Chapter 77 Don’t Be Innocent

"What nonsense are you talking about? Why should I marry those guys?" Zhuang Shihan was so angry that she laughed.

Catching the flash of disgust in her eyes, Song Yanxi understood.

You sound so righteous, but I don't think much of it myself.

Having her thoughts exposed, Zhuang Shihan stood up in anger and sneered, "I had good intentions. I felt sorry for you and wanted to find a way out for you. I never thought you would be so ungrateful!"

"Who are you saying is ungrateful?" Zhuzhi couldn't help it.

If Song Yanxi hadn't raised her hand to stop her, the saliva she spitted out would have probably sprayed onto the person's face.

Zhuzhi put her hands on her hips and angrily scolded, "I have never seen such a shameless person in my life. If you think she is good, why don't you marry her?

My princess is beautiful, rich, and the mistress of the general's mansion. How can you, a shrew who throws herself at someone else, pity her?"

Zhuang Shihan's face darkened immediately, and she asked coldly, "Is this how Princess Yong'an teaches her maids?"

Hearing her mention her daughter's title, Zhuzhi secretly thought it was not good, and hurriedly knelt down with a plop, admitting her fault: "The princess's joy and anger were caused by the loss of my mind for a moment."

"You're confused?" Zhuang Shihan sneered, "I think you're just tired of living and don't want to be killed!"

As she spoke, she watched Song Yanxi's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

If she dared to protect that ignorant little girl, she would be defying the imperial power and not taking the princess personally appointed by the emperor seriously.

It would be even more interesting if she chose to sit back and do nothing in order to protect herself and let her personal maid be punished.

Facing Zhuang Shihan's inquiring eyes, Song Yanxi said, "This girl's words and actions are rude and have angered the princess. She really deserves to be punished."

Zhuang Shihan was surprised and said, "This girl has been with you since she was a child. We've been master and servant for many years, and you haven't even said a word to protect her. How heartless!"

Zhuzhi listened and rolled his eyes to the sky.

She was the one who wanted to punish her just now, and she is also the one who is saying such things now. Anyway, she can say all the good and bad things by herself, right?

Song Yanxi's expression remained unchanged as she said in a cold voice, "It is precisely because we have been master and servant for so many years that I cannot indulge her in her reckless behavior, lest it cause disaster in the future.

Why are you still kneeling? Get up quickly and follow me into the palace to apologize to His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty?" Zhuang Shihan's mouth twitched, and she said speechlessly, "It's such a trivial matter, why bother to disturb Your Majesty? Besides, the Imperial Palace is not your backyard, you can go wherever you want."

Everyone in the capital knew that the emperor publicly awarded her a gold medal at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet last year, allowing her to enter and leave the palace at will.

This is the first honor in Beijing.

Song Yanxi frowned and gave Zhuang Shihan a grateful smile, "Thank you, Princess Shihan, for the reminder."

She looked at Zhuzhi who had just stood up and ordered, "Go to my room and get the token given by the emperor, and follow me into the palace to apologize."

The smile on Zhuang Shihan's face froze before it could even unfold.

Her voice was a little dull. "What token?"

Zhuzhi explained, "It was bestowed upon my princess by His Majesty, who said that she could come to the palace more often to accompany the Holy Cross when she was free."

"You're talking nonsense!" Zhuang Shihan retorted subconsciously, looking at Song Yanxi and sneering, "The maidservant beside you is really very courageous. She even made up such nonsense. Aren't you afraid that it will reach the ears of His Majesty? I will punish you for deceiving the emperor!"

Song Yanxi curled the corners of her lips and chuckled, "You can take random medicines, but you can't say random words. Princess Shihan's reaction is so strong, maybe she thinks I'm not worthy of the token bestowed by His Majesty."

Indeed, this is what Zhuang Shihan thought in her heart.

It took her half a year just to get the emperor to notice her existence and then to issue an order to summon her into the palace alone.

