45. Chapter 45 Concubines
After Princess An Hui turned around and left, she called her confidant to her side. This maid was her right-hand man and had helped her with many things. After she gave her instructions, she took her back to the water pavilion.
In the waterside pavilion, the noble ladies were chatting animatedly. After today's drinking games and poetry competition, the way the noble ladies looked at Xiaoxiao had completely changed. Most of these noble ladies were well-educated and admired knowledgeable people. Xiaoxiao's performance today alone was enough to make them look at her with higher regard.
Some people came to Xiaoxiao to learn from her, while others praised her sincerely. For a moment, Xiaoxiao became the focus of everyone's attention.
Her skin is as white as jade, and her facial features seem to have been carefully sketched by a master. She is obviously beautiful, yet so gentle and amiable. The more people chat with her, the more they feel that she is so well-behaved and gentle, and her personality is particularly likable.
Mo Shuang couldn't get a word in, and sat there feeling extremely awkward. Only when she saw Princess Anhui did she breathe a sigh of relief.
After Princess Anhui returned, she smiled and said, "The lotus flowers up ahead are exceptionally beautiful. Come on, I'll take you over there to admire them."
After she finished speaking, she led the way and led everyone to the lake. When she left, she was still very unhappy, but after leaving, her expression was much lighter. Even though she tried her best to hide it, Mu Xi did not miss the happy look that flashed across her eyes.
Mu Xi was very familiar with that look.
She took a look at the scenery by the lake, deliberately pulled Xiaoxiao and walked at the back, then calmly glanced at the maids beside Princess Anhui. She had two maids in total, one of whom was very close to Princess Anhui, but the other was a little close to them.
Mu Xi squeezed Luzhu's hand, signaling her to protect Xiaoxiao, and then followed the noble ladies to the lake.
Mu Xi had been keeping an eye on the maid. After a while, he saw that the maid slipped and fell into the lake as if accidentally. She screamed, and before falling into the water, she grabbed randomly as if asking for help, and happened to grab Xiaoxiao who was beside her.
Mu Xi's eyes immediately turned cold.
Luzhu grabbed Xiaoxiao, and the maid held Xiaoxiao's arm tightly, so her body was suspended in the air and did not fall completely into the lake.
The ladies exclaimed, "Help pull her up quickly."
As they were talking, several noble ladies ran towards Xiaoxiao and the maid.
Mu Xi took advantage of the chaos and pushed the maid next to Princess Anhui. The maid fell forward and bumped into Princess Anhui.
Princess An Hui was caught off guard and was knocked forward by her, falling into the water with a "splash".
After Mu Xi finished pushing, he followed the lady to Xiaoxiao. Everyone turned their heads and looked back when they heard the sound of someone falling into the water.
Princess An Hui was knocked into the lake, and her maid also fell to the ground, her body about to slide into the water. The noble lady who was close to her hurriedly grabbed the maid's legs. The maid was not strong enough, so the noble lady next to her also hurried to help.
In the chaos, Mu Xi took the opportunity to shout, "Hurry up and help! Someone's fallen into the water!"
Naturally, there was no one around, so Princess Anhui specifically ordered the guards nearby to be sent away.
Mu Xi shouted for help to pull the maid out, then sternly said, "Catch this slut! She was so clumsy that she caused the princess to fall into the water!"
The maid was already scared silly, her eyes were dull, and her body couldn't stop shaking when she thought of Princess Anhui's cruel methods.
The ladies were all a little bit at a loss, as they couldn't swim at all. Just when they were getting anxious, they heard a person jump into the water from the opposite side and swim towards them.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw someone finally arrived.
Princess An Hui also couldn't swim, and after drinking several mouthfuls of water, she never expected that Xiaoxiao was rescued, but she fell into the water instead. When she thought of Feng Zihua coming over, her heart was filled with despair, and she struggled to climb out.
The more she struggled, the faster she fell. Just as she was about to faint from suffocation, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, and the next moment, her body was hugged by the man.
Feng Zihua swims very fast.
His heart was also filled with excitement, and he felt happy at the thought of winning the beauty.
When they were underwater, he closed his eyes and had no idea that the girl in his arms was not Xiaoxiao. When he brought her out of the water, he couldn't help but hold her waist tightly.
Princess Anhui was almost nauseous. After breathing in the air, she gasped for air and couldn't help coughing several times. Then she heard her third cousin's voice, "Don't be afraid, Miss Xiaoxiao. I will take responsibility for you."
The noble ladies on the shore were stunned when they heard this. Thinking of how Princess Anhui's maid almost dragged Xiaoxiao into the water, what else could they not understand?
Feng Zihua didn't notice the stunned expressions of the crowd at all. After he finished speaking, he lowered his eyes to look at the girl in his arms.
