CHAPTER 1143: CHAPTER 1122: IN A DILEMMA

Changyu clearly had a good impression of Yang Heshu. Once she started talking about him, she began chatting with Manbao incessantly. Manbao, multitasking, responded to her while scanning the entire great hall, noticing the emperor speaking with his ministers and occasionally making remarks to amuse the empress dowager.

She then turned her attention to the Fifth Prince.

She found it strange. Why would the Fifth Prince suddenly bring Bai Shan into the conversation?

After briefly answering a question from Changyu, she turned to ask Mingda, "Are you and your Fifth Brother close?"

Mingda served her a piece of meat with his chopsticks, smiling, "The bond amongst us siblings is quite strong."

It truly was for the sake of avenging Mingda.

The usually quiet Keke spoke up: "When the fruit was served, someone gave him a note."

Manbao’s eyes lit up and she quickly asked in her mind, "Keke, can you help me see what was written on the note?"

"He put it away, can’t see it."

Keke could not offend humans.

"But the person who passed him the note spoke with the man standing next to the emperor just now."

Manbao turned her head to look at the emperor’s confidant, Gu Zhong, contemplatively.

Mingda piled up a lot of food that Manbao wanted to eat but couldn’t afford to indulge in, whispering a reminder, "Eat quickly, it won’t taste good once it gets cold."

Manbao rolled her eyes and glanced at the dishes on the table, whispering back to Mingda, "Do you have any paper bags?"

"What?"

Manbao pointed to the steamed buns and dishes on the table, "I want to send some to my Junior Brother."

Changyu objected, "That wouldn’t be right, would it? He’s working as a secretary now, how can he eat during that?"

However, Mingda often did things against the rules. She suppressed a smile and said, "Wait a moment."

She turned and beckoned to a court lady, instructing her in a low voice to fetch some paper bags.

When the paper bags arrived, Mingda looked at the table full of dishes and asked, "Are these dishes also going into the paper bags?"

Changyu expressed her disdain, "They’re bound to taste bad."

Manbao tore open a large bite in the steamed bun, then selectively stuffed it with stewed meat and vegetables, and knowing they would get thirsty, even put in seven or eight grapes first into the bag.

Changyu and Mingda watched, utterly astonished.

Manbao stretched her neck to look, then whispered, "There are two more secretaries. Prepare something for them to eat as well."

Manbao prepared two stuffed steamed buns for them, each torn open and filled with meat and vegetables, then packed them into paper bags before looking at Mingda.

Mingda covered her mouth to hide her smile. Seeing everyone was engrossed in the songs and dances, she quietly tugged at Manbao and Changyu, and the three of them, each holding a paper bag, slipped out towards the back of the hall.

They skirted around the back of the hall to the seat of the secretaries. The recording secretaries immediately stood up to greet them.

Bai Shan was still writing and was slower to stand, but quickly did so.

He sneakily glanced at the emperor and the Prince of Yizhou not far away and whispered to Manbao, "Why have you come over here?"

Manbao smiled as she handed him the paper bag, whispering, "I brought you some food."

Bai Shan accepted it but looked towards the other two secretaries.

The secretaries kept an eye on the commotion in the great hall while watching their side.

Princess Mingda then handed her paper bag to them, smiling and saying, "This is for you."

Changyu also gave his paper bag to them.

The secretaries, clearly accustomed to receiving gifts from Princess Mingda, happily accepted and, after bowing, returned to their seats.

Bai Shan then nodded slightly towards Manbao, and in a voice only audible to the two of them, he said, "I always feel that the Prince of Yizhou is aware of us; be careful."

Manbao nodded, glanced at what he had written, and in a hushed tone replied, "You be careful too."

Bai Shan nodded, but sitting in the secretary’s seat, he naturally had an extra layer of protection. Up on the grand hall, not only the court ministers and the Prince of Yizhou, but even the Emperor wouldn’t dare to speak to them publicly.

It would be akin to tampering with history.

Manbao was in more danger, being outside, where anyone could approach her to talk. Of course, the Prince of Yizhou wouldn’t stoop to squabble with a young girl publicly.

But he had a daughter himself.

Today, Qiuye followed Commandery Princess Yunfeng, remembering Zhou Man and Bai Shan, which reminded her of the time she was beaten with twenty planks because of the three of them.

Qiuye gritted her teeth and whispered to Commandery Princess Yunfeng, "Your Highness, they once stole your kite, do you remember?"

Commandery Princess Yunfeng took a long time to recall the incident, and looking at Manbao, who had returned to her seat with the others, she frowned and said, "Are those the lowlifes? How did she get into the palace, sitting next to Mingda and Changyu?"

Qiuye said softly, "I heard she has some skills, can treat people’s illnesses, so she came to the palace to treat the Empress Dowager."

Commandery Princess Yunfeng snorted coldly and said, "Physicians are also among the lowest professions, since when could they be given a high seat?"

Qiuye nodded in agreement, whispering, "The Prince also dislikes them a lot. Just now, the young princess and the Fifth Prince even contradicted the Prince over this."

Commandery Princess Yunfeng pursed her lips, having lived in the palace since arriving in the capital, accompanying the Empress Dowager.

Although she was just a Commandery Princess, she was not less favored than Mingda and the others.

Even when her cousins had disputes, the Empress and the Empress Dowager often sided with her, so she didn’t feel inferior to Mingda and Changyu.

She turned to see Changyu and Mingda huddling with Zhou Man, whispering something and all smiles.

She huffed, put down her chopsticks, glanced at the tea and wine on the table, and picked up a cup of wine to approach Mingda.

"Mingda, your cousin toasts you."

The laughing Mingda was taken aback and hastily looked at her empty wine cup on the table. Hesitating, she still reached for the wine jug and poured herself a cup.

Seeing this, Manbao, with a smile, took the wine cup first and stood up, smiling to Commandery Princess Yunfeng, "Your Highness, the princess cannot drink. How about I drink this cup for her?"

Commandery Princess Yunfeng glanced down at her and asked, "Who are you, to be worthy of drinking with me?"

Hearing this, Changyu, unhappy, snatched the wine cup from Manbao’s hand and sneered, "She is not worthy, but am I? I will drink this cup for Mingda."

Commandery Princess Yunfeng then laughed, "I have to toast you in a while, and if you drink now, what if you get drunk?"

Changyu replied, "It’s only a cup of wine; even if I drink two more, I won’t get drunk. Will you drink or not? If you won’t, I’ll drink with Zhou Man first. Zhou Man, come, let’s toast."

Suppressing a smile, Manbao truly poured herself a cup of wine and clinked glasses with Changyu, "Sure, Mingda, would you like to use tea instead of wine? Let’s all have a toast."

Mingda, looking at Manbao with no hint of fear, couldn’t help but purse her lips and smile, pouring herself a cup of tea and laughing, "Alright."

Commandery Princess Yunfeng watched them toast in front of her, too angry to speak.