spoiled brat

Chapter 142, Section 141: The Sun Flame (Part 1)

"We're kneeling here because of her, Brother Wu, yet you're praising her!" the playboys complained aggrievedly, but they were too embarrassed to grumble anymore.

Zhao Zhao actually hoped they would argue a bit more; it was noisy, but it was invigorating. She didn't know when she had developed this problem, but if she didn't eat a big meal after all that commotion, she would feel dizzy from hunger.

Gradually, what floated before her eyes was no longer shadows, but steaming roast chicken and duck, placed right in front of her, wafting the aroma of cumin, within easy reach if she lowered her head.

Whether she was fainting from kneeling or from cravings, Zhao Zhao's eyelids were drooping, and she was about to collapse when someone caught her: "Sister Zhao Zhao..."

Upon closer inspection, she saw that the person who came was Xiu Ning's maid. Her eyes were full of concern as she took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Xiu Ning's face: "The princess has already spoken with Minister Jiang. The fault is not yours. Please get up quickly."

Zhao Zhao looked into the Mingjing Hall and saw that Minister Yi Xingjiang, Minister Xiu Ning, and Xiu Yi were all there. They were giving a speech, and the students were sitting upright and listening attentively. With these three supporting them, who would dare to be disrespectful to Xiu Ning in the future?
Zhao Zhao was delighted to see this, and when the maidservant tried to help her up, she shook her head and refused: "Five hours haven't passed yet," she said, pointing to the纨绔 (playboys) behind her, "They leave, then I'll leave."

The maid understood her meaning; she was afraid of tarnishing Xiu Ning's reputation. Fighting with a student was not a respectable thing, and her current defense would seem like she was deliberately condoning it.

"I'm so hungry." Zhao Zhao clutched her rumbling stomach and laughed, "Hey sis, did you bring any food?"

The maid shook her head: "What do you want to eat? I'll go buy it."

Not far from the official school was the bustling market. It was already getting dark, and the food vendors had set up their stalls, with various aromas wafting in the air.

Zhao Zhao closed her eyes and sniffed carefully, naming the dishes according to the scents she detected. The maidservant memorized everything and brought them back in no time. The meat patties and soup dumplings were just so-so, but the spring rolls filled with oysters and bamboo shoots were quite delicious.

After trying a few, Zhao Zhao seemed to regain her senses and become clear-headed.

Seeing the maid standing in front of her, seemingly trying to cover her up, Zhao Zhao laughed and said, "You're so thin and weak, what can you possibly block? Go ahead and accompany the princess back to the manor after class. You don't need to wait for me. I'll go back by myself after I've finished kneeling."

The maid didn't try to persuade her further. She folded a handkerchief and placed it under Zhao Zhao's knees to make her more comfortable, and then left.

As soon as he left, the spoiled brats behind him started muttering, "If you're going to eat, why do you have to eat in a less windy spot? Don't you know everyone's hungry? Are you trying to make us drool?"

They are usually domineering, but in the end they are all spoiled teenagers. When they feel wronged, their voices will have a hint of coquetry.

Zhao Zhao, who had never been affectionate with her own mother, felt a chill run down her spine. Turning around, she saw a group of spoiled young masters staring at her expectantly. Wu Jiu touched his nose and chuckled, "Miss, since you can't finish eating it all anyway, why don't you sell some to us?"

To ensure they were properly punished, the parents were all sent far away; otherwise, they could have had someone buy them food.

Zhao Zhao held up a box of soup dumplings: "Want some?"

Wu Jiu thought she was willing to sell, and made a move to take out his money.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Zhao summoned a dog, but refused to feed it or give it to the dogs.

"...You!" The spoiled brats were humiliated and their faces turned red with anger. They wanted to curse, but they didn't dare. After all, she was Xiu Ning's personal maid, and Xiu Ning was the Crown Prince's darling.

“Young lady, we were rude before,” Wu Jiu said, showing both flexibility and humility. “But we’ll be seeing each other again soon, so why hold a grudge?”