After Princess An Hui breathed smoothly, she slapped him directly, what an idiot!
Only then did Feng Zihua see the girl's face, and it was not Xiaoxiao at all!
He was stunned and subconsciously let go of the hand that was holding Princess Anhui. The next moment, Princess Anhui fell into the water again.
She thrashed around uncontrollably. If she could, she really wanted to kick that bastard Feng Zihua to death.
Feng Zihua reacted and reached out to rescue her again. He couldn't abandon her in front of everyone, so he had to carry her ashore.
The girl's clothes were soaked, and she looked as miserable as could be.
Her two maids were almost scared to death, lying on the ground trembling uncontrollably. They didn't even think about quickly covering Princess Anhui's body with clothes.
Mu Xi's face turned cold. She had her maid restrain Princess Anhui's maid while questioning Feng Zihua, "Master Feng, please explain why you mistakenly thought it was Miss Xiaoxiao in the water. What do you know?"
Feng Zihua's eyes flashed, "I was anxious and made a mistake."
His words obviously could not convince the crowd. After all, Xiaoxiao did not resemble Princess Anhui in the slightest, and the colors of their clothes were completely different.
There wasn't a fool among those present. They all guessed the whole story at this moment, and looked at him and Princess Anhui with a bit of disdain.
Princess Anhui's brother came out chasing Feng Zihua. When he saw Feng Zihua jump into the water without saying a word, his heart skipped a beat and he felt something was strange.
Because this side was some distance away from the other side, he couldn't see clearly who fell into the water. He was afraid of accidentally seeing something he shouldn't see, so he didn't get close and simply ordered the servant to call the eldest princess.
If a noble lady really fell into the water in their house and was rescued by Feng Zihua, it would be a big problem and the eldest princess would have to step in.
The eldest princess asked the maid to bring the cloak and hurried over. She knew that her daughter was always bold and daring. On the way here, she had vaguely guessed that today's drowning incident must have been caused by An Hui.
She was shocked and angry for a moment, and wanted to crush her to death. She felt that she was born with a bad karma and would always cause trouble.
When she hurried over, she saw that it was not Xiaoxiao who fell into the water and was soaking wet, but her own daughter.
While the eldest princess breathed a sigh of relief, her heart sank again. She glanced at Feng Zihua, who was also wet, and felt it was ridiculous.
She coldly ordered the maid to wrap Princess Anhui in a cloak, apologized to the ladies, and softly pleaded, "It's our fault for not hosting you well enough. We've made a fool of ourselves. I'm sure everyone knows how important a girl's reputation is. I beg you ladies to keep today's events a secret."
Zhao Ziyao and the others were hesitating about how to respond when they heard Mu Xi say, "Your Highness, I'm afraid today's events won't go as you wish. I've already instructed the maid to report it to the authorities, and they'll be here soon. The ladies present are all witnesses, so I'm afraid they won't be able to escape."
The eldest princess' heart sank as she realized that her daughter's two maids were pinned to the ground.
She had been so focused on Princess Anhui that she hadn't noticed them. "What do you mean, Miss Mu?"
Mu Xi lowered his eyelashes without explaining, his expression remained cold, as if he was extremely annoyed by what happened today.
Zhao Ziyao patted her hand lovingly and explained softly, "We all suspected that Master Feng had colluded with Princess Anhui's maid to intentionally cause Xiaoxiao to fall into the water. Unexpectedly, by some strange coincidence, Xiaoxiao was rescued, but it was Princess Anhui who fell into the water."
The eldest princess had a cold expression on her face, and she looked at Feng Zihua, not knowing what she was thinking.
At this moment, Feng Zihua really wanted to beat himself up. It was all his fault. He trusted Princess Anhui too much and thought that it must be Xiaoxiao who fell into the water. That's why everyone caught him.
The thought of the officials arriving and possibly taking him away for questioning made his face turn pale, and even Princess Anhui was annoyed. For now, he could only insist that he had misjudged the person.
The government officials arrived soon, and after asking what happened, they took away Feng Zihua and Princess An Hui's maid.
When leaving the princess's mansion, Mu Wen was still frightened. She simply held Xiao Xiao's hand and whispered, "I was really scared to death. Fortunately, you are okay."
Mu Xi guessed that she was the most timid one and couldn't help but retort to her, "What's there to be afraid of? Xiaoxiao is calmer than you."
Fearing they would start arguing again, Xiaoxiao quickly said, "Alright, alright, stop arguing. I wonder what Princess Anhui will do."
Mu Xi said bluntly: "No matter what, she deserves it."
Knowing that Princess Anhui was definitely behind this, Xiaoxiao couldn't help but sigh. She didn't mention Princess Anhui again, but instead looked at Mu Xi gratefully. "Thanks to Sister Xi for giving me ten poetry collections, otherwise I would have lost at least two hundred taels of silver today."
