Zhao Shuning was in the Xinzheku.
She didn't wear a veil. Instead, she used spiritual power to conjure a bunch of peach blossoms on her face. For the people of Changcangwu Kingdom, this was a taboo.
Therefore, not many people noticed this little palace maid.
This was exactly what Zhao Shuning wanted.
She had no idea what was going on in Cangwu Kingdom at the moment. Acting rashly would only invite more unwarranted attacks.
One day, Zhao Shuning filled the water barrels in every courtyard.
Feeling tired, she sat on the steps of Huayuan to take a break.
Whether it was a coincidence or not...
A noble lady, accompanied by five or six personal maids, walked over, cursing all the way.
Zhao Shuning quickly stood up and stepped aside.
She bowed slightly, waiting for them to pass.
But it seemed that either the noble lady didn't see where she was stepping or she deliberately wanted to take out her anger. Seeing the water - carrying buckets placed beside the water tank, she gave one a hard kick.
Zhao Shuning frowned.
Was she looking for trouble?
Sure enough, the next moment, there came the noble lady's shrill scream.
No wonder. Recently, in order to train her arm strength, Zhao Shuning had lined the inside of those water - carrying buckets with a thick layer of mysterious iron. It was already difficult for an ordinary person to pick up the bucket, let alone kick it with all one's might like the noble lady did.
The noble lady howled like a banshee.
She hugged her foot and sat on the ground, unable to recover for a long time.
It seemed that she wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least three to five days.
Zhao Shuning silently walked over to the bucket, righted it, and was about to slip away.
Heaven could testify that this had nothing to do with her. If she left now, there shouldn't be any problems, right?
But things didn't go as she wished.
Zhao Shuning had only taken a few steps.
She heard an enraged shout from behind.
"Someone, hold this bitch down! How dare she harm me? I'm going to complain to the Queen!"
Actually, Zhao Shuning could easily break free from the restraint of those four or five maids with just a wave of her hand. However, doing so would probably arouse the suspicion of the upper - class people in Cangwu Kingdom.
Zhao Shuning withdrew her spiritual power and let those people escort her to the side of the noble lady.
A maid helped the lady stand up.
"How dare you, you lowly maid! You offended Miss Jin and still tried to run away?"
Zhao Shuning was speechless.
Come on, the bucket was just sitting there. It couldn't grow legs and hit Miss Jin's foot by itself. Why were they pinning all the blame on her?
"This seems to have nothing to do with me, right?"
"If it has nothing to do with you, why did you try to run away just now?"
Zhao Shuning was at a loss for words.
This was just like the situation where someone helps an injured person after an accident, but the judge says that if you didn't cause the accident, why would you help?
Zhao Shuning simply spread her hands.
"Then tell me, what do you want to do?"
A little palace maid who had offended a high - ranking official's daughter should be trembling with fear and not know what to do. But why was she so calm in the face of this unfounded accusation?
The noble lady from the Jin family was helped to sit on the steps.
She looked at the little palace maid opposite and shouted, "Look at me directly."
Zhao Shuning raised her head.
She faced the lady boldly, without any attempt to hide.
As soon as Miss Jin saw Zhao Shuning, she immediately said, "You're so ugly. I don't know what's the point of living in this world."
It was a pity that her eyes were quite beautiful and her facial features were not bad. It was just that there was this shameful mark on her face. In Cangwu Kingdom, this was a mark that only the lowest - class people would have.
"You're so brainless. I don't see you finding a hole to hide in," Zhao Shuning murmured softly.
But the sound still faintly reached Miss Jin's ears.
"What did you say?"
"This servant said nothing. Offending Miss Jin is truly this servant's dereliction of duty. If Miss wants to punish this servant, please do it quickly. Whether it's flogging or caning, this servant will never say a word of complaint."
Miss Jin stared at Zhao Shuning viciously.
She had just been wronged in Chengxun Hall. Now, even a Xinzheku maid on the road dared to make her unhappy.
Before Miss Jin could say anything, there came the sound of hasty footsteps from behind.
Zhao Shuning turned around.
It was Qi Yue.
What was she doing here?
"Qi Yue?"
"Jin Yuan, what did Ningning do wrong that you want to punish her like this?"
The maids exchanged glances and all lowered their heads.
As everyone knew, before the Duke's Mansion fell into trouble, Jin Yuan was Qi Yue's close friend. The two of them had gone boating, composed poems, and painted together many times.
But now...
Since the Duke's Mansion had fallen, the Jin family had quickly distanced themselves from Qi Yue.
Even in the palace, whenever they met by chance, Jin Yuan always looked arrogant and never regarded her former friend as important.
True friends could share wealth but not adversity.
It was okay for Jin Yuan to pretend not to know Qi Yue. Qi Yue was willing to accept it. After all, now she was the daughter of a convicted official. It was understandable that Jin Yuan didn't want to have any connection with her for the sake of her family.
However, since the Duke's Mansion had fallen, instead of helping Qi Yue, Jin Yuan had repeatedly belittled her in public. Every time Qi Yue heard such remarks, she just smiled faintly. Without seeing it with her own eyes, she didn't believe that her former friend could say such vicious words.
"Xiaoyue, what are you doing here?"
"Today's task was originally mine. You helped me carry water to Huayuan. I saw that you didn't return for a long time, so I came to look for you."
Qi Yue held Zhao Shuning's hands.
Zhao Shuning smiled and said, "It's nothing. Maybe the scenery was too beautiful just now, and Miss Jin didn't notice where she was stepping, so she tripped over our bucket. Now she's angry. It's reasonable for her to punish me."
Qi Yue's petite body stood in front of Zhao Shuning.
She looked at Jin Yuan and said, "Yuan'er, Ningning is my friend. Can you let her go for my sake?"
"For your sake?"
Jin Yuan sneered.
"I didn't know that you, the former daughter of the Duke, had the confidence to ask me to spare this bitch for your sake?"
Tears welled up in Qi Yue's eyes.
"Yuan'er, we're good friends."
"Who's your friend? Qi Yue, now you're just a lowly Xinzheku maid, yet you still want to be related to me? I thought you would be obedient after coming to the Xinzheku. I once told you that I'm in love with the Second Prince in Chengxun Hall. If it weren't for the pressure from my father and the Queen, I would have petitioned to marry him long ago. But what did you do? As my friend, after you came to the Xinzheku, there were all kinds of rumors about you and the Second Prince. Today, I'll tell you, I'm going to punish this bitch, and I won't spare you either."
Zhao Shuning shook her head.
Really...
She had often heard that sisters would turn against each other for a man. Before, Zhao Shuning thought that people who could be close friends must have a very good relationship and wouldn't be blinded by a man.
Now it seemed that such a thing really could happen.