RPAGF Chapter 432 Gui Shan Discovers Clues
Chapter 432 Gui Shan Discovers Clues
Prince Xian’s Mansion.
Gui Shan handled Song Yin's funeral arrangements. She was an orphan and had no family members to pay their respects.
Gui Shan waited for a long time in the mourning hall, but the Prince Xian did not arrive.
As she burned paper money for Song Yin, she couldn't help but find it amusing. Men, professing their deepest affection, yet their affection was truly worthless.
It's terrifying that they even weigh emotions against interests.
After the funeral was over, Gui Shan, dressed in plain clothes, went to the outer study. The Prince Xian was not there, so Gui Shan sat in the outer room and waited from morning until afternoon.
The attendant said, "Your Highness, why don't you go back and rest first? I will inform the Prince when he returns."
Gui Shan flipped through the accounts in her hand, then shook her head: "No need, I'll wait for the prince here. You don't need to serve me anymore, you can leave."
This was the wise king's study, so the attendants naturally dared not go down and waited by the door.
Gui Shan tidied up the thick ledgers. Perhaps she was too tired, she propped her head up with one hand and dozed off, her head nodding little by little, and she kept yawning.
I haven't had a good rest these past few days.
Her exhaustion made even the servants waiting at the door feel incredibly sleepy.
The two princesses were dozing off.
Follower's thoughts.
Why not get some tea to perk yourself up?
As soon as the attendant left, Gui Shan opened her eyes and exchanged a glance with her mother, who was serving her. Her mother quietly went over and closed the door, while Gui Shan quickly went into the inner room.
She was dressed simply and lightly today, and moved around so quietly that no one outside could tell.
The drawers in the study were locked, but that didn't stop Gui Shan. With a few simple tricks, she opened the drawers, revealing several letters inside, from Mobei and the Wise King.
There were only incoming letters, but no outgoing letters.
Gui Shan opened the book and read through it, and was shocked.
The prince was actually colluding with the northern deserts, and to make matters worse, the envoy was already on his way, intending to feign peace talks with His Majesty while actually dying in the capital and framing the Great Zhou.
The envoy from the northern desert was killed by the emperor of the Great Zhou, giving the northern desert a perfectly good reason to raise an army.
Gui Shan put the letter back in its place, restored the drawer to its original state, and even arranged the pens and ink on the table as before, before going out to lie down and sleep on the table.
When the attendant returned and saw that the door to the outer room of the study was closed, he was startled and quickly went forward to push the door open.
But the princess was asleep on the table, and her nanny was also asleep in a chair next to her, snoring.
The attendant breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the old woman must have found the princess asleep and thought that leaving the door open was unsightly, so she closed it.
After all, she is a princess, why should he be so careful?
The attendant thought for a moment, then stood guard diligently by the door again.
The Prince Xian did not return until evening. When he saw Gui Shan, he was not displeased, but rather looked rather embarrassed.
He proactively asked, "How are Ayin's funeral arrangements going?"
Gui Shan took out the top booklet and explained it to the Prince Xian in detail: "Miss Song Yin is an orphan and has no one to attend her funeral. Her funeral is called that of a concubine, but in reality, it is no different from that of a slave. I took it upon myself to arrange for her to be buried with the rites of a secondary consort. However, she is not included in the imperial genealogy and cannot be buried in the royal cemetery."
The wise king fell silent.
He originally thought that A-Yin didn't care about status, and that once he rose to a high position, he could simply bestow upon her the title of Noble Lady. Noble Ladies could also be buried in the imperial concubine's mausoleum.
Ah Yin was just too foolish; she wasn't willing to wait for him any longer.
Gui Shan added, "It was my own decision. If Your Highness finds it inappropriate, the extra expenses can be covered by my dowry..."
“You’re so kind, but A-Yin is mine. How can I use the princess’s dowry?” The wise prince sighed and said, “A-Yin and I are destined to be apart.”
Gui Shan concealed the annoyance in her eyes and remained silent.
The wise king then said, "You've worked hard these past few days. Did you come to see me today just for this matter?"
Gui Shan shook her head: "Your Highness, it's because I'm not feeling well. Perhaps it's because of all the worries I've had these past few days, but I feel quite tired. There are many affairs in the Prince's residence, and I'm really too busy to handle them all. So I was wondering if Your Highness could let Consort Hu manage the household affairs? The accounts have all been settled."
The wise prince glanced at the accounts on the table, his face grim: "Gui Shan, I originally thought you were a sensible person, which is why I held you in such high regard."
Gui Shan was not afraid and looked up at him directly: "Is that so, Your Highness? But if Your Highness elevates me, won't you eventually divorce me?"
“You…” The wise prince looked at her angrily, then paused before saying, “I know your concerns, but don’t worry, I am not a heartless person. In the future, I will at least give you the rank of a concubine.”
How could he say such a thing?
Gui Shan sneered inwardly, but was unwilling to get entangled with him any further, and simply said...
“Your Highness, I am not angry with you, but I am truly powerless to do so. If Your Highness is worried, you can let Sister Hu manage the household for now, and I will continue to manage the household for Your Highness once I am healthier.”
Having said all that, it would be inappropriate for the wise prince to refuse any longer, so he simply said...
"Let Consort Hu assist in managing things, or you can be the housekeeper."
Gui Shan agreed and had the accounts moved to Hu Manman's courtyard. She also asked Hu Manman to go to the main courtyard the next day to discuss the handover.
The wise prince only asked Hu Manman to assist in managing the household, but the extent of her assistance was to be decided by the two of them. And someone like Hu Manman, how could she not be happy to have the power to manage the household?
After Gui Shan left, the Prince Xian sent his attendant over to ask, "Has she gone anywhere else today, since she's been here the whole time?"
The attendant omitted the part about his own laziness and said, "The princess has been sitting here the whole time, reviewing accounts in the morning and chanting Buddhist prayers in the afternoon. Perhaps she was feeling uncomfortable from sitting for so long, because she went out into the courtyard a few times and seemed to be thinking about something while looking at that camphor tree."
The wise prince nodded: "Didn't you go into the study?"
"No." The attendant thought for a moment and then said, "Your Highness, I have inquired and found that the steward has been trying to see the Princess Consort these past few days, but she has hardly seen them. Apart from arranging Miss Song Yin's funeral, she has been chanting Buddhist scriptures in her room, and it seems... she has even set up a small Buddhist shrine in the main courtyard."
The wise king said nothing more.
Gui Shan's calculations were spot on. Hu Manman was overjoyed to learn that she would be in charge of the housekeeping, and she took on almost everything.
Gui Shan let her have her way, and pointed to two capable old women, saying to her, "His Highness said that my sister should assist me, but I am really tired lately, and the doctor said that I need to rest. I'm afraid my sister will have to work hard."
Hu Manman couldn't suppress her smile and quickly said, "Sister, just rest well. I will definitely take good care of the Prince's mansion for you."
Gui Shan nodded: "It's great that you think that way. There's another matter. Consort Wan in the palace has lost her child. You need to arrange to send some gifts to the palace so that people don't think our Prince's Mansion has no rules. You can handle the rest yourself. If you really don't know anything, come and ask me."
When Consort Wan's child was mentioned, Hu Manman's expression changed, and she agreed.
Gui Shan noticed this subtle movement but said nothing.
And she guessed correctly. At the end of September, Consort Wan sent someone over to invite Princess Xian to bring two concubines to the palace the next day.