Mu Wen blinked, only then realizing that Mu Xi had given Xiao Xiao a collection of poems. "How did you come up with the idea of giving Xiao Xiao a collection of poems?"
Mu Xi glanced at her sideways and said, "You think everyone is like you, acting foolishly all day long? Of course, I never fight a battle without preparation."
She said this as if she hadn't said anything at all. Mu Wen was very depressed. "Then why didn't you give me the poetry collection? I thought we were reconciled!"
Mu Wen got angry when she thought about losing a hundred taels of silver!
Mu Xi didn't even bother to pay attention to her. Seeing her aggrieved and as if she was deliberately not helping her, she said angrily, "With your brain, even if I gave it to you, could you finish reading ten poetry books in two days?"
Mu Wen shrank back in fear of her fierceness, feeling somewhat guilty. What if she couldn't finish it? She couldn't possibly give it to him at all!
Okay, okay, she forgave her.
Seeing Mu Wen acting so timidly, Xiaoxiao couldn't help but curl her lips, and her originally bad mood improved a lot.
Pei Xiuhan soon learned about this and went to Guxing Street to see Xiaoxiao. When he came over, Xiaoxiao was making clothes. She had already made a set for Zhang Li, and this one was for Pei Xiuhan.
She put away her sewing basket only when she heard a knock on the door.
She thought it was her brother who came back two days early, but unexpectedly it was Brother Pei standing at the door.
The man was dressed in crimson purple brocade. He stood straight with a stern look in his eyes. His aura was inexplicably captivating.
When Xiaoxiao saw him, she didn't feel scared at all. Instead, she couldn't help but smile, "Brother, why are you here?"
Pei Xiuhan's expression finally eased a little. He reached out and touched her little head. "Are you frightened today?"
Xiaoxiao shook her head and smiled, "I'm fine."
She made way for Pei Xiuhan to enter the courtyard. Xiaoxing was writing in her room and saw that Pei Xiuhan hadn't come out either. Luzhu came out to greet him and then went back to the room.
Xiaoxiao took him to the main room and poured him a glass of water. The tea sets in the house were all new. This was a brand new set of white porcelain tea sets. The teapot and cups were printed with pictures of entwined grape branches.
The teapot was milky white, making Xiaoxiao's skin look even whiter like jade. When she put down the teapot, her loose sleeves slid down a little, revealing a small part of her snow-white wrist.
Pei Xiuhan's gaze lingered on her wrist for a moment before he waved to the little girl, "Don't bother, come here and let your brother take a look."
Xiaoxiao walked up to him obediently. Pei Xiuhan brought her closer and looked her up and down. On the way here, he even had the urge to kill Feng Zihua and Princess An Hui.
Seeing that she was indeed fine and not frightened, the murderous aura on Pei Xiuhan's body gradually dissipated.
It was not until this moment that Pei Xiu Han realized that Xiao Xiao's position in his heart had long surpassed everything. Just hearing that she almost fell into the water made him feel a pang of fear. He, Pei Xiu Han, actually had a soft spot.
Seeing that his body was a little tense, Xiaoxiao patted his hand and comforted him, "Brother, I'm really fine."
After she finished speaking, she shared with him something else worth celebrating, "I won six hundred taels of silver today."
Xiaoxiao briefly talked about the drinking game. As she spoke, Pei Xiuhan quickly pictured the little girl shining brightly at the banquet.
The corners of his lips lifted unconsciously. When he learned that she had finished reading ten poetry collections in two days, he couldn't help but sigh, "In the entire Great Zhou, there are only a few people who have the ability to remember everything they see. I used to regret that you weren't a boy."
Xiaoxiao blinked, "Why do you regret that I'm not a boy?"
Pei Xiuhan leaned back, a smile on his face, "Because my brother wanted to recruit you."
Xiaoxiao couldn't help but sigh, "It's a pity it's not a boy. If it was a boy, I could serve my brother."
Pei Xiuhan smiled and pinched her little face, "Girls are better."
Xiaoxiao exclaimed, somewhat confused.
The smile in Pei Xiuhan's eyes deepened, but he did not explain. There were many people serving him, and what he lacked most was not subordinates.
Of course girls are better.
Xiaoxiao no longer worried about the boy-girl issue. She had already voted for a girl, and there was no way to change it. She happily took out the six hundred taels of silver notes, took out three hundred taels and handed them to Pei Xiuhan, "Brother, these three are for you."
Pei Xiuhan was stunned for a moment, "What are you doing for me?"
Xiaoxiao curled her lips, her fair face full of smiles, "This is the first money I won, I want to share it with my brother."
Her smile is sweet and obedient, and she is very lovable.
