*Smack!*
The sound of a clay pot hitting the ground shattered the afternoon tranquility. Three pots of gardenias were trampled on, leaving the ground covered in mud and fragments of the pure white gardenias buried in the soil.
"Princess Yu, please calm down! Princess Yu, please calm down!" A servant bowed his head, knelt on one knee, and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to Yan Yu. This man was handsome with delicate features and a charming air about him.
"You dog servant, I asked for peonies, what did you give me, gardenias? Are you taking advantage of me because I don't recognize peonies?" Princess Yu was so angry that she trembled all over, her eyes wishing she could shoot out sharp swords and pierce the heart of the little gardener in front of her.
"Your Highness, the peonies haven't bloomed yet, and because they are quite delicate, I'm afraid they'll wilt within a few days of being brought here. I'll bring two more pots to Your Highness once they've been properly cared for and bloomed. Gardenias are common, but now is their peak blooming season. Their fragrance is delightful; placing them in the room will fill it with sweet scent, and the flowers are also very beautiful. That's why I dared to bring Your Highness two pots." The servant wasn't flustered at all; his explanation was reasonable and well-founded.
"Did I ever want gardenias? You're just a lowly gardener, yet you dare to arbitrarily change the flowers I want. Peonies are delicate, what, are you implying that I'm not qualified to admire peonies?" Ever since Yan Yu received a reward from the Fourth Prince because of the young prince, her temper has started to flare up again.
"This servant wouldn't dare. Indeed, the peonies haven't bloomed yet, and they wouldn't look good if I brought them here," the servant said through gritted teeth.
"Jinzhi, beat him. Consider it twenty slaps from me, the princess," Yan Yu said to a maid standing behind her. She was a new maid sent to serve Fangyun after Fangyun was beaten to death.
"Yes." Jinzhi was only a fourteen-year-old girl, but she was quite strong.
After the servant received four or five slaps from her, red marks appeared on both sides of his face. Seeing his silent demeanor, Yan Yu grew even angrier. If he had simply begged for mercy, Yan Yu could have vented her anger and let it go.
As a result, the servant received a total of twenty slaps from Jinzhi, and by the last few slaps, Jinzhi's hands were sore from the blows.
When Yan Yu saw that the servant's cheeks were red and swollen, she felt a little uneasy. She was afraid that people would see her and say that she was arbitrarily using torture on her servants.
"Do you accept this punishment from me? It was you who arbitrarily changed the flowers I wanted," Yan Yu said.
"This servant accepts the punishment. Your Highness is right to punish me. I will never act on my own again next time." The servant knew that this was a way for her to save face, so he naturally accepted it.
"Go on, don't let this princess see you again," Yan Yu said impatiently, waving her hand.
After the servant who tended the flowers and plants left, Jinzhi instructed Chuntao to clean up the mud and fallen flowers on the ground, while she went up to Yanyu and said ingratiatingly, "Princess, please don't take offense at that clueless servant. I'll go to the flower room later and tell the manager to send over a few pots."
Yan Yu quite liked this newcomer, Jin Zhi, who was quick-witted and knew how to read her expressions.
"Come on, accompany this princess outside for a walk. It's so hot in the summer, and all you do is stay cooped up in the house taking care of that troublesome little one." In order to please the Fourth Prince, Yan Yu has been paying a lot of attention to the little prince and the little princess lately, keeping an eye on them every day and helping the wet nurse take care of the two children, who are now three months old.
Meanwhile, the servant who delivered the flowers left Yan Yu's courtyard with his head down and chose a secluded path to return to the flower room.
Having been punished by his master, his face was swollen from being slapped, and naturally he didn't want other masters to see it, nor did he want the servants to see it.
The greenhouse was located behind the South Courtyard. Lanqin remembered that the hibiscus flowers were in bloom, so she took Sihua's hand and came to the greenhouse herself, intending to pick some for her own yard. She was bored sitting in the house, and besides, she knew that to have a natural birth, she needed to move around a lot to ensure the baby was in the correct position, so she would suffer less during labor.
The servant boy hurriedly ran towards the flower room with his head down. He didn't notice that Lanqin and her maid were coming from the other side of the path. He lost his balance and almost bumped into Lanqin's stomach. Fortunately, Sihua was quick-witted and stepped forward to block, protecting Lanqin.
The servant, suddenly blocked by someone, looked up and saw it was Lanqin. He quickly bowed and apologized.
"Chen Shou, you are usually very composed, how did you walk today? You have offended our princess, and you cannot afford to suffer the consequences," Si Hua reprimanded sternly.
"This servant didn't see the princess for a moment, please forgive me." The servant was annoyed, thinking that he was really unlucky today. He had just been punished by that princess and slapped hard, and now he almost bumped into Princess Niu in the south courtyard. If he had really knocked her down, he would probably have lost his life here.
"Never mind, Si Hua, I don't think he did it on purpose." Lan Qin naturally saw the servant's expression and had some recollection of him; he was the one who delivered flowers to the south courtyard several times.
Chen Shou quickly bowed to Lanqin again and said, "Thank you for your forgiveness, Princess Niu. I was not careful and almost bumped into you."
Seeing that Lanqin didn't seem to care, Si Hua then asked, "Little Shouzi, what happened to your face?"
Although Chen Shou refused to look up, in broad daylight, no matter how much he tried to hide it, he was still somewhat visible to others.
Although Chen Shou was a flower deliveryman, he was quite shrewd and did not consider himself a mere flower-delivering servant.
When a maid asked him about it, he looked displeased, but he didn't want to talk about being beaten by Yan Yu's maid, so he just chuckled and remained silent.
"Sihua, come on, let Xiaoshouzi help us choose some hibiscus flowers." Lanqin tugged at Sihua's sleeve from behind, signaling her to stop asking questions.
Chen Shou glanced gratefully at Lan Qin, then immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Please, Princess Niu, the hibiscus flowers are in full bloom."
The three entered the greenhouse and saw that it was filled with all kinds of flowers and potted plants.
"This servant greets Princess Niu!" Hai Dayou, the head steward of the flower room, spotted Chen Shou and the Niu family servants behind him at a glance.
"Steward Hai, it's the perfect time for hibiscus to bloom now. I'd like to plant some hibiscus in the four corners of the courtyard. Would that be convenient?" Lanqin said with a slight smile.
“If the princess wants hibiscus, she can simply give the order. How could I trouble her to come and ask for it herself? Chen Shou, what are you standing there for? Quickly send some hibiscus to Princess Niu.” Hai Dayou said, holding the orchid zither.
“Steward Hai, my princess just wants to relax and get some exercise, which is good for the baby in her womb. She wants to look around here,” Si Hua said.
Hai Dayou quickly smiled apologetically, "Then let Chen Shou take the princess to this flower room for a look. This servant is leading people to count the seedlings, and we also need to prepare the flowers for the princess's coming-of-age ceremony."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
