Chapter 41 - Your loyalty was worthless!

When Nian Xuan was sent back to Xi Xing Building, although she had been diagnosed and bandaged, it was still difficult to hide her injuries.

Xi Jing, who was just sent by Yun Fenghuang to take back the meal, was shocked, “What happened? Wasn’t she supposed to serve Queen Mother of Mercy? It is said that Queen Mother of Mercy is generous and merciful… Is it?”

Yun Fenghuang ignored her, and enjoined her to take care of Nian Xuan these days, “She is asleep now because she took the sedative medicine. Maybe she would wake up at night. At that time, you can help her if she has anything in need… You two can share the same room.”

Xi Jing said, “Gui Ren, such a big deal, don’t you tell Her Highness?”

Somehow, she emphasized the words “such a big deal” like she was indicating something.

“What a big deal?” Yun Fenghuang snorted softly, and said, “She is just a maid who is not even worth mentioning… Do you think Her Highness is like us and Yan Fu Palace is a place like Xi Xing Building where you can go whenever you want?”

Xi Jing had a feeling that Yun Fenghuang was satirizing her as she mentioned “a maid not even worth mentioning”, so her face changed. Although Xi Le pulled Xi Jing’s sleeves quietly, the latter still couldn’t help but say, “I did take the order from Her Highness to serve you in all aspects. But Gui Ren, please do not forget Her Highness’s order…”

“You have any idea what Her Highness’s order is?” Yun Fenghuang interrupted her, chuckled, and sat down at the table slowly, “I know what you are thinking. You are from Yan Fu Palace, and I am just a Gui Ren who has no good background and have to rely on Her Highness, so, I should be grateful for your service, and dare not make any trouble. And you should take charge right after you got here in Hu Zhu Palace, right?”

Xi Jing bit her lips. She neither admitted nor denied it, only stiffly listening to her.

Xi Le, on the contrary, wanted to say something, but was stopped by a fierce glance of Yun Fenghuang, “A slave is a slave. Even as the slave of Yan Fu Palace, you still have to serve! How dare you not respect me?”

“I dare not.” Xi Jing refuted with reluctance, “I just worried about Her Highness…”

“Who the hell are you? Do you think you have the qualification to worry about Her Highness’s order?” Yun Fenghuang said casually, “Do you think you are capable enough to share Her Highness’s worries? If so, why didn’t Her Highness choose you, but me, a little concubine who just joined the Imperial Harem for a few days?”

Xi Jing trembled for her anger, and she refuted directly, “I am certainly not as capable as Gui Ren! But I dare to say that I am absolutely loyal to Her Highness…”

“So what?” Yun Fenghuang sneered, with a trace of disdain in her eyes, and said slowly, “Her Highness is quite noble. Not to mention people in the world, many in the Imperial Harem are willing to be loyal to her, risking their lives and devoting everything for her… There are so many people like you, which is quite normal. Do you think your loyalty is valuable? You overestimate yourself. Without any capacity, your loyalty is worthless!”

Xi Jing was about to burst into tears. She shook off Xi Le’s hand, leaving Xi Le’s kindness behind, and sobbed, “I know I am just a humble maid, and certainly not a valuable person, but…”

“But what?” Yun Fenghuang looked leisure and interrupted her again, “What else can you emphasize repeatedly, besides your worthless loyalty? You can’t change the truth that you are just a maid even if you say more! As a maid, you should do what a maid is supposed to do! You came from Yan Fu Palace, but don’t even understand such a simple truth. You disgrace Her Highness! If you can’t even be a good maid, could you do anything else? If you were capable, would Her Highness ignore you, a maid who has served in Yan Fu Palace for many years?”

She sneered, “Or do you think Her Highness ignored you, so you failed to show your talent?”

Xi Jing finally couldn’t help crying, “You can just say that you don’t like me directly. You don’t have to disgrace me repeatedly like this.”

“Do you think you deserve my humiliation over and over again?” Yun Fenghuang grinned, “You are just a humble maid who wants to show her capacity. Do you deserve my attention? We all have our own positions in the Imperial Harem under the command of Her Highness, and she had already ranked all of us. As a Gui Ren, I’m supposed to order you, and you, as a maid, should also serve me… Such a simple truth, but you need me to remind you again and again. And I still have to do this only because I respect Her Highness for her kindness.”

“If I were at home, maids like you would have been disposed!”

“Gui Ren, we dare not.” Hearing this, Xi Le quickly pulled Xi Jing down on their knees and said obediently, “We absolutely didn’t dare to disrespect you. Considering the bad reputation of Ning Bi Hall, Xi Jing spoke before you. She behaved so recklessly only for the sake of you, Gui Ren.”

Yun Fenghuang glanced at her and said to Xi Jing, “Your companion is smart, and you’d better learn from her in the future. After all, since Her Highness sent the order, there would be no peaceful days in Xi Xing Building. I just criticize you for your reckless behavior without any punishment. But other people may not be as kind and generous as I am. It doesn’t matter if you die later. But if you make me embarrassed in front of those bitchy maids, don’t blame me for chopping up your corpse to feed the dogs!”

Xi Jing was speechless.

If Xi Le hadn’t pinched her arm, she would have almost jumped up and fought against Yun Fenghuang!

“Thank you, Gui Ren.” Xi Le not only stopped Xi Jing from making trouble, but also obediently thanked Yun Fenghuang, “Since we took the order to serve you, we certainly put you at first place. We could be happy for your happiness. If Gui Ren couldn’t live a peaceful life, neither could us. Although I am not smart, I still understand the truth. As new comers, it’s useless for us to promise anything. Therefore, Gui Ren, time will tell that we are certainly not lazy and slippery people.”

