Chapter 7: Clinging

Liu Yiniang hurried forward, cradling Meng Qingrong in her arms, crying, "Minister, Qingrong is still a child, doesn't understand yet, please don't argue with her."

Chi Nan Yi pursed her lips.

A child?

In two years she'll be of age for the hairpin ceremony, right? Still a child?

"Lord, don't be angry; finding the item is most urgent right now."

Meng Hui glared at Meng Qingrong and shouted angrily, "Continue the investigation! Thoroughly search the entire Minister's Residence."

"Yes!"

Meng Hui brushed past, Chi Nan Yi cleared her throat softly, Jiang Clan stepped forward, took her hand, "It's so late, I've woken you up; your health isn't good, go back and rest quickly."

Chi Nan Yi nodded, "Mother, then I'll go back first."

"Tomorrow morning after waking, don't forget to practice the zither; Mother originally intended to get you a hundred‑year ginseng for tonic, but the storage was robbed, it's already late, tomorrow Mother will have Jiang Mama buy it for you."

"Mother, no need, everything in the storage was taken, better not waste silver; let your daughter rest a few more days, the hundred‑year ginseng must be very expensive."

"Don't worry, Mother still has personal silver!"

Still?

Chi Nan Yi's gaze swept over Jiang Clan's face, noticing that although Jiang Clan was anxious and shocked, she was not overly panicked.

That means the personal silver she mentioned is not a small amount.

Indeed, Jiang Clan's maternal family is a wealthy household in Jingcheng, how could they lack silver?

In a previous life, the original host was badly bullied by those of the Jiang family.

Even after marrying into the Crown Prince's Residence and becoming a side consort of the Crown Prince, she still had to appease the Jiang family with smiles.

Thinking that way, the original host was truly weak.

Since they're wealthy, she need not be merciful or soft‑handed.

The Jiang family's estates can't be taken, but gold, silver, and jewels are plentiful.

When there's time, she'll go help them clear them out, making it easier for them to accumulate again.

Meng Hui and his group tormented the Minister's Residence for a night, finding nothing.

They almost missed the next day's morning court.

Because of that, his complexion was extremely unpleasant.

The entire Minister's Residence was in panic, no one smiled, only in Chi Nan Yi's courtyard, time was tranquil.

"Miss, the bird's nest soup has arrived."

Chi Nan Yi took the bird's nest from Cai Pin's hand and sipped it in small mouthfuls.

It's not that she's extravagant; this bird's nest was sent by Jiang Clan specifically to help her body recover faster.

All morning Jiang Mama has come several times to check whether her condition has improved.

"Jiang Mama, the residence doctor prescribed me medicine for illness, not a divine pill; how could I recover so quickly?" she coughed a few times, "Go tell my mother, so she doesn't worry; I know my body, just need to nurture for ten or eight days and it'll be fine."

"Ten days or eight days?" Jiang Clan placed the tea cup on the table, "Did she really say that?"

"Yes, the miss said she still needs ten or eight days to get better."

"What about the residence doctor? What did he say? Didn't he say just hanging with a great tonic would suffice?"

"Madam, even the hundred‑year ginseng we dare not stew the whole for the miss; it's a massive tonic and would harm her body. Today we only used two ginseng roots to stew chicken soup."

"Which ginseng root? Compared with the future of the Minister's Residence and Jiang family, what does her slight weakness matter? Stew the whole ginseng."

"Yes."

So, that night, Chi Nan Yi looked at the ginseng soup Cai Pin brought and couldn't help but laugh.

How impatient Jiang Clan really is!

Completely disregarding her health; if she drinks this ginseng soup, a nosebleed would be the mildest.

"Since you want the Crown Prince to favor the Minister's Residence's lady, I can give you a hand."

From memory, Liu Yiniang's daughter Meng Qingrong was also proficient in qin, chess, calligraphy and painting, with a fairly good appearance; in the previous life the Crown Prince was interested in her, but he had already taken the Minister's two daughters as wives, so he could not take another, and Meng Qingrong was of secondary birth, so beyond talent and looks she offered no benefit to his prospects, thus the Crown Prince gave up his thoughts.

But Meng Qingrong, like Liu Yiniang, liked to cling to the powerful.

She was of secondary birth, yet also the chancellor's daughter; Meng Hui eventually chose a fourth‑rank official's legitimate son for her as a primary wife, where would Meng Qingrong be willing to marry?

In the end she used every means to climb onto the Crown Prince's bed.

"You love the Crown Prince so much, then go yourself to that tiger‑wolf den of the Crown Prince's Residence!"

In the previous life, once the original host's identity was known, Meng Qingrong and Meng Qingyue often bullied her, calling her thick‑skinned, staying in the Minister's Residence without leaving, even beating and scolding her at will.

"The original host was also a useless person, could be bullied by anyone a few times, both stupid and weak; if you don't die, who will?" Chi Nan Yi took out a note, the corner of her mouth slightly upturned, "But in this life, no one may think of bullying Auntie."

At this moment, in Liu Yiniang's courtyard, Meng Qingrong and Meng Qingyue sat beside Liu Yiniang, and Meng Qingrong said angrily, "Which damn thing sneaked into our residence and emptied the Minister's Residence! Is it a mouse? It even digs holes!"

Meng Qingyue sighed, "Now it's ruined; all the good things in the storage are gone, what shall we do?"

"What do you mean what to do?" Meng Qingrong asked, a bit confused.

"Dowry!" Meng Qingyue bit her lip, "When we marry, we won't even have a decent dowry; the husband's family will surely mock us."

Liu Yiniang heard this and whispered, "If it's this disorderly, you must not speak of it again; in front of your mother it's one thing, but if it spreads, you haven't even reached the hairpin ceremony yet, yet you're so eager to marry—your reputation will be ruined. Your father is already upset over the theft; if you add more trouble, Mother can't protect you."

"Yes, Auntie, we understand."

Meng Qingyue and Meng Qingrong returned to their courtyard; as Meng Qingrong opened the door, a note drifted down, landing right at her feet.

"What is this?"

Meng Qingrong unfolded the note, looked at its contents, and her eyes lit up.

She quickly clenched the note tightly.

Early the next morning, Chi Nan Yi was dragged out of her sleep and began washing and dressing.

"What are you doing?" she said groggily, looking at her flamboyantly dressed self in the bronze mirror, her eyes suddenly widened.

Is that me in the bronze mirror?

Isn't that an actor from some theater?

My face has been made up to look like a monkey's butt.

"Who is that in the mirror? Is it a ghost?"

"Miss, the madam has ordered that you must be dressed up to look as beautiful as possible."

"You call this beautiful? Are you blind? Is this beautiful? Who would be beautiful like a ghost? Hurry up and fetch water!"

"Miss..." Cai Pin said with some difficulty: "The madam said that the Crown Prince will come today, and she wants you to play the zither for His Highness the Crown Prince. We have inquired, and the Crown Prince most likes women dressed up like this; there's no mistake."

Hehe.

Then this Crown Prince's taste is really heavy.