After Marrying the Heirless Crown Prince, I Gave Birth to Three Children - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Strip the Crown Prince’s Pants?

Xie Yao lifted a hand to cover her face, deciding to skip over the matter for now. Her muffled voice said, “Make sure the physician has been taken care of. Not a word of this must be leaked!”

“Rest assured, Crown Princess,” Zhuxin replied, “this servant has already arranged everything.”

Xie Yao finally relaxed. If Zhuxin was handling it, she could be at ease.

Others in the residence didn’t know the inside story, but Zhuxin and Zhuqing did. After hesitating a moment, Zhuxin asked softly, “Crown Princess, what will you do about this?”

Xie Yao was silent for a long time before finally saying, “…There’s nothing I can do.”

She couldn’t just… strip off the Crown Prince’s pants, could she?

That would really be… truly be…

“Crown Princess.” Zhuqing entered from outside, her expression dark, her voice low. “Hongdou has been brought.”

Hongdou—her maid, a part of the dowry.

But in truth, she was someone that stepmother and her daughter had planted by her side.

Xie Yao’s eyes dimmed. “Bring her in.”

Hongdou followed Zhuqing into the room timidly.

Her heart pounded uneasily.

Why was the Crown Princess calling only her in?

She quickly knelt and bowed, her posture obedient. “This servant greets the Crown Princess.”

Xie Yao lifted her gaze. “Hongdou, how are your mother and younger brother?”

Hongdou’s alarm bells rang. “Thank you for your concern, Crown Princess. They are both well.”

“Your younger brother is eight this year, isn’t he?” Xie Yao said slowly. “I heard he’s quite bright, with a prodigious memory?”

Hongdou’s head shot up, her face changing, eyes wary. “What is the Crown Princess intending?”

That she had investigated her family so thoroughly and was now speaking of it openly, this did not bode well!

But Xie Yao only watched her calmly, saying nothing.

Her steady gaze made Hongdou’s heart pound like a drum.

What did the Crown Princess mean?

Had she already been found out? Was this a threat?

Already guilty inside, Hongdou’s thoughts ran wild. Kneeling on the floor, sweat rolled down her forehead.

The silence dragged on. The room grew oppressively still, time stretching unbearably long.

“Crown Princess…”

Finally, Hongdou couldn’t hold back.

Xie Yao’s light laugh cut her off. “If your younger brother were freed from his bond of servitude, apprenticed under a proper teacher… perhaps even the imperial exams would not be beyond reach.”

Hongdou stared in shock.

“What do you think?” Xie Yao’s brows arched slightly, inwardly certain of her advantage.

It wasn’t the first time she had spoken to Hongdou this way. And in this lifetime, she had even more leverage.

In her last life, Hongdou’s deed of sale had been in Madam Zhang’s hands. This time, it was in her own hand, which made the girl far easier to control.

Hongdou’s heart sank completely. By now, how could she not understand? The Crown Princess must already know everything.

“This servant is willing to serve the Crown Princess faithfully.” Hongdou bit her lip, quickly making her decision. “Please… save my mother and younger brother.”

Xie Yao smiled. “Stand. I knew you were clever.”

Without hesitating, Hongdou added, “Madam instructed me to watch the Crown Princess and report anything to her. As far as I know, I am not the only one she planted, but who the others are, I do not know.”

After a pause, she continued, “On the day the Crown Princess married, Madam gave me a packet of medicine.”

Xie Yao’s expression darkened.

She had known there were others, but medicine?

“What kind of medicine?” Zhuqing’s face changed sharply, her eyes filled with suspicion as she glared at Hongdou.

Hongdou answered quickly, “The medicine is hidden in my pillow. I have not touched it. Please, Crown Princess, see for yourself!”

Xie Yao glanced at Zhuxin.

Zhuxin went forward, lifted Hongdou, and handed her another item. “Of course the Crown Princess believes you.”

Hongdou lowered her eyes and saw what Zhuxin had given her.

Her brother’s deed of servitude.

She dropped to her knees at once, knocking her forehead on the ground again and again.
“Thank you, Crown Princess! Thank you! This servant will go through fire and water for you!”

“What would I need you to do that for?” Xie Yao laughed lightly. “Don’t overthink. Just go about your duties as usual. When I need you, I will call on you.”

