spoiled brat

Chapter 110 109. It’s hard to calm down (9)
At the same time, she watched intently as she helped Xiu Ning to a seat, covered Xiu Ning's legs with a velvet blanket, and added incense to the hand warmer...

This person moved with extreme agility, clearly not a refined young lady. Zhao Zhao tilted her head and asked Yuan Zhen, "Does the Wu family have soldiers? Is she from a military family?"

Yuan Zhen lowered his voice and replied, "Nonsense, our dynasty was founded on military merit. Minister Wu and Minister Jiang were both generals who later became civil officials."

Zhao Zhao continued to peek into the inner room. The girl was chatting and laughing with Xiu Ning, first telling a bunch of interesting stories about old friends in the capital, and then changing the subject: "Xiu Ning, I won't lie to you, I've come here this time to ask you for a favor."

In the soft candlelight, Xiu Ning's expression was indifferent, yet her insight was clear. After a moment of contemplation, she waved for the maidservant in the room to leave.

Everyone left, and the door closed tightly. Zhao Zhao, with her exceptional hearing, faintly heard someone saying something inside—

“I know that some things should come from the central government and some things should be planned by our fathers, but they have long harbored resentment and they are unwilling to melt away their deep-seated grievances for the sake of the country.”

"I've come to ask you for a favor because of our long-standing friendship. If you agree, I have nothing to thank you for; if you don't, I have nothing to say. In any case, please don't ruin our friendship."

Zhao Zhao thought to herself, "If you truly value friendship, you should never come here and try to use past relationships to beg an old friend who has already gone their separate ways."

"This year, there have been continuous floods, droughts, and locust plagues. The grain transported to the capital is not enough, so how can there be any surplus to supply the border? Although the generals and commanders promoted by my father are not very capable, the soldiers under them are all human lives. What do they know about factional struggles? They go to the border to shed their blood, either to protect their homes and country or to get paid."

"Xiu Ning, to be honest, when I went to reward the troops half a month ago, the little bit of military rations and winter clothing I brought was simply a drop in the ocean..."

The voice lowered, and Zhao Zhao couldn't hear it clearly, but she could guess the gist: they had come to ask for payment.

Wu Wenrou knew perfectly well that the two families were sworn enemies, yet she still fantasized that the Prince Ning's Mansion would cut off its own flesh to mend the festering wounds of her family. But the Prince Ning's Mansion was barely able to take care of itself; where would it find the surplus to give her?

Listen closely, and then Wu Wenrou knelt down with a thud, gritting her teeth as she said, "Xiu Ning, with the nation in peril, please join me in this difficult time."

Zhao Zhao sneered inwardly. When you spent so much money to send that damn peacock, did you ever think about the hardships faced by the soldiers on the border? Now you're using the greater good of the country to coerce your old friend.

Suddenly, she was startled and turned to look at the courtyard. This time, the gifts were much more meager than before. Could it be that the situation was deteriorating too quickly and even the domineering young lady was struggling financially?
A deathly silence fell over the room, followed by a soft sigh. Wu Wenrou was helped up by Xiu Ning and sat down again. She didn't know what Xiu Ning had said in sign language, but she burst into tears, calling out Xiu Ning's name over and over again.

This must be a shameless plea.

Zhao Zhao stealthily moved two steps toward the door and saw Xiu Ning sitting quietly while Wu Wenrou was just crying. The scene froze.

That's not right.

Zhao Zhao noticed teacups on the table, picked them up, and pushed open the door to enter amidst the shocked gazes of Yuan Zhen and the maids.

Xiu Ning and Wu Wenrou were both taken aback when they saw someone barge in. Zhao Zhao didn't say anything, but bowed and stepped forward to serve tea.

When she handed it to Xiu Ning, she held it steadily, but when she got to Wu Wenrou, her wrist suddenly trembled and the whole cup of tea spilled out.

With her clothes soaked, Wu Wenrou jumped up from her seat and slapped Zhao Zhao across the face without saying a word, yelling, "Where did this lowly servant come from, touching me like that!"

Zhao Zhao had expected to be beaten, so she calmly accepted it and knelt down with a thud: "This servant has offended Miss, I am guilty of being rude."

Wu Wenrou glanced at Xiu Ning, only to see that she showed no intention of punishing Zhao Zhao. She then poured half a pot of tea over Zhao Zhao's head and coldly said, "Go kneel outside."

Fearing that Xiu Ning would be put in a difficult position, Zhao Zhao immediately withdrew.

