Miss Qing coldly snorted, the look in her eyes becoming even more contemptuous. In the end, she swept a glance over Su Xi-er before she turned to leave.
The few servant girls from the Palace Side Quarters had yet to regain their senses, continuing to stare at Miss Qing’s departing figure in a daze.
“Does Miss Qing have a very high status in the palace? How is she compared to Miss He?” Su Xi-er looked at the other palace maids.
A palace maid’s opened her mouth wide to the point it could swallow an egg. “Miss Qing’s status is even higher than Miss He’s. Having followed Prince Hao since she was young, she is the head maidservant in the Prince Hao Residence.”
Su Xi-er’s brow was knitted. Imperial Bodyguard Wu dispatched such a person to send dinner to me. If I hadn’t left that repose palace, Miss Qing would definitely have ‘served’ me. Rather than ‘serve’, ‘monitor’ might be more appropriate.
“Since she’s from the Prince Hao Residence, why doesn’t she stay in the Prince Residence instead of entering the palace?” Su Xi-er continued to ask.
“I have already said it. Miss Qing has followed Prince Hao since young. Their relationship is superb! What’s wrong with her entering the palace?”
This is to say, Miss Qing is the Room Concubine Servant Prince Hao keeps. However, Prince Hao is the Pei Family’s foster son. Can the Pei Family be so kind as to even let him keep a room concubine servant since he was young?
Besides, if she is Prince Hao’s room concubine servant, how come she likes Imperial Bodyguard Wu?
“Don’t speak any more to her. Her whole body reeks of bad luck. Let’s not get infected by it.” A palace maid reminded. Not long after that, everyone had left.
It was currently night, with only a few who were aware of her return to the Palace Side Quarters. She needed to ‘pay her respects’ to Old Maidservant Zhao now and thank her properly for that bowl of chicken soup.
~~~
In front of Old Maidservant Zhao’s door.
Su Xi-er was just about to knock the door when she heard people speaking inside. From their voices, she could distinguish that one of them was Old Maidservant Zhao, while one of them was He Ying.
He Ying walks so fast. She took the Third Imperial Prince to the Compassionate Peace Palace and returned to look for Old Maidservant Zhao so quickly. Women with decent strength in their legs usually have martial arts skills, and pretty good ones at that.
“Miss Xiao He, why did the Empress Dowager pardon Su Xi-er?”
“You don’t have to concern yourself about that. However, that isn’t to say that you should leave her alone. Let her experience some hardships and monitor her. Don’t allow her to take even half a step outside the Palace Side Quarters.”
“It’s just that she has already drunk a mouthful of chicken soup. In one more day, the Heartbreak Grass’s effect will set in.”
“Oh? Hehe, if that’s the case…”
Su Xi-er didn’t bother to listen any further to their whispers after that. It seems like I can’t be in a rush to look for Old Maidservant Zhao. I had better return to my room to rest first.
Not looking for her, however, didn’t signify that Su Xi-er had let go of the matter just like that. The corners of Su Xi-er’s mouth was raised, and a fierce glint flickered across her eyes. She already had a plan in mind.
~~~
The next day.
“Ah, Mu Tao is dead?”
“It’s absolutely true. Her body was already disposed of last night. I reckon that they have already proved that the one who ambushed Prince Hao was Mu Tao!”
“I saw Su Xi-er return last night. I didn’t expect that this matter would end just like that.”
Su Xi-er had just opened the door to her room when she heard the palace maids gossiping. Not missing a beat, the eyes of those maids were immediately filled with hostility and contempt once they saw her.
“All of you, get to work! What are you still doing there!” Old Maidservant Zhao’s bellow caused the crowd to dissipate. However, once she saw Su Xi-er, her expression immediately changed to one of benevolence.
“Su Xi-er, good fortune will definitely ensue since you have survived a great a calamity. Did you sleep well last night? Is your body feeling alright?” Old Maidservant Zhao was acting in such a manner for the sake of sounding her out.
I figure that this person will suddenly die a day later. The might of the Heartbreak Grass really can’t be belittled.
“I feel a little stuffy in my chest and find that I can’t really catch my breath. Is it because the chicken soup yesterday was too nourishing?” Su Xi-er intentionally drew the topic of the conversation to the chicken soup.
Old Maidservant Zhao laughed. “It’s probably due to the weather. It has been so humid lately, I reckon there will be a rainstorm soon.”
