The cruel little princess

Chapter 132 Miss, please be merciful and have mercy on Xianglan!

It was almost noon, and it was time for Concubine Shu to have lunch. Concubine Shu invited Zhang Yuyan to have lunch in the palace. Zhang Yuyan refused repeatedly, but finally stayed to have lunch in the palace.

"Yan'er! Usually, your aunt eats alone. Now that you are here to chat with me, I can have half a bowl more!" The Concubine Shu said as she used a public chopstick to pick up dishes for Zhang Yuyan, "Yan'er, try this anchovy shark fin and this eight-treasure wild duck. Do you think they are delicious?!" The Concubine Shu recommended her favorite dishes to her niece, and signaled the maid Zizhu to serve her niece a bowl of stewed pheasant shreds and bird's nest.

Zhang Yuyan looked at the bowls filled with dishes and soups, her heart filled with emotion. She knew that these were all the love and care that Concubine Shu showed her, so she said gratefully, "Thank you, Auntie, you love Yan'er so much!" Then she began to savor these delicious dishes, and every bite made her feel extremely satisfied.

Consort Shu looked at her niece with a smile, her eyes filled with relief and joy. She continued to chat with her niece, asking about her recent life and sharing some interesting stories from the palace. Their laughter echoed throughout the palace, filled with warmth and affection.

"Yan'er, do you like these dishes? If not, your aunt will ask someone to add some more." Concubine Shu asked with concern.

Zhang Yuyan quickly shook her head and replied with a smile, "No, aunt, this is enough. You should eat quickly and stop focusing on me."

The Concubine nodded and began to enjoy her lunch. The two chatted while eating, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. In this atmosphere, Zhang Yuyan felt the care and warmth of the Concubine, and it also strengthened her determination to become the Princess of Rui.

After finishing the meal, Zizhu swiftly brought lemonade over for them to rinse their mouths. Zhang Yuyan took a sip of the lemonade and spit it out before turning to look at Consort Shu, saying in a somewhat coquettish tone, "Aunt! Yan'er hasn't been able to eat for several days at home. Today, she ate too much at your place...Aunt, please don't laugh at Yan'er!"

Empress Shufei smiled gently and responded softly: "It's rare that Yan'er is willing to stay in the palace to have dinner with your aunt! How could your aunt laugh at Yan'er!" She looked at Zhang Yuyan, her eyes full of love and pampering.

After saying this, Concubine Shu covered her face with her sleeve and yawned slightly. Normally, she would have gone to bed for a nap at this time, but since her niece was here today, she wanted to spend more time with her. However, her physical fatigue made her yawn uncontrollably.

Zhang Yuyan noticed that Concubine Shu was tired, and immediately said with concern: "Aunt, if you are sleepy, take a nap! Yan'er is a little greedy and eats a little too much, so she wants to go for a walk in the yard to digest the food. When aunt wakes up, Yan'er can chat with aunt to relieve her boredom, okay?!" There was a hint of cleverness and understanding in her voice, which made people like her.

The Concubine Shu smiled and nodded, and said to Zhang Yuyan, "Yan'er is such a considerate child. Aunt will go and have a rest for a while, and come back to chat with Yan'er later." She gently patted Zhang Yuyan's hand to express her appreciation for her.

Zhang Yuyan smiled and nodded, then stood up to help her aunt to rest. Her steps were light and graceful. She looked up at Consort Shu, her face beaming with a smile as bright as a flower blooming in spring.

"Then I'll go take a rest first. It's cold outside and it's snowing. Yan'er, don't catch a cold just by looking at the scenery. That would be your aunt's fault!" Concubine Shu was worried that her niece would catch a cold, so she told her to just walk around nearby and not go to windy places.

Zhang Yuyan agreed to all the requests and helped Concubine Shu to take a nap on the Imperial Concubine Ruyi Couch. Then she took her maid Feicui out for a walk to help digest the food.

The master and servant walked slowly through the Imperial Garden. Although it was snowing, the palace maids and eunuchs had already cleared the path, so the path was easy to walk along.

