Hong Li nodded repeatedly, sighing when she heard the words ‘pulling weeds.’ “Yeah. There is still a bunch of it. With how itchy I’m going to get, I don’t want to do this kind of work even if I do get the chance to meet…”
She immediately shut her mouth, biting back the words, ‘Prince Hao.’
“I’ll go with you tomorrow after eating breakfast. Wash yourself first. I will be going back to my room to rest.” Su Xi-er turned around the left the room.
Hong Li stood in the room alone. Why does Su Xi-er want to pull weeds with me? She didn’t scrub the chamber pots today. Does she not need to scrub the chamber pots tomorrow night too?
However, Hong Li didn’t think that her random conjecture was actually correct. Su Xi-er also didn’t need to scrub the chamber pots tomorrow because she had something more important to do.
~~~
The next day, Su Xi-er had already risen at 6.30am.
After freshening up, she went to the place for eating breakfast. After she sat down, palace maids started streaming in one after another.
The thin palace maid who often made caustic remarks about Su Xi-er snorted, “You slacked off last night and didn’t go scrub the chamber pots. It was poor Lian Qiao who helped you despite having to get up early this morning. Meanwhile, a certain tactless person hasn’t even uttered a single word of thanks.”
Su Xi-er looked at Lian Qiao. “Thank you. I wasn’t feeling well last night, resulting in you having to help me do it. I also can’t rest today and have to work.”
Lian Qiao immediately waved her hand. “It’s fine. You were feeling unwell, so it’s only natural that I helped you. Everyone in the Palace Side Quarters is in it together, and should assist each other.” At the same time, she carried her bowl and sat beside Su Xi-er.
The thin palace maid snorted. Lian Qiao is a coward who desperately latches onto others’ thigh to climb up with all her might.
Su Xi-er nodded and didn’t comment. Only after she had finished half her meal did she realise that Hong Li hadn’t come.
Lian Qiao sensed Su Xi-er’s gaze and guessed her thoughts so she immediately notified her, “Hong Li went to wash herself in the middle of the night yesterday and caught a cold. Old Maidservant Liu told her to stay in her room. There will be someone simmering medicine for her.”
In the past, when the Palace Side Quarters were still managed by Old Maidservant Zhao, the wellbeing of the palace maids was a non-factor. Even medicinal herbs had been withheld from them.
Otherwise, no matter how on good terms the old-maidservant-in-charge was with the Imperial Physician Institute, she wouldn’t have been able to hide so many medicinal herbs.
Some palace maids started to whisper. “If Hong Li is sick, who is going to pluck the grass in the woods beside the Palace Side Quarters for her?”
As soon as the palace maids who weren’t assigned to work in the woods beside the Palace Side Quarters heard that, their eyes shone. Some even began to straighten out their clothes. Maybe I’ll be able to meet Prince Hao!
Although Prince Hao had come to the Palace Side Quarters in a fit of rage not long ago, it had been due to Su Xi-er who is tired of living. After she had offended Prince Hao, the other maids viewed the fact that he hadn’t taken her to the Beauty Palace after such a long time as a sign of him growing bored of her.
Hence, everyone changed to another conjecture. Prince Hao is only watching a show. Once he’s done, he will take Su Xi-er’s life!
Su Xi-er didn’t even need to guess these palace maids’ thoughts but she was lazy to pay attention to them. Unless he has become muddle-headed, Prince Hao is unlikely to appear in the woods beside the Palace Side Quarters in broad daylight.
Su Xi-er only held onto this thought for a moment before she started when she realised something else. Pei Qianhao has never played his cards using common sense. What if he does come?
Just as she was pondering, Old Maidservant Liu walked into the room. Her gaze landed on Su Xi-er as she instructed solemnly, “Su Xi-er, replace Hong Li in pulling the weeds. You will still be scrubbing the chamber pots tonight.”
Su Xi-er rose and bowed. “Yes, Old Maidservant Liu.”
After Old Maidservant Liu left, the Repast House became animated. Everyone was discussing Su Xi-er.
