Zhao Shu sneered, "What is Lin Xiuxue doing now?" It had been a long time since she had heard from this 'friend,' and Zhao Shu felt inexplicably lonely.
"He's been staying at home and rarely goes out. I heard he's hired two governesses to teach him manners." After a series of mishaps, Xiao Zhu Zi is more cautious than ever before, not daring to be careless in the slightest. He even investigated the two governesses. "Those two governesses are extremely skilled in matters of the inner quarters."
"Women naturally need to learn how to manage the household affairs. I suppose she will only come out to meet people after she has mastered these skills. As for the others, have they made any moves?" Zhao Shu had had Xiao Zhuzi monitor several people, and now she wanted to know their activities.
Xiao Zhu reported in detail, "Yang Shixuan often goes to the Yang family to pay his respects to Old Madam Yang and show filial piety. Most of the time, he stays at home to review his studies. Occasionally, he participates in poetry appreciation gatherings with the Yang family's students. However, since all the male members of the Yang family kneel in front of and behind the East Gate, he has not gone there again."
Zhao Shu listened silently without speaking. Xiao Zhuzi continued, "Except for the fourth prince, all the princes are still at Huguo Temple. Since Lord Wei returned to the capital, the fourth prince has become well-behaved and stays at home all day. By the way, on the day the prince toured the country on behalf of the emperor, he got extremely drunk and did not return to his residence until very late. This servant discovered that he dined with Prince Duan and Prince Hui, among others."
Hearing this, Zhao Shu snorted coldly. The group of unfortunate brothers naturally wanted to get together and vent their grievances. Why weren't they the ones to tour the country on behalf of the emperor? Why did such an honor fall to the ridiculous prince? They were naturally indignant.
"Can we find any evidence that they also sent people to cause trouble at the mansion?" Zhao Shu was extremely skeptical that the Wang family, in its current disorganized state, could cause trouble at the Wang mansion, but she simply couldn't find any other evidence.
Although she doesn't usually rely on evidence, she inevitably feels uneasy without it.
Xiao Zhu shook his head slightly and apologized, saying, "This servant is incompetent."
"It's not your fault. If others don't want you to know, you naturally won't know how things are going in the palace." The last time Consort De left a shadow in her heart, and thinking about it now still makes her uneasy and increasingly uneasy.
Xiao Zhu replied, "Recently, the palace has not been recruiting any palace maids or eunuchs. It will take some time before the palace releases people and recruits them in a unified manner. Please give this servant some time, Your Highness."
Zhao Shusu never paid attention to when the palace maids and eunuchs entered the palace or when they were released. However, she knew that there were rules for the release and recruitment of palace maids and eunuchs, so she nodded and said, "Take your time."
"This servant thanks Your Highness." Xiao Zhu Zi was under immense pressure, especially recently, as he had failed to obtain accurate information beforehand for many things, which almost led to the death of the princess at Sendai Temple.
"Yes, the concubines in the manor haven't done their morning exercises in a long time. Send word that from now on, their morning exercises will be doubled. Anyone who objects will be sold off immediately and sent to the frontier."
Her tone was chilling, and her eyes seemed to spit out ice.
"Yes!" Xiao Zhu and the others were startled.
After Zhao Shu finished speaking, as if she remembered something, she said sternly, "Go and call all the concubines over. The courtyard in the west wing is empty anyway. Tear down the house and turn it into a vegetable garden. The concubines can grow vegetables for the mansion in the west wing in the future. The mansion is short of money now, where would we find the spare money to buy vegetables?"
Hearing this, everyone lowered their heads even further. Wan Dong silently withdrew. The concubines were living too well in the manor. It was time for them to do their part. They relied on the manor to support them every day, using the manor's money to dress themselves up in a flamboyant manner. **** had an accidental encounter with Prince Duan. Were the prince and the princess dead?
Wan Dong was secretly excited; she had been waiting for the princess to have her attack for a long time.
After giving her orders, Zhao Shu was still not satisfied. "First, have someone tear down the west wing. Today, the concubines will come with me to the estate to harvest rice. Even the Emperor and Empress can go to the fields to harvest wheat and raise silkworms. Are they more precious than the Emperor and Empress? Go now!"
The more she talked, the angrier she became. Even the usually talkative Green Ivy didn't dare to utter a sound, while Zhihai stood quietly to the side listening.
Before long, Zhao Shu composed herself, greeted Huo Danlan, and then led twenty soldiers, twenty servants, dozens of maids and servants, as well as Green Luo, Early Spring, Late Winter, Xinwei, Zhihai and others, out of the capital in a grand procession.
Prince Yong's mansion had several estates in the suburbs of the capital, but they were too far away. So Zhao Shu went out of the city and found the nearest village. Villages were usually built next to rice paddies, or if not next to rice paddies, then next to cornfields, etc.
Upon entering the village, Zhao Shu said to Chu Chun, "Go and tell the villagers that the Prince Yong's Mansion has brought people to work for them. Any dirty or strenuous work can be given to the concubines of the Prince Yong's Mansion. Remember, it's dirty or strenuous work. If anyone dares not to do it or is dissatisfied, write down their name immediately, and tomorrow we'll find a matchmaker to sell them off to the borderlands."
Zhao Shu glanced around, picked up a stone bench under a big tree at the village entrance, and sat down. Green Luo and the others hurriedly set out tea and snacks. Xin Wei waved a feather fan to the side. Some children and old people stood at a distance, peeking at her. Although they were born on the outskirts of the capital, they had never seen an official higher than the county magistrate come to their village. They were naturally curious and afraid.
It took two hours to get here from the capital, and now the sun is high in the sky.
"Let's invite the elderly and children over to sit down," Zhao Shu said.
Upon hearing this, Green Ivy hurriedly went over and invited several elderly people and children from a distance over. These elderly people and children often sat idly at the village entrance, and now that Zhao Shu had arrived, they had taken over their spot.
In early spring, Chu Chun led people to ask from house to house. At first, the people dared not speak. When Chu Chun saw people busy in the fields, she pointed to a few concubines and said, "Concubines, you have worked hard. The princess said that she does not expect you concubines to do anything for the Prince's Mansion. In any case, there are few masters in the Prince's Mansion, and there is no need for you to serve them. Now the Prince is inspecting the world on behalf of the Emperor. This honor belongs to our Prince alone. If we do not do anything for the Emperor, we will be ungrateful for the Emperor's grace. Concubines do not have any special skills. If we can do something within our power to help the Emperor's people, it will be a way to repay the Emperor's grace for the Prince."
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