Qiu's mother gave Yiren a hint, and Yiren nodded and went outside to guard the door.
“Impossible, the Tong family wouldn’t have such a treasure,” Aunt Qiu said with certainty, adding, “Even if they did, they would offer it up.”
"Why?" Nan Yi and Qing Yun asked in unison.
"I don't know how many of these things exist in the world. But now that they've appeared, they can only be kept in the palace. I've been in the palace for decades and have seen countless rare and precious items, but I've never seen anything like this before. It should be returned to where it came from, lest it bring trouble."
Nan Yi was shocked to hear this, as her life was at stake. She picked up the cabbage, wrapped it in a cloth, and hid it deep inside the wardrobe. "Qingyun, tell Yiren to pretend you've never seen this. I'll return it when I have time. Remember, don't let it slip, or we'll really be going to see Buddha."
"That damned intellectual, why didn't he remind her? He even let her take it away!" She cursed inwardly at the guy who gave her trouble, vowing to teach him a lesson next time.
“That makes perfect sense,” Qiu’s mother agreed wholeheartedly, and Qingyun nodded with a pale face.
When the time for paying respects arrived, none of them were at ease. Although Qingyun Yiren was afraid, she was also very curious about where her master had obtained the treasure.
Nan Yi was furious with the Ninth Prince.
...
"So, she ran right into it." The Eighth Prince smiled faintly.
The Tenth Prince chuckled loudly. The Ninth Prince had fallen into a trap. Given Nan's intolerant nature, he would not easily forgive the Ninth Prince.
“Of course, they say he’s carrying a beauty,” the Ninth Prince muttered, as she had indeed caught him carrying a beauty twice.
"Hehe..." The Eighth Prince and the Tenth Prince burst into laughter again.
Before dawn today, Ninth Brother knocked on the gate of the mansion and dragged him out of bed. Before he was even fully awake, he rushed to Eighth Brother's mansion.
"She was furious and said she would not forgive me. Before leaving, she even took the jade cabbage with her." The Ninth Prince was very depressed. Anyone would be embarrassed to this extent if their intimate moments were discovered by the person they loved. He regretted his drunken mistake.
"Ah, Ninth Brother, you're bringing trouble upon her," the Tenth Prince exclaimed, but the Eighth Prince sensed that he clearly had a backup plan. "Ninth Brother, what are you thinking?"
The Ninth Prince smiled brightly at his brother, his devilishly handsome face dazzling everyone, "I couldn't find her, but she just happened to come to my door. How could I let such a great opportunity pass by?"
He was testing the waters, but he couldn't find her. Now that she had taken the jade cabbage, he was sure he wouldn't have trouble finding her again.
The Eighth Prince frowned slightly and reminded her in a low voice, "If she hides the things, it will be a waste of her efforts." That girl might really do that, and Ninth Brother has miscalculated.
"That can only be considered bad luck for me," he said. He was uneasy because he couldn't find her, and since they had always been in a passive position, they had to take the initiative.
“Eighth Brother, that girl must have gone to your residence first, but probably couldn’t find anyone, so she sneaked to my residence.” The highest house in his residence is where he lives, so it’s easy to find.
The Eighth Prince sighed sadly. He had thought of it too, but it would be even worse if he ended up like his Ninth Brother. Recalling that scene, and seeing his Ninth Brother laughing mockingly, the Ninth Prince felt so frustrated that he wanted to bang his head against the wall.
The Fourth Prince's Residence
Today, Yinzhen gathered with his wives and concubines. It was the same people and the same scene. When Nan Yi looked up, she saw Li Shi's pale face opposite her. Her freckles had disappeared, but she must have applied a thick layer of powder. Wasn't she afraid of harming the child in her womb? The quality of cosmetics in this era was completely unreliable.
Yinzhen put down his teacup, which made a crisp sound as it hit the table, interrupting the whispers of his wives and concubines. "I have something to tell you all when I go out with my wife tomorrow."
He glanced at his wife, and Lady Nara forced a smile as she spoke: "Yesterday, Sister Tong suggested that she wanted to use her own small kitchen. After discussing it with you, I agreed to it. Therefore, the small kitchen in Lan Courtyard will be independent from today onwards. From now on, the main kitchen will no longer supply meals to Lan Garden, and everything will be handed over to the small kitchen in Lan Courtyard."