He was shrewd, and Zhao Zhao wasn't stupid either, so she went along with it: "Alright. Each of you swear to heaven that 'if you ever disrespect the princess again, your whole family will be wiped out,' and we'll call it even."

This girl can be ruthless when she wants to be, and she can also be incredibly childish. Wu Jiu smiled helplessly: "This oath cannot be made."

"Why?"

“Most of our fathers and brothers have risked their lives on the battlefield. If they die, will our country still exist?” Seeing her disdain, Wu Jiu said, “No matter how much you try to save face for your master in private, she won’t see it. She might even blame you for meddling.”

Zhao Zhao sarcastically remarked, "Young Master Wu, you lost a game of chess to my princess just a few hours ago—she's a hundred times smarter than you, do you think she's stupid?" Wu Jiu laughed and said, "I've figured it out. To insult her once is to insult you a hundred times." After saying this, he looked behind him and made the纨绔 (sons of wealthy families) swear an oath one by one.

They looked reluctant, but Zhao Zhao kept her word and distributed all the food she couldn't finish.

It's funny, people who are used to eating delicacies don't mind anything when they're hungry, and they devoured Zhao Zhao's leftovers like a whirlwind.

As darkness fell completely, the distant sound of evening drums echoed as classes ended in the Mingjing Hall, and students returned home to their dormitories.

Five hours had passed exactly, and the people who had been forced to kneel could now leave.

Zhao Zhao's legs were completely numb, as if they were glued to the ground, and she couldn't get up no matter how hard she tried.

Suddenly, a hand reached out in front of her. Without thinking, she took it. After standing up, she saw that the person who had helped her was Wu Jiu. She couldn't help but wipe her hands and said, "Thanks." Then she left.

Wu Jiu stared at her retreating figure, a resilient and stubborn woman, limping into the night.

Someone nearby muttered under their breath, "This girl is so arrogant, she needs to be taught a lesson again!"

Wu Jiu glanced sideways and saw that the one who spoke was Chen's youngest son, who had been beaten up by Zhao Zhao. His face was bruised and swollen, and he looked quite ridiculous.

"Then be careful, lest you end up getting lectured by her again."

In the alley, groups of young dandies strolled about, discussing where to go for a night of pleasure and entertainment.

Wu Jiu didn't care about those things and was about to take his leave when he suddenly heard a gust of wind behind him.

He dodged to the side, and a stone rolled down to his feet, still wrapped in paper.

He picked it up, tore it open, and glanced at the writing. His face instantly turned cold and dark. He then crumpled it into a ball.

His best friend sidled up to him, asking curiously, "Brother Wu, what does it say up there?"

"It's nothing." Wu Jiu tossed the crumpled paper aside, pretending he hadn't seen anything. "Let's go."

After the group walked away, Pang Xuan, who had come to deliver the letter, breathed a sigh of relief, having accomplished his mission.

After Pang Xuan left, Xie Xiaoqing, who had followed him, emerged from the shadows and ran quickly to where Wu Jiu had stopped. He found the crumpled paper and, as expected, saw it written in the moonlight: "Zhao Zhao was born into a brothel."

Next work!

That beast wanted to use someone else to do his dirty work!
Xie Xiaoqing was worried and followed the road from the official school back to the princess's mansion. Not far away, he saw Zhaozhao.

A cold moon hangs over the long street, the wind carrying a dampness that soaks the stone pavement, casting a hazy glow that reflects her lonely figure.

Her knees must have been hurting terribly, she was practically dragging her legs as she walked, her waist knife and jade pendant clattering together, and she seemed inexplicably lonely.

Several shopkeepers along the way, seeing that she was someone important, treated her like an official and lit lanterns to shine in front of her.

He felt sorry for her because she was just a young girl and wanted to lend her a hand, but she was too aloof and brushed off his outstretched hand, saying indifferently, "Don't take pictures."

Seeing that she didn't appreciate it, the shopkeepers gave up and left with their lanterns hanging low.