CHAPTER 184: CHAPTER 184: REQUEST TO MEET

Chu Shun and the others are action-oriented.

Once they decided to find Su Jin, they went immediately.

They weren’t used to entering through the main gate of the Duke Mansion, so under the guise of helping Prince NanAn overcome psychological shadows, they chose to climb over the wall again.

Looking at the words written on the wall—

The corners of several mouths twitched in unison.

"This must have been written by that maid," said Prince NanAn.

"What’s the point of planting cactus now with words like these?" said the Heir of Marquis Beining.

"The maid of our eldest sister-in-law is a bit adorably silly," laughed Chu Shun.

Xingxing inside the wall made a little face, shouted towards the outside, "Don’t call me silly!"

Chu Shun, "...."

Prince NanAn, "...."

Heir of Marquis Beining, "...."

Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo, "...."

The previously reluctant Prince NanAn was the first to flip over the wall into the courtyard, telling Xingxing, "The one who called you silly was the Heir of Marquis Jingguo."

Chu Shun, "...."

This brother is hopeless.

"The Prince is smart!" said the Heir of Marquis Beining.

With that, he also climbed over the wall.

"I can testify, it really was the Heir of Marquis Jingguo who said it," said the Heir of Marquis Beining to Xingxing.

"And me, I can testify too," said the Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo Mansion.

"...."

Prince NanAn looked at the pile of wilted cacti on the ground and said, "Didn’t they grow well?"

Xingxing said, "They all grew well. That section was crushed by the eldest young lady who fell on it a few days ago. I pulled them out to plant new ones."

Prince NanAn, "...."

Suddenly, he felt a stabbing pain in his buttocks.

He always thought he was the only one unlucky, but now he found out he had companions in his misery.

Outside the wall, Chu Shun was having a headache.

Prince NanAn laughed towards the outside of the wall, "Come on in, a chop if you stretch your neck, a chop if you shrink it, it can’t be avoided."

Chu Shun’s mind turned, and he came up with a solution. He leaped into the wall.

He walked over to Prince NanAn, reached out and pulled off the purse hanging from his waist, as well as from the Heir of Marquis Beining and the Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo, none were spared.

He threw the three purses to Xingxing and said, "This is my sincere apology."

Prince NanAn and the others almost spat blood.

His sincerity was to use their purses to apologize?

That was their last remaining money, ahhhh.

Xingxing hugged the purses, her eyes bent into crescents as she laughed.

Moneyless Chu Shun waved a folded fan as he walked towards the bamboo house.

Xingxing ran ahead, shouting, "Miss, the Heir of Marquis Jingguo and the others are here."

Su Jin was rummaging through drawers and said, "Let them in."

Chu Shun and the others stepped on the steps into the bamboo house.

Su Jin put down the scale in her hand and said, "You’re here to see me?"

Chu Shun nodded, "There’s a problem we can’t figure out, so we came to consult our eldest sister-in-law."

"What problem?" asked Su Jin.

"It’s about the hidden ice in the shop," said the Heir of Marquis Beining.

"The number of ice blocks sold is astonishing, but they are all needed during those twenty days. The shop should start making ice now, but storage is a big problem," said Chu Shun.

Su Jin really hadn’t thought about this issue.

Xingxing looked at Su Jin and said, "Didn’t the Emperor reward you with two hundred mu of land, Miss? You can dig it for an ice cellar."

"Good land isn’t suitable for an ice cellar, and even if it were, it’s too late to dig now," said Prince NanAn.

"Then we’ll have to find an existing one," said Xingxing.

"But where can we find one?"

"Can we borrow an ice cellar from Song’s Ice Shop?" asked Xingxing.

"...."

Chu Shun and the others felt internally injured.

Song’s Ice Shop dislikes them so much it grinds its teeth, yet she wants to borrow their ice cellar.

This maid just wants to infuriate people to death.