Nara turned to look at Tong and continued, "Since this is the first time using the small kitchen, if Sister Tong has any complaints, please feel free to let us know."
She heard about Li's actions of snatching food, but she didn't intervene. She was too lazy to care about the rivalry between the concubines, but she didn't know how the master found out.
When the master told her about this, there seemed to be a hint of reproach in his words. So she brought up the matter of the Orchid Courtyard to the master. She did not object, but had no intention of making things happen. At this moment, Lady Nara was very regretful.
Everyone fell silent. The concubines, who were of lower rank, thought that they were not qualified to use the small kitchen, so they had nothing to say and all looked at Madam Li.
Li thought to herself, she also had a small kitchen in her courtyard, but she used it little and mostly got her meals from the main kitchen. She also wanted to use the small kitchen in her courtyard, but she didn't have enough money. If the master agreed to give her some extra money, it would be worth it.
Nara glanced at Li, "Does Sister Li have something to say?" Now there is only a sliver of hope left. It would be best if Li could stir things up. Otherwise, there will be less of a check on Tong.
"My lord, my wife, I would also like to use the small kitchen," Lady Li pleaded, looking at Yinzhen.
"Yes, I will give you three hundred taels of silver every month. Anything exceeding that will have to be paid by your sister herself," the Fujin said calmly.
Madam Li's face darkened. Three hundred taels? That's not enough. Just her daily top-quality tonics alone cost seven or eight taels of silver. And then there are her two little princes, and she's carrying another one in her belly. "Sister Tong, she..."
Nara secretly pursed her lips and said, "There are few people in her courtyard, so I give her 150 taels of silver every month."
She had calculated this amount for a long time; it was a very ordinary subsidy, neither high nor low. If she wanted to eat better, she would have to pay for it herself. If Madam Tong disliked it, it would give her the opportunity to cancel the Lan Courtyard Kitchen.
Li chuckled. One hundred and fifty taels of silver. Turning to Nan Yi, she advised, "That little bit of silver isn't enough, Sister Tong. I advise you to give up. Sharing the large kitchen with everyone will save you some money."
Nara frowned, secretly resenting Li for being more trouble than she was worth. She had openly said that the money was too little, which made the master suspicious and accuse her of deliberately making things difficult for Tong.
The concubines below also tried to persuade her, but Nan Yi curled the corners of her mouth and offered to pay an additional 150 taels, trying to force her to give up. But it wasn't that easy. Even if she didn't pay, what difference would it make?
Yinzhen looked at Tongshi. He had mentioned it to his wife last night, and she had agreed. However, he hadn't expected that she would agree to separate Tongshi from the small kitchen, but would only provide her with a monthly allowance of 150 taels. Even he knew that this was too little. However, since his wife had brought it up in front of everyone, he couldn't object. He could just give her the allowance privately.
Nan Yi noticed his gaze, turned her eyes away, glanced at Nara Shi indifferently, and said lightly, "The Fujin and Sister Li are very thoughtful. Actually, it doesn't matter whether we pay or not. I still have some spare money, so I can support myself without any problem."
Nara is quite the talker; it all depends on whether Fourth Master wants to save face.
Upon hearing this, Li's face turned ashen, her fingers tightening around her handkerchief. Comparisons are odious; Tong's family was wealthy, and she was betrothed to the master by the emperor, a legitimate marriage with a substantial dowry.
Unlike her, who was originally a palace maid and not even a proper imperial concubine, she had only a few changes of clothes and a pitifully small amount of valuables. She was led into the prince's residence by the nanny and became his concubine.
Because she was pregnant, he was made a concubine and his finances improved.
Envy and jealousy were mixed, and her eyes darkened as she lowered her head. Suddenly, a strong fetal movement came from her belly, and Li's self-pity drifted back. Looking at her high, swollen belly, her expression changed several times.
She sighed softly, thinking she should be content. Having a son was a treasure that no amount of money could buy. No matter how much dowry Tong Shi had, if her womb didn't produce a son, she could only watch with envy.
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