Leng Ruo Li ran away and saw that the man in red did not chase after her, then she quickened her pace and ran back to General Leng’s residence.
At the lakeside pavilion in the garden, Leng Ruo Shuang was enjoying a queen-like life.
Since it was winter and the temperature was a bit cool, she had her maid Xiao Cui light the stove for Leng Ruo Shuang. The two palace maids, afraid that the stone benches in the pavilion were too cold, each held a blanket and helped Leng Ruo Shuang spread the blankets on the stone benches for her to sit on.
The old wet nurse from the palace went to the kitchen to make pregnancy meals for Leng Ruo Shuang, and Nanny Liu handed pastries to Leng Ruo Shuang.
Leng Ruo Shuang thought, how wonderful it would be if she could live like this forever!
When Leng Ruo Li passed by the garden, she saw Leng Ruo Shuang and her entourage.
Leng Ruo Shuang also saw her and sneered, “Tsk, you’re so ugly, yet you have no self-awareness. You still run out every day. You are a young lady of the General’s residence, you have no demeanor of a lady from a noble family.”
Leng Ruo Li did not get angry upon hearing this.
“Tsk, I wonder if all ladies from noble families are like you, having affairs with men before marriage, leading to pregnancy out of wedlock.”
“I have heard of the laws of our Tian Wu Kingdom. There are two punishments for women who get pregnant out of wedlock: one is being drowned in a pig cage, and the other is hanging. I wonder which one, my second sister, you would choose.”
“You…”
Leng Ruo Shuang was so angered by her that she couldn’t speak for a long time.
The two palace maids beside her quickly helped Leng Ruo Shuang calm her chest.
“Second Miss, please don’t be angry, please don’t be angry. Anger harms the body and will affect the child in your womb.”
Upon hearing this, Leng Ruo Shuang touched her lower abdomen and her anger subsided considerably. She secretly thought, “Leng Ruo Li, you slut, just you wait. When I give birth to a son for Prince Qing and become the Princess Consort of Prince Qing, I will definitely trample you under my feet.”
Little did she know, Leng Ruo Li was the real future Princess Consort of Prince Leng.
Then, Leng Ruo Li, too lazy to bother with her, headed straight for her Ming Yue Courtyard.
—
In Ming Yue Courtyard, Leng Ruo Li’s two young maids were sitting on the stone benches of the pavilion with distressed expressions, looking at the fish swimming in the small lake.
They didn’t realize someone had entered the courtyard.
“Xing’er, Ling’er, what’s wrong with you two?” Leng Ruo Li asked with concern.
Upon hearing the familiar voice, the two immediately looked up at Leng Ruo Li and called out happily, then rushed to her.
“Miss, you’re finally back.”
Ling’er and Xing’er said in unison, then looked worried again.
“What’s wrong with you two little maids?”
“Miss, don’t you know? Aunt Liu and Second Miss have been released by the Empress. What’s even more astonishing is that Second Miss is pregnant with Prince Qing’s child,” Xing’er said slowly.
“Yes, Miss, Second Miss has become lawless since being released by the Empress. Sister Xing’er and I were trying to get some ingredients from the main kitchen to cook in Ming Yue Courtyard just now, but the嬷嬷 sent from the palace to take care of Second Miss wouldn’t let us take the ingredients bought from the main kitchen, and even scolded me and Sister Xing’er.” Ling’er said angrily.
“Damn it! These people think too highly of themselves. Come on, your miss will personally take you to the main kitchen to get ingredients.”
As soon as Leng Ruo Li finished speaking, she pulled Xing’er and Ling’er and headed towards the main kitchen.
—
In the main kitchen, Nanny Wu from the palace was directing the kitchen staff to do this and that, how to cut vegetables and how to butcher meat. Even the kitchen supervisor, Nanny Qin, had to follow her instructions, resulting in a lot of fresh vegetables and meat being wasted in the kitchen.
When Leng Ruo Li arrived at the kitchen with her two young maids, she saw fresh vegetables thrown everywhere as soon as she opened her eyes.
This scene made Leng Ruo Li furious. Damn it, they really think too highly of themselves.
“Who threw away these fresh vegetables and meat?” Leng Ruo Li’s sharp apricot eyes swept across the kitchen staff.
The people there immediately lowered their heads upon feeling Leng Ruo Li’s gaze. Only Nanny Wu, sent from the palace, held her head high, ignoring Leng Ruo Li.
“I’ll ask you all again, who is wasting our General’s residence’s ingredients like this?”
Everyone still kept their heads down. Only Nanny Wu snorted. Leng Ruo Li glanced at her; she had a red mole on her left eyebrow and a pair of shrewd eyes filled with disdain.
“It’s just wasting some ingredients and meat. I didn’t expect General Leng’s residence to even fuss about this. Truly impoverished to the extreme.”
“Yes, my General Leng’s residence is indeed poor. Every tael of silver in this residence was earned by my father, Leng Jin Yu, fighting on the battlefield. Since you are not poor, then starting tonight, people in Cui Zhu Courtyard and Yu Hua Courtyard, as long as they eat in our General’s residence, will have to pay a thousand taels of silver to Steward Qi as meal fees every month. If they don’t pay, they cannot take any food from the main kitchen. Any discovery of this will be fined one hundred taels of silver, and any waste will also be fined one hundred taels of silver. Nanny, you haven’t paid your silver today yet, have you? Please hurry and pay your silver, and also pay the one hundred taels of silver for wasting the ingredients just now.”
“You… you are too much! I am sent by Her Majesty the Empress to serve Second Miss. You have no right to control me.”
Nanny Wu was furious with Leng Ruo Li.
“Nanny, I don’t care who sent you, nor who you are serving in General Leng’s residence. But our General Leng’s residence does not support idle people, nor does it keep those who are arrogant. If you want to live well and eat well here, you must pay meal fees to the General’s residence.”
“What if this Nanny doesn’t pay the silver?”
“If you don’t pay, get out of General Leng’s residence immediately.”
“You… this Nanny will immediately return to the palace to report this matter to the Empress. I will make sure you can’t eat properly.”
“Xing’er, escort Nanny to the main gate.”
“Please, Nanny.”
Xing’er made a gesture of invitation to Nanny Wu.
Nanny Wu angrily flicked her sleeve and followed Xing’er to the kitchen door. Suddenly, Nanny Wu took out a dagger from her sleeve and lunged at Leng Ruo Li with great agility.
Those in the kitchen who saw Nanny Wu’s sudden action were so scared that their eyes widened. They were too terrified to scream, thinking Leng Ruo Li was doomed this time.
However, the plot took a sharp turn. Leng Ruo Li noticed the strange expressions on everyone’s faces and immediately became vigilant.
When Nanny Wu attacked her with the dagger, she swiftly bent down, then raised one hand and, with lightning speed, grabbed Nanny Wu’s wrist. With a forceful twist, Nanny Wu’s hand instantly felt a sharp pain, and the dagger clattered to the ground. Then, with a clean sweep of her leg, Nanny Wu was thrown heavily to the ground.
“Ow, it hurts so much! You ugly woman, you are bullying me too much. I will never let you go.”
“Who won’t let go?”
A voice that seemed to come from hell, icy and chilling, reached everyone’s ears. The air instantly emitted a coldness that could pierce through flesh and bone.
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My dears, updating while taking care of the baby is not easy. Please comment and follow more. Thank you, darlings. Love you, muah!