The Empress Dowager, who had been about to leave, paused involuntarily. Her gaze imdiately fell on the phoenix.
"Phoenix, why have you suddenly cald down? What did I say just now that cald you down?"
The Empress Dowager looked at the phoenix, racking her brain, but all she could ultimately think of were the words she had just spoken. This phoenix was indeed sentient and could understand human speech; they had all realized this over the past few days.
The phoenix held its head high, gazing at the sky, completely ignoring the Empress Dowager.
"Nanny Xiao! Am I being scorned by this phoenix?"
Nanny Xiao thought to herself: Isn’t that obvious! That look says it all!
Regardless, she replied, "Your Highness, you’re overthinking."
Whether she was overthinking or not, the Empress Dowager didn’t dwell on it.
However, as she had said earlier, she sent Nanny Xiao to the National Master’s residence to inform him about the phoenix’s strange behavior.
The National Master pondered for a mont upon hearing this and asked directly, "Did the phoenix’s abnormal behavior happen before or after the Celestial Phenonon?"
"Afterward. Almost as soon as the thunder roared, she beca agitated and shrieked at the sky. Then, she kept flying, repeatedly making fierce dives towards the old willow tree in the courtyard behind Cining Palace. Yet, for so unknown reason, she only swooped towards it, never actually flying all the way there."
Nanny Xiao recounted the events in detail as she rembered them.
The National Master nodded, indicating he understood. "Thank you for your trouble, Nanny. I understand. I will go to the palace imdiately to investigate."
After seeing Nanny Xiao out, the National Master imdiately entered the palace.
Nanny Xiao then went to the Ji Mansion, much to Steward Liu’s surprise. The National Master had only just left, yet Nanny Xiao had arrived. When he heard she was there to relay the Empress Dowager’s verbal decree to bring Princess Chang to the palace, he scrambled to send soone to Xilin Lake to fetch Old Madam Ji and Princess Chang.
Nanny Xiao hadn’t left the palace in a long ti. Hearing that Old Madam Ji and the others were at Xilin Lake, she then said, "Since Old Madam Ji and Princess Chang are at Xilin Lake, I’ll go there personally."
Steward Liu imdiately arranged for a carriage and personally escorted Nanny Xiao to Xilin Lake.
However, when they reached Xilin Lake, Old Madam Ji was no longer there.
Liu Neng looked at the sky. It was almost ti for the fifth hourly watch. He considered Old Madam Ji’s and Princess Chang’s fondness for the preserved fruit from Zhiwei Restaurant. Moreover, Xiu Zhu, one of the Third Young Master’s four principal Maids, was at Zhiwei Restaurant studying various dishes. Thus, they were very likely to be there at this ti. So, he imdiately had the carriage turn around and head towards Zhiwei Restaurant.
"Zhiwei Restaurant? I’ve heard it’s a Dim Sum shop, not a proper Restaurant, is it?"
Hearing Nanny Xiao’s question, Liu Neng was sowhat hesitant. The fact that Zhiwei Restaurant belonged to their Third Young Master was a secret known only to him among all the servants of the Ji Mansion. The Master had instructed him not to tell anyone!
"If there’s sothing inconvenient to say, you don’t have to say it."
Having spent her life in the palace observing people’s expressions, Nanny Xiao imdiately saw that Steward Liu had sothing he found difficult to say, so she spoke graciously.
Steward Liu said apologetically, "It’s not that it’s inconvenient, but the owner of Zhiwei Restaurant... he..."
"The owner of Zhiwei Restaurant is related to your Ji Mansion?"
Just as Steward Liu was racking his brains for the right words to explain that Zhiwei Restaurant was, in fact, his Third Young Master’s establishnt, Nanny Xiao, with her own assumptions, spoke up and finished his sentence before he could!
Steward Liu’s eyes widened, and he grinned. "Yes, exactly! That’s it, that’s it!"
"Speaking of which, the Ji Family is also one of nobility and influence in the capital. Back in the day, the Ji Family was practically half the power in Capital City! If it weren’t for what happened to the old General and Princess Chang back then..."
Nanny Xiao suddenly stopped in the middle of her sentence, and Steward Liu asked in confusion, "What happened to the old General and Princess Chang?"
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