Chapter 298 The maid rebelled, the undercurrent was about to break
The setting sun in the east courtyard cast a long shadow over the crabapple tree, resembling a smudged ink painting. Little Swallow was squatting on the ground, drawing something on the blue bricks with a branch. Every now and then, she would glance toward the west courtyard, her brows knitted into small knots.
Yongqi stood behind her, playing with the pearl hairpin in his hand. The sunlight shone on the pearls on the hairpin, reflecting tiny glints of light. "What are you thinking about?" he asked softly, accidentally kicking a small stone, which rolled to Xiaoyanzi's feet.
Xiaoyanzi raised her head, her face a little dusty, like a little cat. She curled her lips and said, "I wonder if Chuntao (the maid who drugged Yongqi) will know what's happening." She threw away the branch and clapped her hands. "Little Dengzi's been gone for so long, why is there still no news?"
"Don't worry," Yongqi reached out to wipe the dust off her face. The warmth from his fingertips made Xiaoyanzi tremble slightly. "Xiao Dengzi is reliable and will get results."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Dengzi walked in quickly from the corner door, a hint of excitement on his face. He walked up to the two of them and said in a low voice, "Prince, Princess, it's done!"
Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up and she stood up suddenly: "Really? She confessed?"
"I confessed." Little Dengzi nodded and moved closer. "I followed the princess's instructions and showed her some 'powerful' things first, then explained the pros and cons to her, and she..."
"Stop keeping us in suspense and tell us now!" Xiaoyanzi said anxiously, grabbing Xiaodengzi's arm and shaking it.
Little Dengzi staggered and said hurriedly, "She said that the medicine was given to her by Concubine Consort herself, and she taught her how to hide it in the wine. She also told her that if she succeeded, she would reward her with 100 taels of silver and find her a good husband."
"I knew it was her!" Xiaoyanzi gritted her teeth, a hint of anger flashing in her eyes, "I was right!"
Yongqi's face darkened, and he clenched the pearl hairpin tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white. "What else did she say?"
"She also said that the concubine asked her to spread rumors afterwards, saying that you, the princess, were jealous and couldn't tolerate the concubine, so you deliberately sowed discord in front of the prince." Xiao Dengzi said, secretly glancing at Xiao Yanzi. Seeing her grim expression, he added, "But she also said that she didn't dare to tell anyone because she knew you, the princess, were not that kind of person."
"She still has some conscience." Xiaoyanzi snorted coldly, then laughed again, "That's good now. With all the evidence, I wonder how Chen Zhihua can deny it!"
Yongqi looked at her beaming face, and the haze in his heart dissipated a little. He reached out and ruffled her hair: "What do you want to do next?"
"It's very simple." Xiaoyanzi's eyes rolled and a plan came to her mind. "We have to find a suitable time to let the Empress Dowager know what kind of good wife she has." She leaned close to Yongqi's ear and chirped a few words. Her voice was fast and urgent, like a little sparrow announcing good news.
Yongqi listened, nodded repeatedly, and occasionally interjected, "Isn't this too harsh?", but was glared back by Xiaoyanzi: "To deal with people like this, you have to be ruthless!"
:=
Little Dengzi, who was standing nearby, and Little Zhuozi, Little Mosquito, and Little Bug, who had just joined them, couldn't help but prick up their ears to listen as the two chatted animatedly. Little Mosquito smacked his lips and whispered to Little Bug, "Wow, the princess's brain works faster than anyone else's!"
The little bug nodded and quickly covered his mouth: "Don't make a sound, be careful not to be heard by the princess."
The sun gradually sank, and the clouds in the sky were dyed golden red. Xiaoyanzi clapped her hands and said, "It's settled! Xiao Dengzi, keep an eye on Chuntao first. Don't let her run away, and don't let her be discovered by the people in the West Courtyard."
"I understand!" Little Dengzi bowed and replied.
"Xiao Zhuozi," Xiaoyanzi looked at Xiao Zhuozi again, "Go to the palace and send a message to Ziwei, asking her to come over tomorrow and tell her that there's something interesting to watch."
"Hey!" Xiao Zhuozi responded and turned to leave.
"Wait." Yongqi stopped him, "Be careful on the road, don't let anyone see you."
"I don't need to worry about that!" Xiao Zhuozi said, walking briskly towards the back door.
Xiaoyanzi watched his back disappear around the corner before turning to Yongqi and saying with a smile, "Now, let's just wait and see what's to come."
Yongqi held her hand, his palm warm. "I'll do as you say." He looked at her profile, illuminated by the setting sun, her long eyelashes like two small fans, and a sudden warmth welled up in his heart. No matter how many troubles she got into, or how many tricks she had, he was willing to stay with her.
The lanterns in the corridor were lit, and the dim light enveloped the east courtyard, bringing a warm and cozy feeling. Little Mosquito and Little Bug were busy putting away the things on the stone table, while Little Dengzi was guarding the door, looking outside vigilantly.
The west courtyard was silent, devoid of any lights, as if unaware of the impending storm. Zhihua sat by the window, gazing at the crescent moon in the sky, clutching the old jade hairpin Yongqi had given her—a gift she had painstakingly begged for. She had believed that as long as she had Mianyi, as long as she was sensible enough, she would one day win Yongqi's heart. Unbeknownst to her, a net was quietly tightening around her.
Xiaoyanzi yawned and pulled Yongqi into the house: "Come on, let's eat! Only when we're full can we have the strength to deal with the bad guys."
Yongqi smiled and let her pull him, his steps brisk. Moonlight filtered through the branches of the crabapple tree, casting mottled shadows on the ground like scattered silver coins. The laughter and joy in the east courtyard formed a sharp contrast with the silence in the west courtyard, foreshadowing the storms of tomorrow.
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