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Hearing this, Zhang Qing secretly let out a huge sigh of relief; he finally confirmed that Master Lian hadn’t heard anything, otherwise she would not have asked such a question.

Nanny Qi also exhaled in relief.

The two old foxes of the palace then began to bluff, one claiming he wanted to take a walk to aid digestion and that relieving himself was not urgent - he would go later;

The other claimed His Majesty had important matters to discuss and would dine later, specially sending him to relay the message.

Seeing that Master Lian was deeply engrossed in her reading inside the Side Hall and not wishing to disturb her, he happened upon Nanny Qi and decided to pass on the message.

Lian Hua gave an "Oh..." with an expression of half-belief, half-doubt.

The pair didn’t know whether she believed them or not, but since she didn’t continue to inquire, they took her silence as a sign that everything was normal.

In any case, later on, Zhang Qing was able to gracefully make an excuse to leave, claiming he had other duties to attend to.

Nanny Qi, however, did not have it so easy.

Nanny Qi pondered the situation after learning of the news and thought it best to go personally to lend support.

It was crucial to disrupt the current balance of the Harem this time; if they failed and returned without accomplishing anything, it would not be so easy in the future once Noble Consort Xue was prepared and could coordinate with Xue Ping outside the palace.

She worried that Consort Xu De would not be able to maintain control.

However, getting away was not easy. The little girl usually wasn’t so clingy, but today, wherever Nanny Qi went, the girl followed.

When she said she needed to visit the privy, the little girl followed as well, under the pretense of worrying that she would not know the way.

Nanny Qi argued that she knew her regular routes and that Pang Ya was with her. While spinning her lies, she pretended to head towards the privy. After a few steps, she saw the little girl still following her closely, unwilling to leave.

Feeling helpless, Nanny Qi asked why she was still being followed, and the little girl smilingly replied she was going to aid her digestion.

Going to the privy to aid digestion? Such an excuse would deceive neither man nor ghost under the broad daylight!

But no matter what, she couldn’t shake her off.

With no choice left, Nanny Qi truly headed towards the privy, soon being followed by a long procession of people – the young eunuchs and little palace maid who normally accompanied the little girl now trailed behind her from a distance.

Now Nanny Qi couldn’t face using the privy even if she wanted to, not wanting to lose her dignity.

She had to stop and lay it out straight, asking why they were following her and if they weren’t supposed to be learning poetry in the hall.

If she didn’t lay it out straight, the little girl would likely continue to follow her.

At this, the little girl looked troubled and explained that she was indeed learning poetry, but shortly after leaving the hall, she came across a word that she couldn’t understand.

No one could clarify its meaning for her, leaving her stuck and so frustrated that she couldn’t continue, which led her to leave.

However, she noticed that Nanny Qi wasn’t heading towards the privy, which aroused her curiosity, so she followed.

She then saw Nanny Qi speaking quietly with Steward Zhang, but as their voices were too low, she couldn’t hear clearly.

She only faintly caught the words "Canglan Court" and "be prepared. "

Being relevant to Canglan Court, the little girl naturally assumed it concerned her, so she came closer and closer until she was right in front of them.

After Nanny Qi listened to the sequence of events, she was struck speechless by the oversight; she only noticed when the girl was up close – truly a case of failing eyesight...

Before she could say anything further, the little girl’s face lit up with excitement.

Her eyes darted around, and she waved her hand to dismiss those around her, drawing near to Nanny Qi and asked, in a hushed tone, whether she and Chief Steward Zhang were just conspiring about something.

She wondered if she could be let in on the secret, promising to keep it confidential.

Nanny Qi was even more at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond. The very person she was supposed to be keeping the secret from was the little girl herself – how could she reveal anything!

She cleared her throat, but could only come up with a phrase to say, announcing that the Longevity Festival was approaching. Zhang Qing merely mentioned it in passing, asking Canglan Court to make the necessary preparations. As for other matters, they were part of the busy affairs of the Emperor.

The little girl still looked unconvinced and bluntly asked if that was true, or if there were indeed things that couldn’t be discussed, though she didn’t necessarily need to know them.

While she said this, her eyes reflected a deep longing.

Nanny Qi flatly denied it with utmost sincerity and questioned her for thinking this way.

Lian Hua furrowed her brows, feeling that things were not that simple, but Nanny Qi would never lie to her. Perhaps she was just overthinking.

She couldn’t help but feel extremely disappointed, muttering to herself that His Majesty was busy, and the message to take lunch later had been sent over early.

"Cough, Steward Zhang even came to notify again, which is strange. Usually, it’s Da Zhuang who comes with such messages.

Not only did Steward Zhang repeat the notice, but he also came personally.

It looks like his mind isn’t working well; he needs to be reminded to replenish more nutrients," she said.

In her self-talk, her expression still carried a trace of unresolved suspicion.

Nanny Qi’s face remained impassive, but inside she cursed Zhang Qing, the wretched eunuch. "Old and muddled, can’t keep things tight, spouting a lie full of loopholes. Can’t even deceive a young girl; what a waste of his long life."

If it were not for the girl’s simplicity, this hurdle would have been insurmountable!

Following that, Nanny Qi, with her people, returned to the Side Hall, appearing completely untroubled. She didn’t make any further courtesies, didn’t mention where she had been, and didn’t leave. Finally, she managed to dispel Lian Hua’s suspicions and reassured everyone to rest at noon.

Only then did Nanny Qi escape with relief; it certainly wasn’t easy.

Before leaving, she specifically instructed Xiao Jizi and the others that they must never mention her outing. If asked, they were to say she had gone to rest.

Having been in Canglan Court for so many days, she had hardly stepped foot outside its threshold. Today, after such an incident, she went out, and how could it not arouse the young girl’s suspicions?

Nanny Qi felt it was truly like a battle of wits; not an easy task.

The young girl treated her with utter sincerity, and deceiving her made Nanny Qi uncomfortable in her heart.

Pang Ya, supporting Nanny Qi and accompanied by a few others, headed towards Huaying Hall. Along the way, Pang Ya sighed, "Alas, Master Lian is getting harder and harder to deceive, very clever indeed."

Nanny Qi rebuked her disapprovingly, "Nonsense, when have we ever deceived her? At most, we’ve just kept things from her. How can you say such things? Foolishness!"

Pang Ya pondered, "Indeed, that’s the case. It seems we haven’t really deceived her much, but why do I always feel like we’ve tricked Master Lian many times? Strange..."

Even Nanny Qi couldn’t help but ponder deeply. True, she had that feeling too. But why?...

At Huaying Hall.

The saying ’When immortals fight, mortals suffer’ resonated deeply with the managers from various departments present, as they experienced the adage firsthand.

Both Noble Consort and Consort De were formidable figures, and the managers only wished that their souls had not been frightened away earlier, as they now endured such torment.

They wished they could shrink away, unseen by anyone, to avoid being implicated. They were mere managers, unable to provoke anyone, and were on the verge of tears.

Look at the two Consorts, poised for battle, with an atmosphere so charged it seemed explosive, especially the Noble Consort, who appeared ready to burst with rage as she glared furiously at Consort De.

In contrast, Consort De remained calm and composed, uttering infuriatingly nonchalant words, "Oh? A headache, not a brain disease? To this concubine, they seem just the same."

The Noble Consort was on the verge of exploding. Xu Rongying, pretending to have just noticed her, greeted her with false civility, and right after bowing, asked if her brain disease had improved?