"You two should naturally go back and keep a close eye on this Yehe woman for me. You must report her every move to me," the princess said.
“But I have already offended Consort Ye. If I go back now, how can she tolerate me? She will definitely not entrust me with anything anymore, and I am afraid I will never know her true intentions,” Peach Blossom said.
Tao Hua's sudden defection was indeed due to Nian Shi's attempt to bribe her through Cui Ling. However, Tao Hua had already reported Nian Shi's bribery to the Fujin. Therefore, the Fujin knew everything clearly, from Nian Shi demanding the kite, to using the nails on the kite and smearing it with poison, to finally framing Yehe Shi.
"Of course she'll hate you, but only you can make her put away her overly 'kind' heart and reveal her true colors. Go, and teach Yehe Shi the ways of survival in the inner quarters. Once she understands, she won't blame you; she'll thank you." The Princess Consort glanced at the peach blossom box and lotus flowers a few times, then waved her hand, signaling them to leave.
After the two maids left, Lingzhi said to the Fujin (wife of the princess): "Fujin, what do you think of this Yehe woman? I think she's just a naive and incompetent woman. She doesn't understand human relationships and is weak and powerless. Why would Fujin go to so much trouble to cultivate her?"
The princess raised her hand and adjusted the peony willow tassel hairpin at her temple, saying, "It's an intuition. Did you see when the Fourth Prince first saw her? I felt that he might like her, but for some reason, he deliberately ignored her. Moreover, Yehe is indeed talented and beautiful. Such a woman would not be willing to sink into depravity. Besides, she also has the surname Yehe Nara."
Lingzhi placed her hand on the back of Fujin's neck and gently massaged it, saying curiously, "Isn't Yehenara the sworn enemy of Aisin Gioro? It's said that women from their tribe wouldn't attain high positions."
The princess smiled and said, "That's why I'm willing to support this Yehe woman. Even if she gains favor in the future, her surname will inevitably prevent her from having any status. Do you understand? Women of the Yehe clan are never willing to be at the mercy of others. I, the princess, want to force out her competitive spirit and her ruthlessness."
A hint of surprise flashed in Lingzhi's eyes, but she didn't dare to ask any more questions.
Meanwhile, Nian Shi supported Cui Ling's hand as they walked.
"Cui Ling, is Tao Hua's mouth still sealed?" Madam Nian asked with some concern. "The Fujin did not punish her severely. If Tao Hua turns against us again, my situation will be dire."
"Don't worry, Princess. Peach Blossom has taken so much money from us, she knows what to say and what not to say. Besides, I know that Peach Blossom has a mother who is bedridden all year round to support, so she should know that if she takes someone else's money, she should keep it a secret, otherwise she can forget about staying in this mansion any longer," Cui Ling said.
“Good, very good. Apart from those two capable people, Yehe Clan has almost no one else to serve her, right?” Nian asked.
“Yes,” Cui Ling said.
“Now that Peach Blossom has turned against us, the Yehe Clan will probably stop using her. Yuhen and Yulu will naturally be the ones collecting her daily expenses. Think carefully about how to make things difficult for those two maids,” said Madam Nian, glancing at Cuiling.
“That’s easy. I’ll go find Steward Huang in the kitchen. As long as he’s willing to pay, he’ll definitely be happy to serve you, Princess,” Cui Ling said with a smile.
Ms. Nian nodded, then took Cui Ling's hand, followed by five or six people, and went back to her room in a grand procession.
Meanwhile, when Yehe and her servants returned to the North Courtyard, Hehua and Taohua, having stayed with the Fujin to talk, did not return together.
"If that Peach Blossom comes back, I'll beat her to death!" Yu Lu cursed angrily, her face still red and swollen.
"Yuhen, quickly go and get her an egg to rub on her face. Her face is so swollen, she should rest. What difference does it make if you beat her to death? She must have been ordered around by someone else. I have no grudge against her, and I'm usually lenient with both of them." Yehe Shi was surprisingly calm.
“Princess, now that we’ve been framed by the Nian family, and we have no one to help us, are we just going to sit here and wait to die?” Yuhen said.
Just then, Peach Blossom and Lotus returned. They didn't go into Yehe's room, but went back to their own rooms.
"How dare they come back?" Yu Lu was always an impatient person, and she hated Tao Hua to the core at this moment. If Ye He Shi hadn't stopped her, she probably would have rushed up to Tao Hua and started fighting.
"Yuhen, keep a close eye on their movements. We won't trouble them anymore. I don't want to see either of them, so let them stay in their own rooms," said Yehe Shi.
“Yes, Princess is tired. Please go inside and rest. I hope that the Fujin can thoroughly investigate the truth and clear Princess’s name,” Yuhen said.
Yehe nodded and went inside. Two maids helped her take off her clothes, wash her face, and rest before they withdrew.
Peach Blossom and Lotus were sitting and talking in their room, naturally discussing this very matter.
"You took the benefits from others, but you've caused me so much trouble." Lotus was a little annoyed. Although she knew that Peach Blossom was working for the Fujin, she didn't get any benefits at all. Now, she was disliked by Yehe Clan just like Peach Blossom.
“Lotus, what are you saying? We’re good sisters, we’ve always worked together. Now that I’ve been assigned by the Princess Consort, I might take you with me if I find a good place to go, is that alright?” Peach Blossom quickly poured Lotus a cup of water.
"Fine, I'm now tied to you against my will. What are we going to do now? Ye Gege probably hates you to death and won't tell us what to do anymore. Are we just going to sit here every day?" Lotus was still a little uncomfortable.
“Let’s just eat and drink here. She can’t kick us out or let us go hungry. If she doesn’t want us to serve her anymore, we’ll be happy to have some peace and quiet. What’s wrong with that?” Peach Blossom said.
"Alright, how about we go and beg the Princess Consort to give us a different master to serve us?" Lotus still felt it was inappropriate.
“You just saw it, didn’t you? The Princess still wants us to stay here. Lotus, don’t worry, the Princess will make the arrangements,” Peach Blossom said.
Just then, Yuhen's voice rang out from outside.
"Peach Blossom, the princess has ordered you to hand over the key to the small room to me. From now on, all of the princess's expenses will be handled by me and Yu Lu, so we won't trouble you two any further," Yu Hen said coldly.
The peach blossoms and lotus flowers exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves: They came so quickly.
Peach Blossom walked to her bedside, took out a key from under her pillow, and handed it to Yuhen.
"You two don't need to come inside to serve me anymore. I'll leave the grass and trees in front of the house to you. The princess said she doesn't want to see you again." Yuhen said this and turned to leave.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
