Nan Zhiyun had originally said she would stay in her room, but she was too bored. So, on Qian Xia's persuasion, she decided to go out for a walk.
She hadn't strolled around the palace in a long time. Winter was slowly ending, and spring would be here in two days. However, it was still quite cold outside. Today, the sun was out, so Nan Zhiyun felt it was bearable.
Nan Zhiyun sat in a pavilion in the imperial garden. The sun was shining directly on her, warming her pleasantly. It was quite comfortable.
However... just as Nan Zhiyun was enjoying this moment, she saw a little girl in the imperial garden.
"Who is that..." Nan Zhiyun found her familiar.
"It's the Second Princess," Qian Xia replied.
The Second Princess? Nan Zhiyun was a little surprised to encounter the Second Princess here. The Second Princess, Yu Wan'er, rarely went out, and even avoided banquets. Therefore, Nan Zhiyun didn't have a deep impression of her.
The little girl seemed to have fallen. The attendant beside her helped her up, but she didn't look well. The maid serving her seemed so fierce. She even appeared to hit Yu Wan'er on the arm.
"Xia Yi, go take a look," Nan Zhiyun said.
Xia Yi bowed and accepted the order, then went to call them over. The other party seemed not to have noticed anyone else here. When they looked this way, they saw Nan Zhiyun and seemed a little flustered.
It was evident that the other party was unwilling to bring the child over, but after Xia Yi said something, the palace maid eventually brought the Second Princess over.
"Your servant greets Noble Consort Shu," the palace maid said, looking somewhat nervous.
"Princess, this is Noble Consort Shu. You should pay your respects," the maid reminded her, though her tone was not very pleasant.
The little girl looked thin and frail. Although she was already five and a half years old, she was truly too thin. And possibly because she had just fallen, she was somewhat dirty and timid. She looked very scared.
"No need," Nan Zhiyun said to stop her. But as soon as she spoke, Yu Wan'er immediately knelt on the ground: "Wan'er greets Noble Consort Shu..." Yu Wan'er's voice was trembling.
Nan Zhiyun frowned and gave Qian Xia a look. Qian Xia immediately understood. She walked over and helped the Second Princess up.
"Get up," Nan Zhiyun said, glancing at the palace maid.
"Many thanks to Noble Consort Shu," the palace maid replied as she stood up.
"Your Ladyship, the Second Princess is injured," Qian Xia suddenly said.
Nan Zhiyun looked over. Indeed, Yu Wan'er's hand was injured, likely scraped when she fell just now. But she hadn't cried?
It wasn't that she hadn't cried, but she was holding back, or perhaps, Yu Wan'er dared not cry.
"Your Ladyship, it's just a minor scrape. It's nothing serious and will heal quickly," the palace maid continued to say.
Nan Zhiyun's brow furrowed instinctively. Seeing Yu Wan'er's pitiful state, she felt a surge of anger. Was this how they served her?
Although Yu Wan'er was the Second Princess, she was completely different from the First Princess. The First Princess was arrogant and overbearing, but Yu Wan'er was timid, fearful, and easily frightened.
This was because Zhao Zhaorong did not like this daughter. During her pregnancy, she had fully expected a son, but to her surprise, she gave birth to a female fetus. Even if it was a daughter, she had suffered greatly for this child. She later had a premature birth and nearly died, damaging her health and making it difficult for her to conceive again in the future.