The Empress Dowager Xiao looked out the window, outside, a light rain was falling softly, with hints of snowflakes mixed in.
Once upon a time, she thought everything from the past was like those snowflakes, melting and disappearing without a trace.
Yet at this moment, these matters were being uncovered, mentioned, like wounds, or like a branding iron!
"Madam!" Nanny Xiao brought a cloak to her, "Itâs cold, why not close the window?"
"You can shut the window, but the heart, you canât shut it as well, can you?"
"Madam! Let the past be past! Weâve done our best!"
Nanny Xiao stood by the Empress Dowager Xiaoâs side, knowing the master was not feeling well, she felt for the master, and even more for Princess Lianchun.
"You tell me, why doesnât heaven take pity on this child?"
"Heaven may not pity her, but she has your care!"
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Xiao chuckled lightly: "I donât care for her! Sheâs not my biological daughter!"
Empress Dowager Xiao pouted, removed the stick propping the window, and turned to head to a soft couch.
Nanny Xiao watched her make the shy gestures of a young girl whose thoughts were seen through, and couldnât help but chuckle softly.
"Keep your facade up!"
Nanny Xiao poured a cup of tea for the Empress Dowager, offered it to her, worry evident on her face.
"Madam! Suddenly thereâs a burst of news that Lady Xianfei was pregnant when she died abruptly; Princess Lianchun will definitely overthink, should we tell Princess Lianchun the truth of what happened?"
The Dowager shook her head at these words, sighed heavily, "I never expected Lady Xianfei to have been pregnant back then."
"Indeed! We donât know, do you think the late Emperor knew?"
At this mention, Empress Dowager Xiaoâs expression showed a touch of cold disdain.
"What difference does it make whether he knew or not?"
Nanny Xiao said nothing more.
"Go bring Suisui over here, I miss her!"
Princess Lianchun locked herself in Wanhua Palace and wouldnât come out.
Xie PanâEr was busy taking care of the Emperor, fetching medicine with Yunxiang and Yunduo, and brewing it.
Ji Youzhi was anxious to find clues, so Xiaosuisui could only play by herself, jumping around, she still remembered there were people in the Palace gambling, rolling dice.
Itâs been a while since she played this, her hands were itching for it.
After searching for nearly half an hour, she finally found it in a remote Palace, several elderly eunuchs and another white-haired old eunuch were gathered in a decrepit courtyard, playing eagerly!
From afar, Xiaosuisui heard someone shouting big, big, small, small.
"Found it!"
The little girl stood on the high roof of the Palace, arms crossed, chewing a dry, yellow stalk of grass. In the cold winter, Xiaosuisui finding such a dry stalk was a stroke of luck.
"Big, big, big!"
"Youâre still betting big?
Youâve lost several rounds betting on big already; canât you learn and bet small?"
The dealer, the white-haired old man, lazily eyed a few of his old friends before him!
Deliberately raising his orchid finger, he said.
"They can bet on their small, Iâll bet on my big, whatâs it to you?
I can put silver on it and thatâs that!"
"You said it, eh! If you run out of money later, let me see what youâll bet with then!"
"What will I bet with?
Of course, Iâll bet with news!
We brothers havenât gamed for a day or two, when has Thousand-Handed Illusion ever really come to the Palace to gamble for money?
Youâre here to gather information!"
"Haha! Youâre sharp, brothers, these years my business has spread wide, so I often rely on you. By the way, anything interesting at the palace recently?"
Xiaosuisui, landing in the decrepit courtyard, heard this very dialogue.
Initially, she paid it no mind.
Kids, after all!
Whatâs the chance they grasp this?
But as she lifted her foot to play some rounds with them, she heard an old eunuch speak.
"News we have indeed, just depends on your gesture!"
One old eunuch spoke, making a gesture like counting money.
Upon hearing these words, the Thousand-Handed Illusion immediately took out several silver notes.
"Speak, as long as thereâs news, the money will be there!"
Xiaosuisui, seeing the silver bills, found herself unable to move.
She stood frozen, realizing this little old man had quite a bit of money!