Too high to reach

Chapter 314 Too much is not enough
The princess was attacked, and a thorough investigation was launched, but to no avail.

The eunuch sent to visit the princess returned and told the emperor about the princess's injuries with a troubled expression.

Upon hearing about the location of her injury, the Emperor felt ashamed and said with a grim expression, "She is truly far inferior to Ming'an..."

As the investigation into Consort Feng progresses, some things are slowly coming to light.

However, there has been no progress at all regarding the death of Princess Zhou.

Today, Mo Yi went to the front study to look up some more things.

Butler Zhao stood respectfully before her, waiting to be questioned.

The butler was not yet thirty years old, dressed in a clean and tidy navy blue silk robe.

Having met her a few times, my impression of Mo Yi is that she is steady, capable, and very well-behaved. Coming from the Zhao family, she is trustworthy.

But today, Butler Zhao felt a little nervous when facing the Princess.

Given the princess's age and experience... where does she get such composure and ability? When she asks questions, she never wastes time with unnecessary words.

She would often take the ledger and look at it slowly by herself for a while, and she could point out all the key points.

The prince instructed that he should be completely open with the princess.

Therefore, in the past, whenever the princess asked, he never slacked off, not only answering seriously but also engaging in detailed discussions.

But lately, he's been a little unsure of the princess's intentions.

Before taking over as steward of Wan Daoping, he had always followed the old steward and had also served as Wan Daoping's deputy.

Therefore, he was quite familiar with the affairs of the manor.

Wan Daoping was aware of the collaboration between himself and Consort Feng in the inner courtyard.

Actually, whether you manage the front yard or the back house, there are always some benefits to being a housekeeper.

This is something that can't be avoided, from the imperial palace to the homes of ordinary people.

My cousin's husband's surname is Jiang, and he first met Wan Daoping.

After taking over the household management, Consort Feng also gave special instructions.

So far, the collaboration with this person has gone quite smoothly. The goods I get from him are definitely not the inferior or overpriced stuff I've encountered. Although they might be slightly more expensive than what I could find through my own sources, it has also saved me a lot of trouble.

Therefore, he did not make any major changes after taking over.

Now, Princess Mo's investigation is definitely aimed at Consort Feng. This brother-in-law might just be a breakthrough point.

What does the princess intend to do?

Seize control of the housekeeper?

Should we use her own people instead?
But if that's all there is to it, isn't it only natural that she's a princess? And the prince is on her side... There's no need to beat around the bush like this.

Want to check past accounts? But Wan Daoping is already gone, what's the point of going back to check?
When the two of them handed over their responsibilities, all the previous accounts had been reviewed.

Since the prince and the head steward approved the result, there won't be any major mistakes.

Why would the princess go to such lengths for something so trivial?

...What was the purpose of all this?
Mo Yi noticed the confusion, anxiety, and unease in his eyes, and comforted him:

“Steward Zhao, you don’t need to be so nervous. I know what kind of steward I am, and I have no intention of dwelling on the past or finding fault with the present. What I’m concerned about are some unusual things. If there are any, I want to know, and I also want the Prince to know. If there aren’t any, I won’t make trouble out of nothing, deliberately find fault, or even frame someone.”

Butler Zhao nodded.

"For example, Consort Feng's cousin and her husband have been able to live a wealthy life these past few years thanks to the Prince's mansion, which is quite normal. However, they shouldn't be this wealthy. So, I need to see if there's anything unusual going on. You know, in the Prince's mansion, anything unusual is often a big deal. In the Prince's eyes, money is important, but the safety of the Prince's mansion is even more important."

While the two of them were talking, Hongyan sat beside them and helped tidy up.

At this moment, Greenery quietly came in and whispered in Red Beauty's ear.

Mo Yi looked over. "What's wrong?"

“Your Majesty, just now, Liu Wang was peeking around outside. When Luyi saw him, she asked him about it, and he seemed startled. He made an excuse and left.”

Liu Wang was a servant boy at the front. Was he... gathering information?
Steward Zhao's expression changed. "Your Majesty, I will punish him severely later."

"No need. Just keep an eye on them and see who they're associating with. You understand what I mean, right?"

Butler Zhao was somewhat surprised and nodded silently.

Mo Yi asked a few more questions, which Butler Zhao answered one by one. Seeing that the matter had been discussed to a sufficient extent, Butler Zhao frowned, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Say what you have to say."

"There is something I need to tell you, but please don't laugh at me..."