Su Jin laughed and said, "What Xingxing said isn’t a bad idea."

Chu Shun, "...."

Prince NanAn and the others looked at each other.

"Eldest sister-in-law, you’re not joking, right?" said the Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo Mansion, alarmed.

"...."

"Of course, I’m not joking. It’s too late to dig an ice cellar now, so borrowing one is our only option," said Su Jin.

"Song’s Ice Shop will never lend it," said Chu Shun.

"I know, I wasn’t planning to borrow from Duke Chong’s Mansion," said Su Jin.

"Then from whom does eldest sister-in-law plan to borrow?" Prince NanAn was curious.

"The Emperor."

"...."

Chu Shun was stunned for a moment and slapped his forehead, "How did I forget, the court has an ice well."

Prince NanAn laughed and said, "Even if you remembered, it wouldn’t help. You’re not familiar with the Emperor, he wouldn’t lend it."

Chu Shun, "...."

Is it necessary to hit where it hurts?

Xingxing became a little excited, looked at Su Jin and said, "Miss, are we going to the palace?"

"Yes."

Xie Jingchen walked in, hearing Su Jin planned to enter the palace, and held his forehead, "Let me go instead."

"Sounds good."

If she could solve the problem without entering the palace herself, Su Jin was more than willing.

However—

She celebrated too soon.

Prince NanAn looked at Xie Jingchen and said, "I think it’s safer for eldest sister-in-law to go."

Xie Jingchen frowned.

"Why do you think that?" asked the Heir of Marquis Beining curiously.

"It’s said that the Empress Dowager has not only grounded eldest sister-in-law but also her elder brother," said Prince NanAn.

"Then only eldest sister-in-law can go, the Prince’s inside information is usually more accurate than the official news," said the Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo Mansion.

"...."

Although eldest sister-in-law was also grounded, the Empress Dowager’s grounding was practically non-existent for her.

Throughout the Capital City, no one like eldest sister-in-law disregarded the Empress Dowager’s grounding.

Su Jin was both crying and laughing.

If Xie Jingchen got stopped, he wouldn’t force his way in, and if the Empress Dowager held on, he would certainly be punished.

Su Jin was different. No matter what, the Emperor’s declaration to treat the Imperial Palace as her own home was undeniable, including by the Emperor himself.

And so—

Su Jin took a carriage back to the palace.

The guards shivered when they saw that familiar carriage.

The guards looked at each other miserably.

To stop or not to stop?

This was a big problem.

If they didn’t stop her, the Empress Dowager would be angry.

If they stopped but couldn’t actually stop her, the Empress Dowager would be even more embarrassed and angry.

Their salaries had been docked for three months, they couldn’t afford more.

Everyone relied on one another to speak, but no one did.

The Hidden Guard just drove the carriage into the palace.

The guards, "...."

Getting off the carriage, Su Jin went straight to the Imperial Study.

Inside the Imperial Study, the Emperor was playing chess with the Right Minister.

The fierce battle was exhilarating.

It was the Right Minister’s turn to place a piece.

Little eunuch ran in and said, "Your Majesty, the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion requests an audience."

The chess piece in the Right Minister’s hand was about to land on the board, but upon hearing the words ’Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion,’

He shifted his hand, placed it in a different spot, and dropped the piece.

"Your Majesty, I lose," said the Right Minister.

"...."

"Right Minister, this isn’t losing. This is like suicide," the Emperor said with a dark face.

"...."

Eunuch Fu was stunned.

The Right Minister was on the brink of victory. The Emperor was still figuring out how to turn the tables, but as soon as the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion came, the Right Minister had given up his chances.

The Right Minister quickly got up and said, "Since the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion is here, it must be for something important with Your Majesty. I shall take my leave and accompany you in battle after Your Majesty is free."

The Right Minister was afraid.

At his age, if he encountered something like a bees’ rampage in the palace, he wouldn’t be able to escape.

So, he could only run first.