Chapter 156: with translation of chapter title

Su Wanrou returned to the Taochun Courtyard where she had previously lived, and immediately ordered Hongyu to dismiss all the maidservants attending in the warm pavilion.

Her complexion no longer held the pitiful delicacy she showed before Xiao Yin; it was grim and heavy.

A clatter!

Su Wanrou swept all the cups and palace lamps on the table onto the floor with one palm, still unsatisfied, she kicked over the treasures and other items in the eight-compartment box as well.

"My lady! My lady! Please calm down! Calm down!"

"The Prince just sent people to fetch you back from the manor; you must not cause a scene again, lest you anger the Prince..."

Hongyu worried that Su Wanrou would make a scene and offend the Prince again, resulting in being locked up at the manor once more.

In fact, she had followed Su Wanrou for over five years; when the Prince first brought Su Wanrou back from the countryside and kept her in the mansion, that was when he bought her into the household to follow Su Wanrou.

Originally, everyone thought Su Wanrou was a concubine kept by Prince Rui, given how favored she was—she got whatever wind she wanted, whatever rain she wanted.

I thought following such a mistress would bring some prospects, but I never expected to be following a venomous woman.

It wouldn't matter if Su Wanrou were confined, but Hongyu is her personal maid; others need not follow, yet Su Wanrou insists on bringing her wherever she goes.

When Su Wanrou was previously confined at the manor, they took out their anger on her every day, and her wounds have not yet healed.

She rushed forward to mediate, not expecting to be slapped hard across the cheek by Su Wanrou.

Hongyu was dazed by the blow, stumbling backward repeatedly.

Su Wanrou stared at her fiercely and coldly laughed, "When did it become your place to point fingers at the mistress's affairs?"

"You all see that I've lost favor in the Prince's mansion and want to trample over me, don't you?"

"No! My lady! I really don't mean that!" Hongyu knelt, her eyes instantly reddening; she hadn't expected that what was originally a good match—anyone with eyes could see the marriage to General Zhao Xiao was excellent—yet she turned out to be so unreasonable.

"Not daring?" Su Wanrou, feeling stifled, desperately sought someone to vent her dissatisfaction, lowering her gaze coldly at the kneeling Hongyu before her.

"I see you're quite daring! Slap yourself, and don't stop until I say so—use some force!"

Hongyu froze, lowering her brows slightly, a flash of hatred crossing her eyes.

She knew Su Wanrou still enjoyed the Prince's favor; what could a lowly servant like her do?

She drew a deep breath, raised her hand, and slapped herself hard.

This time, Su Wanrou felt half of her anger dissipate; she slowly sat in the chair, holding her teacup, and began to watch Hongyu slap herself.

She had killed since childhood, her hands already stained with blood; the more she abused others, the more comforted she felt inside.

"Put some strength into it—haven't I fed you?" Su Wanrou, her nails dyed crimson with balsam, slowly brushed them across her temples, her eyes full of contempt and trampling of life.

Hongyu's voice trembled slightly, choked with tears, she answered "yes," then fiercely slapped herself again.

The sound of slapping reached outside the warm pavilion; the maidservants outside trembled with fear, none daring to enter and clean up.

Yet inside was already a mess; they had to tiptoe in, sweep the floor clean, only to be forced by Su Wanrou on some pretext to kneel on the shards all night, their knees rubbed raw.

After tormenting them enough, Su Wanrou finally yawned, bathed, changed clothes, and then rested.

The next morning, Hongyu lowered her head and went to the rear courtyard storehouse to fetch Su Wanrou's Shu embroidery, which had originally been a gift from the emperor to the Princess Consort; the Princess Consort didn't like such garments, so they were simply stored away.

Now that Su Wanrou is to be married, as Prince Rui's consort, Gu Jiu Ling also needs to prepare a few things, so she sent someone to have the servants of Taochun Courtyard go to the rear courtyard's Peach Blossom Pavilion to find her attendant Jinzhi for the key to fetch items.

Jinzhi was the one the Princess Consort had rescued from the beast pit at the Third Prince's mansion, risking her own life.

Because she is mute and half her face is disfigured, Gu Jiu Ling also finds it hard to mistreat her, taking her out to social engagements.

She usually brings Jiu Yue and the martial-skilled Yun Duo; considering Jinzhi can read and keep accounts, and is also meticulous, Gu Jiu Ling entrusted all the items in the rear storehouse to Jinzhi's care.

Jinzhi, grateful for the Princess Consort's life-saving grace, handles her duties earnestly and meticulously, keeping the storehouse's contents neat and orderly.

When Hongyu sought Jinzhi, Gu Jiu Ling happened to be taking Jiu Yue and Yun Duo to the suburbs to visit Gu Kang, to check how his knee injury was healing.

A few rough-work maidservants lounged lazily by the gate, dozing; after these days of rain, the air was damp, and now that the sun had finally come out, it was naturally a good time to bask in the sunshine.

"Is Miss Jinzhi in?" Hongyu forced herself forward with a smile, "My mistress ordered me to come to the storehouse to get silk for her wedding dress."

"Oh oh oh, Miss Jinzhi is here, inside doing embroidery!" A plump little maid hurriedly rose and turned sideways to make way for her.

Then she glanced at Hongyu's swollen, disfigured face, her gaze momentarily stiffening.

Hongyu quickly lowered her head, said thanks, and headed toward the inner room of the corridor.

Behind her came a low murmur of discussion.

"Did you see? Her face is injured again!"

"Following such a mistress is sheer bad luck; it's impossible not to see injuries every day."

"Our mistress is better—she makes us feel at ease, doesn't hit or scold us, and even gives us snacks!"

"Shh! You're just fixated on the Princess Consort's snacks—no ambition!"

"You like them too, don't you?"

"Hahaha..."

Hongyu didn't know why, but hearing that made her feel awful inside; though she was a first-rank senior maid, she now envied a gatekeeper maid in the Peach Blossom Pavilion.

Her hatred for Su Wanrou grew stronger in her heart.

Hongyu dared not delay further; if anything went wrong, it wouldn't be as simple as a slap.

Her steps grew ever more hurried; turning through the corridor, she reached the outer hall and saw from afar a woman seated before the window—truly a fleeting glimpse of a stunning beauty.

Hongyu's steps halted there at once, and she stared blankly at the half-profile revealed by the window.

Her makeup like mist, her graceful posture like distant rippling waves…

For a moment Hongyu couldn't think of any words to describe a girl's beauty—just the sight of her sitting quietly there was already a painting that made one intoxicated and entranced.

It was indeed the Princess Consort's attendant, Jinzhi; no wonder the mansion rumors say that if Jinzhi's other half of her face weren't burned beyond recognition, she'd be a calamitous beauty capable of entering the palace as a consort.

She is truly extraordinarily beautiful—even more so than the Princess Consort—but alas, that face belongs to a mute.

Jinzhi, head bowed, concentrated on her embroidery, unaware whether the Princess Consort's womb held a young heir or a commandery princess—or perhaps both, maybe even dragon‑phoenix twins.

Seeing the Princess Consort pregnant yet so vigorous, those two children are surely blessings.

Just thinking about it made Jinzhi purse her lips and smile; she lovingly examined the nearly finished large red "blessing" character in her hands, not knowing whether the young masters would like the little jacket she made.

She put down the embroidery frame but saw Hong Yu standing outside in the corridor, hurriedly got up and went out.