“I won’t laugh.” Mo Yi nodded in response.

"It's like this... Steward Wan was obsessed with his career and finally got a chance to enter officialdom, which is why I was fortunate enough to replace him."

When Steward Wan handed over his duties, he was quite frank. He explained everything very clearly, including the means by which he would receive benefits. He also formally introduced several people to his subordinates. Among them was Consort Feng's brother-in-law. Actually, we knew each other before. It's just that my status has changed.

During our meal and drinks, my brother-in-law brought a woman with him.

"Your Majesty... to tell you the truth, that woman... the moment I saw her, I was truly awestruck. I felt that from head to toe, from her speech to her laughter, there was nothing about her that I could not admire. The first time we met, I wanted to pour my heart out to her, and I wanted to see her a second time."

After saying that, he was lost in thought for a moment, then gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"My wife and I grew up together, and our families are very close. She has a strong personality and loves to talk and make a fuss. In front of me... she's not gentle at all. However, I was more than willing to marry her back then. It's just that... our personalities are quite different, and after a while, some friction is inevitable."

Especially since her subordinate took over the stewardship... and now when she enters and leaves the manor, even the prince's advisors have to be polite to her. But her attitude towards her subordinate hasn't changed at all..."

"Sometimes, when she speaks harshly and doesn't show any mercy to her subordinates, I feel a bit resentful. So, when I met that woman... my heart was instantly filled with joy, like I had eaten bee droppings."

The brother-in-law said she was an orphan, raised by her mother's close friend who had taken her in as a goddaughter. However, the family was poor and couldn't afford a dowry for her, so… if I liked her, I could take her as a concubine.”

"At the time, I was really happy. But when I got home, I didn't dare to tell her. After thinking for a long time, I told my wife about it as if it were someone else's business, wanting to hear her opinion..."

"But my subordinate's wife, for some reason, suddenly became convinced that this other person... was Wan Daoping."

"..." Mo Yi wanted to laugh.

"She immediately launched into a tirade, saying that if she had known Wan Daoping was no good, she would have told Granny Zhao that Wan Daoping was ungrateful..."

Mo Yi couldn't help but laugh.

Butler Xiao Zhao laughed, but with a bitter expression. "When I heard that, I was terrified. I quickly stopped her and started making fun of others. Then... I calmed down a bit. My wife has already given me two sons and a daughter, and she's pregnant again. Given her temper, if I were to take a concubine, this family would probably be finished. After weighing the options, I dared not see that woman again."

This happened some time ago, but I can still clearly remember how I felt at the time.

That was something he'd never done with his wife.

Mo Yi found it amusing and asked him, "...So, you believe that the woman who understands you so well is just an orphan who can't find a good family because she has no dowry?"

Butler Xiao Zhao said, "Thinking back on it, no. But at the time, I was really confused..."

Mo Yi shook her head. "Little Zhao, you've certainly shown remarkable composure to get to where you are today." Although she had never met them, she had certainly heard of them. In Yangzhou, they were called "slender horses."

Actually, some families in Beijing do this too. They find pretty girls, train them in various talents, and then send them to families with connections.

Butler Zhao managed to hold on; what if he hadn't?
Once you're on this layer, it's very difficult to get rid of it.

"Thank you for your affirmation, Your Highness. I understand as well; no one has been sending them to me before..."

Life went on like this until Mo Yi and Mo Wen met at a family dinner.

However, when Mo Wen saw Mo Yi from afar, she blushed and turned away.

Mo Yi smiled to herself, not taking it seriously.

On this day, Granny Zhao finally returned, and Li Jing took Mo Yi to her house.

When I saw Granny Zhao again, she was terribly thin and looked several years older.

Mo Yi felt sad and comforted her.

As usual, Granny Zhao said, "There's nothing we can do about it. She and Daoping have a deep bond... This trip has made me realize even more that nothing can compare to the capital! Daoping is also very meticulous in his work..." After saying that, Granny Zhao handed several notebooks to Mo Yi.

Mo Yi opened it and saw that it was a record by Wan Daoping about the Yongle Emperor.

Daily routine, diet, illness, doctor's pulse diagnosis, treatment methods, etc...

Wan Daoping's handwriting is good; it's neat and very organized.

But as I watched...

Mo Yi felt that this item was prepared too thoroughly and was too well-organized.

It's as if they've been meticulously preparing from the very beginning, waiting for the day they can present it to everyone...