Song Yinghuai's private seal...
Such an item was both private and important. With his private seal in hand, one might not be able to mobilize troops, but it would surely be sufficient to seek help or withdraw money from any of Song Yinghuai's businesses in the Great Ye.
Moreover, being willing to entrust one's private seal to another person indicated that the latter held a significant place in the former's heart!
Caiyu considered herself far from occupying such a place in Song Yinghuai's heart.
After all, she only had two unimportant shops!
But someone else had the privilege of acting freely in all of Song Yinghuai's shops with just the private seal.
Caiyu's fingers tightened around the teapot.
It was as if a tiny thorn had pricked her heart. The pain was faint, almost fleeting.
Yet, that slight pain quickly spread through her body, making her feel miserable from head to toe. She even felt unsteady on her feet.
So, there really was a white moonlight.
She had thought it was just a rumor!
It seemed she was just a substitute!
Song Yinghuai stared at the private seal. His handsome face, with its calm expression, exuded a kind of desolate tranquility, as if all the wind and snow had faded away.
Outside the room, the sun shone brightly, but its light didn't reach Song Yinghuai's face.
No one could discern his expression.
Nanny Mei's voice droned on in Caiyu's ears:
"The eldest miss asked if the promise the prince made when he presented this token still holds true?"
There was a promise!
What kind of promise was it?
A vow of eternal love and undying devotion, or a pledge to go through fire and water for her?
Just as Song Yinghuai was about to speak,
"Clang!"
The teapot in Caiyu's hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Everyone's gazes immediately turned to Caiyu.
A flicker of panic flashed across Caiyu's eyes. She quickly lowered her head and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I accidentally dropped it. I'll clean it up right away."
As she said this, she crouched down to pick up the shards of the teapot.
Her mind was buzzing, and she didn't even hear Song Yinghuai's words to stop her. The moment her finger touched a shard, it was pricked.
The shard pierced a small cut in her finger.
Caiyu let out a hiss. Her finger was immediately grasped, and Song Yinghuai bent down to pull her up from the ground. A complex emotion flashed in his eyes as he said in a deep voice:
"You may step back first."
Caiyu stared blankly at his tense cheeks, feeling a surge of anger welling up inside.
She didn't want to step back at all!
She just wanted to hear what promise he had made to Lü Baiwei!
Seeing her stubbornly standing there, seemingly unwilling to leave, Song Yinghuai's temples throbbed.
He frowned, enunciating each word clearly, his eyes filled with a warning. "Caiyu, step back."
His gaze swept across Caiyu's pricked finger.
On the tip of her slender, fair finger, there was a bright red blood bead, trembling precariously on the tip.
It was like a morning dewdrop on a leaf.
But the dewdrop was stained with blood, making it extremely eye-catching.
Song Yinghuai's voice was even lower than usual, so low that only the two of them could hear.
But Caiyu knew that this was his final ultimatum.
Ji Ming had served Song Yinghuai for a long time and naturally knew that his master was about to lose his temper.
He quickly stepped forward and said to Caiyu, "Caiyu, come with me first to bandage your wound."
Nanny Mei's voice sounded sarcastically from the side. "The prince is really considerate of his servants. Just a small cut from the teapot, and he immediately lets her step back to bandage it. And he doesn't even pursue the matter of the broken teapot..."
"Nanny Mei!" Song Yinghuai turned around and interrupted her rambling. His voice suddenly rose, filled with anger. "You are a servant of the Crown Prince's Mansion. When did it become your place to interfere in the affairs of the Prince of Yan's Mansion?"
Nanny Mei was startled. Seeing Song Yinghuai's terrifyingly gloomy face, she knew she had been carried away by her pride. She quickly knelt down and said:
"Your Highness, please calm your anger! I spoke out of turn!"
Meanwhile, Ji Ming was still gently pushing Caiyu to leave.
Caiyu took a step, and her foot landed on the Yusi brocade that Ji Ming was holding. Anger welled up in her, and she yanked her hand out of Ji Ming's grasp.
Before Song Yinghuai could turn around, he felt a long shadow fall into his arms.
He instinctively caught it and was shocked to find that it was the brocade that Ji Ming had been holding just now. He was so angry that he wanted to curse.
