The little heroine investigates a mysterious case

Zhao Xuan sighed inwardly, it’s over, Tian Shiliu’s performance failed!

The two had a quarrel on the first day of their marriage. On the surface, it seemed that Gu Zhanghua was bullied by her. He even jumped out of the car and fell down. He was so angry that he refused to eat. If Qing'e, the lackey, reported this to Concubine Shu, would he be in trouble?

Zhao Xuan didn't show it on her face, and she softened her tone: "Isn't it okay for me to apologize to him?"

The secretary sighed, "My prince has this problem. When he's unhappy, he just wants to be alone. He doesn't want to say a word and won't see anyone. Even the Concubine Shu can't do anything about it! But he'll be fine in an hour or two. I promise you, I'll tell you as soon as His Highness leaves the room!"

Okay, Zhao Xuan thought, she couldn't make things difficult for Shishu, he was just following orders, so she would wait until Gu Zhanghua's anger subsided before returning the dagger to him, an hour or two wouldn't be a big deal.

Zhao Xuan turned and walked towards the kitchen, and saw Chunlan coming towards her with a lunch box.

"Princess, the housekeeper has specially prepared some exquisite side dishes and asked me to send them to your room!"

Zhao Xuan patted her forehead and said, "I remember now. As a princess, I can't go to the kitchen to eat with everyone."

"Princess, please be more careful and stop ruining Jiaoyang Valley!"

Zhao Xuan sighed, "Alright, alright, I get it! The princess and the boss are so different in status, I feel like I'm dancing on the edge of a knife! And I don't even know how to dance! How can it be easy for me?!"

Chunlan was amused by Zhao Xuan's words: "Just now, the housekeeper told me mysteriously that everyone would give you a surprise tonight. I asked her what it was, but she didn't tell me. What do you think the surprise is?"

"Do you still need to guess? You received so many benefits last night, so kowtow to me and thank me tonight!"

The two of them went back to the house talking in whispers. Zhao Xuan couldn't eat anymore after just two bites, so she asked Chunlan to clear the food away and then fell asleep.

Gu Zhanghua's words still touched her heart. For so many years, she didn't dare to think about her childhood, for fear of thinking of her master, Qingfengyuan, and those beautiful days... She would be sad and upset, but she didn't have the time to worry. She had to practice hard and live a good life. She desperately wanted to grow up quickly and avenge her master...

Zhao Xuan reminisced about the past in her new home, while Gu Zhanghua sat in his study, also lost in thought. He didn't blame Tian Shiliu; anyone would have thought the same thing. How could someone missing for over a decade be safe and sound? He was just deceiving himself.

The two were both preoccupied with their own affairs and forgot to explain Qing'e's origins to Butler Li. Zhao Xuan was so sad that she really forgot, and Gu Zhanghua didn't even take Qing'e seriously.

Zhao Xuan didn't know how long she had slept in a daze when she heard a noise coming from the yard. She couldn't help but press her temples, got up and put on her clothes. As soon as she opened the door, she saw a group of servants led by the housekeeper in the yard, confronting Qing'e face to face.

The housekeeper looked at Qing'e with suspicion.

"Who are you? The princess is the boss in this palace! Why don't you let us have the feast in the courtyard?"

Qing'e stood on the steps of the corridor with an arrogant look on her face, her hands on her hips, looking at everyone with a domineering look.

"I'm going to tell you all this today. Listen carefully! Remember this! I was specially sent by Concubine Shu to take charge of the palace! From now on, each of you must obey my orders!"

The housekeeper said disdainfully, "Even if you were sent by the Empress, how can you be more powerful than the Princess?! You think you're so important, even if you use a chicken feather as a token of authority!"

Qing'e sneered, "You're committing treason, don't you understand? Come on! Take them all down and give each of you twenty lashes!"

Zhao Xuan narrowed her eyes and looked at Qing'e's domineering appearance, and gritted her teeth. It seemed that if she didn't take Qing'e down in one fell swoop, she would have no chance of turning the Xianwang Mansion into an iron barrel in a short period of time, and turning it into a nest like Jiaoyang Valley where everyone was united and the inside and outside were united!

Zhao Xuan rolled up her sleeves and thought to herself, you little bastard, wait and see how I’m going to deal with you!

Zhao Xuan stood in front of the door with her hands on her hips and yelled, "Stop making noise!"

When everyone saw Zhao Xuan appear, they immediately gathered around. Qing'e ran quickly and was the first to rush to Zhao Xuan, eager to try.

Zhao Xuan gave Qing'e a chance.

"You, you speak first."

Qing'e politely bowed to Zhao Xuan, her face full of determination, and she spoke crisply:

"Princess, please understand! I've been here for about an hour now, and I only saw a guard guarding the gate. I didn't see any other servants. I asked the guard where everyone else had gone, but he acted mysterious..."

The housekeeper immediately interrupted Qing'e: "What do you mean by that? Are you accusing us of deserting our duties? Are you trying to deduct our monthly salary? We haven't been lazy!"

Zhao Xuan waved her hand soothingly at the housekeeper: "Don't worry, let her speak!"

Qing'e gave the housekeeper a smug look.

"It was almost dark, and I thought the prince and princess wouldn't be hungry, so I ran to the kitchen to check. I saw a large group of people crowded in the kitchen, saying that they were preparing a thank-you banquet for the princess. They also lied to me, saying that the princess had a party with them last night! What a joke! Not to mention that the princess would never do such a ridiculous thing, even if the princess did so, it would be giving them a huge face. Once is not enough, and they want to do it a second time? It's really outrageous! Princess, please give me some judgment. They actually want to eat at the same table with you. Isn't this insubordination?"

The housekeeper was so aggrieved that she almost cried, and looked at Zhao Xuan eagerly.

Zhao Xuan said, "Okay, let's talk a little bit."

The housekeeper bowed to Zhao Xuan and then sniffed.

"Princess, we all came here sincerely. We didn't use any of the money in the palace, we just collected it ourselves... But now that this young lady has mentioned this, we, the humble ones, were really just thinking about repaying her kindness. We were confused for a moment and didn't think too much. We have offended you, Princess. Please forgive us!"

Qing'e became even more excited when she saw the housekeeper admit her mistake on her own initiative.

"It's more than an offense! Each and every one of you, do you know the standard of the food in the Xianwang Mansion? Breakfast is ten taels of silver, lunch and dinner are twenty taels of silver each, and you? Can you come up with twenty taels? You're just trying to fool people! I think you're just taking advantage of the fact that the princess has just arrived and doesn't understand these things, and you're trying to curry favor with her!"

When the housekeeper heard this, she was so angry that she almost fainted and cried out in injustice:

"Princess! This is unfair! We don't have much money, and after all we've pooled our resources, we can only come up with nine taels and three qian of silver! The fruits and vegetables are grown in our own fields, the hens are raised in our own yard, and the meat is bought on credit from relatives... But this is all so thoughtful of us! Princess! We don't have money, but we're not trying to curry favor with you. You've been kind to us, and we just want to return the favor! Reciprocate kindness, and remember the well-digger when you drink the water. You all understand this principle!"

The crowd echoed the voice, and for a while, cries of injustice were heard one after another.

Zhao Xuan finally understood the whole story.

"Everyone, please be quiet and listen to me."