Da Tang Si Zi: My Six Super Rich Little Nuggets!

Chapter 278 Grandpa Di Arrives

Upon being asked this, Xiao Yao's heart skipped a beat, and she unconsciously began to tug at her skirt. She had been in the palace for a year and knew she shouldn't speak out, but she was afraid of being ostracized by the maids. For over a year, she had always been labeled as unsociable, and her future days in the palace would be difficult. Even for the sake of her young master, Xiao Yao hesitated repeatedly, but still managed a smile, her voice trembling slightly, as she changed the subject:

"That's right! The palace was in complete chaos that day, and no one noticed that the young mistress was missing. When she arrived at the Li residence, the servants couldn't stop her. She was like a little leopard, rushing straight into the study and ransacking everything!"

As she said this, her palms were sweating with nervousness, and her eyes kept darting between the faces of the old women, trying to judge from their expressions whether she had said something wrong.

Granny Ling feigned reproach: "You silly girl, how come you know so many secrets and don't even keep them to yourself?"

Xiao Yao turned pale with fright, her mind racing to think of something to make amends. She stammered, "I...I was just afraid the older sisters would say I'm not sociable! Actually, you were just trying to protect Lord Li's old books...but still..." She bit her lip and glanced timidly at the faces of the maids around her. Seeing that no one was scolding her, she finally felt a little relieved.

But then she started to worry: had she really caused trouble by saying so much? But seeing how attentively the maids were listening, she couldn't help but wonder if this would help her fit in with them? And maybe she could gather information for her young master in the future?

"Did you find it?" Granny Ling asked, raising an eyebrow.

Xiao Yao hung her head and shook her head honestly, "I couldn't find it... In the end, they sent me back to the palace with the young mistress, looking dejected." After saying that, she nervously rubbed the hem of her clothes, her heart pounding with anxiety. She was afraid that the nannies would think she was being nosy, and she was also afraid of being neglected. She could only carefully observe everyone's reactions and pray that the conversation would end peacefully.

Granny Ling suddenly leaned closer to Xiao Yao, her eyes filled with a malicious curiosity: "Hey, everyone who's seen the young mistress you're serving now, Jiu'er, says she's a spitting image of Princess Jinyang, Si'er, from back then. The Emperor treats her like a precious jewel. You used to be from Lord Li's household, so I've been wondering, what's her birth mother's background?" As she spoke, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and glanced around meaningfully.

Hearing this, the older Qing Mama sighed softly, her gaze sweeping over the crowd to the distant, mottled palace walls, a hint of something unreadable in her eyes: "Speaking of which, back then, Princess Jinyang, Xiao Sizi, looked like a five or six-year-old child until she was twelve. That appearance..." Her voice trailed off, as if she were lost in a distant memory.

Granny Ling curled her lip, her sharp tone tinged with schadenfreude: "Who knows if there's something shameful going on in the palace! Maybe they couldn't keep it a secret any longer, which is why they hastily announced Princess Jinyang's death."

Upon hearing this, several palace maids around her instinctively shrank back, their eyes filled with unease. Just as everyone was whispering and chatting animatedly, a series of "tap-tap" footsteps suddenly came from outside.

The sound grew louder as it approached, sending chills down one's spine. Then, the head eunuch, Chief Eunuch Di, strode in, his whisk swaying gently with each step, his face bearing his usual stern expression, like a cold, hard stone statue.

His appearance instantly silenced the previously chattering laundry department. The old women swallowed back the gossip they were about to utter, and the maids quickly lowered their heads, pretending to be focused on washing clothes. The only sound was the clatter of the wooden mallet striking the garments, each strike sending a chill down everyone's spine. Steward Di coldly swept his gaze around, his eyes like icicles, sending shivers down everyone's spines. No one dared to look him in the eye.

"Everyone, hurry up and don't delay things!"