Full House Spring

Chapter 46 Disenchantment
Zi Fu's face was as pale as snow, and her body was trembling slightly. After she had cried enough and vented her fear, she choked up and said:
"Sister, no one bullied me. It was Hong Xiu who had Hong Xiaoniang drug me and sold me to a brothel..."

Manqing was not unfamiliar with this name. When Zifu first started working for Master Chen, she often competed with Hongxiu.

At first, Zi Fu was favored by the Second Master because of her slightly better appearance, and she never suffered any loss. Later, when Hong Xiu became favored, she suffered some grievances.

She came back to complain a few days ago, and Manqing just advised her to be patient. The more arrogant and domineering Hongxiu was, the more hated she would be, and one day she would be dealt with.

But she didn't expect Hong Xiaoniang to be so quick and decisive. Man Qing pulled her sister to sit down, poured her a cup of hot tea to calm her nerves, and then said:

"What medicine did Hong Xiaoniang give her?"

After Zi Fu swallowed the tea, she said in a gentle tone:

"It was an abortion drug. If Hongxiu hadn't wanted to give birth to the second master's illegitimate son, Hong Xiaoniang wouldn't have been so cruel to her. After taking the drug, the fetus in her belly died immediately, and she bled a lot..."

When Zi Fu thought of the blinding red, her body still trembled a little. It was too much of a shock for such an inexperienced girl.

Man Qing felt very distressed when he saw his sister like this. He walked along her back and said, "Now you don't blame me for stopping you, do you?"

Zi Fu nodded slightly and said with a heavy nasal voice:

"If I hadn't listened to you, I would have lost my life right now. I didn't expect Mrs. Hong to be so cruel. That child is a human life after all. Is he so worthless in her eyes?"

Man Qing tapped her head with her finger and said unhappily:

"What are you thinking? We are just lowly slaves. Even if she gets pregnant, so what? Will the Second Master be in need of a woman to give birth to his child?"

Zi Fu was speechless when she thought of those "motivated" maids in the courtyard. Just as Hong Xiaoniang said, what Mr. Chen needed was a wife who was equal to him, not a worthless maid.

Now that Man Qing has experienced more things, she looks at things more thoroughly and rationally. She tucked the scattered hair from Zi Fu's temples behind her ears and said in a calm tone:

"Although Master Chen is the master, he is the most powerless illegitimate son. He has a capable and respected eldest brother above him, and a illegitimate cousin who is raised as a legitimate son. He cannot inherit any power of the Duke's Mansion.

If he wants to have a say in the government, he can only rely on studying, becoming an official, and finding a capable wife and family to support him. "

Zi Fu's mind finally came to its senses. She smiled bitterly and said, "So Mr. Chen can't even protect himself. He is not a reliable man at all. That's right. Hong Xiaoniang treated Hong Xiu so cruelly, but he didn't even dare to fart. He is essentially a coward."

Man Qing smiled with relief. Her sister used to be impulsive, but now she is much more stable. She said in a gentle voice:

"It's good that you can figure it out. If Master Chen doesn't have the protection of the Duke's Mansion, he won't even be as good as the men from poor families. He is nothing special, he is just reincarnated."

Zi Fu nodded, she looked up at her sister and said in a deep voice: "Then why is sister willing to be the second young lady's dowry? Could it be that you also have your eyes on the prince..."

Man Qing shook her head and said with a firm look in her eyes:
"I just want to serve the Second Young Lady well. I hope I can become a housekeeper in the palace in the future or have other opportunities. It is better to rely on myself than on a man. Look at how Madam Xie lives her life."

Zi Fu bit her lip and said with uneasiness, "People outside say that King Hui will be punished by His Majesty sooner or later. What should we do if that day really comes?"

Man Qing said calmly, "Since the second young lady dares to marry Prince Hui, why should I worry? Do you think the Duke's Mansion will remain standing? Things in the world are unpredictable and no one can predict them. It's just a gamble on luck."

Zi Fu sighed and said, "If you go to the palace, we will have fewer opportunities to meet in this life."

Man Qing felt very uncomfortable after hearing this, and forced a smile:
"I'm not far away from Kyoto. If I really want to meet her, I can just ask for leave from her. It's not as exaggerated as you say."

Zi Fu could only think positively, she said calmly:
"Don't worry, I will take good care of mom and my younger brother, and will never let anything happen to them."

The originally unbridled little girl finally had to grow up under the pressure of life...

Ever since Xia Li accepted the job from the Duke, he has been busy all the time.

She led the maids to do chores every day and was so busy that she didn't even have time to drink a sip of water. Nanny Xie felt very distressed when she saw this, but there was nothing she could do.

Elsholtzia and her friends would go over to help when they had time, and within a few days the house was filled with bonsai of peony trees. If you didn't know, you would think it was a peony garden.

