Chapter 73 – Venting anger for her awesomely
The sunlight peeked into the room and those threads of light landed on Chu Qing-Yan"s delicate face. She was gradually disturbed by those warm rays of sun that finally woke her up. She slowly opened her eyes. She didn"t know how she ended up falling asleep in Xiao Xu"s arms last night, she only felt that the embrace was warm and had a fatherly feel.
Xi Ning heard the movements inside and she walked in with a smile. She even carried a washbowl in her hand. "Master, you woke up."
Chu Qing-Yan stretched lazily, trying her best not to touch that injured foot as she slowly sat up.
"It"s already this late, why didn"t you call me?"
"His Highness had instructed to let you sleep until you woke up naturally. How could this servant dare to disturb your sweet dreams?" Xi Ning had followed Chu Qing-Yan for so long that she wasn"t speaking like a yes-man as before. Not only did she had the lively innocence that she should have at her age, she even learned Chu Qing-Yan"s little two-face behavior.
Chu Qing-Yan shook her head, this was the so called "it takes three years to build a good character but just three days to be corrupted by bad example". Looks like she had the potential to teach people, at least she had succeeded in transforming Xi Ning.
Just after she finished washing her face and rinsed her mouth, Chu Qing-Yan raised her head and saw Hong Yi smiling faintly as she entered as if it was her right. Hong Yi gave people the feeling of being warm and ladylike, but she also handled matters neat and tidily. Chu Qing-Yan felt that if she wasn"t in charge of the back courtyard, perhaps it would"ve already become a complete mess.
Chu Qing-Yan was just about to smile at her when she saw there was still a purple dressed servant maid that followed behind her.
She was pet.i.te and had a peach shaped face, about 14 or 15 years of age, Chu Qing-Yan had never seen her before.
Hong Yi walked to in front of her and bent down slightly. "Hong Yi pays her respects to Ninth Miss Chu, this is the servant that His Highness has ordered me to arrange for you, Zi Yi." After she finished speaking, she used a meaningful glance to indicate that the person should pay her respects to Chu Qing-Yan.
Chu Qing-Yan then recalled that last night Xiao Xu had indeed said he would arrange another servant for her. She didn"t expect it would be this quick!
Zi Yi originally didn"t want to come and wait upon Chu Qing-Yan, but seeing Hong Yi"s hint, she somewhat unwillingly lowered her head and said half-heartedly. "Zi Yi pays her respect to Ninth Miss Chu."
Chu Qing-Yan did not miss the dissatisfaction this person felt towards her, she didn"t know where she had offended her. This was the first time seeing her, but Chu Qing-Yan could already feel that this person was not someone easy to get along with. However, since the person had already been arranged, she still needed to maintain a polite appearance on the surface. Moreover, at this time, she was still a little Miss who was not well-versed in the affairs of the world. As a result, she cutely smiled. "Older Sister Zi Yi is too polite!"
When Zi Yi heard this, her lips curled, and in a stinging tone full of gun powder and sticks, she said. "Zi Yi absolutely dares not accept Ninth Miss Chu"s call of Older Sister Zi Yi. You are the master and this slave is the servant. The Prince Ying"s manor isn"t just any average family and household. Rules that the manor should have still exists, only those who come from small insignificant families would call sisters between masters and servants. Although you are still young, I still hope you can pay attention to your words and manners in the future. Otherwise if this spreads out, the person losing face is still my family"s Highness."
She only said one sentence and she returned with mockery and ridicule, Chu Qing-Yan thought that this proud and arrogant Zi Yi before her was really gifted with gab.
Hong Yi immediately turned around and lightly reprimanded her. "Zi Yi, you must not be rude!"
She then turned around and apologized to Chu Qing-Yan saying. "Ninth Miss Chu, Zi Yi has just finished her training, there are still many customs that she still doesn"t understand. If she has done anything to offend you, I ask Ninth Miss Chu to please excuse her!"
Chu Qing-Yan knew that Hong Yi was giving her stairs to step down, after all, she was a little miss that had no status when asking for status and lacked wealth when asking for wealth, who was relying on someone else"s charity. In this manor, she simply didn"t have any status, If she was to get serious and specifically instructed a senior servant girl under Prince Ying, very possibly it would be like striking a stone with an egg.
Chu Qing-Yan then decided to ride the donkey downhill, and smilingly waved her hands. "Qing-Yan is still young, indeed there are rules that I still don"t understand, so I hope that Zi Yi can point out any mistakes when the time comes."