Pei Xiuhan felt incredibly soft in his heart, wondering how this little girl could be so sweet. He did not refuse and accepted the silver, not forgetting to teach her, "Brother is not polite to you, so you should not be polite to me in the future, understand?"
Xiaoxiao nodded obediently. Seeing that he accepted the money, her heart was filled with joy. She was so happy that she wanted to lie in his arms and roll around. Unfortunately, Xiaoxiao didn't dare.
After seeing Xiaoxiao, Pei Xiuhan went to the Ministry of Justice and personally interrogated Feng Zihua. When Feng Zihua saw him, he was so scared that his legs trembled. He had been holding on and refused to confess, but after experiencing two kinds of torture, he burst into tears and snot and confessed everything.
Princess Anhui's maid was naturally recruited as well.
As for the other maid, although she insisted that someone had pushed her, causing her to accidentally knock Princess Anhui into the river, no one believed her. When asked who pushed her, she said she hadn't seen anything. When questioned, the other noble ladies also said no one had pushed her. Fortunately, Princess Anhui was fine, and the government didn't punish her severely, handing her over directly to the eldest princess.
As for Feng Zihua, Princess An Hui and the maid who wanted to drag Xiaoxiao into the water, they were punished for intentionally harming others. Each of them was sentenced to stay in the dungeon for half a year before they could be released.
The eldest princess went to Prince Yan's mansion several times in a row, hoping that Pei Xiuhan would show leniency to her, but Pei Xiuhan didn't even see her. The eldest princess almost cried her eyes out, and she regretted very much that she had not taught Princess An Hui well, which led to her doing such a foolish thing.
The scandal spread quickly throughout the capital, with the people praising the government's judgment. They said that a princess of such stature could do such a thing, which truly brought shame upon the royal family. The government's courage to judge even a princess won them considerable support.
Pei Jing was very angry and directly deprived Princess Anhui of her title of princess. The eldest princess now regretted her decision.
Feng Zihua's parents were also furious. They never expected that he would collude with Princess Anhui to resort to such despicable means for a little girl.
Old Master Feng was so angry that he almost fainted. Not only did he scold his second son, he also threatened to kick this unfilial son out of the house.
Lord Li also severely criticized his second daughter-in-law, thinking that she was too rash when arranging a marriage for his daughter. The next day, he went to Feng Mansion in person and decisively canceled his granddaughter's marriage.
Xiaoxiao naturally knew about this, but she didn't pay much attention to it. She was concerned about suppressing the bandits. Fortunately, her brother's trip went smoothly and he was already on his way back.
Zhang Li came back in the evening of the next day. Pei Jing specially summoned him to the palace and rewarded him with a big house on the pretext of something. In fact, he couldn't bear to see Xiaoxiao living in such a small house. Since he knew that Xiaoxiao had moved out of Prince Yan's Mansion, Pei Jing asked Eunuch Zhang to visit Xiaoxiao once. When he learned that Xiaoxiao's small courtyard was not as big as his bedroom, he felt a little distressed.
The house he originally wanted to reward was very grand and very close to the imperial palace, but unfortunately it was rejected by his uncle. In the end, he could only be rewarded with the house next to Prince Yan's Mansion.
This house has been abandoned for a long time. It was originally the Zhao Mansion. More than ten years ago, when Lord Zhao and the Third Prince failed in their rebellion, this house was sealed off. It had to be renovated before it could be lived in. Xiaoxiao had no way of moving in in a short period of time, and Pei Jing was quite depressed.
After Zhang Li returned from the palace, his face looked very heavy.
He had also heard rumors that the Regent wanted to send Xiaoxiao to the palace, but he hadn't believed it before. But when the Emperor suddenly summoned him to the palace, he realized the Emperor's concern for Xiaoxiao was somewhat baffling. Could it be that he really liked Xiaoxiao? Did the Regent also intend for Xiaoxiao to enter the palace?
Zhang Li returned to Guxing Street with a heavy heart. When he saw Xiaoxiao, he couldn't even smile. He briefly told her about the emperor's gift of the mansion. During this time, he kept observing Xiaoxiao's expression.
Xiaoxiao was quite happy. She had an impression of that house. Not only was no one living there, it was also right next to Prince Yan's Mansion. If she moved there, she might be able to hear any noise from Prince Yan's Mansion.
Zhang Li asked tentatively, "Are you familiar with the emperor?"
Xiaoxiao nodded truthfully, "When the prince was away from the capital, I lived in the palace for a while and became familiar with it."
Zhang Li had no idea about this. Upon hearing this, his pupils shrank. "Why did he take you into the palace? Could it be that the prince really wants you to enter the palace and become the emperor's concubine?"
Xiaoxiao couldn't help but open her eyes wide, "Become the emperor's concubine?"
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