Chapter 19 Chapter 19 He bent down and pulled the princess into his arms, ...
Zhan Xiao immediately slipped into the nearby imperial kitchen.
The kitchen was preparing the meal, and the crackling of the stove fires and the noise inside effectively masked his earlier movements.
There is no one else in the martial arts world who can possess such strong internal energy.
I never expected that there was such a master hidden in the palace.
Who is it?
Was he a royal guard? Or, like him, an intruder?
It's not surprising that the imperial family, with its profound resources, would recruit talented and extraordinary individuals; the former is more likely.
It's hard to judge whether this person's martial arts are inferior to his own based on that fleeting aura, but the purity and power of that internal energy are far beyond what ordinary martial artists can achieve.
He has to be careful.
Zhan Xiao clung to the beam like a shadow, listening intently to the sounds outside. Only when the aura gradually faded away did he leave the imperial kitchen.
...
For the next hour, Jiang Fushi listened to Yan Sijiao teach her "dining etiquette," from how to hold chopsticks to how to scoop soup.
Finally, the food was served. She picked up her chopsticks, intending to take a piece of the pastry in front of her.
Yan Sijiao immediately rebuked, "Your Highness, lower your wrist by three inches, and don't use your index finger so forcefully. This is hardly the way a princess should hold chopsticks; even a village woman would do it worse. Do it again!"
Jiang Fushi pursed her lips uncomfortably.
She was so hungry she was seeing stars, and her fingertips trembled slightly. She had to readjust her grip on the chopsticks. Just as she picked up a piece of fish, the strict teacher's ruler smacked her hand with a "smack."
A red, swollen welt immediately appeared on her snow-white skin, and a burning pain shot straight to her heart.
Yan Sijiao said sternly, "Your Highness, you've raised your wrist again! Didn't you hear a word I said?"
"You can't even learn such a simple gesture? Could it be that the princess was used to being a wild child among the common people and doesn't even know how to use chopsticks?"
Jiang Fushi clutched her hand in pain.
This old woman is being extremely picky; she's clearly doing it on purpose.
Before dawn, they summoned her to the palace, but then wouldn't let her eat. First, they made her stand outside as punishment, and now they're nitpicking and beating her repeatedly, determined not to let her eat a single bite.
"Director Yan," Jiang Fushi said, finally losing her temper. "I respect you as a senior member of the palace and have been lenient with you time and time again, but you have taken advantage of my kindness. Do you really think I am a lump of dough that you can knead at will?"
"Rules and regulations are not child's play. This old servant is strict, but it is for Your Highness's sake." Yan Sijiao's tone revealed an undisguised contempt, which made Jiang Fushi furious. She really wanted to overturn the table on the spot.
But this is the Empress's decree.
If she openly defies orders, the Empress will surely seize the opportunity to punish her for a grave offense of disrespect.
Jiang Fushi could only cover her stinging right hand, suppressing the humiliation she felt.
She could just endure it and wait until today was over. Then she would feign illness and stay home, and see how the Empress could torment her.
She's a master at faking illness.
After all, that's how she's lived all these years.
It was this Instructor Yan who, acting like a bully, was so arrogant. If she hadn't been wearing silver gloves, preventing her from making a move, she would have definitely shown this old woman the power of her 'Red Delicate Hands'.
"Alright, continue." Instructor Yan ordered the palace maid to bring up a new steaming hot soup.
The delicious taste of the soup made Jiang Fushi even hungrier. She straightened her posture and went to scoop the soup according to the rules, but unexpectedly, Instructor Yan struck her wrist with a ruler again.
"Keep your wrist level! Don't let the spoon touch the bowl! Try again!"
They made several trips back and forth, from the beginning of the Si hour to the end of the Wu hour.
Jiang Fushi didn't get a single bite; her hands were covered in crisscrossing red marks, burning with pain.
Having barely passed the dining etiquette test, it was time to learn how to serve tea.
Jiang Fushi felt as if her stomach was on fire, and cramps came over her. Her vision gradually became blurry, and her hand holding the teacup trembled uncontrollably.
Instructor Yan continued his incessant lecturing.
“Princess Yuyao was already proficient in this etiquette when she was three years old. Your Highness is only now learning it, which is more than ten years too late.”
"Today, this old servant is here to instruct Your Highness by imperial decree. It is a great honor for Your Highness to make so many mistakes. It is truly laughable and damages the dignity of the imperial family."
"..."
The palace maids standing on both sides lowered their heads and held their breath. Their gazes toward Jiang Fushi ranged from gloating to indifference to pity.
Jiang Fushi remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together.
Your Majesty the Empress, Your Majesty the Empress, everything is about Your Majesty the Empress...
This wicked woman clearly intends to torment her to death before she's satisfied.
Over the years, she has been cautious and yielding at every turn, but the Empress still cannot tolerate her and is unwilling to leave her even a way out.
"Your Highness, it's time to practice your gait. Please move to the corridor in the courtyard," Yan Sijiao urged expressionlessly.
Jiang Fushi forced herself to stand up, but a strong wave of dizziness hit her and she felt an unbearable burning pain in her stomach. Her gaze swept over the palace maids with their heads bowed on either side, but none of them dared to help her up.
It was already early afternoon.
The sun was setting in the west, and a cool autumn breeze swept through the courtyard.
Jiang Fushi gritted her teeth and slowly moved towards the corridor. Yan Sijiao watched her coldly from the side, occasionally pointing the ground with a ruler to correct her steps. He also summoned a palace maid and told her to balance a bowl of water on her head while practicing her walking posture.