In winter, the Imperial Garden is draped in a blanket of silver, presenting a tranquil and peaceful scene. Every scene seems like a work of art meticulously crafted by nature, revealing the unique charm and vitality of winter.

The master and servant walked and stopped along the way, as if they were looking for something. When they came to the rockery, they suddenly heard a suppressed, very low sobbing cry coming from the rockery.

The voice was extremely broken and suppressed, as if afraid of being discovered. Zhang Yuyan immediately winked at her maid, Feicui, who nodded in understanding. Originally, the master and servant had intended to search the Imperial Gardens for a willing servant to be used in the coming days. Unexpectedly, before they could find the right person, the opportunity presented itself to them!

Feicui let go of her young lady's hand, walked to the rockery, and deliberately shouted, "Who is it? Who is hiding in there crying? Don't you know that this will break the rules of the palace? Come out!"

"Don't shout! Don't shout! I'm coming out!" As the crying stopped abruptly, a young palace maid stumbled out. Her hair was a little disheveled, covering most of her face. She covered her face with her hands, trying not to be recognized. Then she chose a direction where Jade would be hard to catch and fled.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yuyan blocked her way. Feicui came over quickly, grabbed the little palace maid's wrist, and threw her to the ground with a strong swing.

"How dare you, you bold servant, to offend my young lady!" Jade shouted harshly, her voice full of majesty and anger.

"Please forgive me, my lady! Please forgive me, my lady! I didn't mean it! Please forgive me, my lady!" The little palace maid was so scared that her face turned pale and her whole body was shaking. She quickly knelt down and kowtowed for mercy. Her head banged so loudly that a redness and swelling soon appeared on her forehead.

"What's your name?" Zhang Yuyan frowned and covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, seeming to be full of disgust towards this little palace maid.

"Your servant... Your servant..." The little maid stuttered, unable to speak, her eyes filled with fear. She knew very well that her status was low and that if she offended her master, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Hurry up and tell me!" Feicui shouted angrily, scaring the little palace maid.

"Miss, please! Please forgive me, I will never dare to do it again!" The little palace maid knelt on the ground, kowtowed continuously, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The young maid had been secretly crying in the Imperial Gardens when she was caught by Zhang Yuyan and Feicui. Fearing she would be punished, she dared not reveal her name, let alone the reason for her tears. At this moment, she only hoped to earn Zhang Yuyan's forgiveness and avoid punishment.

Zhang Yuyan looked down at the little palace maid as if she didn't care, but she was a little impatient with her crying.

"How dare you! Miss Yuyan, the niece of our Concubine Shu and the only daughter of Prime Minister Zuo, is asking you a question! You, a little maid, dare to avoid the question! Since you refuse to tell the truth, let's go to Concubine Shu's palace to report the truth and let Concubine Shu discipline you, the blind little bitch!" Feicui seemed to be extremely angry and pulled her collar to walk towards Concubine Shu's Chaolu Palace.

"Miss Zhang, please forgive me! Miss Zhang, please forgive me! I am Xianglan, a maid who sweeps the imperial gardens..." The young maid, frightened by Feicui's threats, confessed the truth. "I was sold into the palace by my brother and sister-in-law. They often asked for my monthly allowance, saying it was to support my mother. But a few days ago, they sent someone to deliver a message saying my mother was seriously ill. They asked me to collect thirty taels of silver and send it to her for medical treatment! Otherwise, my mother would die!"

Xianglan's tears streamed even deeper as she spoke of her heartache. "I'm just a humble maid, unable to see my master. Without her favor and no extra reward, how could I possibly raise thirty taels of silver?" Xianglan wiped the tears from her face, attempting to elicit the sympathy of the master and servant. "Tomorrow is the three-day deadline set by my brother and sister-in-law, and I can't even come up with a single tael of silver! That's why I'm hiding in the rockery, crying bitterly while it's snowing and no one else is around! Please, young lady, have mercy on me! I still have my parents to support! Please, young lady, have mercy on me!" Xianglan cried bitterly.