Su Xi-er sat in the room, moving to prop her chin up on her hand before the sharp pain reminded her of the injury on her wrist. She lowered her head to check and noticed that it was already very red. Since she hadn’t been very diligent in applying the medicinal herb after they were forcefully broken, her dislocated wrist was going to take a few more days to recover even though the bones had already returned to their original position.
She needed to gather some medicinal herbs from the spot beside the well to apply every day.
Before she could move, however, the sound of the door being kicked open came along with the sharp voice of a woman. “Su Xi-er, Old Maidservant Zhao treats you so nicely. She even instructed someone to boil red bean congee for you; not to mention all the small side dishes have meat added to them.”
A palace maid slammed the tray she was carrying onto the table.
It comprised a bowl of steaming hot red bean congee and two small side dishes: luffa scrambled eggs and stir-fried vegetarian beans. In the eyes of the palace maids from the Palace Side Quarters, eggs were considered to be under the meat category.
“Did you give some benefits to Old Maidservant Zhao? Your breakfast is so sumptuous. Hmph!” The palace maid snorted coldly, but that her eyes were filled with a craving for food.
“There are so many dishes. I probably can’t finish all of them. Why don’t the two of us eat together?” Su Xi-er took a spoon and passed it to the palace maid.
“How can I do that? These are for you to eat.” Although the palace maid rejected her, she couldn’t hide her eyes that darted towards the red bean congee from time to time.
“As palace maids of the Palace Side Quarters, we should naturally take care of one another. Previously, it was due to a misunderstanding that you all drifted apart from me. I also feel lonely at times.” Su Xi-er’s appeared miserable when she spoke, her face wreathed in loneliness.
The palace maid snatched the spoon from Su Xi-er. “Alright, alright! I’ll just eat it. Don’t feel lonely. Who asked you to look so pretty? Of course everyone would make things difficult for you!”
Without another word, she proceeded to use the spoon to start wolfing the food down in large mouthfuls.
Su Xi-er smiled as she asked, “What’s your name?”
“I’m Hong Li.” By the time she replied, three spoonfuls had already entered her mouth.
“A pretty good name. Hong Li, if Old Maidservant Zhao gives me benefits in the future, I’ll share them with you.”
Hong Li placed her bowl down and stared at Su Xi-er. “Strange. Why is Old Maidservant Zhao suddenly treating you so nicely? I even just heard that she personally simmered chicken soup for you yesterday.”
“Naturally she is treating me well due to some reasons.” Seeing that Hong Li was finished after drinking half a bowl of red bean congee, Su Xi-er picked up her chopsticks to take some vegetables and placed them near her nose to have a sniff.
There’s no problem with today’s vegetables. I can rest assured and eat them.
“For some reasons?” Hong Li contemplated for a while, associating it with Mu Tao’s death and Su Xi-er returning safely. She has just returned but Old Maidservant Zhao is already fawning over her in multifarious ways.
“Su Xi-er, you have someone backing you up. Who exactly is it?”
“Why should I tell you? You are clear about my purpose in informing you so much.” Su Xi-er smiled mysteriously, eliciting Hong Li’s suspicions once again.
Hong Li appears to be young and immature, but those pairs of eyes turn particularly fast. She’s definitely not an ordinary palace maid in the Palace Side Quarters. At the very least, she holds some status in front of Old Maidservant Zhao.
“You’re not lying to me, right?” The look in Hong Li’s eyes was full of inquiry, but when she saw Su Xi-er’s calm and composed manner, she reckoned the latter wasn’t lying. “I believe you; but there’s a precondition for me to help you out. If you become successful in the future, remember to take me out of the Palace Side Quarters.” Hong Li was not silly. Although she was only fourteen years old and had yet to come of age, she had already been in the Palace Side Quarters for nine years. She had no intention of staying here forever.
“Monitor Old Maidservant Zhao for now. In addition, don’t be intimate with me in front of outsiders.”
“I have always been the one arranging her meals and everyday life. I’ll have no problems in monitoring her.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Su Xi-er’s mouth. Hong Li has served beside Old Maidservant Zhao for many years, yet the old woman hasn’t given her any benefits. Otherwise, why would she have such a reaction to just seeing the red bean congee and two small side dishes?
