Chapter 1104: Cold Shoulder
“Do you know what mistake you made?” While looking at her genially, Commandery Princess Yi’an raised her hand to brush off the dust on the young servant girl’s skirt.
Nevertheless, the young servant girl was trembling, her face still ghastly pale. “This servant ma-made a slip of the tongue.”
Commandery Princess Yi’an spoke mildly, “Xu’er, you are my senior maidservant. When outside, your every word and action represents this commandery princess’s! You must always remember to not speak carelessly in the future.”
Sniffling as she wiped her tears with her sleeve, the young servant girl nodded emphatically. “Yes, Xu’er will bear this in mind.”
Only then did Commandery Princess Yi’an smile and pull her back to the front of the sedan chair. “It’s getting late, so we should head back quickly.”
Ever since both of Yi’an’s parents had died, she had been living with Her Majesty the Queen Dowager. Her residence was thus inside the queen dowager’s Longevity Palace.
All these years, the queen dowager doted on her like she was her own granddaughter. Yi’an’s original ident.i.ty as an orphan also rose to her present status, where people clamored to ingratiate themselves with her.
To maintain her present status, she needed to speak and act cautiously as well as follow the rules conscientiously. Even though the queen dowager treated her as her own granddaughter, she, after all, wasn’t her true granddaughter.
But if she could clinch another ident.i.ty, then it would be a different matter altogether, and she would no longer have to worry about treading painstakingly in the palace in the future…
She had brought Xu’er with her into the palace from the Marquis of Su’an’s Estate back then. She could be considered her most trusted subordinate.
It was exactly because of this that she had to prod her occasionally, so that she wouldn’t foolishly invite trouble for her.
“Commandery Princess, we have arrived.” Xu’er reminded in a quiet voice.
It was only then that Commandery Princess Yi’an returned to the present. After stepping out from the sedan chair, she looked up for a while at Anya Pavilion, where she resided, before turning to walk towards the queen dowager’s bedchamber. “Let us first go see Her Majesty the Queen Dowager.”
“Commandery Princess.” At this time, a young lady dressed in yellow clothing came out from Anya Pavilion and curtsied toward Commandery Princess Yi’an. “The madam of the Marquis of Su’an’s Estate has come with an invitation card to request your audience.”
Yet Commandery Princess Yi’an creased her brow. “What is she here for.”
She did not have a good relations.h.i.+p with this aunt of hers. If Her Majesty the Queen Dowager had not taken her into the palace after her parents had pa.s.sed away, then who knows how this aunt would have maltreated her.
As a result, her feelings toward the Marquis of Su’an’s Estate were fading by the day.
“It is best if the commandery princess sees the marchioness, so as to avoid idle gossip.” The yellow-clothed royal maid prompted thus, aware of how gossip could spread.
Commandery Princess Yi’an nodded tepidly. “Bring her over.”
After a moment, the marchioness of the Marquis of Su’an’s Estate walked over with mincing steps, followed by a well-endowed young, married woman.
Upon seeing Commandery Princess Yi’an, the marchioness lunged forward and bawled her eyes out. She cried while snivelling, “Little Ninth, you have to give your fifth brother justice.”
“Ninth Sister.” The young married woman also started crying dramatically.
The two people’s wailing gave Commandery Princess Yi’an a big headache, and her expression involuntarily turned cold. “What happened. Marchioness, Fifth Young Mistress, please calm down.”
The marchioness of the Marquis of Su’an’s Estate sniffled as she wrung her handkerchief. After being helped up by her daughter-in-law, she exclaimed, “Little Ninth, your fifth brother, he, he died so wretchedly!”
“What happened to Fifth Young Master?” Commandery Princess Yi’an questioned coldly.
“Someone killed your fifth brother! He died inside the secret room in his quarters! The doctor said, he, he… wuwuwu, he had been starved to death!”