It was snowing heavily, the moon was high in the sky, and it was the coldest time of the year. The courtyard was empty and deserted.

As soon as Zhao Zhao stepped out the door, the tea in her hair froze into icicles. Instead of being foolish enough to accept the punishment, she found a sheltered spot from the wind and snow to kneel down.

Her gaze drifted to the window paper under the eaves, and she thought to herself that the stove could not dry her clothes, and it must be uncomfortable to wear them—if I, a peasant, can suffer, can you, Miss Wu, also suffer?
Sure enough, Wu Wenrou came out shortly after, put on the cloak handed to her by her attendant, and walked up to Zhao Zhao: "Do you know why I hit you?"

Zhao Zhao met her gaze, remaining silent but not intimidated.

“I have known Xiu Ning for many years. No matter what, it is not up to outsiders to interfere. If she is unwilling, she will tell me herself that she doesn’t need you, a nobody, to jump in.”

“That’s not what you’re angry about.” Zhao Zhao saw right through her. “What’s angry is that she no longer confides in you and has tacitly approved of my actions.”

Another slap.

Zhao Zhao turned her head to the side, her teeth filled with a metallic taste, and said coldly, "Even if you beat me to death, this is an unchangeable fact."

Expecting another beating, Wu Wenrou stared blankly at Zhao Zhao, her gaze fixed on her neck. She raised her hand and pulled out the red rope, angrily saying, "...You stole her things!" With that, she tried to pull it away.

Zhao Zhao is very precious to us, how could we let her have her way? She didn't fight back when she was beaten before, but now we can't tolerate it anymore.

Wu Wenrou lunged forward to snatch the item, and Zhao Zhao pulled her to the ground. The two of them started playing around in the snowdrift, creating a cloud of white mist!
Wu Wenrou was quite strong, and Zhao Zhao's two months of farm work hadn't been for nothing. She first silently took a few punches, then seized the opportunity to subdue her and pinned her down.

This guy has some status, so you can't hit him. Zhao Zhao pulled open her collar and started stuffing snow into it.

Wu Wenrou was shivering from the cold and cried out in a trembling voice for help from her attendants, but for some reason no one came.

She gritted her teeth, cursing Zhao Zhao as a slut and demanding she hand over the things. Finally, she was so cold that she lost her senses and repeated in a trembling voice, "...You don't deserve it, you don't deserve it!"

Just now, fearing that her things would be stolen, Zhao Zhao had kept the ring in her mouth. Now she spat it out and leaned close to Wu Wenrou's ear, saying each word carefully:

"I'm not worthy, but are you? Miss, why don't you understand? Some things can't be taken, nor can they be waited for. Your years with her can't compare to my few months with her. Times have changed, and you're no longer on the same path!"

"You keep talking about how deep our friendship is. If I were you, I would rather die than let her suffer even the slightest hardship. No amount of justice or righteousness can compare to the bond between us!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than applause erupted behind him.

"How impressive!" Zhao Zhao whirled around, only to meet Xiu Yi's condescending gaze. Damn it, every time she does something wrong, this guy catches her.

She quickly got off Wu Wenrou, and was about to make a few excuses when Xiu Yi reached out and pulled Wu Wenrou up. She cried, "Young Master, how should we deal with your maid who treats me so disrespectfully?"

"Her face is covered in handprints, while you're just covered in snow. How is that any less than contemptible?"

"Her!" Wu Wenrou's back was stuffed with snow, which melted and dripped down her clothes, freezing as soon as it was exposed to the wind, making her look quite disheveled.

Just as he was about to pull off his cloak, he noticed that his own attendants were being stopped by the palace guards. He knew that Xiu Yi was deliberately showing favoritism, and he was speechless with resentment, but dared not show his anger because he was borrowing grain.
"You're so protective of a mere maid..."

Xiu Yi said calmly, "Why bother? Show the guest out."

"Yes." Why bother replying?

After the Wu family members were sent away, only two people remained in the vast snowfield.

Zhao Zhao wanted to slip away, but her legs and feet were stiff and cold, as if stuck to the snow.

Seeing her struggle to get up, Xiu Yi raised his hand and pressed her head down, saying lightly, "Why don't you understand? Some things can't be taken, and some things can't be waited for. You—"

"Young Master!" Zhao Zhao cried out, interrupting him, wishing she could disappear into the snow. "I was wrong!"

"If I were you, I'd rather die than let her suffer even the slightest hardship—"

Hearing him repeat his outrageous words, Zhao Zhao was nearly mortified: "Stop reading it! Stop reading it!"

