Gluttonous Crown Princess

eamed in the afternoon sun.

This was bestowed by Emperor Zhaokang that morning; Tao Ti wasn’t too attached to them.

She did some mental calculations to confirm that the amount was just about right, then gave each of the supervisors and deputy supervisors a silver ingot.
As for the remaining sixteen ingots, she distributed two each to every department for them to exchange for smaller silver pieces to be rewarded to the attendants in their service. 

This generous gesture stunned all the inner officials of the three courts and five bureaus.

Carrying the heavy silver ingots, they all thanked the crown princess in unison.

As the old saying goes, if one accepts another’s favour, one would have to repay in kind with one’s words and deeds.
If they still has some disdain for this crown princess when they arrived at Yaoguang Hall, they only felt now that the crown princess was modest, tolerant, and treated her subordinates warmly.
She wasn’t as eccentric and bitter as the rumours made her out to be. 

After some cordial and friendly conversation, Tao Ti also gained a general understanding of the Eastern Palace’s affairs.
She was equivalent to a boss, and only had to check the work of each department every few days; it wasn’t anything troublesome.

Before she knew it, an afternoon had passed.

After inner officials took their leave, Linglong brought six more people to Tao Ti.

Tao Ti swept a glance over them, and the memories in her mind told her that they were her dowry maids and nanny.

“Crown Princess, His Highness is worried that you are not used to the Eastern Palace’s attendants, and let them return to serve you,” said Linglong.　　

“His Highness is too kind.” Pei Yan was truly a sweet little angel; she had only mentioned it casually that morning, and he actually remembered it.

The group of six was made up of girls and grannies; Taoti exhorted them to pay attention to the palace rules, then asked Linglong to help them settle down.　

Tao Ti did not stay idle either.
When she returned to her room, she began looking through the Eastern Palace’s ledgers, as well as her dowry booklet.　　

To be fair, for a marquis’s legitimate daughter, the dowry was indeed grand.
Recorded in her dowry booklet, the number of fertile farmland and top-grade shops, jewellery, gold and silver, calligraphy and paintings, and so on, filled up more than five pages. 

Tao Ti propped her chin in her hand and thought, if Pei Yan really did not live past twenty-three, this dowry would also ensure that she would have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of her life after their marriage was annulled.

Just as she was imagining her future life as a little rich lady, a servant girl came in with a cup of tea.
When she saw that there was no one else around, the servant girl immediately became tearful, “My lady, you’ve had to suffer so.
Did the crown prince bully you yesterday?”

“His Highness didn’t bully me at all,” blurted Tao Ti.
She grew to realise that this servant girl was called Zishuang, and she was the original owner’s close confidant.

“His Highness didn’t blame you for what happened yesterday?” Zishuang looked surprised.
“My lady, you mustn’t hide it from this servant.”

Tao Ti gave her a strange look, “Why would I hide it from you.”

Zishuang was momentarily rendered silent, as if trying to find a hint from Tao Ti’s expression, only to find that her brows were relaxed, looking happy and content, as if she really hadn’t been bullied?