Chapter 11.

Ming Yue Chen's or the third prince pov:

"What did you find out?"

"Reporting to the prince. She is the only Di daughter of the Prime Minister. Her birth mother is the fú rén of the household and a titled lady of the third rank. Her maternal grandfather is the Great General Wang. She has a twin brother and she is five years of age turning six very soon." The guard bowed and awaited further instruction.

The dark guard gave the prince a document containing all of Bai Shen Ting's details.

"Is this all?"

Sensing a bit of annoyance the guard quickly dropped on one knee. "Forgive this slave your highness, but the lady Bai Shen Ting is very young so there is not much to know about her"

"Then what grudge did she have with that peasant?"

The prince dropped his brush and looked down at the kneeling guard.

"Your highness according to this slave investigations, that day was the first time that peasant entered the Prime Minister's household or encountered the lady Bai Shen Ting"

"All right then, you may leave. But make sure she doesn't affect any of our plans or become a variable," the prince waved off the guard that bowed and left.

The prince continued his painting and shortly after a rather vivid Bai Shen Ting was painted on the paper.

It has been many years of plotting and just when the time was approaching, this person showed up.

If it was one thing this prince hated, it was variables. He put the document into a brazier and watched it turn to ashes before stirring the coal and losing interest.

He would have to keep an eye on this child to ensure his success.

Back at the Prime Minister's mansion.

The maids and guards were seen departing from Old Madam Bai's courtyard. They walked together until they got to an intersection before they separated to various courtyards.

"Tell grandmother that Shen Ting would obey her instructions "

At a glance from Bai Shen Ting, Song Mi brought out some silver from her sachet and handed it out to the maid.

"This slave cannot accept this Young Miss"

The maid wanted to resist but Song Mi struggled and put it into the maid's sachet before retreating to her position.

The maid thanked Bai Shen Ting profusely before bowing.

After the maid left, Bai Shen Ting smiled and felt a bit giddy. This had not happened in her past life. It seems that events from her past life tend to change when she interferes.

"Okay, understood. Tell the Old Madam that this concubine would obey her wishes," Du Shao Lian stood up to see the maid out. After the maid left, she turned and looked at her daughters.

"Mother, why the sudden change?," Bai Ru Lan, who was dressed in a duck blue hanfu, turned to face her after the maid had left.

"Who cares? We are going anyway so why question it?" Bai Ru Lian sprawled on the couch and turned to continue her rest.

Concubine Du Shao Lian walked towards her sleepy daughter and raised her up.

"Ah mother, don't disturb me…"

"Get up and sit properly! That was a maid of the Old Madam that even I have to pay attention to yet you just lay there without any respect!"

Bai Ru Lan let out a little laugh and took a sip from her cup.

"Who are you laughing at?!"

"Ssssssssss!," Bai Ru Lian immediately recoiled in pain.

"Keep your voice down! You're a lady if the Prime Minister's household yet your attitude is like a shrew in the market"

Du Shao Lian finally let go of Bai Ru Lian's ear.

The maids outside paid no attention to the ruckus coming from the room. They tended to the courtyard to the best of their abilities but without their monthly house allowance, there was not much they could do. There was an investigation currently going on in the Ministry of Finance so right now the King stopped all payments. That includes the salaries of all the cabinet members.

This was ongoing for the past three months. They had received their wages for the past two months but were not sure for this month.

They all felt envy at the maids that were serving the main family. The fú rén had paid their wages from her own dowry for a long time so many of the maids were not aware of the problem happening now.

"Mother, I feel very cold. Tell the chef to prepare some snow lotus root soup with shredded ginseng and scallion pancakes"

Bai Ru Lian tried to act cute and lightly pulled Concubine Du's sleeves.

Concubine Du immediately pulled her sleeve from her hands. "Now with all that is going on you still want to eat snow lotus root and ginseng?!"

Bai Ru Lian went back to hold the sleeve. "But mother I heard yesterday that all the fú rén's maids got snow lotus root soup"

Immediately silence covered the room. Bai Ru Lian quickly knelt down and bowed at Concubine Du. She knew that her mother hated it when she compared her to the fú rén but she couldn't help it!

Seeing all her maids looking down with envy she also wanted to show off.

Bai Ru Lan leisurely walked and pulled Concubine Du to the cushion near the fireplace.

Sometimes she wondered if her sister was her biological sister with how stupid she often acted. Honestly! If not for close watch and supervision by her mother she would've been banished from the mansion to become a nun in a monastery somewhere with how she often behaved.

"Mother ignore Ru Lian, you know she acts before thinking"

"And I worry about it," looking around to make sure no maid was spying on their conversation, she leaned in and continued talking in a rather hushed tone. "The journey this time would be tricky and is suspicious. Why all of a sudden would…"

"It doesn't matter what we think mother!" Quickly interrupting Concubine Du, Bai Ru Lan makes a subtle gesture towards her sister with her head movement before clearing her throat and looking elsewhere.

Concubine Du sits properly and looks at her daughter who was listening in on their conversation. "Go quickly tell the chef to prepare the snow lotus soup for you, but only for you!"

"Thank you mother" Bai Ru Lian quickly skipped out of the room.

"I almost forgot about her"

The last time they were conversing with Bai Ru Lian present, the contents of their conversation was quickly spread round the mansion leading to Concubine Du being punished with no allowance for a month.

The next day, there is a flurry of activities in the mansion. Stable hands are seen guiding the horses to the entrance and attaching carriages on them, guards are seen lining by the carriage, maids are seen carrying luggages and bags containing their mistresses belongings and mamas are seen supervising the maids carrying the luggages commanding them to be careful with it. After a while, everyone starts trickling out of their courtyards to the entrance with Concubine Du and her daughters being the first to arrive.

They are soon joined by Concubine Guo and her daughter Bai Fei Fei.

Their daughters all have courtesy bows and greetings whilst they gave each other a nod not having the time to exchange pleasantries.

Like Concubine Du, Concubine Guo was also disgruntled by their surprise outing today. Normally, a visit to the temple would be planned for weeks even leading up to a month before leaving but this time this sudden decision took her by surprise. Even after analyzing it over and over she couldn't think of what would make the Old Madam suddenly do this. Immediately after the Old Madam's maid came to inform them about their outing, she immediately cautioned Bai Fei Fei to be on guard and to avoid any suspicious persons and to also avoid doing anything suspicious.

The Prime Minister's sister strutted towards them with her daughter. All of them looked away and pretended to gaze either at the flowers or the carriages being loaded. They all had a tacit understanding to avoid this shameless woman who saw no wrong in having a child out of wedlock and to a mere slave in fact.

Finally, the Old Madam and the main family arrived.

They all bowed and greeted them. After perusing through everything and making sure everyone was complete, the Old Madam ordered for all of them to board the carriages.

Bai Shen Ting had a private carriage but preferred for Bai Song Mi and her mama to sit with her instead of staying in the servants carriage. Bai Shen Min entered his own carriage, the Old Madam also entered her carriage. Concubine Du and Concubine Guo shared a carriage with their daughters and finally Bai Lan Min and her daughter Bai Ming Yue stayed in the smallest carriage together.

She didn't know what would happen this time around but she could not wait for it. This time, she's the one in control, Bai Shen Ting dropped her carriage curtain and rested her head.

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