Princess Qi stood still, but was forcefully pulled in by the old woman and maidservant.
Soon, the woman's unwilling shouting was heard in the dimly lit room.
The old woman walked out of the house, shook her head and spat a mouthful of thick phlegm on the ground.
If the old woman still had some respect for Princess Qi when she was first sent here to serve her, it is now completely gone.
It's been so long, it's obvious that Princess Qi can't make a comeback. Maybe the prince even hopes that she will die soon.
As servants, they must understand their masters' minds.
The old woman adjusted the flowers on her temples and walked to the sunniest spot in the yard to bask in the sun.
The sun moved westward, the spring light became increasingly dim, and there was a knock on the door outside the yard.
The old woman hurried to open the door and secretly cursed the past few days: This is not a life for human beings. They are locked up with a crazy woman all day long. Even three meals a day have to be delivered by a special person, and they are not allowed to get them from the kitchen.
For the old woman, going to the kitchen a few times a day was at least a form of entertainment, but now it is like being in prison.
The gate of the courtyard opened quickly and an ordinary-looking maid walked in.
The maid was holding a large food box with three layers in her hand. Even though it was tightly covered, the old woman's eyes lit up as if she smelled a fragrance.
It can be said that her daily reliance lies in these three meals.
The prince was a kind man. He never treated the princess harshly even though she was in such a bad condition. And that crazy woman couldn't eat much, so in the end, she and Xiaohong got the food.
The old woman secretly touched her waist which had become half an inch thicker, and went to take the food box with a flattering smile.
"Don't panic, Madam Wang." Although the maid looked plain, she had a sweet voice.
The old woman was stunned for a moment, and stared at the large black lacquer food box with gold painting.
What? After I just sighed at the sumptuous meal, is it time to change it?
The maid pointed to the bottom layer of the food box and said softly, "Madam Wang, remember that this is the midnight snack prepared for the princess."
"Midnight snack?" The old woman was even more stunned.
That crazy woman can't eat much for three meals a day, so why would she want to have a midnight snack?
The maid smiled slightly, and her sweet voice was inexplicably cold: "Yes, Madam Wang, remember to wait about an hour after dinner before serving the princess to eat, so that she won't have indigestion."
The old woman was confused by what she heard, but she nodded anyway.
The maid then turned and left.
The old woman stood in the yard holding the food box, feeling its heavy weight. The more she thought about it, the more curious she became, so she simply reached out and opened the bottom layer.
There was no delicious food at the bottom, only a small white porcelain bottle and a stack of small-denomination banknotes.
The old woman was shocked. She quickly stuffed the banknote into her arms, placed the food box on the stone table, and carefully opened the bottle cork.
A faint bitter smell came.
The old woman held the porcelain bottle in her hand for a long time before she suddenly realized what it was. Her hand trembled and she almost dropped the porcelain bottle.
She hastily corked the bottle, feeling chilled all over.
Prince...Prince, you want to kill the princess——
She couldn't help but turn her head to look out the window, staring at the blurry outline on the window, her heart beating rapidly.
The dinner was tasteless. The old woman kept glancing at the hourglass, and her palms were sweating.
The maid Xiaohong ate happily as there was less competition for her food.
Seeing the heartless maid, the old woman was furious. She pinched her and said, "Still eating? Pack it up quickly!"
Xiaohong bit her lip as she put away the dishes and took them to the ear room. The old woman squeezed in and told her what had happened in a low voice.
The bowl in Xiaohong's hand fell directly.
The old woman quickly picked it up and said through gritted teeth, "You're going to die. What can you achieve if you're so impatient?"
Seeing that the little maid was more nervous than she was, the old woman suddenly calmed down.
If they killed the princess, they wouldn't have to stay in jail in this shabby yard. She had already secretly counted the stack of banknotes, there were two hundred taels, enough for her to live comfortably for the rest of her life.
"Don't shout or scream. If you make any noise, your tongue will be cut off!"
Xiaohong covered her mouth and nodded quickly.
It was almost 11:00 p.m., and the old woman was thinking that it was time to take action when there was a sudden knock on the courtyard door.
The banging sounds on the door were particularly clear in the late spring night, and each knock seemed to hit the old woman's heart, making her heart skip a beat.
The old woman had no choice but to run out, asking as she ran, "Who is it? Why are you running so late at night?"
"It's me, open the door! I want to see my mother--" The childish voice of a little girl came through the wooden door.
The old woman was startled: "Young lady?"
Realizing that it was Yuan Jie'er, the eldest daughter of the palace, outside the gate, the maid did not dare to neglect her and hurriedly opened the gate.
A girl about eight or nine years old rushed in.
The little girl had two cute buns on her head, and her cheeks were pink from running so fast. She pushed the old woman aside and rushed inside: "Mother——"
Princess Qi rushed out: "Sister Yuan——"
The mother and daughter hugged each other and cried in the yard, leaving the old woman and Xiaohong at a loss as to what to do.
Although Princess Qi has lost her power, the eldest daughter is the legitimate daughter of the palace and is not someone they can offend.
Seeing the mother and daughter crying far away, the old woman was worried that the situation had gotten out of hand, so she went over to persuade them, "Young lady, it's dark and dewy, and it's a lonely place. You should hurry back."
"How dare you!" The little girl who was crying softly in the arms of Princess Qi suddenly became very aggressive when facing the old woman. "I'm talking to my mother, why are you, a woman, butting in?"
The old woman didn't dare to act rashly, and hunched her shoulders and said, "I am just worried that the young lady will catch a cold..."
Princess Qi seemed to have recovered from her shock. She patted her daughter up and down, saying, "Yuanjie, follow me into the house."
At this time, a voice came from afar: "Big girl, big girl——"
The old woman was delighted when she heard this.
The people who served the eldest girl caught up with them.
Soon two maids came running over. When they saw Yuan Jie'er in the yard, they panted and begged, "Miss, why did you come here suddenly? We must be worried. Please go back with us quickly and don't disturb the princess's peace..."
Princess Qi grabbed Yuan Jie'er's hand tightly, fearing that her daughter would be taken away the next moment.
Yuan Jie sneered: "If you keep talking nonsense, my father will send you away. I am the daughter of the princess, how could I disturb my mother's peace?"
The two maids were stumped for a moment.
"Okay, you guys go back. I will sleep with my mother tonight."
The two maids' faces changed drastically: "Miss, this won't do. If the prince knew about this——"
Yuan Jieer asked calmly, "Doesn't father allow me to sleep with mother?"
No one dared to respond to this.
It is certain that the prince does not allow the eldest girl to meet the princess too often, but he cannot say this to her directly.
If the girl were a few years older, she would have known better about this and would not act rashly for the sake of her own future. But now she is neither too young nor too young, and if she becomes willful, the servants will be unable to stop her.
"Mother, let's go inside."
Seeing Sister Yuan and Princess Qi enter the house, the two maids stamped their feet with pale faces: "What should we do?"
The old woman whispered, "You two go and tell the prince, we'll watch over the young lady first."
It seems that we can't take action tonight.