What she said was all true. Invariably seeking connections to climb the social ladder will only increase a person’s sense of insecurity. Only by relying on myself will I be able to grasp everything in my hand. That is the safest.
“It looks like you are quite tactful. As long as you can achieve this, I won’t make things difficult for you. You don’t have to stay here anymore. Return to your room to rest.” Miss Qing snorted. Then, she walked towards the cupboard in the room.
Su Xi-er saw that she opened the cupboard door and had begun searching for something, just like Situ Li.
Is she looking for the woven silk fabric? There’s only a leaf and the word, ‘Yun’ embroidered on it.
“Go back quickly. What are you looking at me for!” Miss Qing looked straight at her, her gaze filled with disdain.
“Miss Qing, please take your time to search. This servant will be going back now.” Su Xi-er immediately prepared to step out of the room.
She had only taken a few steps when she heard a bellow from behind. “Who said I’m looking for something? Mind what comes out from your mouth. Otherwise, I’ll let you suffer the consequences!”
Su Xi-er turned around and smiled slightly. “So you’re actually not searching for something. It looks like you like this place quite a lot, Miss Qing. Why don’t you rest here?” She walked away immediately after, no longer paying any attention to Miss Qing.
Miss Qing represents Prince Hao. The thing she is searching for is probably the woven silk fabric and Situ Li is also looking for it.
This piece of woven silk fabric is definitely not as simple as it seems on the surface. Now that it’s in my hands, I have to keep it properly. It may come in handy in the future.
On the way back to her room, Su Xi-er saw numerous palace maids from the Palace Side Quarters give her a terrified expression as they looked at her.
“Heavens! She really has such good fortune to have survived. Going to the woodhouse at the northwest corner, yet actually returning perfectly fine.”
“Exactly. The other palace maids who have been there are all dead without exception. This is too inconceivable!”
In their astonishment, the palace maids watched Su Xi-er as she walked further away. Every palace maid felt that the Palace Side Quarters had started to become different. Maybe some major event will happen in the future.
When she was about to reach her room, Su Xi-er saw Old Maidservant Zhao. With all the working palace maids still around them in the day, Su Xi-er was still required to put on an act. Hence, she bowed deferentially. “Old Maidservant Zhao.”
Old Maidservant Zhao snorted coldly and lowered her voice, “Don’t pretend in front of me after appearing so ruthless while spewing out threats! You’re no longer an obedient lamb in my eyes. Right now, I don’t dare to order you about anymore.”
“This servant is only someone who scrubs the chamber pots,” Su Xi-er replied indifferently.
Coldness suffused Old Maidservant Zhao’s eyes. Without saying anything, she flung her sleeves and left.
Watching Old Maidservant Zhao’s departing figure fade into the distance, the expression in Su Xi-er’s eyes changed slightly. I must eliminate her as soon as possible.
Hong Li was standing far away from them. After she saw that Old Maidservant Zhao had left, she immediately walked to Su Xi-er’s side and patted her. She lowered her voice, “Su Xi-er, Old Maidservant Zhao has begun to ostracise me. She doesn’t allow me to serve her in matters regarding her meals and everyday life, instead instructing me to monitor you.”
“Then you should monitor me properly. Help me pass on some words to her.” She then walked towards the room.
Hong Li immediately followed. She was completely on Su Xi-er’s side now. Whether or not I can leave the Palace Side Quarters, I have gambled it all on this person.
The two had just arrived at the room’s entrance when Su Xi-er instantly sensed that something was amiss. There’s someone inside!
Hong Li didn’t detect anything wrong, and was baffled as to why Su Xi-er was not opening the door.
“You can’t collapse. We’re on the same boat now.”
“I know. Go back first.”
Hong Li nodded and turned around to leave.
Su Xi-er saw that the white ash in front of the room’s door had been stepped on. Although she didn’t have the whole room to herself, the other three palace maids mainly stayed in it at night. She, on the other hand, had to scrub the chamber pots at night, resulting in her sleeping hours being different from theirs.