“As long as you listen, I will personally find a good teacher for your younger brother.”

Hongdou’s heart finally settled. Overcome with gratitude, she looked at Xie Yao with shining eyes.
“Yes! Thank you, Crown Princess. This servant will obey your every word.”

“Zhuqing, see Hongdou out.”

“Yes.” Zhuqing led Hongdou away.

When the room was quiet again, Zhuxin asked, “Crown Princess, you are too kind. Giving Hongdou her brother’s deed so soon, what if she goes back on her word?”

“She won’t.”

If she hadn’t been sure, she wouldn’t have given it.

Besides, Hongdou’s younger brother truly was gifted. In her last life, two years later, his fame as a prodigy spread across the capital.

She didn’t mind doing him a favor. And besides, such a prodigy might be of use to her someday.

Before long, Zhuqing returned holding a small paper packet. “Crown Princess, this is the medicine Madam gave to Hongdou.”

Xie Yao glanced at it. “Tomorrow, secretly find a physician to examine it.”

It surely wasn’t anything good.

But what it was exactly, only a doctor could tell.

—-

The next morning, when Xie Yao awoke, her waist no longer hurt. The bruising had dispersed, leaving only faint traces of purple against her white skin.

Zhuxin applied ointment to her waist before helping her dress. As she did, Xie Yao said, “Go and invite the Crown Prince here.”

The main quarters had already prepared an exquisite breakfast.

As soon as Xiao Ji entered, his gaze fell on her waist. “Is it better now?”

“Thanks to Your Highness, it no longer hurts.” Xie Yao’s voice was warm with gratitude.

The two of them sat to eat. Only then did Xie Yao speak again. “Your Highness, these past few days I’ve been checking the household accounts. I noticed some irregularities.”

The Crown Prince’s household had no true mistress. Although Momo Xu was trusted by him, she was not the master.

And though she had grown up under a stepmother, Xie Yao had learned much about account-keeping and management from her grandmother’s household.

“In reviewing the ledgers, I saw that various departments withdraw their funds not as needed, but all together at the start of the month.”

Xiao Ji frowned slightly. “That is indeed the case.”

“I believe it would be better to follow proper rules. This way of doing things is dangerous, leaving hidden troubles…”

Surprised, Xiao Ji glanced at her. “Oh?”

Xie Yao lowered her voice. “Perhaps Your Highness does not know that my maternal family is in trade. My mother passed away early, and my grandmother cherished me. Since childhood, she gave me shops to practice managing. Zhuxin often helps me inspect them.”

“The other day, when meeting the household stewards, Zhuxin said that the one overseeing the kitchens, Steward Ding, looked very familiar. After two days’ thought, she remembered that she had seen him before at the Caijin Gambling House.”

Xie Yao added, “Across from that gambling house is one of my grandmother’s cloth shops.”

Running a gambling house was, of course, disreputable.

She hadn’t actually seen it herself, this was all knowledge from her last life, when the matter came to light half a year later.

The Crown Prince had been severely punished by the Emperor for it, who had even considered abolishing him as heir. She had only overheard it later, from Song Wenbo and that woman. But she remembered clearly that the steward’s surname had been Ding.

These past few days, Zhuxin had confirmed it through discreet inquiries.

And since Xie Yujiao was also reborn and had once been the Crown Princess, Xie Yao knew she had to act quickly to root out such dangers in the Crown Prince’s household.

Otherwise, it would be a blade pointed directly at them.

Especially since that steward’s dealings were not limited to mere gambling…

Xiao Ji’s expression darkened, his eyes turning frosty. “I will order a thorough investigation.”

“As for the household affairs, you are the Crown Princess. Everything is yours to manage. You need not ask me. As for Steward Ding, do not alert him just yet.”

Xie Yao beamed. “Very well! Rest assured, Your Highness, I will manage our home well.”

Xiao Ji: “…”

He paused slightly, coughed lightly, then rose and left.

Watching his retreating figure, Xie Yao’s eyes grew thoughtful.

The Crown Prince truly was a good man.

If possible, she wanted to help him escape the dead end two years from now.

After all, children ought to have a father.

…Though right now, she didn’t have children yet.

No sooner had Xiao Ji left the main quarters than he told Si-nan, his trusted aide, “Immediately investigate all the household stewards. Start with Steward Ding.”