She threw a snowball at him, feeling embarrassed as if she'd been caught in the act: "Don't tell the princess."

"Are you that concerned about Xiu Ning?"

Zhao Zhao got up from the ground and patted the snow off her body: "I care, of course I care, but what can I do when I have nothing left?"

Xiu Yi noticed the red string around her neck and pointed at it with his finger: "You were just like a guard dog, the kind that's very protective of its food."

"Your sister raised it." Zhao Zhao tucked the red rope into her clothes, and with a bright, even proud, smile, she uttered a single word to Xiu Yi: "Woof."

A door in the distance was pushed open, and Yuan Zhen came out with an umbrella, looking for someone: "Zhao Zhao!"

"Sister Zhen, I'm here!" Zhao Zhao jumped up and waved.

Yuan Zhen came over at the sound, bowed to Xiu Yi, and said, "The princess was just about to invite you over."

Xiu Yi grunted in response and stepped inside.

Yuan Zhen led Zhao Zhao to sit under the eaves where the wind was sheltered, and they each drank a bowl of soup to ward off the cold.

Seeing her staring silently at the howling wind and snow, Zhao Zhao's eyelids twitched: "The princess invited the young master here to discuss..."

"It seems to be about borrowing grain to transport north," Yuan Zhen sighed.

inside the house.

Xiu Yi set up the chessboard, but did not play. He used black and white to represent the situation in the northern border, and said calmly, "The one who came from the capital to deliver the festival gifts is the Grand Eunuch Li Fu. Before entering the city, he went to the camp to pay his respects to Father. He said a lot of polite words and mentioned that the Emperor still remembers Father."

Xiu Ning made a sign.

Xiu Yi nodded upon hearing this: "Yes, His Majesty's will is clear. With the nation in peril, let our two parties prioritize uniting against the common enemy."

Xiu Ning explained Wu Wenrou's purpose, and Xiu Yi used chess pieces to demonstrate the mistakes made by Wu's generals on the board, saying:
“When the conflict first broke out a few months ago, Father saw that Wu’s party was utterly useless. Countless memorials requesting military action were sent to the capital, but the Emperor was busy holding court for months on end, and the memorials disappeared after entering the palace.”

"As the situation deteriorated, Minister Jiang tried his best to protect his father and send him north to fight the enemy, but the Wu faction was powerful and refused to relinquish the military power at the border. Instead, they accused him of colluding with the princes."

Xiu Ning sighed softly and gestured, "Given the current situation, continuing factional strife will not benefit the country. Let's consider the overall situation first."

"The big picture?" Xiu Yi sneered. "Xiu Ning, if Wu's faction could be put to good use, that would be fine, but they are not of one mind. When disaster strikes, the frontline generals still prioritize their own safety over the country, and they repeatedly commit acts of recklessness and vying for credit."

“If we lose at the front, it is inevitable that we will head north to fight the enemy. But how can we mobilize our troops if we don’t have enough food? Rather than enduring and avoiding conflict, rather than feeding the snake to the tiger, we should wait for the situation to worsen. When the court is desperate, it will abandon the Wu faction and use Father. We can then take advantage of the situation to save the country and eliminate the traitor.”

Xiu Ning pondered for a long time before saying, "Brother, what you just said is exactly the same as prioritizing your own safety over the safety of the country."

Xiu Yi remained silent.

Xiu Ning said: Wu Wenrou said a lot just now, but I only listened to one sentence.

Which sentence?

Xiu Ning gestured slowly: Soldiers don't understand factional strife; they only know how to protect their homes and country and get paid. There's no reason to use their blood to pave our path to power.

There was a moment of silence in the room, then the door suddenly opened, and a maid called Yuan Zhen and Zhao Zhao to come in. The two of them, covered in the chill of the snow, stopped outside the curtain, afraid of offending Xiu Ning, and said, "Princess."

The maid parted the door slightly, and Yuan Zhen saw Xiu Ningbi's sign language. He nodded and said, "Alright, the head steward and I will take care of it tomorrow."

After saying that, the two left and walked back to their lodgings through the wind and snow.

Zhao Zhao asked Xiu Ning what he had just said, and Yuan Zhen sighed:
"Tomorrow I'll go with the head steward to the camp to see the Empress and calculate everything carefully to see how much grain we can squeeze out. It'll be five or six days before we return. You stay here and cut back on winter expenses. From now on, we'll have to be very careful with our money."