The Princess Consort of Pingyang tightly held the Prince of Pingyang's hand.
"Do not be afraid! As long as we are of one mind as husband and wife, we will surely live a long life!"
The Prince of Pingyang looked steadily at the Princess Consort of Pingyang, the gloom between his brows dissipating significantly.
"Alright, we will live together until our hair turns white."
"What does Your Highness plan to do next?"
"We cannot just watch helplessly as the steward empties the estate, can we?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang felt deeply guilty.
It was all due to her poor management; otherwise, the steward would not have had the opportunity to take advantage of them.
"Before we discover who is behind him, we cannot dispose of him."
"But, no matter what, he is still a servant of the estate."
"As long as he is a servant, you, my Princess Consort, can find his faults and punish him!"
"Force the dog into a corner and see if it runs to its master."
The Prince of Pingyang's voice was deep and low.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang's eyes flickered; she understood his meaning.
"Yes, I understand."
The Prince of Pingyang patted the back of his wife's hand.
"Rest assured, just do it. I am behind you!"
"Mhm, I know."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang's face blushed slightly.
"Speaking of which, I have been foolish."
"Whether it was the former estate manager or the steward, I had no idea they had long since changed."
"I am truly ashamed. Not only did I fail to help Your Highness, but I also held you back."
"There are areas where I have also fallen short. By the way, I have asked a doctor to come to the estate to check your pulse."
"Sit a while longer; the doctor should arrive very soon."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang was somewhat surprised.
"My health is already much better. There is no need for a doctor."
The Prince of Pingyang's eyes flickered.
"It is no trouble, just consider it a routine health check."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang was very touched. "Then Your Highness should also be examined when the time comes."
"No need. I just had a doctor look at me, and the result is the same no matter how many times they look."
Hearing the Prince of Pingyang's low voice, the Princess Consort of Pingyang thought he was disappointed about his legs.
"Your Highness, I heard from Jinxin that there is a place in the south where everyone knows medicine."
"Why don't we go take a look? Perhaps a divine doctor there could cure your legs!"
The Prince of Pingyang subconsciously touched his knees.
He felt the warmth from his hands transfer to his legs.
He had been secretly getting up at night to practice.
From initially standing while leaning against the wall, to walking while holding onto the wheelchair, and then to letting go of the wheelchair to take a step or two.
Every little progress brought joy to the Prince of Pingyang.
However, he had not told anyone this secret.
Including Ling Feng.
"In three months, it will be Imperial Father's birthday."
"We will definitely have to go to the capital. I plan to set off for the capital in a dozen days or so."
"The journey to the capital is long. Leaving early means we won't have to rush and suffer."
"Arriving in the capital early will allow us to rest before entering the palace to offer our birthday wishes, so we do not lose our manners due to the exhaustion of travel."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang nodded, "Yes."
"Then, Your Highness, if we still have not found the person behind the steward after half a month, will the estate still be left in his care?"
The Prince of Pingyang pondered for a moment.
"No, when the time comes, we will find an excuse to bring him along to the capital."
"I will arrange for someone else to manage things here."
Xianyang was the Prince of Pingyang's fiefdom, and also his only way of retreat.
He certainly could not leave his home base to the enemy.
Furthermore, the Princess Consort's farm estate now had an iron mine, which absolutely could not be known by the steward.
If all else fails, transfer him to the residence in the capital.
He would likely spend very little time there for the rest of his life.
By then, once the person behind him is found, it would also be convenient for Ling Yu to make a move.
"For this half month, Pingting, your task will be heavy."
"No matter what, we must find out who is behind him."
"I can tolerate a pawn by my side."
"But I will not allow an unknown danger to remain by my side. Do you understand?"
"Rest assured, Your Highness. I understand, and I will do my best."
The Prince of Pingyang mused for a moment, "The matters concerning the farm estate must never be known by the steward. Remember this!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang nodded solemnly.
"I have noted it. I will warn the maids to keep their mouths shut."
"As for Duoduo..." The Prince of Pingyang stopped just as the words reached his lips.
"Do not worry, Your Highness. I will explain it to Duoduo, and she will understand."
"Speaking of which, this child is truly a lucky star."
"First she helped me expose the estate manager, and then she found out about the steward. I really do not know how to thank her."
The Prince of Pingyang nodded thoughtfully.
"There is no need for gratitude. As long as the Princess Consort genuinely loves her as your own child, that is the best thing for her."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang was slightly taken aback.
"Your Highness, forgive my bluntness, but you seem to treat Duoduo rather specially."
The Prince of Pingyang stroked his legs, something flashing quickly through his eyes.
"She is very intelligent, as well as filial and kind. Such a child is worth treating with sincerity."
"Since, through a twist of fate, she has become our daughter, then perhaps it is heaven's compensation to us."
"Such is the will of heaven, so we must learn to cherish it, rather than pushing her away."
The Prince of Pingyang's final words held a double meaning.
Unfortunately, at this moment, the Princess Consort of Pingyang did not understand the underlying meaning of his words.
"Rest assured, Your Highness. I will definitely treat Duoduo as our own biological daughter. I will absolutely not go back on my word!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang made a solemn promise.
The Prince of Pingyang gently patted the back of his wife's hand without speaking.
"Your Highness, what kind of birthday gift should we prepare then?"
"How about I send someone to the south to look around?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang changed the subject.
Since it was a birthday gift, they definitely had to start looking for it in advance.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang had already planned to send someone to the south to take a look.
She heard that the things coming from the sea over there were very precious.
"Just pick something at random from the storehouse and wrap it up. As a down-and-out prince, I cannot produce anything good anyway."
The corners of the Prince of Pingyang's lips curled into a cold sneer.
A wave of sorrow washed over the Princess Consort of Pingyang's heart.
Even though they were all princes, everything the Prince of Pingyang had was fought for with real swords and spears.
"Your Highness, this trip to the capital will probably not be peaceful."
The Prince of Pingyang did not speak. He looked at the blooming flowers in the courtyard, pondering in silence.
After a long while, he finally spoke slowly.
"The tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease. Fearing it is useless, and we cannot hide from it."
"Before then, we must make preparations to protect ourselves."
"By the way, I plan to adjust Duoduo's lessons recently."
"Embroidery and household management can wait until we return from the capital."
"For now, she should mainly study literature with Li Jin and martial arts with Ling Feng. The rest of the time, she can study medicine with the master."
"Then as for Nanny Li, should we hold off on letting her return for now?"
