The maid who was serving tea was slapped by Gu Qinlan. She covered her swollen cheek and knelt down to beg for mercy, tears streaming down her face from the pain, but she dared not make a sound.
Zheng Huiyi frowned, her gaze as cold as ice as she fixed on the trembling maid. She spoke slowly, her voice carrying an undeniable authority: "Gu Qinlan, this maid was merely serving tea and water; why should she suffer such severe punishment?"
Gu Qinlan's eyebrows furrowed, her face growing even colder. She glanced at Zheng Huiyi coldly and said, "Huiyi, you don't know the whole story. This maid is cunning and scheming. She almost burned Princess Duan and tried to harm her mistress."
Upon hearing this, the tea-serving maid trembled. She looked up at Zheng Huiyi, a pleading glint in her eyes: "Miss, I... I really didn't burn the Princess."
Zheng Huiyi nodded slightly, gesturing for the maid to rise. She turned to Gu Qinlan, her tone firm: "Gu Qinlan, regardless of whether this maid is guilty or not, there should be an explanation. Let her tell the truth, and then we can decide."
Gu Qinlan sneered: "The truth? Does she dare to say it? This maid is as cunning as a fox. If we don't teach her a lesson, she won't tell the truth."
Gu Qinlan's eyes were cold, and her voice was like ice: "Drag this maid away and give her twenty lashes!"
The maid, held up by two rough-looking old women, struggled and begged Zheng Huiyi for help: "Miss, please, save me!"
Zheng Huiyi's almond-shaped eyes widened as she glared at Gu Qinlan and said, "Gu Qinlan, how could you do this? A maid is a human being too. She was just careless for a moment. How can she be punished so severely for that?"
Gu Qinlan frowned, looking coldly at Zheng Huiyi: "Huiyi, don't you understand? In the Prince's mansion, a maid's duty is to serve her master, and she cannot be careless in the slightest. Otherwise, the masters will bear serious consequences. By protecting her like this, aren't you condoning her mistakes?"
Zheng Huiyi's anger intensified. She stood up, walked to Gu Qinlan, and looked at her face to face: "Gu Qinlan, although you are the Crown Princess, it does not mean that you can punish the maid at will. She is just an ordinary person, not your punching bag."
Gu Qinlan sneered: "Ordinary people? Huiyi, do you think the maids serve us willingly? They do it for survival, for their families. In this environment, they must strictly abide by the rules, or they will be punished. These are the rules of the Prince's Mansion, and you and I must abide by them."
Zheng Huiyi's eyes widened, and she said angrily, "Does the rule give you the right to hurt others with impunity? Sister-in-law, look at the maid who has been beaten until her skin is torn and bleeding. Don't you feel sorry for her?"
Gu Qinlan's expression grew increasingly cold: "What good is feeling sorry for her? Huiyi, you must understand, this is the survival rule of the Prince's Mansion. If we are soft-hearted, it is irresponsible to the entire manor. The Princess's injuries were caused by the maid's mistake. If you really care about your mother, you should support me in punishing her."
Zheng Huiyi was speechless for a moment.
Gu Qinlan strode up to Princess Duan, her eyes filled with worry and concern. Her gaze warmed Princess Duan's heart; though she maintained a composed facade, her eyes betrayed her pain.
"Mother, how are your injuries?" Gu Qinlan asked gently, her voice as warm as a spring breeze.
Princess Duan's fingers trembled slightly as she tried to hide her discomfort: "It's just a minor injury, no need for you to worry about it."
Gu Qinlan noticed the red marks on Princess Duan's fingers, the scars of burns, which were shocking to behold. She gently grasped Princess Duan's hand, her brows furrowed: "This is no small injury. Judging from these red marks, it must have been very painful."
A hint of gratitude flashed in Princess Duan's eyes, but then a look of self-reproach appeared on her face: "It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so careless, you wouldn't have been implicated."
"Why do you say that, Mother?" Gu Qinlan shook her head gently, her tone firm. "Now that I've come to the Duan Prince's residence, I am a member of the Duan Prince's family, and the affairs of the residence are my affairs. This burn is something I deserve."
Upon hearing this, Princess Duan's eyes flashed with emotion. She gently patted Gu Qinlan's hand and said, "Good child, you are so thoughtful. I really can't live without you anymore."
Gu Qinlan smiled and shook her head: "Mother, what are you saying? I am your daughter-in-law, and it is my duty to take care of you."
As the two were talking, a maid hurried in, carrying a basin of snow water. Gu Qinlan took the basin and gently placed it in front of Princess Duan: "Mother, soak your fingers in the snow water first to relieve the pain."
Princess Duan nodded, placing her hands in the snow water. The icy water brought a refreshing coolness to her fingers, relieving much of the pain. She looked at Gu Qinlan, her eyes filled with gratitude.
Gu Qinlan discovered that her hands were also burned, with several blisters appearing on her fingertips. Upon seeing this, Princess Duan felt distressed: "Qinlan, your hands are injured too, quickly soak them in snow water."
Gu Qinlan smiled gently: "Mother, don't worry, I'm fine. It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."
Princess Duan couldn't help but scold, "You're always so considerate of others, but you neglect yourself. If you hadn't saved me in time, I'm afraid..."
Gu Qinlan gently held Princess Duan's hand: "Mother, don't worry, I'll be fine. The most important thing now is your injury, so please take good care of yourself."
Princess Duan looked at Gu Qinlan, her heart filled with guilt.
Gu Qinlan burned his own hand for her sake, and this thoughtfulness and care warmed her heart.
"Qinlan, I..." Princess Duan hesitated, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
Gu Qinlan gently patted Princess Duan's hand: "Mother, don't say anything. I understand what you mean. As long as you can recover, my injuries are nothing."
Princess Duan was moved to tears, tears streaming down her cheeks. She held Gu Qinlan's hand tightly, as if to convey all her apologies and care to her.
Zheng Huiyi stood to the side, her eyes filled with surprise and confusion.
Zheng Huiyi couldn't help but ask, "Mother, what's wrong with you? You weren't like this with her before. Why are you suddenly so attentive and loving towards her?"
Princess Duan gently patted Gu Qinlan's hand, slowly stood up, and looked at Zheng Huiyi, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She sighed and said, "Huiyi, you don't understand. Mother did misunderstand Qinlan before, but now I understand. She is a good child and deserves my care."
Zheng Huiyi frowned, still puzzled: "But Mother, why do you misunderstand her? Is it because she married my brother that you have a prejudice against her?"
Princess Duan remained silent for a moment, a pained expression on her face. She slowly said, "Actually, it's all my fault. When Qinlan first entered the manor, I felt she wasn't good enough for my son. In addition, because of her gentle nature, I thought she couldn't shoulder the heavy responsibility of Princess Duan, so I was somewhat resistant to her."
At this point, she sighed, her eyes filled with guilt: "Qinlan has been enduring my neglect and exclusion, and I was completely unaware of it. It wasn't until recently that I realized my mistake. In fact, Qinlan has been quietly contributing to this family, and I deeply admire her kindness and resilience."
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