Yun Fenghuang glanced at her for a few moments, and smiled, “You do know the rules. Since we’ve talked so far, I also have something to share. To tell you the truth, I joined the Imperial Harem hastily, so I only took Nian Xuan with me. She grew up with me and we had deep relationship. But she is too simple to rely on even if I want to. Now she is injured, and maybe she could only send messages for me when she recovers. I can’t count on her anymore. If you serve me well, I can expect you to help me in the future.”

Xi Le kowtowed again quickly and said aloud, “I will try my best to serve Gui Ren!”

Yun Fenghuang nodded with satisfaction, and asked them to leave, “You just got here. Go and clean up your residences first. I will have the meal by myself.”

“We will live here from now on, so we don’t have to hurry.” Xi Le said immediately, “It won’t take long to clean up anyway. Please let me serve you first, Gui Ren.”

Seeing she was obedient and sincere, Yun Fenghuang was moved. Ever since she joined the Imperial Harem, she had been conscientiously working for so long. Finally, she made some achievements, which made it possible for her to live a life like before to some extent…

This was the manpower she should have!

After kneeling and coaxing the Empress in Yan Fu Palace, she also needed someone to kneel and coax her when she came back to Xi Xing Building… Then she could bear the life longer in the Imperial Harem.

Xi Le was not only talkative, but also good at her work. After Yun Fenghuang had her dinner, Xi Le prepared a bath bucket and hot water without an order. In the middle of her work, she took Xi Jing, who was still in tears, away from the inner room. After a while, she mentioned to Yun Fenghuang that Xi Jing was wiping the non-bandaged parts for Nian Xuan, so Yun Fenghuang didn’t have to worry.

After a long while, when Yun Fenghuang was closing her eyes and having a rest in the bath bucket with suitable water temperature, Xi Le came in and reported in a low voice, saying that Nian Xuan was awake.

“Cheng Gui, how did I come back to Xi Xing Building?” Nian Xuan apparently had a bad time in the past two days. Although she woke up, she was still spiritless as she mumbled. Yun Fenghuang had to listen harder to figure out what she was saying.

“Of course it was I who managed to get you back.” Yun Fenghuang waved her hands, indicating Xi Jing and Xi Le to go out, and then asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong with your tongue? Who did this to you?”

Nian Xuan endured the pain and said, “No one. It was me. I didn’t want to frame you as they ordered, but I also couldn’t stand the penalty, so I bit my tongue… But I was knocked stunned right after I bit. Since then, my mouth was stuffed with a piece of cloth, and I could not bite to end my life.”

“… Silly girl.” Yun Fenghuang was silent, and then said with a smile, “You underestimate me. Do you think that they can frame me only with your testimony? If so, I would not have left you alone in Sha Lv Pavilion and jumped into the water.”

Nian Xuan said seriously, “But we are in the Imperial Harem, not at home. And we can’t rely on Noble Consort Shu or Duke Yi. If I also betray you, even if you can survive, it must be extremely difficult. Mrs. Xie told me that I have to take good care of you. I’ve already failed her because I am too stupid to share your worries… How can I frame you and make trouble for you?”

Yun Fenghuang sighed, “You have not recovered yet, and are spiritless. Don’t talk too much and have a rest first. Don’t worry. I am a Gui Ren now. Her Highness gave me two maids, Xi Jing and Xi Le. I’ve let Xi Jing take care of you for these days. You can have a better rest. As for other things, we will talk later.”

“I have something to tell you, Gui Ren.” Nian Xuan saw her standing up to leave, and said anxiously, “Consort Yue and others… may have sent someone to the north to investigate us!”

Yun Fenghuang said, “I have expected that. There is nothing to be surprised. Just let them investigate it. Anyway, Duke Yi and Noble Consort Shu have said that I am a daughter of Yun’s Family. What can they do even if they find out the truth? The national laws and the customs stipulated that all the adopted children have nothing to do with their previous families… Otherwise, His Majesty should have conferred the late Princedoms of Fuyang as late Emperors?”

Nian Xuan didn’t feel relieved to hear that. Instead, she pulled Fenghuang’s sleeve hard and whispered, “But you and legitimate son of Qi’s Family…”

“It’s true we were engaged, but that marriage was settled by our parents. I won’t feel embarrassed if the news is exposed.” Yun Fenghuang didn’t care about it, “Later, the cancellation was also fair and honest… What can they do if they find it out?”

She narrowed her eyes slightly, “Anyway, it’s just an old story. Qi is three years older than me. At this time, he may have got married and have children… So many years passed. Why bother to mention that?”

Nian Xuan said a little sadly, “If it’s not for the First Miss…”

Finally, she didn’t finish the regretful words, and only said, “Congratulations for your promotion, but… how could Gui Ren be promoted again?”

She was sure that her Lady had made troubles again.

How much did she miss in these two days?

“Thanks to the kindness of Her Highness.” Yun Fenghuang smiled, tucked quilt for Nian Xuan and stood up, “Okay, it’s too late. Have a rest. If you need anything, just tell Xi Jing. If she contradicts you, let me know, and I’ll deal with her!”

Xi Jing was impulsive. Yun Fenghuang was intended to train her, so it was appropriate to send her to take care of Nian Xuan.

As for Nian Xuan’s temperament, although she would not take the initiative to complain, Yun Fenghuang believed she was good at nitpicking.

After seeing Nian Xuan, Yun Fenghuang went out directly. Once she returned to the inner room, her face cooled down, “Was Nian Xuan still reliable?”