After dealing with the winter dates, Changning turned her attention back to Yinzhen's luggage.
Despite the long and arduous journey, Changning packed clothes for him for all four seasons, along with many sachets to repel mosquitoes and insects. She also had Baizhu write down several prescriptions for preventing heatstroke, intending to make them into ointments so that Yinzhen wouldn't get prickly heat again.
After busily packing his luggage for nearly half a month and loading it into seven or eight carriages, Yinzhen finally prepared to set off.
Before leaving, Meng Guqing made a special trip to Qingzhiyuan.
"Changning, you're my only friend here." Meng Guqing was a little reluctant to part with her and gave Changning the jade hairpin she had carved herself. She was still a little embarrassed.
"I told you I'd give you something nice. This isn't anything special, but you can keep it and play with it. I hope that when you see it, you'll remember me."
Changning clutched the jade and wooden hairpin tightly, deeply moved. Holding back tears, she smiled and said, "Look at you saying that, as if we'll never see each other again. Don't worry, I won't forget you. Take a good look around this time you're home, and when you return to the capital, we'll have roast whole lamb again!"
Meng Guqing nodded emphatically. But she was determined not to return to the grasslands this time, and she didn't know if she would ever see Changning again.
She gave all the weapons and jewelry in her yard to Hutuli and Fengsheng'e, hoping to leave a deep impression on the children.
As the carriage slowly moved forward, Meng Guqing glanced back at the magnificent capital city.
After Yinzhen and Meng Guqing left, Changning suddenly felt empty inside and couldn't muster any energy to do anything.
Seeing this, Granny Zhang became suspicious and instructed Bai Shu to remember to check the master's pulse every day, as there might be some good news!
Changning was unaware of Zhang Mama and Bai Shu's excitement; she was still determined to clean up the people around her.
Currently, with the winter jujubes harvested, there is a vacancy for a second-class maid. Su Peisheng had offered to select someone for her to choose from, but she declined.
She has two infants in this courtyard, so there's no need to move people around too frequently. If someone of dubious character comes along and harms the children, she'll have nowhere to turn for help.
Therefore, one of the third-class maids needs to be promoted.
Fubuki recommended someone named Caiwei.
According to her, this girl is honest, capable, and reliable. She's usually quiet, but she does her job very well. Occasionally, when there are difficult tasks, others will push them onto her.
Changning also had some impression of her; she had a round face, was indeed a bit clumsy with her mouth, but was very quick with her hands.
Tingfeng recommended someone named Xingwei.
This girl has a temper like a little firecracker, and her mouth is always chattering. The good thing is that she always puts Qingzhiyuan first in everything she does, and she has a strong sense of responsibility as a member of Qingzhiyuan when she's out in public.
Previously, when dealing with Consort Li, she never lost out to the servants there. Even with the people from Consort Li's side, she remained neither servile nor arrogant.
They constantly talk about how great their master is, and they are particularly protective of Changning's interests.
Changning remembered both of them and had some goodwill towards them, so he simply promoted both of them.
Yu Zhu has always served Tuan Tuan, so there's a vacancy, and it's perfect to have two people.
When Caiwei and Xingwei were promoted, the other women in the courtyard were overjoyed, as they were quite popular among the residents.
Caiwei is capable but clumsy with words, while Xingwei is sharp-tongued but kind-hearted. They are a complementary pair of sisters. Neither of them is empty talker; they are both capable of getting things done. Therefore, they are quite popular among the second-class and first-class maids.
Shi Liu looked at Caiwei and Xingwei accepting the congratulations and felt a slight bitterness in her heart.
She originally had a good relationship with Dongzao, but who knew that this girl would be so ambitious and actually wanted to betray her master and forget his kindness, and had her eye on the prince.
Isn't their current predicament a warning in itself?
She had no ill intentions, but Granny Zhang and Sister Chuixue had been keeping an eye on her for a long time. Who knew if she shared the same thoughts as Dongzao, or if she was still resentful for her former sister?
Shi Liu was on the verge of tears, heaven can bear witness! She truly hadn't considered that possibility!
Is it that the monthly salary at Qingzhiyuan is not appealing enough, or that the hairpin bestowed upon her by her master is not pretty enough? Why would she ruin her own future and indulge in those unrealistic daydreams?
As a servant, all you need to do is serve your master well. Thinking about other miscellaneous things will only harm you.
However, Shiliu also knew that Granny Zhang was a shrewd and experienced woman who was adept at understanding people's hearts. She had already noticed Dongzao's unusual behavior, which was why she killed her so swiftly. This was to give these young maids a warning: anyone who dared to seduce the Prince and betray their master would suffer this fate.
Shiliu dared not have any more contact with Prince Beile. In her eyes, he was not a prince, but a firecracker that would kill anyone who tried to blow him up.
However, she also believed that as long as she was honest and dutiful, Granny Zhang would still keep an eye on her.
After completing the personnel reshuffle, Changning turned her attention to the children.
Yulan and Yuqiu served Feng Sheng'e and Hutuli, and were currently their personal maids, managing all matters large and small. Since they were appointed by Feng Sheng'e when the two children were born, their position was unshakeable. Even the later-appointed nannies could not rival them.
That afternoon, Changning summoned Yulan and Yuqiu to inquire whether the children's surroundings were normal and whether there were any disloyal people around them.
While things were fine in Hutuli, a young eunuch in Fengsheng'e's place was acting strangely.
According to Yuqiu, Fengsheng'e has always been a very diligent student, so Changning and Yinzhen both told him to balance work and rest. He could play ball and ride horses with his brothers on weekdays to protect his eyes and prevent him from becoming a bookworm.
As a result, the young eunuch secretly took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and led the young master to play dice and gamble.
Playing dice wasn't actually that taboo in the royal family. During festivals, when everyone got together, a few children would also like to gamble, but it was just a game of winning or losing some gold or silver coins.
But no one knows what this little eunuch was thinking. The young master is at the prime of his life, receiving education and studying hard. How could he let these games distract him?
Fortunately, Feng Sheng was not particularly interested in these games and was also quick-witted and perceptive. He took the initiative to distance himself from the little eunuch, which made Yu Qiu realize that something was amiss.
Changning narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Where is that little eunuch now? Have you investigated him?"
Yuqiu replied, "Your Majesty, we have investigated everything. This little eunuch has no powerful backers. He just wants to use this opportunity to climb up the prince's coattails and rise to the top."
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