Qiancao came over from nowhere. She brushed the dust off her body and said to Xia Li:

"It's so lively in the front yard. Prince Hui has invited Prince Heng, who is the most senior member of the royal family, to propose marriage, which is very respectful to the second young lady. You should also take a break and go out to see the fun."

Xia Li rubbed his swollen eyes and said in a slightly tired voice: "I have endless work to do, so how can I have the mood to watch the fun."

She was worried that King Hui would recognize her, so she decided to stay away to be safer. Unexpectedly, Qiancao did not play by the rules. She pulled Xia Li's arm and said, "You can only make a few flowers if you delay for a while. You might as well go and watch the fun and relax for a while, so as not to make a fool of yourself."

Xia Li was almost knocked down by her pulling, and said helplessly, "Be gentle, I'll put the flowers in there first."

Qiancao then became happy, and when she finished her work, the two of them walked towards the front yard arm in arm, talking and laughing. When they arrived, they saw many betrothal gifts with big red wedding characters on them placed in the front yard, and each one looked very valuable.

Qiancao leaned close to Xia Li's ear and whispered, "King Hui is so generous. He doesn't look like he is unhappy about this marriage. The second young lady is so lucky."

Xia Li's eyes flickered slightly, and she curled her lips slightly, as if smiling:
"This marriage was granted by His Majesty. King Hui should not take it lightly, whether he is happy or not. Moreover, if the betrothal gift is too shabby, others will laugh at him. Some things cannot be judged by appearance alone."

Qiancao thought it made sense. Just when she was about to speak, she saw everyone surrounding King Hui and coming out of the house. Xia Li was staring at the betrothal gifts.

Suddenly she felt a gaze falling on her. Xia Li subconsciously turned her head to look. Seeing that it was King Hui, she panicked for a moment, and tried hard to hold her expression and pretend nothing had happened.

Prince Hui narrowed his eyes and looked at Xia Li. Lu Lingchuan, who was accompanying him, followed his line of sight and saw Xia Li, and hurriedly asked, "Does your Highness have anything to tell you?"

King Hui shook his head and said seriously, "No problem. I seem to have seen an acquaintance and need to confirm it in person."

After he finished speaking, regardless of Lu Lingchuan's expression, he walked straight towards Xia Li. Looking at the person approaching her with big strides, Xia Li had the urge to run away. She pretended to look at the person in confusion.

When King Hui approached, he and Qiancao hurriedly saluted. King Hui looked at Xia Li with an inexplicable expression and said in a gloomy tone: "Have you ever been to the Dongyang Marquis's Mansion?" Xia Li's heart was pounding. She lowered her eyes and said in a gentle voice:

"In reply to your Highness, I am the head maid of the old lady in the mansion. I did accompany the old lady to the Dongyang Marquis's mansion some time ago."

King Hui smiled and said, "No wonder you look familiar. I have seen you in the Marquis of Dongyang's mansion."

Xia Li said calmly, "I never left the old lady that day, nor did I see the prince. Did you recognize the wrong person?"

King Hui said with a mocking tone, "I have a photographic memory and will never admit my mistake."

Although Lu Lingchuan didn't know the inside story, he did not hesitate to lean towards Xia Li. He said gently: "Your Highness, you don't know that this maid is deeply loved by my grandmother. She is almost always by her side. Moreover, she is introverted and spends most of her time doing embroidery. I'm afraid you really made a mistake."

King Hui had drunk the medicine at that time, and his mind was already confused. He was not sure whether he was beaten or not, let alone the specific appearance of the other party. He only had a vague impression.

Seeing his hesitant expression, Xia Liluo relaxed and said calmly:

"Then, Your Majesty, do you remember whether the maid was wearing a ginger-colored jacket or a light yellow jacket that day?"

King Hui's usually stern face showed a slightly surprised expression. He put his hands behind his back, rubbing his fingertips, and said in a deep voice: "It may be a ginger-colored jacket..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qiancao couldn't help laughing. Seeing King Hui looking at her unkindly, she hurriedly explained:
"My Lord, on the day we went to the Marquis of Dongyang's mansion, Xia Li was clearly wearing a pink jacket. I gave it to her because it was too small for her, so I remember it very clearly."

King Hui's face froze, but Xia Li calmed down a little. She said seriously:

"Your Highness, please think carefully. Is the person you met really a servant? If that person has done something evil, we must catch him as soon as possible."

King Hui stared at her steadily, and Xia Li did not dodge or avoid, just letting him look at her openly. To put it bluntly, he had no evidence to prove that he was the one who hit her that day, and he must have been confused at that time.

The more Xia Li was calm, the more uncertain King Hui became. After a while, he had to give up. He said calmly: "This is not a big deal. It is possible that I have misremembered it. You can go and do your work."

