"Your Highness, everything has been arranged and is just waiting to be transported back to the city," Mo Qin replied in a low voice. This matter was of great importance; if not handled carefully, the entire royal family might be lost.
Prince Duan is far too audacious. He is clearly trying to kill Prince Yong's family. The saying that the imperial family is the most ruthless is indeed true.
Zhao Shu nodded. "Give the instructions: report to me immediately if anything happens. Tomorrow you will leave the capital with my father. Remember to be careful and come back alive. Nothing is more important than life. The various vassal kings dare not do anything to my father openly, but it's different for you. The most important thing is to guard against assassination attempts." She gave the instructions incoherently, rambling on and on.
Mo Qin bowed his head and agreed, assuring Zhao Shu several times. Green Ivy outside urged her several times before she finally left the small study.
Finally seeing her princess come out, Green Ivy breathed a sigh of relief. "Princess, it's getting dark. Let's hurry over. It would be impolite to keep our distinguished guest waiting."
Zhao Shu glanced at her sideways, while Xinmao teased from the side, "Why didn't you say this when His Highness Prince Duan first arrived at the manor? You must have been judging people by their appearance, treating Mr. Huo differently because he was good-looking."
"Don't you think Mr. Huo is handsome, Sister Xinmao?" Green Ivy retorted, as if she wanted to fight Xinmao for three hundred rounds. This was the first time such a distinguished and handsome guest had come to the Prince's mansion, and everyone in the mansion was talking about it. She didn't believe that Xinwei, this young girl, was not in love.
Xinwei glared at her. "Mr. Huo is handsome, that's true, but he's still a man. What's the point of a man being handsome? Princess, what do you think?" Xinwei spoke seriously about her "not judging by appearance" theory, and even dragged Zhao Shu into it as a judge.
Zhao Shu looked at the green ivy, then at Xinmao, and then at the sun, which was now just a thin line before disappearing completely below the horizon, and said, "Xinwei is right."
"Hmph, Green Ivy, look, the princess said we shouldn't judge a book by its cover." Xin Wei said smugly, and even nudged Green Ivy with her lips.
The girls were not familiar with each other at first, and they spoke and acted very properly, never saying or doing anything excessive. However, after spending some time together, they became more familiar with each other, and their words and actions became more humorous and playful. Green Ivy was young, so she naturally became the target of their teasing. Despite the teasing, everyone took better care of her.
Unable to gain Zhao Shu's support, Green Ivy approached Zhao Shu with a wronged expression and took her hand. "Princess, don't you really think Mr. Huo is very handsome? I just heard that someone sent Mr. Huo an invitation, saying that they want to go hunting and enjoy the spring outing together. Princess, this is not a hunting and spring outing, but clearly spying on our Mr. Huo. Princess, you can't let them succeed."
She was heartbroken. The princess was no longer young. Noble ladies of her age had to start looking for husbands and wait until they turned ten to be engaged and married.
The princess has a bad reputation in the capital. Although she knows that the princess is the best, others don't, especially those who look down on people. How can the princess find a good husband if things continue like this? Mr. Huo is the most suitable person for the princess that she has ever met, even though Mr. Huo is older than the princess.
She selectively ignored the fact that he was more than ten years older than her, as long as he was good-looking.
Zhao Shu glanced at her again, "When did Mr. Huo become ours?"
Green Ivy: ...She stuck out her tongue sheepishly and said awkwardly, "Mr. Huo, who lives in our mansion."
"You must never say such things again. If they get out, it will damage the royal family's reputation. Besides, Mr. Huo is not young anymore and must be married. You must be careful with your words and actions in the future." Why hadn't she heard that Huo Baichuan was handsome in her previous life? Otherwise, she wouldn't have thought he was an old man like Jiang Ziya.
As they spoke, they arrived at Chensong Courtyard. Apart from Zhao Nihong, Prince Duan, Consort Zhang, and Zhao Changyan were all there. The palace maids and eunuchs who came to deliver the meals stood on both sides, and all the meals were already on the table.
She entered through the side door and did not go through the outer room. When she reached the inner room, she heard Prince Duan toasting Huo Baichuan with wine.
Because of the separation between men and women, and because there were not many people, the door was not closed, but only covered by a screen. When Zhao Shu entered, Consort Zhang and Huo Danlan were already sitting opposite each other. She performed the junior's greeting and said apologetically, "I have kept Aunt and Consort Zhang waiting. It is my fault." The two of them also stood up to greet her, and then the host and guests took their seats.
"We just arrived too." Huo Danlan still had her face covered with a cloth, with the area below her eyes completely wrapped up.
Since there was no mistress in the Prince's mansion, she sat next to the main seat and summoned the maids and eunuchs on both sides to serve the food.
"Thanks to Miss Huo and Young Master Huo, this is the first time I've ever eaten a meal delivered by the Imperial Kitchen," Consort Zhang said with feigned sourness. Anyone unaware of the truth would surely think that she and Huo Danlan had been close friends for many years.
She knew from their first meeting that Consort Zhang was not easy to deal with. Sure enough, she was a superb actress. She knew that Zhao Nihong had not come over because she must have been punished to reflect on her mistakes. At this moment, Consort Zhang must be hating her to the core, but she could still smile so dignifiedly, and the smile in her eyes seemed genuine.
"Is my cousin feeling unwell? Why hasn't she come over?" Zhao Shu asked deliberately. She was a spoiled, domineering, and willful royal princess, utterly useless. It wasn't too much for her to occasionally rub salt into other people's wounds, at least she lived up to her reputation.
Before Consort Zhang could reply, the sound of porcelain breaking came from outside the side door. Xiao Guozi, who was serving nearby, hurriedly went out to see what was happening. He was quick and returned in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. "Princess, this clumsy servant has broken your favorite plum blossom painted pottery. I will go and beat this clumsy thing to death right now."
Zhao Shu's face was frosty and she was extremely unhappy. She forced a smile and said to Huo Danlan, "Aunt, please forgive me for the poor hospitality. I will go and see what happened. How dare you disturb your meal?"
After saying that, she hurriedly left the inner room, went out through the side door, took a few steps, and made sure that no one could hear them talking before Xiao Guozi said, "Princess, Miss Sun Liu has come to our manor covered in blood and is waiting for you in the servants' quarters."
"Sun Liu?" Zhao Shu was shocked. "Have Chu Chun serve the Huo family's daughter her meal. I'll go see what's going on." She was determined to leave a bad impression on the Huo family today, but she couldn't ignore Sun Yun's matter.
After giving the instructions, he had Xiao Guozi lead the way and hurriedly arrived at the servants' quarters where Sun Yun was. As soon as he entered the room, a strong smell of blood hit him. Sun Yun was sitting on the edge of the bed, covered in blood.
As soon as Zhao Shu entered, she jumped up and exclaimed, "Quick, take me to the palace!"
Zhao Shu was startled and looked her up and down several times. "You weren't the one who was injured?"
"It wasn't me, it was someone else! Quick, find a carriage and take us to the palace, or it will be too late!" Sun Yun was sweating profusely and kept pulling Zhao Shu away.
“You came to my house covered in blood, and you’ll leave covered in blood again. You’ll die even faster,” Zhao Shu said, prying her hands away.
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