Silence returned to the room. Thirteen, feeling restless, looked at Heyue and saw her quietly sipping her tea. He cupped her face in his hands, turned her around, and gazed at her earnestly: "I'm sorry you've been wronged."
He Yue blinked blankly. What did he mean? Why was he suddenly so serious?
Seeing that she remained silent, Thirteen pressed his nose against hers and sighed, "Don't think about it anymore. She's not worth your sadness."
He Yue was still puzzled. After thinking for a moment, she understood and burst out laughing, her eyes crinkling.
Thirteen stared, forgetting to blink, utterly puzzled.
He Yue's smile faded as she gazed into his concerned eyes, her heart softening and warming. "I'm not sad, just a little disappointed. After all, we've known each other for so many years, and I never imagined she would do something like this. Now that she's done it, our past friendship is over. To me now, she's just a complete stranger. What's there to be sad about?"
Thirteen stared at her calm expression, then suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, hugged her tightly, rested his head on her shoulder, and smelled the faint rose scent on her body: "In the end, I shouldn't have given her the chance to be alone with her, then you wouldn't have been bothered. However, I'm very happy to hear you say you believe me, I've never been so happy."
He Yue chuckled. Having gone through so much and witnessed his actions firsthand, how could she doubt his intentions?
Since you've decided to spend your life with him, you should treat him well.
How can you live a lifetime without even basic trust?
Heyue then recounted everything that had happened at the Grand Secretary's residence that day.
Thirteen frowned: "You should have asked the master to go with you. It's despicable that Yi Duli dared to treat his wife like that. If the master went, he would have to listen to him to some extent. What if you went and caused a rift between them?"
He Yue pouted: "If it weren't for Sixth Sister's insistence on staying, would I have let Yi Duli and that woman off so easily? Since Sixth Sister wanted to stay, I naturally wouldn't fall out with my uncle and aunt. In the end, keeping that child was my biggest concession. My aunt is an educated person and the most reasonable. She's just a bit tough on the outside, so how could she blame me?"
Thirteen chuckled and rubbed her waist: "My wife is so clever."
He Yue glanced at him, but the corners of her mouth curved up: "Hmph, you're so sweet-talking."
"Then how about the Princess Consort tries it?" Thirteen smiled brightly, going along with her suggestion.
Before Heyue knew it, he had stolen a kiss from her. Her face turned red, and she pinched his waist.
Thirteen hissed, looking aggrieved: "The Princess Consort is so heartless!"
Heyue pushed him away and straightened her disheveled clothes.
It's not even dark yet, what kind of behavior is this?
Looking around, she saw that the room was empty except for the two of them, and she glared at him angrily.
Thirteen smiled and said, "The people of the Fujin are the ones who have good judgment."
After the twenty strokes of the cane were finished, Hailan came in to report that the man had fainted and had been carried into the woodshed.
"Find a doctor to take a look at her; she can't die from her illness," He Yue instructed calmly.
Hailan didn't dare to look up at Heyue's flushed face and quickly retreated.
Once outside, I couldn't help but smile, feeling very happy, when I suddenly bumped into Chun Ya.
Chun Ya pulled Hai Lan aside and whispered, "Is this really how it has to be? Is the Princess really so heartless? If this continues, Chun Rui's life will be ruined."
Hailan forcefully pulled her hand back and gave her a cold look: "Who is your pointless sympathy for? Don't forget, we are the Fujin's people. We grew up with the Fujin since we were little. Do you not know the Fujin's temperament? This is Chunrui's own fault. I know you and Chunrui have always been close, but you can't let your feelings cloud your judgment and make you unable to distinguish right from wrong."
"A servant should be mindful of his duty. The Princess Consort treats us well; we cannot be as heartless as Chunrui. I have said all I need to say; you mustn't be confused."
Chun Ya's face turned pale and then red: "What are you saying? I just couldn't bear it, how is that being unable to distinguish right from wrong? You spend more time with the Fujin and are the Fujin's most trusted person. Although we can't compare to you, we are loyal to our mistress and would never betray her."
Hailan's expression softened slightly as she listened, and she sighed: "I know you are loyal to the Fujin, and I don't doubt your loyalty. It's just that some things can't be accomplished with loyalty alone. Have you forgotten Yuying? She served the Fujin with me, and the Fujin treated us all equally, but she still went with the Fourth Prince. Although people always strive for higher positions, the Fujin and the Fourth Prince are like siblings. Where does her behavior put the Fujin?"
Although the Fujin (Prince's wife) doesn't say it, I know she must be heartbroken. Now, though she's the Fourth Prince's concubine, is she truly happier than before? Chunrui came later to serve the Fujin, and even though she wasn't treated the same way as you and me, she was always treated superiorly among the other maids in the household. She was never mistreated. Why is she acting this way? Isn't it because she's after the thought of becoming the mistress? And what happens after she becomes the mistress? Won't she still compete with the Fujin for favor? Where is even a trace of past affection? You're talking about affection here, but has she shown any affection to us?"
Chun Ya lowered her head, blushed with shame, and remained silent.
Hailan patted her shoulder and comforted her, "I know you are different from Chunrui, but since we are following the Fujin, we must know our place and must not have any selfish thoughts. The Fujin has always been kind and generous, and will surely find us good families in the future. Isn't that much more respectable than other maids?"
Chun Ya's complexion improved considerably, and she nodded earnestly: "I was wrong. Sister Hai Lan, please give me more guidance in the future."
“That’s right, we’re all the same kind of people, so we should take care of each other.” Hailan smiled and left.
The next day, Heyue went to see her sixth sister.
Sixth Sister looked much better today, and was in good spirits. When Heyue saw her, she was engrossed in reading a storybook.
Upon seeing Heyue, Yan Yue immediately put away her storybook, smiled, and took her hand: "I've been lying in bed since yesterday, I was so bored, thank goodness you came to keep me company."
Seeing that she had returned to her former cheerful self, Heyue was relieved.
Yan Yue dismissed the maids and whispered in He Yue's ear, "Actually, you don't need to worry about me like this. My injury is nothing." She even winked at her as she spoke.
He Yue listened to her words, and seeing the cunning glint in her eyes, she became suspicious. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "You mean..."
Yan Yue covered her mouth, put her index finger to shush her, and whispered a warning: "This is something you and I should keep to yourselves, don't let anyone else hear it."
"How dare you?!" He Yue pulled her hand away, her eyes wide with anger, but she still managed to lower her voice.
Yan Yue chuckled awkwardly, then raised an eyebrow smugly: "Hmph, if I didn't do it this way, would I be able to get rid of that woman? I don't want to see her again at all. Just seeing her makes me sick. Besides, if she tries to frame me again, I won't be able to defend myself. It's better to take the initiative and cut off her escape route. After this incident, how could Mother and Yiduli doubt me even a little? Even if something really happens to her in the future, it won't be my problem."
Heyue had to admit that Sixth Sister's plan was very good, but she didn't care about her own safety at all, and still had a sour face.
Yan Yue held her hand and said coquettishly, "Okay, don't be angry anymore. I know what I'm doing. I won't let anything happen to myself. I value my life very much, so why would I let another woman benefit from it!"
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