“Old Maidservant Zhao…” Su Xi-er’s hand grabbed Old Maidservant Zhao, shocking her until she shuddered.
“This servant feels dizzy. Could you support this servant into the room?” Su Xi-er revealed an exhausted look. Her chest rose up and down as she panted.
It can’t be that the Heartbreak Grass has acted up in advance, right? Old Maidservant Zhao was worried that other palace maids seeing her hippocratic face would give rise to panic. Thus, she could only make a concession.
“Alright, I’ll help you in.” Old Maidservant Zhao nodded in agreement.
The corners of Su Xi-er’s mouth raised slightly before immediately returning to normal.
Once the door was closed, Su Xi-er’s weak state completely vanished, replaced by one of viciousness. Her right hand flung Old Maidservant Zhao onto the floor. It was the first time the old woman had been subjected to such rough treatment that left her reeling in pain.
“Su Xi-er, are you courting death?” On the floor, Old Maidservant Zhao was massaging her sore wrists while lambasting her loudly.
Su Xi-er crouched down to stare at her and spoke in a deep and low tone. “Old Maidservant Zhao, it’s precisely because I don’t want to die that I’m doing this.”
Her eyes were overflowing with ferocity, with the air around her feeling as if it had gone down a few degrees. Old Maidservant Zhao only felt her whole body getting cold.
Is this…still Su Xi-er? Although her behaviour has gotten more daring over the past few days, she still can’t possibly be as audacious like this!
While Old Maidservant Zhao was puzzled, an ice-cold hand swiftly locked around her neck, frightening her until she trembled.
“Su…Xi…er…” Old Maidservant Zhao uttered the three words with much difficulty.
“Do you think that I’m still that former Su Xi-er?” She put her mouth close to Old Maidservant Zhao’s ear and increased the strength in her wrist.
Old Maidservant Zhao’s face was flushed red. She already had no strength to speak, forced to resort to shaking her head.
Su Xi-er chuckled in a low voice. “If you continue to target me, I can definitely kill you!”
The strength in her wrist tightened once again. Old Maidservant Zhao’s legs were flailing and her eyes were rolling about. Just as she thought she was about to die, that ice-cold hand left her neck.
“Mixing Heartbreak Grass in the chicken soup, that kind of child’s play is useless against me.” Su Xi-er’s voice was mild but the aura exuding from her every movement was fierce and imposing.
This is not the aura an ordinary palace maid would have. Old Maidservant Zhao widened her eyes and desperately breathed heavily to catch her breath. Such an immense change can actually happen to a person!
For a while, Old Maidservant Zhao recalled the words Mu Tao said in the past. “Su Xi-er has been possessed by something unclean!”
“Old Maidservant Zhao, you are experienced and knowledgeable. The Empress Dowager, Prince Hao and Commandery Prince Xie. Tell me whatever you know about these few people.” Su Xi-er then waved her hand in front of Old Maidservant Zhao. Despite her face being wreathed in smiles, Old Maidservant Zhao could only see it as the devil’s countenance. If I don’t spit it out, Su Xi-er will kill me.
“The Empress Dowager is the Pei Family’s Eldest Young Miss. She married the late emperor when she was fifteen and became the Empress Dowager at the age of eighteen. Prince Hao is the Pei Family’s foster son. His relationship with the Empress Dowager is hazy and unclear at best. Furthermore, rumours have it that Commandery Prince Xie is in love with the Empress Dowager.”
“Oh? What about Miss Qing?”
“She saved Imperial Bodyguard Wu when she was young. Imperial Bodyguard Wu’s relationship with Prince Hao is very good as well.”
So it’s actually like this. Miss Qing is not the room concubine servant the Pei Family has prepared for Prince Hao.
“Alright, you can get up. I expect that you know not to harbour thoughts against me. As for how you plan to follow Miss He’s orders to make me suffer hardships, I leave that to you.”
Old Maidservant Zhao’s legs trembled. Su Xi-er is already aware of what He Ying had told me last night.
“I have under…stood.” Old Maidservant Zhao immediately replied. Su Xi-er has become so formidable now. Before I have come up with a countermeasure, I can’t land a hand on her.
As she watched Old Maidservant Zhao leave, the look in Su Xi-er’s eyes changed again. An astute and experienced person who’s deeply associated with the imperial palace won’t change her mind just because of a few words from me and listen to my arrangements. I must do something to make Old Maidservant Zhao learn her lesson, and improve her memory.
