"Manman specially invited us to the villa for the New Year," said Madam He. "What’s wrong with me wanting to go keep her company?
If you don’t want to go, then just stay put at home. Don’t go running around."
Hua Dingzong was afraid of being left behind.
The mere thought of spending the New Year all alone at home made him feel desolate.
He hurriedly grabbed Madam He and said, biting the bullet.
"Since we’re going to keep Manman company, I’ll go too. I’m her own father, after all.
If you all go and I’m the only one who doesn’t, it will look like I don’t care about her at all."
Madam He had long expected him to change his mind.
Instead of retorting as she usually would, she calmly agreed.
"Then let’s go."
This time, when Madam He set out, she took not only Hua Dingzong and their two sons but also a number of essential servants.
Once they left, the main gates of the Zhong’an Bo Mansion were shut tightly.
The procession of carriages slowly made its way out of Shangjing.
The villa had long since been cleaned, ready for the people from the Zhong’an Bo Mansion to move in the moment they arrived.
Hua Manman was helped into the house.
She smiled at Madam He and Hua Dingzong.
"Please, take a look at the house. Is it to your liking? If there’s anything you’re not happy with, please don’t hesitate to tell me."
Madam He immediately replied, "It’s wonderful here."
Although Hua Dingzong still felt somewhat sullen, things had already come to this. No matter how angry he was, he couldn’t change the current situation.
He looked at Manman’s large belly and asked.
"You must be about seven months along, right?"
Hua Manman nodded. "Yes, just turned seven months."
Hua Dingzong said happily, "Look at the shape of that belly. It must be a boy."
Having given birth to three children herself, Madam He knew very well that the last thing a pregnant woman wanted to hear was talk about the baby’s gender, as it put immense pressure on them.
Everyone wanted a son, but the mother had no control over whether she had a boy or a girl.
So Madam He immediately snapped back.
"Boy or girl, what does it matter? As long as it’s Manman’s child, I, as the grandmother, will love it!"
Before Hua Dingzong could argue, Madam He pulled Manman away.
As she walked, Madam He said, "Don’t listen to your father’s nonsense. That’s just how he is; he’ll never change."
"It’s fine," Hua Manman said. "I don’t mind."
Madam He helped her sit down on the soft couch and sighed.
"Now that Prince Zhao is gone, who knows how long it will be before he returns. I’m afraid he won’t even make it back for your delivery."
Hua Manman leaned against her and giggled. "But I still have you, don’t I?"
"Now that we’ve left the capital," Madam He said, "what about Princess Rouwan? We can’t just leave her there all by herself, can we?"
Hua Manman replied, "I’ve already spoken with the Commandery Princess. She moved to a separate estate outside the city a while ago."
Madam He was relieved. "That’s good, then."
Although Prince Zhao and Princess Rouwan had a terrible mother-son relationship, they were, after all, mother and son by birth.
If something happened to Princess Rouwan while Prince Zhao was away, Manman would be unable to answer to him.
Hua Manman asked, "Shouldn’t we make arrangements for Uncle as well?"
Madam He said, "I had someone send a letter to your uncle, saying the ancestral graves back in our hometown need repairs. I suggested he make a trip back, and that it would be best to bring his wife and children along. I expect they will set off from Shangjing in a few days."
After settling in the people from the Zhong’an Bo Mansion, Hua Manman ordered someone to send a message to Bian Ziming.
Before Li Ji left Shangjing, he had instructed Bian Ziming to look after Princess Consort Zhao and ensure no one bullied her.
Upon learning that the Princess Consort had business with him, Bian Ziming mounted his horse without a second thought and galloped out of the camp.
He rode all the way to the villa.
Hua Manman invited him to sit in the Warm Pavilion.
Bian Ziming spoke as soon as he entered, "Princess Consort, if you have any orders, please just say the word. As long as it’s something I can do, I will do everything in my power!"
Hua Manman didn’t stand on ceremony with him.
"You must have seen on your way here.
There are many people staying here with me now, old and young.
If anything were to happen, the handful of trusted aides from the Prince Mansion won’t be enough.
So I was hoping to borrow some men from you."
Without even thinking, Bian Ziming immediately agreed. "Will five hundred men be enough?"
Hua Manman nodded. "That should be enough."
She paused, then changed the subject.
"I’ve heard there’s been some turmoil in the imperial court recently."
Bian Ziming replied, "Ever since the Night Owl Guard was established, they’ve indeed stirred up a lot of trouble. But none of it has anything to do with us. The Princess Consort needn’t worry."
Hua Manman said, "Now that the Prince is not in the Capital City, you and I must be extra careful."
Bian Ziming replied grimly, "I understand."
After a moment’s thought, she decided to add another word of caution.
"If, in the future, someone urgently summons you to the palace in the Saint’s name, you had best get a clear picture of the situation before deciding whether or not to go. Don’t just follow them on a whim."
In *Palace Intrigue*, when the Emperor was critically ill and near death, Prince Wu Zhang, Li Ying, used this as a pretext to summon the court ministers and several military generals responsible for guarding Shangjing City into the palace. Nominally, it was to discuss countermeasures, but in reality, he wanted everyone to endorse him as the successor to the throne.
Bian Ziming now worked for Prince Zhao, making him part of Prince Zhao’s faction.
Hua Manman didn’t want Bian Ziming to be dragged into these muddy waters.
Bian Ziming was completely baffled.
"I don’t understand what the Princess Consort means by that."
Hua Manman couldn’t be too explicit, so she could only say vaguely,
"As you know, the situation in the court is unstable lately. You must proceed with caution and, no matter what, do not get dragged into it."
Bian Ziming was still pondering the Princess Consort’s words long after he left the villa.
It was as if she were warning him that something major was about to happen in the court.
’The Capital City is perfectly peaceful right now. What kind of major event could possibly happen?’
Not long after Bian Ziming returned to the Tiger Roar Camp, five hundred soldiers were dispatched to the villa.
The villa certainly didn’t have enough housing for them, so they had to pitch their own tents.
Once the tents were set up, Hua Manman had them survey the terrain around the villa and map out a potential escape route.
If they were truly pushed to that point in the future, Hua Manman would have no choice but to lead everyone in an escape to Lingnan to seek refuge with Prince Zhao.
Prince Zhao held military power. Only by his side could all of them finally be safe.
Of course, these were all just precautions Hua Manman was taking, just in case.
’Perhaps things won’t get that bad. Perhaps I’m just overthinking everything.’
「In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve.」
Good news came from Lingnan: in the battle against the rebel army, the forces led by Prince Zhao had achieved their first victory.
The Emperor was overjoyed, and even his illness seemed to improve slightly as a result.
That evening, the palace held its customary New Year’s Eve banquet.
The Emperor, supported by others, personally attended the banquet.
It was clear he was in an excellent mood, a smile constantly on his face.
According to tradition, during the New Year’s Eve banquet each year, the Emperor would grant promotions to the concubines who had not made any major mistakes throughout the year.