Chapter 56 The Princess's Residence
Not long after, a palace maid came to report to Pei Mingyue.
Pei Mingyue was leaning against the carved chaise longue, her slender fingers idly fiddling with the white jade chess pieces on the table.
"Your Highness, Miss Xie today..." Chun Tao, the personal maid, knelt on the brocade carpet, her voice trembling.
Chun Tao pressed her forehead against the carpet: "Your Highness, Miss Xie...she was taken away by people from General Xie's mansion."
"What?" Pei Mingyue sat up abruptly, her head full of jewels jingling.
She narrowed her phoenix eyes: "Xie Sangning?"
Chun Tao's voice trailed off: "Miss Xie's maid said that she will no longer come to the Princess's residence from now on..."
"Great! Excellent!"
Pei Mingyue overturned the chessboard, and the white jade chess pieces tumbled to the ground with a clatter.
"Xie Sangning is deliberately trying to make things difficult for me!"
The palace maids inside the hall knelt down in unison, not daring to utter a sound.
Pei Mingyue's chest heaved violently. She grabbed a celadon teacup from the table and smashed it to the ground. The flying shards grazed Chun Tao's cheek, drawing blood.
"Go! Immediately send someone to the General's Mansion to fetch that little beast! Prepare a sedan chair right away!" Pei Mingyue ordered sternly. "I want to see how many guts Xie Sangning has to intercept my people!"
Inside the general's mansion, Xie Rubao was sipping hot tea, his swollen fingers now bandaged with a white bandage.
"Sister Sang Ning, am I really okay like this?" Xie Rubao couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
Before Xie Sangning could answer, a commotion suddenly broke out outside.
The steward rushed in to report: "Miss, someone from the Princess's residence has arrived. They say... they want to take Miss Xie back."
Xie Rubao's hand trembled, and the tea spilled onto her skirt.
"They arrived quickly."
Xie Sangning stood up, straightened his sleeves, and said to Xie Rubao, "You stay here, have some tea and snacks, and don't go anywhere."
Outside the general's mansion gate.
The steward of the princess's residence stood arrogantly at the bottom of the steps, followed by eight burly guards.
Seeing the general's mansion gates wide open, he called out in a shrill voice, "By order of the Second Princess, I have come to fetch Xie Xiao—"
The words came to an abrupt halt.
The manager stared wide-eyed at Xie Sangning, who walked out with an air of nonchalance.
"Pick me up?" Xie Sangning raised an eyebrow. "Then let's go."
The steward stammered, "No, no, Her Highness the Princess sent for Miss Xie Rubao..."
"Isn't my surname Xie?" Xie Sangning sneered.
She suddenly took a step closer, startling the steward who retreated repeatedly: "What? The Second Princess summons the daughters of high-ranking officials to do menial maid work every day. Does that sound good if word gets out?"
The head eunuch was sweating profusely and stammered, unable to speak.
Xie Sangning strode towards the princess's palanquin, then turned back and shouted, "What are you standing there for? Aren't we here to pick up Miss Xie? Let's go!"
In the main hall of the Princess's residence, Pei Mingyue heard the announcement that Miss Xie had arrived. She immediately turned around and sneered, "Finally, you've brought her back! Today, I'm going to..."
Her words caught in her throat.
It was Xie Sanning who walked in!
"You!" Pei Mingyue pointed at Xie Sangning, her fingertips trembling, "Where is Xie Rubao?"
Xie Sangning gave a slow and deliberate bow: "Your Highness, Xie Rubao injured her finger and is recuperating at my residence. Hearing that Your Highness was in a hurry to find Miss Xie, I came here today."
Pei Mingyue slammed her hand on the table: "Xie Sangning! How dare you!"
"This humble woman dares not."
"Sang Ning is just curious, why does the princess summon officials' daughters to grind ink every day? Is it because the princess's residence can't afford maids anymore, or..."
She paused meaningfully, "The princess doesn't dare to provoke me, so she's targeting the people around me?"
These words struck a nerve with Pei Mingyue.
Her face turned pale, then flushed, and she shrieked, "What nonsense are you spouting! I only chose Xie Rubao because of his beautiful calligraphy..."
"Oh?" Xie Sangning interrupted her, taking out a roll of paper from his sleeve and unfolding it. "Then please take a look, Princess. This is Xie Rubao's handwriting. These crooked strokes are worse than even a child's. Does the Princess really find it acceptable?"
Pei Mingyue was speechless, then suddenly grabbed the teapot from the table and smashed it at Xie Sangning: "Get out! Get out of here!"
Xie Sangning easily dodged to the side, and the teapot shattered at her feet.
She brushed off non-existent dust from her sleeves and curtsied gracefully: "This humble woman takes her leave. However..."
She walked to the door, then turned back with a provocative smile: "If Your Highness is truly short of people to grind ink, I can send a few clever maids."
"If I have to deal with Xie Rubao again in the future, I won't mind spreading the word for the princess and letting everyone in Jinling know that the dignified Second Princess doesn't want to be a proper princess, but instead chooses to be a rat in the gutter."
"Thank you! Sang! Ning!" Pei Mingyue's scream echoed throughout the entire princess's residence.
Xie Sangning sat in the sedan chair, and Ru Xia couldn't help but whisper, "Miss, offending the Second Princess like this..."
"Offended?" Xie Sangning chuckled. "Why is it that I offended her, and not that she offended me?"
She lifted the sedan curtain and looked at the bustling crowd on the street.
The inner courtyard of the princess's residence.
"Crash—" Another fine celadon tea set was shattered into pieces.
Pei Mingyue smashed everything she could, her hair disheveled and her makeup ruined.
"You bitch! You bitch!"
She screamed hysterically, sweeping all the rouge and powder from the dressing table onto the floor. "Xie Sangning! I'm not finished with you!"
The palace maids knelt on the ground, trembling.
Chun Tao mustered her courage and advised, "Your Highness, please calm down. Taking care of your health is the most important thing..."
"Get out! All of you, get out!" Pei Mingyue grabbed a bronze mirror and smashed it.
After venting her anger, Pei Mingyue slumped down amidst the mess, her eyes filled with a terrifyingly sinister glint.
She suddenly laughed hysterically: "Xie Sangning...you think this is all? We'll see..."
Inside Ruixue Tower, Xie Rubao paced anxiously in the courtyard.
Seeing Xie Sangning return safely, she rushed over with tears in her eyes: "Sister Sangning! Are you alright?"
"What could possibly be wrong with me?"
Xie Sangning glanced at Xie Rubao's bandaged finger. "For the next few days, you'll only be coming to the General's Mansion during the day. Don't go anywhere else."
Xie Nu'er laughed from the side, "Don't worry, Ru Bao, with your older sister here, that second princess can't do anything to you."
Xie Rubao was so moved that tears streamed down her face, while Xie Sangning gazed thoughtfully in the direction of the princess's residence and said softly, "However... this matter is not over yet."
Given Pei Mingyue's personality, she's probably going to do something big, but she's not a god and can't predict things, so she can only deal with whatever comes her way.
In the evening, Xie Rubao returned to her residence. Xie Sangning played with the inkstone that Xie Rubao had stolen and given to her, a hint of a smile in her eyes.
Ru Chun covered her with a blanket and said with a smile, "Miss, you've finally made some friends over the years."
Xie Sangning paused slightly as he played with the inkstone, letting out a soft hum from his nose.
"Ruchun, you're getting better and better at gossiping about your young lady these days."
Her tone was cool, with her usual sarcasm, "What friends? It's just that the pickle jar is uniquely silly, and it looks alright, that's all. It's chubby like a little pig, just something to play with for fun."
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