“Alright, feel free to eat all the remaining food if you like them.”
Hong Li’s eyes widened. “You’re not hungry? You’re giving all of it to me to eat?”
“Old Maidservant Zhao will deliver again.”
She had barely finished speaking when Old Maidservant Zhao’s voice sounded.
“Su Xi-er, look at what I have brought you.”
Hong Li panicked and immediately stood up from the chair.
When she saw Old Maidservant Zhao carrying a plate of roast chicken, bitterness flitted across her eyes. Old witch, Su Xi-er has definitely gotten hold of some dirt on you. You even personally delivered the roast chicken!
Hong Li, how could you eat the things meant for Su Xi-er? Damned thing, scram!” Old Maidservant Zhao chided in a stern voice.
Hong Li pouted. She directly walked out without saying anything.
“Old Maidservant Zhao, you’re too polite.” Su Xi-er chuckled.
“This wasn’t made by me. It was the Third Imperial Prince’s servant who sent it to you. So it turns out that your backer is actually the Third Imperial Prince.”
Su Xi-er glanced at Old Maidservant Zhao. The astonishment in her eyes doesn’t look like it’s fake. This roast chicken was really sent by the Third Imperial Prince. The words he said yesterday flashed across her mind.
“As long as I’m in this imperial palace, no one will dare to touch you.”
We have only met once so why is he doing this?
“Among all the imperial princes, Prince Hao only finds the Third Imperial Prince to be worthy of any attention. Su Xi-er, how are you so lucky? The Third Imperial Prince has an ice-cold disposition has him barely speaking to any men, much less women.”
Su Xi-er’s expression didn’t change. “My backer isn’t him.”
The Third Imperial Prince is an imperial prince after all. If the Pei Family finds him threatening, Prince Hao and the Empress Dowager would definitely not let him off. She didn’t want to be implicated in the struggle for power.
“It’s not him? Don’t tell me it’s someone even more powerful?” Old Maidservant Zhao didn’t understand Su Xi-er’s real intentions and misunderstood.
“Either way, it’s someone you can’t offend,” she purposely hinted. After all, she didn’t have a single backer.
Old Maidservant Zhao almost fell onto the floor. The men with the greatest power in Beimin are Prince Hao and Commandery Prince Xie. Her backer is one of them?
“Since He Ying instructed you to make me suffer hardships, you still have to put on an act.” Su Xi-er reminded indifferently. As she spoke, the thick noble aura around her pervaded the air.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you.” Old Maidservant Zhao was completely frightened.
Su Xi-er nodded before heading over to the table. She understood that her physical strength was lacking, and that she needed to eat something for nourishment.
Hence, she picked up the chopsticks and began eating.
She was neither fast nor slow as she ate, keeping an elegant demeanour throughout the process. Old Maidservant Zhao stared blankly. Su Xi-er didn’t eat like this in the past. I had once seen the bearing of a noble when dining, but Su Xi-er’s elegance surpasses even that of a noble!
“Old Maidservant Zhao,” a woman’s soft call could be heard. Old Maidservant Zhao’s body trembled. He Ying is here again. Furthermore, she happened to see me in Su Xi-er’s room.
“Miss He.” Old Maidservant Zhao immediately stood up with her face full of respect.
“The Empress Dowager bestowed some things to the servant girls in the Palace Side Quarters. Quickly distribute them.”
Old Maidservant Zhao was surprised. It’s the first time the Empress Dowager is bestowing things to the Palace Side Quarters.
“Old Maidservant Zhao, go out first. There is something that I need to personally pass to Su Xi-er.”
Su Xi-er remained calm and collected. It’s not that she’s bestowing something to me, but rather that she’s making trouble for me.
The room door was tightly shut. He Ying took out a fragrance sachet. “The Empress Dowager instructed the seamstresses in the imperial palace to specially embroider this for you. What I’m curious about though, is that the Third Imperial Prince had just returned to the palace yesterday but he is already so protective towards you. Could it be that the two of you have already known each other previously?”
