After just a short while, the corner gate suddenly opened. It was still the same woman who had passed along the message earlier. Tong Ji’s heart sank: “Where is Miss Chun Yan? Didn’t she come out?”

“Don’t worry, Miss Chun Yan will be here shortly. I was afraid you’d be anxious waiting, so I came out first to let you know. You don’t know… how difficult it was for me to avoid everyone’s eyes and pass the message to Miss Chun Yan.” The woman tucked her hands together, speaking with a cheerful smile.

Tong Ji felt contempt in his heart—wasn’t she just after silver?!

Tong Ji reached into his chest again and pulled out several pieces of broken silver to give to the woman. His face couldn’t hide the contempt in his heart, and he didn’t even bother with polite words, his face red from the cold and tightly strained.

The woman joyfully collected the silver, thanked him, then shrank back through the corner gate and closed the door.

Tong Ji had almost chased forward to spit at that woman, but thinking of the several letters tucked in his chest and Prince Liang’s instructions that they must be delivered to Chun Yan’s hands, he forcibly held back.

That woman, having gained another sum of silver, returned to the gatehouse where the brazier burned very brightly, counting her silver with a face full of joy. Nanny Qin and Nanny Tong had said… she could keep all this silver, and the mansion would even credit her with merit. Such good fortune naturally made her happy.

After counting the silver, the woman carefully hid the money close to her body, then picked up a plate of peanuts and sat by the fire, roasting sweet potatoes to eat.

Soon, someone came to notify the woman that she could go inform Chun Yan.

The woman moved quickly on her feet and soon went to Qinghui Courtyard.

These past few days, Nanny Tong hadn’t assigned any work to Chun Yan. With First Miss and Chun Tao constantly at the spirit hall, Chun Yan didn’t even have a chance to show her face before First Miss. Feeling anxious and restless, she threw herself into the kitchen, preparing to make several types of pastries that First Miss usually enjoyed eating, hoping First Miss would remember her good qualities and reassign her to serve at her side.

A maid responsible for cleaning Qinghui Courtyard came running from outside the courtyard into the small kitchen, patting the snow off her shoulders, then turned to Chun Yan and said: “Chun Yan, there’s a woman outside calling for you.”

Chun Yan was frowning and about to say she had no time, but for some reason, she suddenly thought of Prince Liang. She put down the palm fan she was using to fan the fire, tidied her hair, came out of the kitchen, and walked toward the gate. Sure enough, as soon as she came out, she saw the gatekeeper woman who had passed along Prince Liang’s message to her yesterday.

Seeing Chun Yan come out, the woman hurriedly walked to a place where no one was around. Chun Yan understood and followed, feeling uneasy in her heart, her hands desperately twisting her handkerchief.

“Is there… some message from His Highness Prince Liang?” Chun Yan’s ears turned red, her heart truly longing for that noble, precious, and extraordinarily handsome man.

“Yes, yes! Miss Chun Yan, this old servant is taking risks to pass along messages for you! If you climb to high branches in the future, you must remember this old servant’s kindness!” the woman said with a cheerful smile.

Chun Yan hurriedly removed a bracelet from her wrist and pressed it into the woman’s palm: “I know you’ve taken risks, Nanny. Chun Yan is infinitely grateful! Please speak quickly, Nanny, lest others see us!”

The woman weighed the bracelet in her hand and secretly hid it in her sleeve before saying, “Master Tong from Prince Liang’s side is outside the gate, saying he wants to see you. Just now, there were always people around, and I couldn’t get away. I finally found a free moment to come over. Master Tong has been waiting for quite a while. Before I came, I checked for you—Master Tong is still there! It seems he has something extremely important to tell you! Miss, go quickly!”

After speaking, the woman looked left and right before hurrying away.

Chun Yan’s heart was in turmoil. She looked down and patted her plain jacket and skirt that hadn’t actually been stained with flour, tidied her hair, then hurried toward the gate with quick steps.

Seeing Chun Yan leave, Yin Shuang leaped down from the tree and quietly followed behind Chun Yan.

Nanny Tong had instructed Yin Shuang that once Chun Yan left Qinghui Courtyard, she should immediately follow and remember what Chun Yan said to whom. If she could remember every word without missing any, there would be candy to eat!

Chun Yan ran all the way, stopping when she neared the corner gate to steady her breathing and tidy her hair and clothes before coming out through the corner gate.

Seeing the carriage, Chun Yan immediately panicked: “Has His Highness come too?!”

“Why are you only coming out now?” Tong Ji couldn’t help but complain when he saw Chun Yan emerge.

“I’m sorry! That gatekeeper woman had to avoid people, so I came out a bit late!” Chun Yan’s eyes couldn’t help but glance toward the carriage.

In the past, when Prince Liang came, he always rode in the carriage used by servants to avoid attention, so Chun Yan assumed Prince Liang was inside.

“His Highness didn’t come! You don’t need to crane your neck looking!” Tong Ji was irritated and spoke rudely. “His Highness has matters to instruct…”

As he spoke, Tong Ji took out several letters from his chest and relayed Prince Liang’s instructions to Chun Yan word for word.

When Tong Ji said that Prince Liang also had feelings for her, Chun Yan’s heart beat faster and faster as she listened, her face flushing red.

“After the matter is accomplished and Miss Bai marries into the prince’s mansion, His Highness will ask Miss Bai for you and take you as a concubine! So this matter cannot fail… You also cannot open these letters to read them, or you’ll give the game away! After all, with Duke’s character, he would never open and privately read junior family members’ letters.” Tong Ji instructed. “His Highness gave thousands of instructions and ten thousand exhortations—you must remember!”

Chun Yan’s hands trembled slightly. His Highness said he would take her as a concubine… she was deeply moved. Though placing these letters in Duke’s study would indeed be difficult, if she could become His Highness’s woman, she had to take this risk no matter what.

Moreover, what good family could their First Miss, with her difficulty bearing children, marry into? Prince Liang was a prince who was devoted to her—what marriage could be better than following His Highness?! What she was doing… was also for First Miss’s sake!

Thinking of this, Chun Yan no longer hesitated and took the letters from Tong Ji’s hands: “Tell Prince Liang that this servant will find a way to place the letters in the Duke’s study!”

“His Highness said that today, with the Duke’s mansion holding the funeral, is the best opportunity. If we miss today, who knows when we’ll have to wait until! By then… if First Miss’s marriage plans change midway, all hope will be lost! You must remember this.” Tong Ji was afraid Chun Yan would be timid and hesitant, so he deliberately repeated it once more.

If First Miss’s marriage plans changed, then she would never see Prince Liang again. Chun Yan’s face turned pale, immediately understanding the urgency of this matter.

She gripped the several letters tightly in her hands and nodded: “Tell His Highness to rest assured. Today I will accomplish this matter. After it’s done, I’ll find a way to have someone pass word to His Highness!”

The Bai family’s funeral procession was returning and happened to be passing the intersection ahead of the deep alley. Tong Ji looked back and hurriedly said: “Don’t bother finding someone to pass word! I’ll wait right here… the funeral procession has already returned. If we delay any longer, there won’t be another chance. Go quickly and place them, then come back immediately to tell me!”

As soon as Tong Ji finished speaking, the corner gate suddenly opened wide. More than ten guards and rough servant women poured out, capturing Chun Yan, who was holding the letters, along with Tong Ji and Prince Liang’s coachman!

“What are you doing?! Let go of me! I’m Prince Liang’s servant—how dare you disrespect me?!” Tong Ji shouted.