The token was given to her by the emperor while she was drunk, after she helped the imperial kitchen prepare cakes and dishes for the empress's birthday banquet, and received unanimous approval from the emperor, empress, and all the ministers and their wives at the banquet.

But what did Song Yanxi do? Why should she be compared with her?

She couldn't figure it out!

Suppressing her resentment, Zhuang Shihan forced a smile and said, "Princess Yong'an is the descendant of a meritorious official and has great righteousness in her heart. How can she not be worthy of a mere token?"

Song Yanxi didn't bother to care about the hidden meaning in her words and urged Zhuzhi, "Go and get the token quickly. Don't keep Princess Shihan waiting for too long."

"No hurry!" Zhuang Shihan hurriedly stopped her, gritting her teeth and saying, "It's just a little girl who said a few wrong words. She's already knelt and scolded. There's no need to alarm the emperor any further."

Upon hearing this, Song Yanxi decisively refused and insisted on entering the palace.

Zhuang Shihan was a little annoyed and lowered her voice, "As the victim, I won't pursue the matter. Don't push me too far. If you really make a scene before the emperor, it's doubtful whether you, little girl, will survive."

Listening to her words that implied threats, Song Yanxi's eyes grew colder as she spoke word by word, "Justice is in the hearts of the people. Your Majesty is a wise ruler. After hearing the whole story, you will surely distinguish right from wrong.

Whether it's an apology or a beating, we, the master and the servant, will take care of the punishment."

"You!" Zhuang Shihan's face flushed red, and she realized that she was being held up.

Once the matter is brought to the imperial court, the emperor will definitely have someone investigate what happened today and find out that she was the one who came to provoke first. Then, even if the emperor intends to favor her, he will have to give Song Yanxi an explanation.

But if she didn't go, wouldn't that be telling the master and servant directly that she was feeling guilty and afraid?

Since coming to this era, has she ever suffered such injustice?

Seeing that she was unwilling to leave, Song Yanxi urged her impatiently, "Princess Shihan, please hurry up. If you are half an hour late, the palace gates will be locked."

Zhuang Shihan became even angrier and asked through gritted teeth, "Do you really not care whether this little girl lives or dies?"

Zhuzhi said first: "My life was given by the young lady. Whenever the young lady wants it, just take it."

"How can you be so spineless!" Zhuang Shihan widened her eyes, looking as if she was disappointed in someone.

Zhuzhi was stunned by her question.

Compared with girls, what is backbone?

If they had not met the girl, the four of them might have been sold by human traffickers to brothels to serve as prostitutes, or raised for a few years and sold to wealthy families to be concubines. The luckiest ones would have been sold to wealthy families to be maids.

Looking around Da'an, which master treats maids as human beings and even allows them to study and practice calligraphy with their masters?

Not to mention that the girl did this on purpose for Princess Shihan to see, even if she really wanted to punish her, she deserved it because she said the wrong thing in a hurry, and she did not regret it.

Even if it happened again, she would still scold him.

Looking at the unresponsive Zhuzhi, Zhuang Shihan pinched her palms in anger and softened her tone, saying, "Just now, I was anxious and my words were offensive. This little girl was just loyally protecting her master and she did nothing wrong."

Song Yanxi raised her eyelids and asked, "I wonder what the princess was talking about just now?"

After saying so much, it's understandable that she couldn't remember it.

But when Zhuang Shihan met her indifferent eyes, her intuition told her that Song Yanxi must have done it on purpose.

At the same time, she knew even more clearly that if the woman in front of her went crazy, she might really make a scene before the emperor without caring about anything.

Someone from the Queen's palace that day had already implicitly expressed that the Emperor was unhappy with Feng Ge's request for marriage based on his military merits, and that no further incidents should occur before the marriage.

Zhuang Shihan was determined and said stubbornly, "I just said something wrong. I shouldn't have made such a joke about marrying Cao Wei."

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Zhuzhi in front of her suddenly bowed towards her and said respectfully, "General."