Just as Li Wanming was about to take a sip of tea, she suddenly remembered something. "Have you given General Gao what we prepared for him?"
"Of course! I gave it to him earlier," Chun Tao replied while tidying up the packages on the table. "I asked him to take it while we were unloading the car when we first got back."
The items for Gao Yong were similar to those for Qing Lan, including some special snacks and small trinkets. But instead of the beaded embroidered purses for women, there were some bronze drum ornaments for men. Li Wanming had specifically told Gao Yong to share them with the soldiers of the Black Armored Elite Cavalry in the Prince's Mansion.
After tidying up the table, Chun Tao came over to help Li Wanming remove her makeup. She carefully took off the heaviest gold - inlaid hibiscus hair crown on her head, let down her long, shiny black hair, removed two hairpins, and then casually tied up a loose bun.
Li Wanming let out a long sigh of relief and closed her eyes contentedly.
She had dressed up extra carefully today because she knew she would meet the officials outside the city gate. Her attire was very grand. The bumpy ride in the carriage had made her neck ache... And then there was that big show at the city gate!
Alas, it had been such a tiring day...
Chun Tao brought over a moon - white silk nightgown. "Princess, would you like to have dinner first? The bath water is ready."
"Sure..." Li Wanming murmured with her eyes still closed.
Just then, Granny Song came in with four young maids carrying food boxes.
When the old woman saw Li Wanming, her eyes welled up with tears. She was about to kneel down, but Li Wanming quickly stopped her. "Granny, what are you doing? With our close relationship, we don't need these formalities. Chun Tao, quickly get a seat for Granny!"
After Granny Song sat down, she tightly held Li Wanming's wrist with her wrinkled hands, and tears streamed down her face. "Princess, you've suffered so much on this trip... Look at how thin you've become... I should have gone with you..."
"It was just a short trip. It was only a little over a month. How could it be considered suffering?"
Li Wanming smiled, took the almond tea that Chun Tao had brought, and sipped it slowly. "Speaking of which, I left in a hurry and left both the Prince's Mansion and the Li Family to you and Qing Lan. You two have been the ones working hard!"
"Exactly!" Chun Tao couldn't wait to chime in. "During the month we were away, was there anything wrong in the capital?"
Granny Song glanced at the young maids who were setting the table, coughed lightly, and waved her hand. "You can all go down first."
She helped Li Wanming sit down at the table, served her a bowl of sour bamboo shoot and shrimp ball soup, and then slowly began to speak. "There were no major incidents."
"The Empress Dowager sent someone to seal the Prince of Ning's Mansion for ten days. After ten days, Lord Yan, an imperial censor from the Censorate, came to the mansion in person to lift the ban. But after that, the Prince and the Princess stayed in the mansion, not seeing anyone. It was no different from being under house arrest."
"As for our mansion... Lady Li sent someone here twice."
"The first time, it happened to be when our mansion was sealed, so they weren't even allowed in. I had to ask someone to pass on the message that the Princess was fine. The second time, after the ban was lifted, Qing Lan went to meet them. She said that you had General Gao to protect you and often corresponded with General Feng, so the family didn't need to worry."
She paused for a moment. "I heard from the little servant who passed on the message that the General and Lady Li had been busy with military affairs in the camp on the outskirts of the capital these days..."
Li Wanming's pear - wood chopsticks paused slightly on the edge of the bowl. "So, my father and mother are still in the military camp? I was planning to go home and visit them tomorrow. I guess I can't, then?"
"I went to send something there the day before yesterday," Granny Song shook her head. "They said that the General and Lady Li haven't been home for over a month. You probably won't be able to see them."
Li Wanming frowned slightly.
A month -
This time was so close to the time she left the capital. Could it be a coincidence?
She shook her head, suppressing the thoughts welling up in her heart, and simply said, "In that case, I'll wait for a few more days until they're not so busy and then go back."
Chun Tao was serving her food on one side. Granny Song sat back on the embroidered stool and continued, "After the Prince's Mansion was lifted from the ban, Princess Chengping came once..."
She leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice. "The Princess had a fierce argument with the Prince in the Jingjing Hall. I don't know exactly what they said, but I heard the Princess angrily say that if there were any more changes in the war in the Southern Border, she would put on armor and go to the Southern Border herself..."
Li Wanming lowered her eyes, thought for a moment, and asked, "When did this happen?"
"About half a month ago," Granny Song replied.
Half a month ago...
Li Wanming calculated the time in her mind. It was exactly when the news that the Shou'an Granary had been burned reached the capital.
Princess Chengping was a first - rank imperial - enfeoffed lady and the widow of General Huo. Naturally, she had her own sources of information.
General Feng had mobilized civilian caravans, transported food and bought weapons all the way. Presumably, all these had caught Princess Chengping's attention.
Unexpectedly, despite all the precautions, they still failed to prevent it. As soon as the army reached Shou'an, they found the granary burned... Princess Chengping must have been extremely angry!
Her husband and son had both died on the battlefield in the Southern Border. She had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time - but it had been ruined by these moths who only knew how to fight for power!
When she came to the mansion that day, Princess Chengping must have been extremely angry. She must have deeply resented the Prince of Ning for his self - preservation...
"What happened later?" Li Wanming asked again.
"The Princess left in a fit of anger that day and never came again. But I heard that during this period, the gates of the Princess's Mansion were tightly closed, and no one went in or out."
Outside the window, the twilight was gradually deepening. The last ray of the setting sun shone obliquely on the table, gilding Li Wanming's profile.
Princess Chengping was extremely intelligent. After she went back, she would surely understand that the Prince of Ning's inaction was not because he was being a coward, but because he was waiting for a piece of news - the news from the Southern Border.
To be precise, everyone in the court and the public was waiting for this news.
All the high - ranking officials in the court held their breath. It was as if the entire capital had become a tightly stretched bowstring, listening intently for the sound of the horses' hooves from eight hundred miles away.
In this time when a storm was approaching, staying at home and not taking any action might be the wisest choice.
What to do next would depend entirely on the outcome of the war in the Southern Border.
Fortunately, they had won...
Li Wanming gently put down her chopsticks.
She looked at the lanterns that were gradually being lit outside the window, as if she could see countless pairs of eyes that could finally rest in peace.
If they had lost, the prosperous capital of the Great Sheng Dynasty would probably have faced another bloodbath.
At that time, who knew how many heads would fall...
After Li Wanming finished her meal, Granny Song asked the young maids to clear the table, added a cup of tea for Li Wanming, and then left.
Not long after, Qing Lan came.
She gently closed the door, carefully lowered the brocade curtain of the inner room, and quickly walked up to Li Wanming. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Princess, there's news about that white jade Avalokitesvara statue..."