi Chengming, without his mother's care in the harem, lacked someone to advise the emperor. This was likely something his ministers had thought of to fill in the gaps. However, having just pledged allegiance, they hadn't communicated with Qi Chengming, resulting in a well-intentioned but misguided endeavor.
Qi Chengming knew what those officials were thinking.
While it's said to be seeking refuge, this matter is probably more of a test or an attempt to urge someone on.
He seemed to be at the height of his power, but unlike the eldest prince, he didn't have a large family and hadn't even made any plans for marriage, which always made his followers uneasy.
Shen Shuzhi had maintained contact with Qi Chengming. His wife had secretly investigated most of the eligible young women in the capital while she was getting to know Qin Liusong's ex-fiancée, and submitted a rudimentary list to Qi Chengming.
Qi Chengming had a pretty good idea of what was going on: "..."
If he could postpone the marriage proposal until after the succession struggle, that would naturally be his first choice. However, if Emperor Hongren were to actually start thinking about arranging a marriage for him, Qi Chengming was prepared to make a choice and take control of the situation.
"Little Dezi did a good job today, here you go." Qi Chengming came back to his senses, gave him a word of praise, and handed him a new pouch of silver from his waist.
Compared to before, Xiao Dezi has become more thorough in his work.
Xiao Dezi accepted the compliment with a smile, and was very happy to receive the praise.
Over the years, he grew from a personal eunuch to a senior personal eunuch, and he became a handsome eunuch with delicate features. As long as he didn't speak and disrupt the atmosphere, young palace maids would stare at him in a daze!
"Remember to keep an eye on it," Qi Chengming instructed, then pondered for a moment, still feeling uneasy.
He can only learn about the situation at court by cultivating relationships with some junior eunuchs; he certainly doesn't know the details. The others are in a similar situation, but if something truly happens in the palace under the same circumstances… he'll definitely fall behind. Like this time, he only found out after the palace maids had already been bestowed upon him.
But he couldn't live in the palace all the time.
Qi Chengming thought of the things in the system space: radar, pinhole cameras—they sounded convenient, but each had its own shortcomings. Radar was too large to hide and not very useful. Pinhole cameras were rechargeable, not a permanent solution…
He had been interested for a long time, but he never knew exactly how to use the rewards...
Now Qi Chengming had an idea in his mind.
Tomorrow is the grand court assembly next month, which is also the originally scheduled day for all nations to pay tribute.
A major show is about to begin, and everyone's attention will be diverted, which is a good opportunity for him to do something underhanded.
...
the next day.
The sky was still dark, and the night wind was chillingly sharp. Qi Chengming was worried about something important that happened today, so he had asked someone to wake him up early last night. Xiao Chengzi called out to him in a low voice for a long time, but in the end, Gan Tang gritted her teeth and shook Qi Chengming awake.
When Qi Chengming sat up, wrapped in a blanket, trying to wake himself up, he was somewhat dazed.
I never expected that the usually composed Gan Tang would have such a fierce side.
"Your Highness, don't be late." Gan Tang urged. Their prince wanted to enter the palace as soon as possible, so he couldn't just sit there in a daze any longer.
"Give me a cold towel, not a hot one." Qi Chengming's head was as foggy as mush, and he waved his hand to refuse the second-class palace maid. In the November weather, after using the cold towel, he jolted awake, and his eyelids, which had been glued shut, finally opened.
It's now half an hour earlier than Qi Chengming's normal court time.
He hurried along, arriving at the palace while it was still dark, just as the palace gates were opening. Under the cover of night, only the palaces of the former dynasty were brightly lit. Qi Chengming noticed that several princes who lived in the palaces had arrived early, including a boy he had never seen before—that was the original male lead, the Seventh Prince.
The princes were having breakfast with Emperor Hongren. The emperor was not yet dressed in his court robes, but only in a light yellow casual robe. When he saw Qi Chengming arrive, he greeted him, "Chengming, have you eaten yet? Come and eat with me."
"Yes." Qi Chengming had only eaten two steamed buns to begin with, so he naturally agreed.
Well... if he hadn't had something to do and hadn't arrived early, he would have been in trouble. All the other princes living in the palace had arrived early today, and he was the only one living outside the palace without anyone knowing. Who knows how much he would suffer in the future.
"..." Qi Chengming's resolve hardened as he thought about what he was going to do and looked at the pinhole camera in the system space.
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