However, Caiyu took to her heels and ran away without looking back.
Song Yinghuai: ...
Ji Ming glanced at his master's changing expression and said carefully, "Your Highness, Miss Caiyu may have just come from Yanjing and is not acclimated to the local environment. Her liver qi is stagnant, which may have caused her to have a bad temper..."
Song Yinghuai gave him a sidelong glance. "As the chief steward of the mansion, is this how you teach your subordinates?"
Cold sweat broke out on Ji Ming's back. "I am guilty!"
Song Yinghuai snorted. "Disrespecting the master and behaving improperly. After you go down, punish her according to the family rules so that she can learn her lesson."
Ji Ming's scalp tingled.
Punishment according to the family rules...
The prince couldn't be serious, could he?
Defying the master in public would result in twenty slaps on the mouth according to the family rules!
Ji Ming bowed and stepped back. Just as he turned a corner, he noticed Han Fen following behind him.
"What are you doing here?" Ji Ming stopped and asked curiously.
Han Fen's eyes sparkled with excitement. Rubbing his hands eagerly, he said, "Didn't the prince say he wanted to punish Caiyu? I've always been the one to administer corporal punishment. I'll go with you now!"
Ji Ming looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Are you stupid or am I?"
Given how much the prince doted on Caiyu now, how could he bear to punish her for such a trivial matter?
Caiyu had done even more outrageous things and had made the prince extremely angry, but she had never been punished!
Han Fen burst out laughing and punched Ji Ming in the chest. "I was afraid you were stupid and would really give Caiyu a few slaps. That's why I followed you secretly."
Ji Ming: "Get out of here!"
When Nanny Mei left the Prince of Yan's Mansion, she was holding the Yusi brocade in her arms, a delighted expression on her face.
She looked back at the imposing gate of the mansion and felt proud.
Reluctant to part with it?
She had merely expressed her desire for the brocade to the prince, and he had simply thrown it to her!
In the past, whenever Concubine Lü wanted something, not only would the prince give it to her if he had it, but he would also go out of his way to find it for her if he didn't.
What was Caiyu?
Just as Nanny Mei was about to leave with the brocade in her arms, a petite figure caught her eye.
Qingqing was squatting at the mansion gate, teasing a stray dog.
The dog, probably feeling cornered, tucked its tail and tried to escape. It ran so fast that it left a blur and darted between Nanny Mei's legs!
Nanny Mei was holding the brocade and was caught off guard when the dog ran into her calves.
She immediately fell to the ground, landing right on the dog's back!
Both the woman and the dog let out terrified roars. The Yusi brocade in Nanny Mei's hand flew out and landed in Qingqing's hands.
Before she could react, she was carried away by the dog and disappeared without a trace, leaving only a trail of human screams and dog barks in the wind.
This scene left Ning Shi and the others guarding the gate dumbfounded.
What was going on?
Qingqing's face was also filled with a dazed expression. Stuttering, she looked at Ning Shi and the others. "Brother Ning, what should we do?"
Ning Shi and the others blinked and collectively shook their heads.
Although they hadn't gone inside just now, they had vaguely heard what had happened in the main hall while standing at the gate.
Such a major event was not something they should get involved in.
"Miss Qingqing, you can handle it yourself," Ning Shi said, shrinking his neck in fear. He and the others quickly hid inside the mansion.
Qingqing stood outside the mansion, holding the Yusi brocade in her arms, looking utterly lost.
She had deliberately released the dog because she couldn't stand Nanny Mei's arrogant attitude.
But she had never expected the brocade to end up in her arms.
If she took the brocade back to Sister Caiyu, it would probably make her even angrier, especially since the prince had given it away.
But Nanny Mei had "lost" it...
What should she do?
Just as Qingqing was filled with worry, a soft cough came from behind her.
She quickly turned around and saw Sheng Jiangli with a willow twig in his mouth, lounging casually against a willow tree.
The willow leaves fluttered gently against his handsome face, and a mischievous smile played on his lips:
"Little sidekick, just take this brocade to the Crown Prince's Mansion and say it's a gift from the Prince of Yan to Concubine Lü."