There were rules in the Palace Side Quarters. During working hours, all palace maids were not to return to their rooms to rest unless there were special circumstances.
Therefore, she would always sprinkle white ash in front of the room’s door if she went out during the day. Since it was stepped on by someone, someone must have certainly gone in.
Furthermore, this footprint is very large. The one who went in is definitely a man!
All the people in the Palace Side Quarters are women. Where did the man come from?!
Su Xi-er pushed the door open cautiously. Creak. The room door was pushed open.
Immediately, she was forced to turn in order to dodge a white pearl that came flying directly towards her forehead.
The pearl landed on the floor, glittering with a dazzling lustre under the sunlight. Just by its appearance, Su Xi-er could tell that the offending projectile was worth a fortune.
“If you like it, I’ll bestow this pearl to you.” A deep and low man’s voice sounded, his overbearing voice full of oppression.
Su Xi-er’s heart shivered. The person in my room is Prince Hao!
She bent down to pick up that pearl and close the room door. “This servant can’t accept it. Many thanks for your kind intentions, Prince Hao.”
Pei Qianhao raised the corner of his lips. “You risked your life to exchange for it, so it’s yours.”
If she hadn’t been able to evade it just now, this pearl would have struck right in the middle of her forehead. With how much force he had put into the throw, it may have even cracked her skull.
“Prince Hao, has this servant done something wrong? Why did you want to kill this servant?” Su Xi-er raised her head to look at him. While her etiquette was perfect, her voice carried some apprehension and unwillingness.
“Does this prince need a reason when doing things?” Pei Qianhao glanced at her. His gaze started to wander around the interior of the room.
“This tiny, simple, and crude room is too cramped with four palace maids in it. It’s still acceptable if you’re staying in it alone,” he began to mutter to himself. His words caused Su Xi-er to be very puzzled.
How does it concern him as to where I stay? He even used a pearl to try to take my life just now.
“This pearl is taken from Xiliu Nation. Sell it and you won’t have to worry about money for the rest of your life.” After Pei Qianhao surveyed the whole room, his gaze landed on the pearl she had placed on the table.
“This servant is a palace maid scrubbing the chamber pots, and won’t have any use for such a precious pearl. Prince Hao, in your Beauty Palace, there are numerous concubines…” Pei Qianhao cut her off.
“You want this prince to bestow it to them?” Pei Qianhao smiled mockingly. “They’re all lowly women. They’re not worthy of it.”
Su Xi-er’s heart thumped faster for a moment. Those women are unworthy of it, but on what basis am I deserving of it?
“What is your relationship with the Third Imperial Prince?” Pei Qianhao walked closer to her. His hand pinched her chin and raised it.
When he looked at her at such a close distance, he had no choice but to admit that she was very beautiful. With how many peerlessly beautiful women he had seen, he had long developed a resistance to such charms. However, she still caused his eyes to shine.
He didn’t know how to describe that pair of eyes. She wasn’t old but this pair of eyes caused him to feel that she had experienced a lot.
“This servant has always been in the Palace Side Quarters and has never left. How would I be acquainted with the Third Imperial Prince?”
“Then why did he side with you and protect you? He’s not someone who likes beauties.”
Su Xi-er really wanted to reply to him with, “Do you think everyone is like you? Taking beautiful women into the Beauty Palace whenever you see one?”
However, she wouldn’t say that out loud. Confronting Prince Hao head-on right now is simply courting death.
“This servant doesn’t dare to make conjectures about an imperial prince’s thoughts. Prince Hao, you can directly go and ask the Third Imperial Prince.”
Pei Qianhao’s eyes became serene and deep like bottomless pools, and were also brimming with danger.
“Audacious!” He pinched her chin strongly and forced her to the tableside. Inadvertently, he placed the pearl into a small groove indented in the wall.
