What’s going on?
Jinhuaihua was Old Yun’s maid. Why did Prince Ming suddenly summon her?
Xiao Xinling eyed Jinhuaihua slyly and asked with a smile, "Huaihua, does Prince Ming… no, does Young Master Xiao often call you over? What do you usually talk about? Have you held hands or anything?"
Erlongzi: "..."
No, Your Highness Princess, why do you meddle in everything?
You should focus on getting yourself married off first.
Jinhuaihua murmured, "We… we didn't talk about anything!"
Xiao Xinling said "Oh," clearly not believing her.
Just as she was about to follow Jinhuaihua to the 'appointment,' Nanny Gao suddenly walked over, "Eldest Miss, the bedding has been laid out. You should retire early!"
"Yes, yes, Eldest Miss Xiao has had a long journey. It's best to rest early!" Erlongzi chuckled.
Xiao Xinling: "..."
As she said, she couldn't sleep at her age!
Forget it, she wouldn't play with them anymore. She still wanted to bother Uncle Yun.
After Xiao Xinling left, Jinhuaihua touched her hair bun and then followed Erlongzi to Xiao Jinfeng's guest room…
As soon as the door was pushed open, a strong smell of alcohol hit them, making Jinhuaihua cover her nose.
Xiao Jinfeng was seen sitting cross-legged on the kang, with a small kang table in front of him, filled with various cooked foods and wine jars.
It was evident he had already drunk a lot before this…
"Oh, Young Master, stop drinking. Your subordinate has called for Miss Huaihua!" Erlongzi quickly walked over and snatched the wine jar from Xiao Jinfeng's hand.
Jinhuaihua also went to the water basin, wet a towel, and stepped forward to wipe Xiao Jinfeng's face…
"Heh heh, in the end, Huaihua is the best!" Xiao Jinfeng grinned foolishly, staring intently at Jinhuaihua, "Huaihua, I, this Prince, also want to build a large house in Dashui Village. Will you live with me then, okay?"
Erlongzi heard this and sighed, holding his forehead.
Your Highness, can you stop referring to yourself as 'this Prince'?
Are you afraid others won't know your identity?
Jinhuaihua's hand paused slightly as she wiped his sweat, and she asked in surprise, "Build… build a house?"
"Uh-huh!" Xiao Jinfeng nodded, gesturing towards the window, "I'll build a house next to Old Yun's family, and it will be better and more beautiful than theirs. I'll reserve a large room for you, and you can pick any furniture and decorations you like, as long as my Huaihua is happy, heh heh!"
Jinhuaihua: "..."
You're too drunk. Even if you're talking nonsense, it should be somewhat realistic.
Actually, after observing for a period, Jinhuaihua could vaguely sense Xiao Jinfeng's identity.
Especially when he got drunk, he would blurt out keywords like 'Mother Consort,' 'This Prince,' 'Crown Prince,' 'Eastern Palace,' and so on…
Jinhuaihua was literate. If she couldn't connect these clues and figure things out, she would truly be an idiot.
"I… I'm quite happy living here. I don't want… I don't want a big house!" Jinhuaihua's cheeks burned, her voice as quiet as a mosquito.
Xiao Jinfeng blinked his drunken eyes, a bitter smile on his lips, "Alas, a carefree life like yours is so good. It's different for me, living a life of deceit and scheming every day. It's really tiring! Huaihua, what should I do now? The Crown Prince has already returned, but I can't do anything to him. If Mother Consort finds out about this, she'll be furious…"
Jinhuaihua: "???"
So, you're Young Master Xiao's arch-nemesis?
Erlongzi's face paled with shock, "Young… Young Master, you can't say any more. Hurry up and lie down to sleep!"
Good heavens, you've revealed all your secrets. Aren't you afraid Jinhuaihua will spread them everywhere?
"I… I don't know…" Jinhuaihua continued to wipe his sweat.
Xiao Jinfeng paused for a moment, then gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Yes, why should I tell you these things? Isn't it ridiculous? Forget it, when the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a road. Even if Mother Consort is unreasonable, she should understand my plight, right? Heh heh!"
Jinhuaihua didn't reply. Instead, she cleared away the leftovers and wine jars from the kang table, then spread out the bedding, urging Xiao Jinfeng to rest early…
Strangely, no matter how Jinhuaihua arranged him, Xiao Jinfeng was very compliant.
If Erlongzi had tried to serve him, he would have been scolded to death.
After Jinhuaihua left, Erlongzi quietly asked, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince has returned to Dashui Village. Should we inform the Empress immediately?"
Prince Ming had lived in Dashui Village for so long, almost cutting off correspondence with Consort Xian. Such actions were already willful. If he continued to be willful and touched Consort Xian's bottom line, Prince Ming might never be able to leave the palace again…
Xiao Jinfeng let out a belch and closed his eyes, his voice hoarse, "Why tell her? Am I her puppet? A marionette? Or a pawn in her power grab?"
"Your Highness!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Erlongzi's face was filled with panic. He knelt on the ground with a 'thump,' "Your Highness, you must speak and act cautiously. Do you know the consequences if the Consort hears these words? Although my status is humble, I must still advise Your Highness that if you don't act now, you may never have another chance. Please reconsider, Your Highness…"
"Get out!" Xiao Jinfeng clenched his fist.
What he should do was not for a mere guard to dictate.
"Your H…"
"I told you to get out!" Xiao Jinfeng sat up abruptly, grabbed a pillow, and threw it at Erlongzi.
At this moment, Qinglan, Xiaoying, and Xiaojun, who were squatting on the rooftop, were also startled.
Although Prince Ming did not know martial arts, the aura and anger he exuded were so intense that even they, as masters, dared not approach rashly…
Erlongzi retreated dejectedly. As he closed the door, he glanced up at the rooftop and snorted, "Are you satisfied now?"
Prince Ming's inaction was simply like mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall.
The rooftop was silent, with no movement.
Erlongzi lingered outside the door for a moment, then squatted on the steps, waiting for Prince Ming to sober up…
Despite his anger, the Old Yun family was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and danger lurked everywhere. As his personal guard, he absolutely dared not leave Prince Ming's side.
At the same time, at the entrance of Dashui Village, a carriage arrived.
A bamboo pole stood on the carriage shaft, carrying a dim yellow lantern.
The village dogs, as if by agreement, all barked collectively, "Woof woof."
Some families slept early and were already in bed. Hearing the commotion, the diligent ones would carry lanterns, open their doors, and peek outside.
After a while, the carriage slowly stopped in front of Old Yun's house.