He was walking unsteadily.
Granny Sun appeared at the end of the corridor.
Yan Sijiao immediately put on a fawning expression and went to greet her: "Granny, you've arrived. Does Her Majesty the Empress have any further instructions?"
Granny Sun smiled at Jiang Fushi: "This old servant has come to check on the Empress's behalf to see how the princess is doing with her studies?"
They're hypocritical and clearly just here to laugh at her.
Jiang Fushi didn't even lift her eyelids, only staring coldly at the ground.
Yan Sijiao quickly pledged his loyalty: "Please rest assured, Your Highness, this old servant will definitely teach the princess to behave properly and will not dare to slack off in the slightest."
Looking at Jiang Fushi's scarred hands and her tired and weak expression, Granny Sun nodded in satisfaction: "Your Highness certainly trusts Instructor Yan."
"But Your Highness needs to be more attentive."
The two chatted back and forth, and Jiang Fushi realized that Granny Sun's trip was not just for sightseeing. Sure enough, Yan Sijiao accompanied Granny Sun as they walked out of the courtyard, talking to her.
It's obvious they're going to receive the Empress's new decree, or to discuss how to torment her even more severely tomorrow.
Jiang Fushi sneered inwardly. Just as she withdrew her gaze, a sudden, intense dizziness struck her forehead, and her vision went black. Then, her body went limp, and she finally collapsed to the ground, unable to hold on any longer.
...
After leaving the side hall, Granny Sun said coldly, "Her Majesty said that you should work harder tomorrow to temper Yuhe's spirit. She is, after all, a princess. Even though her birth is illegitimate, she should still act like one, shouldn't she?"
"Yes, yes." Yan Sijiao nodded repeatedly, his face full of a fawning smile. "This old servant understands and will certainly not disappoint Your Highness."
After seeing off Granny Sun, Instructor Yan was filled with pride.
This time, she helped the Empress to thoroughly punish Yuhe. If she did a good job, she might receive the Empress's favor and be promoted in rank, so that she could be addressed as "Your Excellency" both inside and outside the palace.
As Yan Sijiao was deep in thought, rubbing his sore neck, a dark shadow suddenly flashed before his eyes.
She looked around carefully; everything was quiet and unchanged.
A force, seemingly from nowhere, suddenly slammed into her back, as if she had been kicked.
"ah!"
Yan Sijiao cried out in alarm and fell into the lotus pond beside the corridor with a splash.
The icy pool water poured into his mouth and nose. Yan Sijiao had no idea what was happening and thought he had been dragged down by the water plants.
"Help, help me..."
Zhan Xiao, standing on the shore, watched her struggle in the water with indifferent eyes.
The piercing cries for help instantly shattered the tranquility of the palace, quickly attracting all the palace servants on duty nearby.
The palace maids and eunuchs all rushed to the pond.
"Quick! Instructor Yan has fallen into the water!"
"Bring me a bamboo pole!"
"Who can swim? Go down and save them!"
The scene was in chaos. Taking advantage of everyone's attention being drawn to the water, Zhan Xiao darted back to the corridor.
The petite princess lay unconscious on the ground, her face as pale as paper.
Zhan Xiao straightened up.
His only task was to ensure that the princess was not killed.
The first ironclad rule for assassins is to remain hidden and avoid unnecessary complications.
The palace is unlike any other place; it is teeming with experts and spies. He cannot expose himself over such a trivial matter.
Just as he was about to let it go, he saw the princess unconsciously curl up and let out a very soft, cub-like whimper.
Zhan Xiao paused in his tracks.
For an entire day, the princess did not eat or drink anything. He witnessed all the torment she endured, from being forced to stand as punishment to being harshly reprimanded.
Princess, of noble birth, how long can she endure such torment?
Could it be that everything that happened today was a sinister plot to take the princess's life?
He looked down and saw that the princess's lips were completely bloodless, and her breathing was so light that it seemed she would stop breathing at any moment.
Zhan Xiao no longer hesitated and sketched out the most hidden route to the Imperial Kitchen in his mind.
He bent down and embraced the princess, letting her lean against him. Then he darted out from the side hall, silently skimming over the roof ridge and landing in the shadow of the back eaves of the imperial kitchen.
Several cooks seemed to be preparing food for an important guest; the stove was burning brightly, and the noise of the cooking perfectly masked any subtle movements.
Something was simmering on the stove, its sweet aroma filling the air.
Zhan Xiao flicked a pebble with his finger, which hit an empty basket piled up in the corner of the wall, making a clattering sound.
The cooks exchanged puzzled glances.
What's making that noise?
"Could it be another stray cat that's come in and caused trouble?"
"It must have come from the abandoned garden on the west side. Let's go check it out, or we'll get punished again if it knocks things over."
After everyone left.
Zhan Xiao used the tip of his sword sheath to pry open the lid of the stew pot, picked up the soup spoon next to him, blew on it gently to cool it down, and carefully fed it to the princess.
The sweet broth slid down her throat, and Jiang Fushi smacked her lips before instinctively swallowing.
I fed him about half a bowl.
Suddenly, that powerful aura of oppression reappeared, and it was getting closer and closer.
Zhan Xiao quickly refilled the stew pot with hot water to restore it to its original state, wiped away the traces, and then picked up the princess and disappeared into the shadows of the corner filled with grain bags.
A moment later, a panicked voice rang out: "Your Majesty, with your invaluable person, why have you personally come to this place of incense and smoke?"
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