Chapter 93

Chapter 93: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

“This servant thanks Your Grace for the reward.” The maid knocked her head once more, then rose and withdrew. Lv He immediately followed after her. She saw her out and also gave her a sachet.

“Your Grace, did you have dealings with Madam Dong’e before?” Nanny Ruo Lan was puzzled. “Why would Madam Dong’e send something at a time like this?”

“My business outside is being watched over by a chief steward.” Li Si Qi explained. “I heard this chief steward is a Bannerman, and he’s related to Madam Dong’e in some roundabout way. These things were probably sent in by Madam Dong’e as a favor to him.”

As she spoke, she opened the box. Inside, aside from a thick stack of silver notes. There was also a letter. Li Si Qi picked up the letter and instructed the people beside her.

“Nanny, put away all the silver notes. Record them in my private accounts.” “Yes!” Nanny Ruo Lan did not waste a word.

Holding the wooden box, she left. Li Si Qi opened the blank envelope. Inside was a thick bundle of letter paper. She pulled it out and began reading what was written there.

After a while. Li Si Qi put the letter back in place. Then she handed it directly to Xiao Hu Zi for safekeeping. Xiao Hu Zi’s belly could hold many things.

One letter was nothing.

“Master, God of Wealth Nine really isn’t anything good.” Xiao Hu Zi couldn’t help complaining. “He hasn’t even officially started working for us, and he’s already making demands of you.”

“Isn’t it normal for him to make demands?” Li Si Qi raised her brows. “In his eyes, this is a partnership. Even after taking the Puppet Pill, Beauty Nine won’t see himself as someone else’s slave. Besides, he has plenty of sons and grandsons. Wanting benefits for them is what a normal person would do.”

“First Prince is the same.” Li Si Qi smiled silently. “He agreed to go to Guang Fu, but he also asked for good things for his sons and grandsons. Between people, it’s all interests. If we don’t give them the benefits they want, why would they help us?”

“That’s true.” Xiao Hu Zi nodded. “As long as it isn’t too much, we can pay them based on what they do.”

“Keep an eye on them.” Li Si Qi ordered. “We chose them, and they chose us too. We can discard them, and in their hearts, they can discard us as well. As long as things stay within our control, I don’t like surprises, and I don’t like turning something into a headache.”

“Master, rest assured. They won’t get a chance to betray us.”

“Besides them.” Li Si Qi thought for a moment, then added, “Also find some talent and train them. Consider it our people for little Hong Zhao. We can’t have him sit on the throne with no one in his hands to use.”

“No problem. Leave it to me.” “Mm.”

… In the blazing summer. The garden really was cooler than the palace. But under the summer sun. Everyone still felt stifled.

“Your Grace.” Lv He walked in and bowed. “Your Grace, Fourth Prince has come to pay his respects.”

“Fourth Prince?” Li Si Qi was surprised. “He can even get out of bed?”

“Replying to Your Grace, Fourth Prince can walk.” Lv He answered. “Fourth Prince already paid his respects to Noble Consort Hua and Consort Jing. It’s only normal that he would come to pay respects to Your Grace today as well.”

“Oh.” Li Si Qi asked casually, “Did the Noble Consort and Consort Jing see him?”

“No.” Lv He shook her head. “The Noble Consort ignored him. Consort Jing gave him some things. Neither of them met with Fourth Prince.”

“If they didn’t see him, it wouldn’t be proper for me to see him either.” Li Si Qi instructed, “Give him some paper, brush, ink, and inkstone, along with fabric suitable for him to wear. Also give him one hundred taels of silver. Tell him to rest well and study hard. He doesn’t need to come pay respects.”

“Yes, this servant understands.” “Go arrange it.” “This servant takes her leave.” Lv He withdrew to get busy.

At that moment, Nanny Ruo Lan walked in. “Your Grace!” Nanny Ruo Lan hurried over. “Your Grace, it’s best not to meet Fourth Prince.”

“Nanny, don’t worry. I wasn’t planning to see him.” Li Si Qi smiled faintly. “I have my own son. I don’t need someone else’s son trying to curry favor with me. Besides, this Fourth Prince is best at latching on and climbing up the pole. I don’t want him clinging to me.”

“It’s good that Your Grace sees through it.” Nanny Ruo Lan relaxed and sighed. “This servant only hopes Your Grace, Sixth Prince, and Princess Wen Ning remain safe and well. As for everyone else, this servant doesn’t want to worry too much. I hope Your Grace won’t blame me.”

“That’s fine, Nanny. This is good.” Li Si Qi nodded. “It’s enough that we can look after ourselves. As for others, we keep our distance. Still, he is His Majesty’s son. I gave him a small reward. I just hope it won’t bring trouble.”

“Your Grace, rest assured. This servant will keep watch.” “Good. Sorry to trouble you, Nanny.”

“This servant wouldn’t dare!”

… Fourth Prince slowly returned to his own courtyard. His body still had not fully recovered, and he nearly fainted. Luckily, he was stubborn. He forced himself through the dizzy spell.

In the end, he sat in a chair and closed his eyes to steady his breathing. Just now, he had walked a full round under the blazing sun. His body almost couldn’t take it. In the past, he could stroll through the entire garden with ease.

Now, after visiting just one place, he nearly couldn’t hold on. “Fourth Prince, eat something.” A palace maid brought him some pastries that looked rather shabby. This kind of pastry was what palace maids and eunuchs ate.

Now, even wanting to eat this sort of pastry was not easy for him. Already upset, Fourth Prince hated being disturbed even more. He ordered directly, “Leave.”

“Fourth Prince, your complexion doesn’t look good. How about you eat a little first-” “Shut up!” A flash of brutality crossed Fourth Prince’s eyes. “Get out. Now.”

“Fourth Prince, this servant-” “Wretched maid, you’re asking to die.” Fourth Prince grabbed the dish from the nearby table. He hurled it hard at the maid’s head. In an instant, a glaring streak of blood spilled from her forehead.

“Guards, drag this wretched maid out.” Fourth Prince’s savage face twisted slightly as he barked, “I don’t want to see this wretched maid again.” “Yes, Fourth Prince!” Two young eunuchs ran in.

Without a word, they dragged the maid away, her heart already dead. These days, quite a few palace maids had died. The people in this courtyard were used to it. After a while.

Fourth Prince finally got his emotions under control. A eunuch carried in several pieces of fruit. He set them softly on the table. He didn’t dare disturb the master before him.

After another moment. “Looks like I was dreaming.” Fourth Prince lowered his head. “No one wants to bother with me, let alone raise me.”

“Fourth Prince, this servant thinks…” The eunuch hesitated, then suggested, “Instead of begging to see all the consorts, you should pick one and focus. Work at meeting just that one, persist no matter what. This servant thinks, one day, she’ll soften.”

“Only one person?” Fourth Prince fell into thought, his expression shifting again and again.

“If it’s only one…” Fourth Prince clenched his teeth. “Noble Consort Hua looks down on me. Consort Xian has a son. Only Consort Jing…”

“Fourth Prince, don’t rush. Think it through before you decide. It won’t be too late.”

… Shui Tian Yi Se!

“Your Grace, do you know what’s going on with the Empress’s belly?” Xia Dong Chun could not help bringing it up. “She already seems to be over eleven months along, almost twelve. Does the Empress’s imperial child have to be carried for a full year before it’s born?”