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As Nanny Qi thought this, her body stiffened as if she had smelled that unforgettable stench again. She sat up from the lounge chair, coughing loudly.

Lian Hua turned her head, her eyes sparkling, "Nanny, you also want to..."

Before she finished saying "eat," Nanny Qi’s resolve hardened. She put on a stern face and interrupted authoritatively, "The palace has rules, items with strange odors must not be prepared for meals, nor ingested."

"Ah?" Lian Hua was stunned and looked towards Xiao Linzi, "Is there such a rule?"

She didn’t remember any palace rule like that.

Xiao Linzi scratched his head. There was nothing explicitly written about it, but, "Master, when this servant first came to serve in Star Palace, Steward Zhang had said that one’s body should not emit strange odors, which is a great taboo.

It probably applies to food as well, so it should be an unspoken rule. "

"Oh... okay then..." Lian Hua felt disappointed.

She had not seen Nanny Qi so serious in a long time; it was as if her body had tensed up.

It seemed that if this rule were violated, the consequences would be very severe, so it was better not to think about it!

Sure enough, as she dismissed the thought, Nanny Qi sighed in relief, and her tense body relaxed, letting her lie down again.

Seeing this, Lian Hua became even more certain of her thoughts. Stinky tofu or any such food was a great taboo in the palace, so she no longer dwelled on it and completely dismissed the idea.

Therefore, her attention returned to waiting for Xiao Jizi and the others. She regained her initial state of mind and continued to pace back and forth.

After a while, she seemed to hear something. Lian Hua walked to the doorway and paused, pricking up her ears to listen.

Xiao Linzi and the others, puzzled, were about to ask what was going on when Lian Hua gestured for them to be quiet with a "shh" and looked very serious and attentive.

They too perked up their ears, and before they could make out anything, they saw Lian Hua suddenly become excited and animated.

She waved at them enthusiastically, "They’re coming, they’re coming! Xiao Linzi, Xiao Qing, hurry and fetch some melon seeds and pastries, and bring a couple of stools too. We’re going to celebrate Xiao Jizi and the others’ triumphant return!"

How could they celebrate without melon seeds? Cracking seeds while listening was part of the whole experience.

Both of them were instantly energized and replied in unison, "Yes."

They marveled at their own master’s exceptional abilities, so keen of hearing and sight, while they hadn’t heard anything yet, their master had already noticed.

After responding, they hurried out, their hearts brimming with excitement.

Lian Hua suddenly remembered Xiao Qing was not feeling well and was about to stop her, but seeing Xiao Qing moving so quickly and robustly, she let go of her concern.

Xiao Qing looked just fine, to her delight, like watching her own plump piglets. She thought, all that eating wasn’t for nothing. In addition to growing taller, her constitution seemed quite good, so she let go of the worry, not calling anyone back.

Xiao Jizi, Pang Ya, and their group, along with Huang Zude, hurried back. On their way, they stuck to their strategy, not letting any suspicions show until they stepped through the gates of Canglan Court. Only then did the expressions of Xiao Jizi and Pang Ya change slightly.

Pang Ya was about to say something when Xiao Jizi felt it was still not safe. He had the gates of Canglan Court closed, walked a few more steps, and then couldn’t contain his laughter, holding his stomach as he burst out laughing.

Pang Ya immediately followed suit, laughing out loud as well.

The two exchanged banter:

"Oh my, I’m exhausted from walking so fast. That chili water was so spicy it made me cry all the way, too spicy."

"Pang Ya, you looked as if you were shedding tears of blood; you even scared Consort Zhen pale. She didn’t dare let you come near her, hahaha."

"Master Lian’s tactic was brilliant, but your words were the real heart-strikers, deflecting all the palace maid’s accusations right back at her. Truly admirable."

"Oh, please, your powerful presence was so overwhelming, even I could hardly stand it. Now that was fierce."

"You were no slouch either; I was just playing along with your lead. You acted so convincingly, I couldn’t even tell; it was too strong."

"Without your finishing touch, I wouldn’t have been able to bring even one-tenth of it to life. Hahaha, I’m sure that casual remark you made just before we left will guarantee that Consort Zhen has nightmares and stays worried and scared."

The pair was actually reveling in the memory, laughing and discussing it, and eventually, there was a sense of mutual admiration in their eyes.

Under Xiao Jizi’s tutelage, Pang Ya had also become quite slick. Everything they said at Huaning Palace was true; Nanny Qi and Lian Hua did indeed summon the Imperial Physician, and the unbearable stomach pains and ceaseless bleeding were also true, though they had simply switched the real patient.

When Consort Zhen discovered it later, she wouldn’t be able to grasp anything incriminating against them, as every word could be explained away.

Their mutual flattery left Huang Zude and several young eunuchs from Star Palace completely dumbfounded.

A young eunuch from Star Palace was the first to react.

Da Zhuang’s eyes lit up, "Brother Ji, so you’re saying everything at Huaning Palace was fake and Master Lian is really alright?"

Another young eunuch squeezed over, eagerly asking, "That unstoppable bleeding was all made up? Oh my, you nearly scared me to death, Brother Ji, Pang Ya, you two spoke so convincingly, I totally believed it."

"Yes, yes, even though you, Brother Ji, had said before that everything was under control, I still couldn’t help being angry. That Consort Zhen, she actually dared to involve Master Huang all for a Nanny, as if no one could see through her."

Pang Ya lifted her plump hand to tuck her disheveled hair behind her ear and bragged with pride, "With Nanny there, of course, Master Lian is fine. Precisely because there’s nothing wrong, we had this opportunity to take the initiative."

Relieved, Da Zhuang and a few young eunuchs patted their chests and let out deep breaths, remembering the incident at Huaning Palace and again becoming indignant.

Consort Zhen was evasive and obstructive, and it wasn’t until the severity of the situation was discovered that she sent a young eunuch to find help.

But not far down the road, the young eunuch took such a long time, it was obvious there was something fishy going on, and it wasn’t until they nearly arrived themselves that Huang Zude came out.

Huang Zude realized something was amiss as he listened, growing more puzzled by the moment, wasn’t it an emergency? Why did it seem fake? Why was there a pause?

Amid everyone’s talk, he hesitated and blurted out, "Wasn’t it said to be serious? How come... "

It was as if he was the only one out of the loop.

Everyone looked at him simultaneously, and only then did Xiao Jizi and Pang Ya remember that Huang Zude was present.

Xiao Jizi’s smile disappeared in an instant, and with a flash of sternness in his eyes, he approached Huang Zude, bowed formally, and said, "Master Huang, it was indeed serious that we asked for your presence.

There was an incident at Canglan Court, but our master is blessed, she was not deceived by certain individuals.

Otherwise, I am afraid you and I would not be speaking so freely now. "

Pang Ya also turned serious, and declared fiercely, "Indeed, if it weren’t for Nanny’s insight, a disaster would have occurred."

The eunuchs from Star Palace immediately adopted a stern demeanor, bristling with hostility.