Hong Yi took a glance at Chu Qing-Yan and felt that she was too clever for her age. Her heart harbored suspicions but there were still matters outside waiting for her to arrange, so she warned Zi Yi with several more sentences before asking to be excused.
After Hong Yi left, Zi Yi raised her chin up high, her pair of eyes never looked squarely at Chu Qing-Yan. Chu Qing-Yan only required her not to look for trouble and it would suffice, as for the rest, she didn"t care about it at all.
Whereas Xi Ning saw the situation seemed a bit stiff and her eyes couldn"t help but spin around. She immediately thought of something that she could tell master to hear.
"Master, do you know the matter that Gu Yi was punished with 50 sticks by His Highness?"
Chu Qing-Yan, hearing this, was a bit astonished. "What happened?"
Xi Ning shook her head and said. "This servant also doesn"t know, only, last night after His Highness left master"s room, he ordered Gu Yi to go to the housekeeper by himself to receive his punishment. I heard that today, Gu Yi wasn"t on duty by His Highness"s side, he was in his room recuperating."
Zi Yi, who stood at the side, heard this master and servant"s conversation and coldly humphed. "Ninth Miss Chu, you should stop acting stupid, if it wasn"t because of you, why would His Highness punish Gu Yi!”
She didn"t think His Highness would place the blame on Big Brother Gu Yi just because Chu Qing-Yan was injured. She had known about Chu Qing-Yan"s existence from those Nanny Teachers since earlier, and she didn"t like her originally. Now seeing Big Brother Gu Yi receive punishment because of her, she resented her even more, now shooting off her mouth without filtering her words.
Chu Qing-Yan was too lazy to argue with her. Dogs able to bark won"t bite people, dogs that bite won"t bark, she still knew this logic. Only, Gu Yi"s matter made her unconsciously furrow her brows and ponder deeply, could it really be related to her?
"Zi Yi, how can you say it like that? We are servants, how could we servants offend our superiors?"
Xi Ning was extremely angry in her heart, even if master didn"t want to argue with Zi Yi, this didn"t mean she as master"s trusted servant could endure her rudeness to master.
Zi Yi exhaled a cold laugh, seeming not to attach much importance to Xi Ning. She was merely a lowly servant after all, so she ignored the fuming Xi Ning and bent down lazily towards Chu Qing-Yan. "This servant will go to the kitchen to take a look for Ninth Miss Chu"s breakfast."
She didn"t even wait for Chu Qing-Yan"s response before turning around and leaving as if it was her right.
"You——" Xi Ning was just about to go block her, but she was called to a stop by her master.
"Let her go." Chu Qing-Yan"s thoughts were still on the matter of Xiao Xu helping her vent her anger. With regards to this kind of small matters, she never put it to heart.
Xi Ning saw that her master really didn"t mind Zi Yi"s rudeness, but she had some feelings of wanting to fight for justice on her behalf. However, she still shut her mouth obediently, master had her own reason for doing things, so she only needed to listen to her and it would be fine.
Inside the study.
Xiao Xu flipped through the secret reports that the subordinates had just delivered, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Fire Spirit, who stood at the side had words stifled in his heart, he didn"t know if he should ask and couldn"t help but scratch his head.
Xiao Xu took a glanced at him. "Something the matter?
Fire Spirit having heard this, laughed sheepishly. "Master, it"s nothing really, just a bit curious. Why did you suddenly want to punish Gu Yi? Is it because he didn"t protect Ninth Miss Chu properly?"
“Disobeying orders, leaving one"s post, aren"t these two charges not enough?" Xiao Xu flipped a page of the report, his tone casual.
Fire Spirit hurriedly laughed and said. "Enough, enough, enough!"
In fact what he really wanted to ask was, Gu Yi was the Empress"s people, in the past, regardless of any errors Gu Rong and Gu Yi made, His Highness very rarely punished them. Now he broke this precedence just because of Chu Qing-Yan. When you hit a dog, you must look at its master, hitting Gu Yi was clearly a slap in the Empress"s face.
For Chu Qing-Yan His Highness did things to this step, so he couldn"t help but marvel. In the end, just what kind of abilities does that Chu Qing-Yan have that His Highness would do this much for her?
This was the first time Fire Spirit looked up to Chu Qing-Yan.