Liu Liu walked to the dining table, arranged for her mother to sit, then pulled her elder sister to sit down, placing herself between them.
Cui'er and Qiao'er were serving the dishes. Madam Liu glanced at the two maids. Her daughter was well, but the two young maids seemed preoccupied. Without asking, she knew these maids were worried about their mistress. Madam Liu asked with concern.
“Cui’er, Qiao’er, are you both alright?”
“Replying to Madam, your servants are quite well,” Cui’er forced herself to suppress her sadness and smile. This was because the Princess had instructed them not to show any sadness in front of Madam. If they accidentally did, the Princess would surely be angry.
She was already troubled enough, and as servants, they naturally could not add to her worries.
“Take good care of the Princess. Madam understands,” Madam Liu nodded. How could she not understand Cui’er’s feelings?
But now, she was powerless. Everyone began to eat as if nothing was wrong. The dishes prepared by the palace chefs were indeed exceptional. It was clear that Steward Jiang had taken good care of her daughter. The chef’s skills likely held a significant position in the harem.
“Mmm, it’s good, very flavorful,” Madam Liu praised. Chu Chu immediately smiled happily, reaching out to pick up a piece of golden, tender, roasted chicken wing and place it in her sister’s bowl. Her sister didn’t seem to be eating much.
“Sister, try this, it’s quite good.”
“Mmm,” Liu Si nodded, her stomach churned, and she forcefully suppressed it. She didn’t want to show any flaws in front of her mother and sister. She took a bite of the chicken wing Liu Liu had given her, tasting it lightly.
Beyond a feeling of nausea, she felt nothing else. She smiled calmly and spoke.
“Mmm, it’s really good, but seeing my sister, I’m too happy to eat anything else.”
“Sister, me too. Seeing you and Mother arrive, I can’t eat anything else,” Liu Liu said, nuzzling her arm. Her sister doted on her as much as their mother did.
With a table full of dishes, there were only three people, and each ate very little. Thus, Liu Liu generously distributed the food to the people in Huaqing Palace.
“Cui’er, take these dishes away. You can all eat some. Also, send some to those two cooks and tell them the Princess will reward them later.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Cui’er curtsied. She and Qiao’er took away the dishes and then returned to serve tea. Liu Liu instructed her to go and eat. “Alright, I’ll chat with Madam for a while. You go eat. Don’t disturb us unless something important comes up.”
“Mmm,” Cui’er withdrew. Only the three members of the Liu family sat and talked in the vast hall.
“Liu’er, if you’re feeling upset, come cry in Mother’s arms. Mother knows you’ve been wronged,” Madam Liu opened her arms to welcome her daughter.
Liu Liu nestled into her mother’s embrace but did not cry. Although sad, these were all expected events. There was no need for her to cry.
“Mother, I’m fine. Don’t worry, Liu’er is truly fine. It’s because I don’t love the Emperor. Only when you love someone will you be heartbroken. You said it yourself, if I don’t love him, how can I be sad?”
Hearing Liu’er say this, Liu Si believed her. Because she didn’t love Huang Tianbiao, she wouldn’t be sad no matter what he did. Therefore, she believed Liu’er was truly not sad and turned to comfort their mother.
“Mother, don’t worry. Liu’er is our pride. I believe she will thrive in the palace. No one can harm her, as long as she doesn’t get emotionally involved, nothing can hurt her.”
Listening to her sister’s words, Liu Liu felt strange. In a moment, she had an intuition that her sister’s profound pain stemmed from deep love. Was it her brother-in-law?
That man was too ordinary, not the type of man who could make her sister fall in love with him. So, who could it be?
When her sister mentioned this, she seemed very sorrowful. Liu Liu gazed intently at her beautiful smiling face. If she knew her sister had someone she deeply loved.
No matter what, she would send her to that man’s side, or find that person and question him, how could he bear to let her sister suffer such great harm?
“Sister, are you alright?” Liu Liu reached out to hold her sister’s hand, looking at her with great heartache.
“I’m fine, Liu’er. Don’t worry about your sister,” Liu Si came back to her senses. Recently, she often dreamt of Lin Mo. Lin Mo was still waiting for her in their old peach blossom forest. Was it possible? A gentle smile bloomed on her lips.
Happy times always pass quickly. Soon, Madam Liu and Liu Si had to leave.
Liu Liu felt a sense of reluctance. She escorted her mother and sister to the sedan chair and stood at the gate of Huaqing Palace, gazing until their sedan chairs disappeared from sight. Cui’er stood beside her.
“Your Highness, it’s getting windy. Let’s go inside.”
“Mmm, alright,” Liu Liu nodded and turned to go inside. Suddenly, a palace maid ran over quickly from a distance. Before Liu Liu could see her clearly, she knelt with a thud, startling Liu Liu. She asked with a cold face.
“Who are you? What is this?”
The person kowtowed repeatedly. After a long while, she spoke, “Your servant deserves death. I was assigned by the former steward to serve Your Highness. That time, this servant was unwilling to stay. I beg Your Highness to save us.”
“Mmm,” Liu Liu didn’t quite understand the palace maid’s words. If they didn’t want to serve, they didn’t have to. She hadn’t done anything to them. Why was she kneeling here and begging her? Her face showed impatience as she spoke, “Get up and go back. Why are you here instead of doing your work?”
“I beg Your Highness, please beg for us, Your Highness,” Liu Liu found her words strange. Why did she insist on saving them? What had happened? She looked carefully at the palace maid.
She saw that the maid had wounds all over her body, clearly from being beaten, and her clothes were very worn. What had happened?
“What happened to you?”
“Because we refused to serve Your Highness, Steward assigned more than twenty of us to the Laundry Bureau to wash clothes. However, the people in the Laundry Bureau, because we were of slightly higher status before.
Everyone ostracizes us. Furthermore, Steward turns a blind eye. So, we not only don’t get enough to eat, but we also have to do a lot of work. Those people also beat us.
Of the more than twenty people who entered together, three have already died. I beg Your Highness for mercy. If it continues like this, we will all die. Your servant deserves death, but I cannot bear to see everyone die. I beg Your Highness to save us.”
After speaking, the palace maid kowtowed again. Liu Liu raised her eyebrows, her expression turning somewhat cold.
This Jiang Cheng was truly something. Even if they were unwilling to serve her, a beating would suffice. Why torment them like this? She asked the maid on the ground in a cold voice, “What is your name?”
“Your servant’s name is Cai Xia.”
Liu Liu nodded and glanced back at Cui’er. “Go and call Xiao An Zi over.”
Cui’er pouted her small mouth, somewhat displeased. Who had made these people so snobbish, despising their own Princess? Now that they were being punished, it was their just deserts. Why should their Princess save them? “Your Highness, why bother with them?”
As soon as Cai Xia heard Cui’er’s words, her face turned pale. She quickly kowtowed, “I beg Your Highness for forgiveness. If Your Highness is truly angry, let this servant die alone. In the palace, everyone just wants to live a better life, which is why they offended Your Highness.”