Xia Li bowed respectfully, then took Qiancao with her and left. Lu Lingchuan looked at her leaving figure thoughtfully. Prince Hui noticed his expression, raised his eyebrows, and said in a low voice: "Why, the prince is interested in this girl?"

The tips of Lu Lingchuan's ears turned red, and he said with embarrassment: "Your Highness misunderstood. I was thinking about something else, not what you think..."

King Hui waved his hand indifferently, "That girl is quite pretty, it's normal for you to have such thoughts. I heard that the Ministry of Justice has a shocking case..."

The two of them walked out while talking about business. At the same time, Lai Xi, who was beside the second girl, hurried out...

On the way back to Leshou Hall, Xia Li was stopped by Lai Xi, who said that the second young lady had something to ask her. Xia Li guessed that it must be related to King Hui. She signaled Qian Cao to go first, and then followed Lai Xi to the second young lady's courtyard.

When Lu Zhiyao heard that King Hui was going to question Xia Li, she was immediately frightened. She thought that King Hui had recognized Xia Li. If Xia Li was exposed, Lu Zhiyao would not be in good shape either, after all, she was the instigator.

After King Hui left, she could not wait to send someone to call Xia Li. After the second lady became a legitimate daughter, she moved to Wutong Garden at the easternmost part of the mansion. This place was more than twice as big as her previous residence, and there were many more servants serving her.

Manqing didn't know the relationship between the second girl and Xia Li. When she saw her coming, she nodded slightly and greeted her, then went out of the house with Lai Xi to stand guard.

Xia Li came in and bowed to the second young lady. Lu Zhiyao hurriedly helped her up. After the door closed, he lowered his voice and asked, "Did the prince make things difficult for you?"

Xia Li shook his head and said softly, "The prince himself can't remember clearly. I just made a few jokes and he got confused. You don't have to take it to heart."

Lu Zhiyao smiled bitterly and said, "How can I not worry about it? I can't sit still at the slightest sign of trouble. You also know how I got the position of princess. I always feel uneasy."

Xia Li could see that she was an insecure person, but this was not something she could comfort with just a few words. She just smiled and said:
"You are the Princess Hui appointed by His Majesty himself. Even the prince cannot disobey his order. As long as you have not committed a heinous crime, no one can take your position."

Hearing this, Lu Zhiyao straightened her chest slightly and put on a smile again. She said with emotion: "It would be great if you could be my maid. I can sleep more peacefully at night."

Xia Li raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "Could it be that Man Qing doesn't suit the girl's taste?"

The second girl shook her head and told the truth: "Manqing is a good person and loyal to me, but her vision and strategy are not as good as yours..."

Xia Li didn't think so. She said softly, "You're wrong to think so. Manqing has only been with you for a few days and hasn't encountered any major problems so far. How can you tell what's good and what's bad? She's no worse than me in every aspect."

Lu Zhiyao chuckled and said, "I'm not saying she's not good, but after all, she's not you, and I have some regrets..."

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a noise coming from outside the door. Man Qing raised her voice and said:

"Greetings to the young lady! Our young lady has something to do in the room. Please wait for a moment and come in after the maid has informed you."

Lu Qinghe said lazily, "Second sister and I are blood sisters, there's no need to be so polite. She and Xia Li are talking in there, why can't I listen?"

After saying that, he was about to push the door open, but Man Qing stepped forward to stop him, saying firmly:
"Wait a minute, young lady. Our young lady is the princess appointed by the emperor himself. You are really ignorant of the rules."

In front of the old lady and under the watchful eyes of her father and brother, Lu Qinghe was willing to suppress her temper, but she never took Lu Zhiyao seriously. She slapped Manqing in the face and raised her chin and said:
"How dare you, a servant girl, teach me a lesson? Your master is just a bastard. Don't act like a princess in front of me."

Manqing's cheeks immediately became red and swollen, but she refused to give in until Lu Zhiyao said in a calm voice, "Manqing, please come in, big sister..."

Man Qing then turned around, opened the door and took a step back. Lu Qinghe straightened his clothes, looked at Man Qing with contempt, and then stepped over the threshold and went in.

As soon as he saw Xia Li, Lu Qinghe said unhappily:
"I didn't know when you two had colluded with each other. It's really surprising."

Xia Li bowed to her and said calmly:

"That day, the eldest girl was poisoned in the Dongyang Marquis's mansion, and the second girl couldn't find anyone to help her, so she had to come to me, and that's how we met."

Lu Qinghe thought about how Xia Li had seen her at her most helpless moment, and her face suddenly turned ugly. She said in a cold tone, "So it was really you two who conspired to plot against King Hui?"

(End of this chapter)