The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 1149 - 1128: In the Game (Extra Update for "Snow*Flower’s" Reward)

Chapter 1149: Chapter 1128: In the Game (Extra Update for "Snow*Flower’s" Reward)

"Why bother with the Daily Records now? I’ve sent a junior eunuch to call him..."

Manbao’s complexion turned slightly pale as she grabbed him, "Which junior eunuch? You let him call, and he just went? He was given an imperial edict; he’s not allowed to leave his post on his own will."

Bai Erlang was taken aback, a bad feeling growing in his heart. He swallowed, shaking his head, "No, that’s not right. He said he was going to call Bai Shan and even asked me for a token."

"What token?" Manbao asked.

"Our jade pendants," he replied.

Manbao then looked down at the jade pendant hanging from her waist. It was a gift from Old Madam Liu last New Year; one for each of the three of them, identical in design, with only the names carved inside differing.

Manbao’s mind raced, thinking of what Keke had said about the palace servant who passed notes to the Fifth Prince in the main hall, and that servant was also quite close to Gu Zhong...

Manbao pressed down her sense of panic, asking Keke, "Keke, can you help me find that junior eunuch? See where he’s gone?"

Keke was already on the lookout, but said, "Host, I don’t know what the junior eunuch looks like."

"Then find Bai Shan, follow the route from here to Bai Shan’s location, he must have gone to find Bai Shan with the item, even a suspect will do, let’s find and stop him..."

"It’s already too late," Keke interrupted her, "Host, he’s now by Bai Shan’s side."

Manbao’s expression changed, and she released Bai Erlang to turn and look towards Li Yunfeng, who was still struggling incessantly.

Mingda also felt that something was wrong and asked Bai Erlang, "Which junior eunuch are you talking about?"

Bai Erlang’s lips trembled without speaking.

Yin Huo ran over breathlessly, clutching his chest, and asked, "What’s happened?"

Manbao withdrew her gaze and gently pushed Mingda aside, speaking to Yin Huo, "Take Bai Er out of the palace."

Bai Erlang teared up, unwilling, "Doctor Zhou Junior!"

Manbao swallowed, whispering softly, "Go back and find your teacher, find Grandma Liu, tell them that today is an exceedingly good day; ministers from the imperial court, even the patriarchs of the great families are all present."

Bai Erlang hesitated, "But..." Didn’t they discuss just last night that today wasn’t a good opportunity? After all, it’s the Empress Dowager’s birthday. Causing a commotion would mean none of them would end well, and it might even make the Empress Dowager feel pity for the Prince of Yizhou, a plea from her and the emperor might not handle it well.

Manbao took off the jade pendant from her waist and hung it on his, then handed over the entry badge she’d been keeping, whispering, "Hurry and leave."

Mingda, standing to the side, couldn’t hear what she and Bai Erlang were saying, but did catch what she told Yin Huo, puzzled, "You’re leaving the palace now?"

Manbao turned back to Mingda, "Princess Mingda, could you please ask someone to escort these two out of the palace?"

Mingda glanced between Bai Erlang and Yin Huo and then back at her, falling silent for a long while before saying, "Just wait," gesturing to a palace servant who had been watching from a distance. The servant immediately raced forward, and she ordered, "Bring over my sedan chair, send these two young masters to the palace gate."

"Yes," the servant responded and left.

Only then did Manbao look at Li Yunfeng again. The distance from the main hall was far, no matter how she ran, she was clearly not going to stop Bai Shan in time.

Sure enough, at that moment, Keke softly spoke in her mind, "The emperor has called Bai Shan to the hall."

Bai Shan had already finished the two buns that Manbao had stuffed him with, and at the moment, he was sitting at his spot, diligently trying to learn how to take notes. From his position, he could oversee the entire scene, so he knew Manbao and her group had gone out and knew that Bai Er and his group followed.

He wasn’t too worried about them.

After all, Manbao had been in the palace for a while now, and she got along well with the princesses and seemed not the type to cause trouble. And with Bai Er, there was Yin Huo; he was reliable, and even if the Fifth Prince and Sixth Prince were likely to be playful, they wouldn’t clash with Bai Er.

So, he wasn’t too worried until he received a note and a jade pendant from the junior eunuch.

The jade pendant was Bai Erlang’s. He hesitated, not willing to believe it.

That fool Bai Er, it was possible for his pendant to be picked during play, but the note delivered wasn’t small, and the characters written on it were tiny, detailing the conflict between Manbao and Commandery Princess Yunfeng, as well as the words spoken by Bai Erlang.

This kind of thing, both Manbao and Bai Erlang were capable of it. On the note, it said Manbao had sent Bai Er away and was now bearing the wrath of Commandery Princess Yunfeng by herself...

The junior eunuch hadn’t left yet. Seeing Bai Shan sweep through the note with a ten-line glance yet remaining indifferent, he leaned in, whispering, "Young Master Bai, Doctor Zhou Junior and Young Master Bai Er are waiting for your rescue."

Bai Shan lifted his head to look at him. Their eyes met, the junior eunuch lowered his head and slowly retreated.

The secretary beside noticed their interaction and couldn’t help frowning, but as a historian, he was not to interfere in any event, only to record it truthfully.

Still, seeing that Bai Shan was only a teenager, he couldn’t help himself and whispered a reminder, "The emperor has asked you to take notes, just stick to that."

Bai Shan crumpled the note in his hand and stuffed it into his chest, holding the jade pendant for a long time without speaking.

His heart felt on fire, afraid it was a trap yet also fearing its authenticity. Either of those scenarios, stepping into or avoiding, could be deadly.

Bai Shan quickly reviewed the events written on the note and then meticulously replayed everything that had happened since he entered the palace today. Remembering how the Fifth Prince suddenly pulled him out to make an appearance, almost being forced to confront the Prince of Yizhou, he couldn’t help but give a bitter smile. Perhaps the truth was real, and the trap was also real.

He looked up at the grand hall, lively with joy, where the Commandery Prince Xin’an was raising a toast to the Empress Dowager, spilling flattery like it cost him nothing. The Empress Dowager was very pleased and lavished him with many gifts.

Bai Shan’s tears suddenly surged forth, dripping down one by one, landing on the registries, blurring the freshly written characters. The secretary saw this and startled, was about to remind him to compose himself, but then Bai Shan began to sob audibly...

The secretary paused, seeing that he put down his brush, he knew it was intentional. He opened his mouth, then turned away as if he saw nothing.

The Empress Dowager had just finished speaking with the Commandery Prince Xin’an, and everyone in the hall had joined in praising him, settling into a lull. The music hadn’t started again, it was a quiet moment.

Though Bai Shan’s sobbing was not loud, it was enough for those nearby, the emperor, the empress, the Empress Dowager, and the Crown Prince, the Prince of Yizhou, to hear.

The Crown Prince was taken aback, turning to look, and upon seeing it was Bai Shan, he frowned, thinking to have the servants take him away for a moment, when Gu Zhong’s voice rose, neither too loud nor too soft, "You’ve got quite the nerve, what is this behavior, step down at once?"

The emperor put down his wine cup and asked, "What’s going on?"