After they had eaten their egg-filled pancakes, An Jing’s lunch was considered settled.
Tobanya didn’t stay long; she left after eating.
An Jing, not wanting to listen to Meng Zhuqing report the recent events that had occurred in the mansion, took her four children to the inner chamber to rest and planned to have a good nap.
Xiao Changyi went to the study.
Meng Zhuqing quickly followed him to the study to report what had happened recently in the mansion.
In fact, nothing significant had happened recently in Prince Yi’s Mansion, except that those who appeared to be guards but were actually loyal retainers were not very cooperative with Meng Zhuqing in charge.
Those retainers only acknowledged their master, Xiao Changyi.
"My lord, about these retainers," said Meng Zhuqing, truly vexed, not knowing how to manage them, and so he sought Xiao Changyi’s advice.
Xiao Changyi had expected this and said indifferently, "Tell them if they still want to follow me and serve in my mansion, they must follow your orders."
Once Meng Zhuqing finished reporting, Xiao Changyi went to the inner chamber to join his wife and children for their afternoon nap.
After Meng Zhuqing finished his report, he left the main courtyard.
Having conveyed to the loyal retainers the words of his lord, Meng Zhuqing was ready to leave the mansion to attend to some matters, but before he could leave, he ran into Tobanya, who was also planning to leave.
Meng Zhuqing was walking toward the main gate from one corridor, while Tobanya was approaching from another corridor, and they met just a few steps from the entrance.
Neither of them had expected, after just having seen each other, to run into one another so soon again.
"Commandery Princess," greeted Meng Zhuqing with the same respect he showed every time they met, bowing deeply to Tobanya.
Tobanya, without a word, glanced at Meng Zhuqing naturally and continued to walk forward.
"Commandery Princess!"
For some reason, Meng Zhuqing suddenly called out to her urgently.
Tobanya stopped in her tracks, not turning around, and asked with cool detachment, "What is it?"
Meng Zhuqing appeared from behind her, respectfully saluted with clasped fists, bowed again, and said, "It’s not safe for the Commandery Princess to go out alone; it would be better to have two guards by your side."
Tobanya eyed him. "You care?"
"This general wouldn’t dare!" Meng Zhuqing immediately said, bowing even lower in extreme submission. "It’s just that the safety of this mansion falls under this general’s responsibility. Since the Commandery Princess is residing here, it would be advisable to pay heed to your personal safety."
"Oh," Tobanya responded lightly, her tone carrying a faint hint of realization, "So you’re afraid any trouble involving this Commandery Princess might implicate you."
Meng Zhuqing’s heart clenched painfully, but he did not make any attempt to protest, which could be seen as an admission of agreement.
The tacit admission cut Tobanya to the core. She had wished for him to be this way toward her, but now that he actually was, she found it difficult to bear.
Struggling to ease the pain in her heart, Tobanya’s face revealed none of her inner emotion. She just sneered and said, "Deputy General Meng, you can rest easy. As long as nothing happens within Prince Yi’s Mansion, it won’t implicate you. What you are in charge of is the safety within Prince Yi’s Mansion; you needn’t bother yourself with matters outside the mansion."
After speaking, Tobanya continued walking forward.
In her heart, she understood that he meant well.
He had compassion for women.
Seeing her go out alone, unsafe, he kindly suggested she take two guards with her for protection.