When the prince accompanied the emperor on his southern tour, Master Tong was like a bird released from its cage, running around freely all day long. Li Yi and Li Er had already received orders, and also because of Eunuch Su's secret advice, as long as they did not leave the capital, everything was up to Master Tong's wishes.
When Master Tong occasionally gets into trouble, they sometimes help her cover it up. However, if Master Tong leaves the manor too often, they will try to stop her. After many such encounters, they develop a special bond with Shunzi.
They both loved and hated him. They couldn't beat him and Li Er, but Xiao Shunzi would either throw silver ingots or fly silver notes, leaving them both amused and exasperated. They were indebted to him, which led to their current awkward situation of being caught in the middle and unable to please anyone.
Xiao Shunzi grinned and teased in a low voice, "Hey, why didn't you stay with your mistress? Aren't you afraid she'll run away?"
Li Yi scoffed. He wished that Master Tong would run away from the mansion, fulfilling his master's wish.
Feeling angry with Xiao Shunzi, Li Yi whispered a sarcastic remark to him, "This is none of your business."
When it comes to serving a master, Li Yi doesn't stand on ceremony. When he needs a favor, he changes his tone and says, "Sir, we've become friends through a fight, and as we spend more time together, I have a small matter I'd like to ask for your help with."
Xiao Shunzi looked wary. Everyone knows each other; begging him is like asking the sun to rise in the west. Why are they never so easy to talk to when we usually ask them to go easy on us?
Seeing his wary expression, Li Yi was speechless. "It's just a matter of talking; it won't cause you any trouble, Father-in-law."
Xiao Shunzi kept a straight face, thinking back to how Li Yi and Li Er had been quite understanding at times, and asked, "What is it?"
Li Yi raised an eyebrow, leaned forward and whispered in his ear. After speaking, he looked at Xiao Shunzi, who exclaimed, "What? No way! The concubine will definitely suspect me afterward. Aren't you trying to ruin me? How am I supposed to work at Wanyue Pavilion in the future?"
The worst thing a servant can do is to be disloyal to his master, to be two-faced and treacherous.
Li rolled his eyes. "It's not easy to work at Wanyue Pavilion, but it's easy to work at Master's place. You're still Master's servant. Didn't you often report on Master Tong to Master before?"
"Keep quiet," Shunzi glared and muttered, "Even if you know, don't tell anyone. It happened a long time ago."
We're all in the same boat.
They've received a lot of reward money from Master Tong, and they know in their hearts when to side with the master and when to side with Master Tong.
Thinking about Li Yi's request, Xiao Shunzi felt it was quite difficult, so he asked, "Master won't be angry that I'm meddling, will he? Besides, I think Master is just being stubborn. If Master Tong doesn't come out, can't he take the initiative?"
Li Yi felt dizzy. No wonder Xiao Shunzi was dismissed from his position as the chief eunuch by the master. He's so stupid. Doesn't the master, a grown man, have any pride?
He abruptly changed the subject and asked Xiao Shunzi, "What do you think of Master Tong?"
"She's such a nice person, kind-hearted and generous, and a stunning beauty too," Xiao Shunzi blurted out.
As he praised him, he looked up at the sky and sighed deeply, saying with a hint of disappointment, "He just doesn't like to compete for attention and stays cooped up all the time."
He turned to look at Li Yi, "I dare say, as long as Master Tong beckons to me, I'll... I'll..."
Xiao Shunzi suddenly had a sudden realization, his face filled with shock, and he muttered, "Master wouldn't just be waiting for the master to snap his little finger, would he?"
Li Yi chuckled inwardly. The dead eunuch had finally shown some intelligence; he had done what he was supposed to do. So he reminded him, "Didn't you have something to do?"
Xiao Shunzi stared at him blankly for a moment, then walked forward in a daze.
After finishing his errand, he did not rush to leave, but lingered in the courtyard, his eyes constantly glancing at the master's door. This was inappropriate, but since he often did personal errands for his master, no one said anything to him. However, when Granny Qiu delivered the pastries, she saw it and frowned without saying a word.
Shunzi shivered for no reason, turned around and saw that Granny Qiu was unhappy. She scratched her forehead and chuckled awkwardly, but did not leave.
Granny Qiu, though old, was sharp-minded and discerning. After delivering the pastries, she turned back to find him.
Inside the pavilion, Granny Qiu sat upright. Perhaps because she had been in the palace for a long time, her every word and action exuded propriety, yet she did not offend anyone.
Granny Qiu poured Xiao Shunzi a cup of tea and said something surprising, "Something's wrong, but the master can't know?"
Xiao Shunzi was stunned, broke out in a cold sweat, and stammered, "N-nothing...it's nothing."
Granny Qiu smiled and said softly, "I'll let you wander around in front of the master's room if there's nothing wrong with you. Tell me, whether it's good news or bad news, I know better than you." Seeing that he was still stubbornly insisting, she added, "Should I talk to the master?"
"No," Xiao Shunzi immediately refused, his face showing distress.
Granny Qiu put on a stern face, and Xiao Shunzi dejectedly explained the whole story and his guesses. He then begged Granny Qiu not to reveal it, even though it was a good thing.
Granny Qiu smiled, a glint of light flashing in her eyes. She immediately had an idea. She hadn't been by her master's side for long, and this girl's personality wasn't hard to see through.
She's a simple-minded person who doesn't compete or fight; if the sky falls, someone taller will hold it up. In the end, she doesn't really care about the master and just wants to live her comfortable life.
However, in the prince's residence, in the fiercely contested backyard, such a temperament is destined to be the one who suffers losses and toil. It doesn't matter to the master now that he is alone, but it will be too late to regret it when he has a little princess or a little prince.
If the master can't figure it out for a moment, that's alright. What are these servants for? Aren't they there to share the master's burdens?
Nan Yi lay on the bed, had several maids bring out all her jewelry and place it on the bed, then chased them out. She stayed there alone, carefully selecting each piece.
Granny Qiu was startled when she knocked on the door and entered. After bowing, she stood aside.
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