Lian Qiao pulled Su Xi-er’s arm. “I am also assigned to pulling the weeds. Let’s go together. Follow me to get the baskets.”
This time, Su Xi-er didn’t refuse and directly left with Lian Qiao.
When the thin palace maid saw them, she smiled with contempt. Is this considered to be Lian Qiao successfully hugging her thigh? With how unclear Su Xi-er’s position is, I hope you don’t hug her thigh for a long time only to realise that you have hugged trouble.
~~~
Su Xi-er was carrying a basket with a piece of coarse grey cloth underneath it.
The two quickly entered the woods beside the Palace Side Quarters with Lian Qiao leading them to the place where they were to pull out weeds. “All these weeds have to be plucked or they will grow insanely. Hong Li was in charge of this area yesterday.”
Su Xi-er squatted down to observe the plants carefully. Finding several thorns on the culm of the plants, she realised that it was mainly the culm itself rather than the leaf blade that would cause the itchy red spots when it came into contact with the skin.
As long as she removed the thorns and ground the culm into powder, she would be able to produce her own itching powder.
“There are still many weeds over there. I’ll be heading that way, so be careful.” Lian Qiao advised her and left.
Su Xi-er looked at the other direction. Altogether, there are five palace maids who came here to remove the weeds. Hong Li was assigned to this area where the plants would cause her to be plagued by an itch.
Su Xi-er held a piece of coarse grey cloth in her hand. I should be fine as long as I use a cloth to handle it. If I accidentally touch it, it will be fine after I go back and apply the medicinal powder.
Over the course of the next two hours, Su Xi-er obtained five culms as she plucked, removing the barbed thorns with the coarse cloth in her hand. Afterwards, she broke the culms into pieces and wrapped them in the grey sack she had brought.
Right after she was done handling them, she heard a series of footsteps. It’s Old Maidservant Liu.
“Su Xi-er, stop weeding and quickly return to your room. Imperial Bodyguard Wu has sent a piece of clothing over for you to mend.” Old Maidservant Liu kept her voice especially low. She couldn’t understand why Wu Ling had wanted Su Xi-er specifically to mend the clothes. As for what kind of clothing it was, she hadn’t looked at it carefully. Could it be Prince Hao’s clothes?
Su Xi-er had already collected this type of culms to make staying here any longer pointless. Hence, she left with Old Maidservant Liu.
After the two people vanished into the woods, Lian Qiao walked out from behind a huge tree and looked at her basket filled with grass. What exactly were Old Maidservant Liu and Su Xi-er talking about? Why were they in a haste? What has happened?
Countless question marks emerged in Lian Qiao’s brain. Afterwards, she squatted at the place Su Xi-er had been working and examined the plants closely.
She came from an influential traditional Chinese medicine family of many generations, resulting in her being well known for her medical skills. Afterwards, her family waned, thus leading to her current situation as a palace maid in the Palace Side Quarters.
She understood with one glance that the grass would cause people’s bodies to itch.
However, she didn’t expect that Su Xi-er was also able to discern that and even took the culm. Why did she take the culm and what does she plan to do?
“Lian Qiao, come over and pluck the weeds. Why are you just standing there?” A chiding voice sounded. Lian Qiao immediately stowed away her solemn expression and answered with a smile.
“I’m coming now.” Her voice was very sweet and seemed very pure.
~~~
At this moment, Su Xi-er had already returned to the Palace Side Quarters and stood before the door of her room. Old Maidservant Liu didn’t enter.
“Imperial Bodyguard Wu has placed the clothes in your room and instructed that you mend them properly.”
Su Xi-er asked, “He directly entered my room?”
Old Maidservant Liu nodded. “Don’t worry. All the palace maids have gone to work so no one was here. No one would know about Imperial Bodyguard Wu coming to the Palace Side Quarters.”
However, Old Maidservant Liu was very curious. What kind of clothes did Prince Hao command him to bring?
Actually, Su Xi-er was also very curious. She entered the room, closed the door, and looked in the direction of the bed.
In an instant, her body stiffened. It’s actually..
