Chapter 17: A Bitter Feeling in the Heart
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Xia Qianqian sat dazedly before the faceted mirror, staring at the reflection of Liu Mingyu’s face with a bitter heart.
It had been exactly two full days since she arrived at the Jin Prince’s Mansion.
On the day they first reached Jin City, General Yu Chi personally escorted them to Yuhua Garden within the Jin Prince’s Mansion.
Yu Chi informed her that because she had twice encountered assassins on the way, His Highness the Jin Prince had already issued an order to investigate thoroughly and postponed the wedding date.
As for when the grand wedding would take place, it was to await the Emperor’s decree to reschedule.
The rigorous investigation and postponed wedding were exactly what Xia Qianqian desired, but the Jin Prince went further and decreed that the princess-to-be could only remain in Yuhua Garden and was forbidden from wandering freely within the mansion.
Was this not a house arrest straight out of a palace intrigue drama?
As a substitute bride, she hadn’t even married yet and was already confined—who else had such misfortune?
What was worse, the despicable prince ordered that all of Xia Qianqian’s dowry maids, attendants, and secret guards be kept at the courier station for the time being, to be sent back to the Chancellor’s Mansion after the wedding.
She was only allowed to bring along that pure white cat into the mansion!
Now, in the vast Yuhua Garden, apart from two rough maids from the Jin Prince’s household, the only person she could see was Liu Mingyu in the faceted mirror!
She wanted to run but couldn’t.
She wanted to find something to do, but there was absolutely nothing!
"Xia Qiqi! Why can’t you even keep a personal maid?"
"You are the eldest legitimate daughter of the prestigious Liu family; you should at least struggle a little! Meow!"
Yes!
Xiao Ai was right!
She must first demand back the spring peach wine from the scoundrel prince, or else she simply couldn’t endure living in the Jin Prince’s Mansion!
“Someone, come here!”
Xia Qianqian shouted loudly toward outside the hall, “Someone, please come quickly.”
The two maids sweeping the courtyard suddenly heard Xia Qianqian’s first call in two days, feeling somewhat surprised.
When Xia Qianqian first entered the mansion, she looked furious, went straight to her chamber, and immediately fell asleep.
She slept for a full twelve hours!
She rose at noon the next day, only to have a light meal and appeared listless, not uttering a single word.
The two maids exchanged glances, and one said to the other, “Sister Guo’er, listen—could that be Miss Liu inside the hall calling?”
The maid named Guo’er stopped sweeping.
She tilted her ear to listen again and said, “Hua’er, you heard right. Apart from us two, she’s the only person in Yuhua Garden.”
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Hua’er, who seemed slightly younger, put down the watering can and tilted her head to ask, “Sister Guo’er, should we go and see?”
Guo’er replied, “Didn’t Steward Wen say we only need to ensure she has her three meals a day? For everything else, just pretend we neither hear nor see anything.”
“It’s strange. Isn’t she the official bride the Emperor granted to His Highness? How could Steward Wen treat her so negligently?” Hua’er whispered curiously.
“I heard from the head housekeeper in the front yard that His Highness actually doesn’t want to marry a wife, but can’t disobey the imperial decree, so…”
So he’s resisting the decree with his actions!
Xia Qianqian listened closely, catching every word between the two maids.
No wonder!
When she first entered the mansion, she noticed that the Jin Prince’s Mansion had no sign of celebration, not even the palace lanterns in the various gardens had been switched to bright red.
The scoundrel prince!
He hadn’t intended to hold a grand wedding at all!
“It’s said in the Jin Prince’s Mansion that although His Highness is handsome and excels in both civil and military arts, he actually dislikes women—and might even be somewhat repulsed by them.”
Xia Qiqi gasped softly, “Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”
“I personally saw him having fun with the Second Miss in the Chancellor’s study!”
“I, myself, went to see! In the Zi Chen Palace where he lives, there isn’t even a personal maid attending him. The only woman who can enter his palace is Aunt Ning from Wanshou Garden!”
“Wanshou Garden?” Xia Qiqi’s eyes widened as she murmured, “Aunt Ning?”
“Wanshou Garden houses Zhao, the Jin Prince’s wet nurse. When he was sent to the fief, he heard that Wet Nurse Zhao had recently become a widow, so he brought her to the Jin Prince’s Mansion to live out her days.”
“Aunt Ning is the one assigned specifically to care for Wet Nurse Zhao.”
“Looks like the scoundrel prince isn’t completely scoundrel-like after all!”
“He’s someone who understands filial piety and gratitude!”
“Yes! Meow!”
“I’ve been calling so long, and those two maids still haven’t come!”
“Xia Qiqi! You’re the eldest lady of the Liu family. If they don’t come, shouldn’t you just go call them yourself?”
Xia Qiqi nodded firmly.
She decisively rose and headed toward the hall door.
Unexpectedly, just as she stepped out, she bumped right into the little maid Hua’er!
“Your humble servant greets Miss Liu…”
Hua’er, only a sweeping maid in the Jin Prince’s Mansion who had never served any master, was flustered upon colliding with Xia Qiqi and quickly knelt down.
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Earlier, Sister Guo’er hadn’t said to come look but had given her a glance.
She probably worried Xia Qiqi might really have some trouble.
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing!” Xia Qianqian hurriedly reached out to help Hua’er up. “By the way, what’s your name?”
Having transmigrated, the thing she was least accustomed to was people kneeling so readily.
Either kneeling to others or having others kneel to her!
“My name is Hua’er. The one sweeping in the courtyard is Sister Guo’er,” Hua’er said as she pointed to Guo’er in the yard. “Now in Yuhua Garden, the two of us are responsible for attending Miss Liu.”
Not knowing exactly how much the scoundrel prince had restricted her.
Xia Qianqian could only cautiously ask, “Hua’er, could you please inform His Highness that I have urgent matters to discuss with him?”
Hua’er thought for a moment and replied, “That’s no problem, but I don’t know if His Highness will see you.”
Hua’er seemed to be an honest and straightforward little maid.
“Squeak!”
At that moment, the tightly closed gate of Yuhua Garden was pushed open from outside.
A woman dressed in a pale yellow palace gown hurried in.
“Meow! Speak of the devil! She’s the Aunt Ning I just mentioned!”
“Hua’er, Hua’er, come quickly with me to Wanshou Garden!”
The woman approached Hua’er and grabbed her hand, pulling her along. “The old madam is anxiously waiting.”
“Your humble servant greets Aunt Ning.”
Guo’er saw her and quickly put down the broom, stepping forward to salute the woman. “What has happened to the old madam that requires Aunt Ning to come in person?”
Aunt Ning said urgently, “The old madam’s favorite little rabbit suddenly stopped eating and drinking and is on the brink of death! Steward Li said Hua’er has raised rabbits before and might be able to help.”
“Aunt Ning, I just promised Miss Liu to deliver a message, but this…”
Hua’er was young and, having promised Miss Liu first, naturally wanted to fulfill that task before anything else.
“Hua’er!” Aunt Ning, who was usually highly respected in the Jin Prince’s Mansion, was displeased at being refused by a little maid today. She snorted coldly and said, “I don’t see anything important going on in Yuhua Garden. You should come with me to Wanshou Garden first.”