Unpredictable and ruthless, that was Yinzhen. She heard herself say softly, "Fine, I won't compensate you then." She walked up to her lover, gently touched her broken lips, and said guiltily, "Girl, I'm sorry." After saying that, she took her lover back to Lan Courtyard.
After everyone had left, Yinzhen casually straightened his cuffs and said, "My lady, I don't want a similar thing to happen again." His voice was soft, tinged with a faint disappointment, something that had never happened before.
Nara stiffened, her eyes flashing with panic. The pleasure she had felt from Tong's loss of face vanished without a trace. Her trembling fingers tucked into her sleeves, and she whispered, "I understand."
Tong suffered a hidden loss but was not seriously injured, while her clever but misguided move nearly damaged her own foundation.
"It has been my oversight lately, please forgive me, my wife. I will be more careful in the future." After all, they are husband and wife, and some things are better said to one's legal wife than to save face.
After Nan Yi returned, he stayed in Lan Courtyard. The servants in Lan Courtyard did not go out either. Xiao Shunzi and Granny Zhao went in and out through the West Corner Gate to handle the procurement.
The next day, in front of the Fourth Prince's residence, Xiao Shunzi went out to run errands through a small side gate next to the main gate. He saw Li Dequan, the chief eunuch by the Emperor's side, and was startled. He hurriedly ran over to pay his respects.
When Li Dequan saw it was him, he joked, "It's you, you little monkey."
Xiao Shunzi bowed and said, "It is indeed I," then smiled ingratiatingly at him, "Why did you come here today? The timing is wrong."
Li Dequan laughed and said, "It has to be this time. You should take me to find Consort Tong."
“Looking for my master,” Shunzi said, stunned.
Li Dequan was puzzled, "Your master, isn't your master the Fourth Prince?" At most, Consort Tong could be considered half a master.
"I've been transferred to the Lan Academy and am now handling errands for Consort Tong."
“What errands does she need to run for you?” Li Dequan was even more puzzled. It wasn’t the imperial palace; women in a mansion didn’t need eunuchs.
Shunzi said rather arrogantly, "There are many, but none of them are as important as yours. Please come this way with me." Little Shunzi led Li Dequan toward the West Corner Gate.
The main gate of the Orchid Courtyard is now tightly closed, making it impossible to enter. Even though the concubine had moved the gatekeepers away, no one paid any attention to her shouts.
Li Dequan was completely bewildered. By the time he entered through the west corner gate, he had learned almost everything. It was a novel experience for him, as it was the first time he had ever entered a prince's residence through a corner gate.
Warm Pavilion of Yangxin Hall
Kangxi finished his two bowls of porridge with lingering satisfaction. After Li Dequan finished cleaning up, he picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and savored it. After a while, he said, "So, after you hit her maid, she hid away. What a disgrace! She didn't even get her revenge."
“Yes,” Li Dequan said with a smile.
“Hmm, she’s quite timid. She doesn’t complain even when she’s wronged. I heard that the fourth prince has been quite fond of her lately,” Kangxi said, his brows furrowed and his expression complicated. Li Dequan didn’t reply and remained silent.
Kangxi glanced at him and scolded lightly, "You old man, others don't understand me, but you do. What I can't do, I always hope my sons can do. Unfortunately, they are all too clever for their own good."
He then said to Li Dequan, "In a few days, let her go to the palace to pay her respects to the Imperial Concubine."
"As you command," the Emperor replied, indicating he was trying to support someone.
******
Yinzhen left the main courtyard and headed straight for Lan Courtyard, with Su Peisheng accompanying him. He followed a certain route... He wondered if he should speak up and warn Su Peisheng, as he'd heard Lan Courtyard was closed; this time, he feared he'd be turned away.
"Sir, what's wrong?"
"Go back to the study."
Su Peisheng looked at the route; this wasn't the way to the study, it was clearly heading towards the Orchid Academy.
Yinzhen knew what he was thinking. He was indeed going to the study, but he wanted to see someone, so he took a detour.
These past few days, he had felt that something was missing. Just now, while having a meal at his wife's place, he realized that he had not seen Lady Tong for many days.
"Master, the gates of Lan Courtyard are closed. According to Xiao Shunzi, the servants guarding the gates have been reassigned by the concubine, and no one answers the door. That boy usually goes to Lan Courtyard on business by exiting the main gate and entering through the west corner gate," Su Peisheng dutifully reported to his master what he had recently gathered.
Yinzhen paused, anger rising in his heart. She was angry with him and wanted to keep him out of the courtyard. She had done something wrong and yet she still had the nerve to justify it. She had carelessly discarded the handwritten book he had copied and hadn't even held it against her.
Thinking of the day the maid from Lan Courtyard was beaten, and the way she stared at him as she left, a wave of indescribable heat suddenly rose in his chest. He turned and walked towards the study again.
That day, Yinzhen had just sat down in his study, his hand on the table, when something in his sleeve made a crisp sound against the wood. Then he remembered something, took out a green jade bracelet wrapped in silk from his sleeve, examined it for a long time, and said, "Find a box to put it in and send it to Madam Tong."
Su Peisheng stopped moving, glancing nervously at his master's expression, and sighed that this job was truly inhuman.
He had secretly visited the Orchid Courtyard several times, hoping to persuade Consort Tong, but he couldn't even get through the door. The maids and the kitchen staff were all unmoved, and that brat Shunzi was even more hateful, actually playing hide-and-seek with him.
Seeing that he didn't move, Yinzhen's face turned cold, and he said, "What, are you throwing a tantrum at me too?"
Su Peisheng knelt down with a thud, repeatedly saying, "This servant is guilty, please punish me, Master. I have gone to Lan Courtyard several times, but... I have not been able to enter Lan Courtyard." His voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.
I thought it would be the easiest task, but who would have thought that Consort Tong would be so tough, and the master's face would grow increasingly unpleasant. If he showed the slightest dissatisfaction, he would glare at him with cold eyes. The task is difficult to handle. Sigh, when I catch that brat Shunzi, I'll see how he deals with him.
Upon hearing this, Yinzhen stuffed the bracelet back into his sleeve, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. He glanced at the stack of handwritten notes on the table, silently spread out a blank sheet of Xuan paper, selected a small Huzhou brush, and began to write rapidly. Su Peisheng hurriedly stepped forward to add water and ink.
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