“Your Highness, this old servant came to receive his punishment at the commandery princess’s request.” The steward lowered his head even further.
Xiao Yi fell silent.
He understood. Duoduo was doing him a favor.
Xiao Yi’s gaze lingered for a moment on the steward’s graying hair.
The steward had once followed him into battle. His entire family had been killed.
That was why, when Xiao Yi dismissed the servants, the steward had asked to stay and help watch over the prince’s residence.
He was not entirely blameless, but neither was he truly at fault.
Still, although Duoduo had said this on his behalf, there had to be rules. Once rules were established, they had to be enforced. Otherwise, everyone would follow the example set from above.
“Go find Yunxiao and receive your punishment,” he said, his voice as cold as winter ice.
The old steward’s body trembled. The hope that had been hanging in his heart instantly died.
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
“This old servant will go at once!”
After kowtowing once more, the steward pushed himself up from the floor and walked toward the door with unsteady steps.
Just as his hand was about to touch the door—
“If you manage to endure twenty military cudgels, this prince will let the matter pass.”
Xiao Yi’s cold voice rang out again.
The steward’s eyes grew hot, and his throat tightened.
Was the prince worried that he would not survive? Was he deliberately giving him a sliver of hope?
The steward straightened his back. Though he was advanced in years, he was willing to fight to stay alive for the prince.
Even if he could no longer remain the steward, simply staying by the prince’s side would be enough.
Long ago, he had come to regard the prince as his own kin.
After holding back for a long while, the steward turned around and bowed to Xiao Yi.
“Yes! Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness!”
Xiao Yi said nothing. The steward opened the door and walked out.
Yunxiao, who had been standing outside, had heard every word of their conversation.
When he saw the steward come out, he said, “Let’s go.”
In the kitchen, Lüdou noticed that Duoduo was distracted.
“Princess, you’re not really planning to go to the meeting, are you?”
“Do you know who the other person is? What if they’re a bad person and mean you harm? Wouldn’t you be putting yourself in danger?”
Duoduo came back to herself. She saw the concern and worry on the faces of Lüdou, Nanny Li, and Qingliu.
She handed the note to Nanny Li.
Lüdou and Qingliu hurried over to look at the paper with her.
“Danyang? Could this be Princess Danyang?” Nanny Li asked when she saw the signature.
Duoduo nodded.
“In the capital, there’s probably only one person named Danyang whom I know.”
As she spoke, Duoduo tilted her head.
“But she and I aren’t close. Why would she invite me to a place like the Great Buddha Temple?”
Danyang was about the same age as her. Why would she want to visit a temple?
Someone must have borrowed her name.
Still, Duoduo recognized the handwriting on the note. It was indeed Danyang’s.
If Danyang really had written it, that could only mean one thing: the person behind this was very familiar with her.
That was why he had been able to get Danyang to write the note for him.
Could it be one of her classmates from the academy?
Duoduo dismissed the idea at once.
If it were a classmate, they could have invited her to any restaurant or teahouse in the city. There was no need to arrange a meeting outside the city.
Unless, as Lüdou had said, someone truly intended to harm her.
But if that were the case, there would have been no need for that person to have Danyang write the note.
Duoduo felt as though her head were about to explode from thinking.
“Qingliu, go to the gatehouse and ask whether anyone has come to the prince’s residence today.”
Qingliu acknowledged the order and left.
Duoduo shook her head.
“Lüdou, let’s keep going!”
Lüdou and Nanny Li exchanged deeply worried glances.
They were afraid Duoduo would actually go to the meeting.
No! Tomorrow, I must not leave the princess’s side for even a moment, Lüdou thought.
Nanny Li was thinking the same thing.
When they saw Duoduo begin working again, the two of them hurried over and took over the task.
Once the pastries had been prepared and placed in the oven, Qingliu returned.
“Princess, I went to ask the people at the gatehouse.”
“They said no one had come to the residence today.”
“I asked whether someone had bribed a young maid to sneak a message inside, and that frightened him half to death!”
“He said the young maid must have encountered the person outside. In any case, he insisted that he hadn’t seen anything.”
“It makes me furious! He knows absolutely nothing no matter how many questions I ask!”
Qingliu angrily lifted her sleeve and fanned her face.
The weather was hot to begin with, and she had hurried all the way there. On top of that, she was angry, so her face had turned bright red.
Duoduo glanced at her. “Lüdou, pour Qingliu a cup of water.”
Lüdou was just about to move when Qingliu quickly stopped her.
“No need! I can do it myself.”
Qingliu went to the table, picked up the teapot, poured herself a cup, and drained it in one gulp.
Duoduo couldn’t help curving her lips into a smile.
“Drink slowly! Be careful not to choke.”
“I won’t! There’s no need for the princess to worry!” Qingliu said, though she still slowed down.
She poured herself another cup of tea and took two sips before speaking again.
“Princess, I just saw that the steward had been given twenty military cudgels. The servants carried him back.”
Duoduo froze.
She had thought there was a chance her father might go easy on him.
After all, the steward had merely been implicated in the matter.
And the steward was no longer young. After twenty cudgels, whether he would survive was another question entirely!
Duoduo thought for a while, then lowered her head and began searching inside her sleeve.
After fumbling around for quite some time, she finally pulled out a small bottle.
“As I thought, I still have one bottle left.”
“Qingliu, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to make another trip.” Duoduo sounded apologetic.
Qingliu had already run back and forth several times.
In this sweltering weather, rushing around so much made it easy to suffer heat exhaustion.
But the pastries were steaming, and Lüdou had to watch the heat.
Nanny Li was getting on in years as well, so Duoduo could not ask her to go.
That left only Qingliu.
Qingliu set down her teacup. “Please tell me what you need, Princess.”
Duoduo handed her the medicine bottle.
“Take this ointment for bruises and blood stasis to the steward in secret.”
“Oh, and whatever you do, don’t tell him it came from me.”
A look of surprise appeared in Qingliu’s eyes. “But what should I say if the steward asks where it came from?”
Duoduo blinked.
“Just tell him Father sent it.”
“Oh!” Qingliu agreed and carefully tucked the bottle into her sleeve.
“Does the princess have any other orders?” Qingliu asked before leaving.
Duoduo shook her head.
“No.”
“Take the route through the shade, and don’t hurry. Walk slowly.”
Qingliu’s face filled with emotion. “Yes, Princess. I’ll do as you say!”
She curtsied and left the kitchen.
Nanny Li looked at Duoduo with deep satisfaction.
The princess was kindhearted and always placed the prince first.
How wonderful!
After all his hardships, the prince had finally gained someone who cared for him.
If only the prince’s legs could recover, that would make things even better!
“Nanny Li, come with me to the outer study.” Duoduo straightened her clothes and beckoned to Nanny Li.
