A bucket of water was dumped over the maid.
Instantly, her fair face was revealed clearly.
There was no swelling at all.
Her skin underneath was even smoother and more radiant than Mingyu’s.
Mingyu immediately understood.
This had all been staged.
Someone had deliberately set a trap for Zhu Xinyan.
And she herself had foolishly jumped out to play hero, accidentally helping Zhu Xinyan escape the scheme.
Worse still, the person behind the setup might now resent her too.
Thinking this, Mingyu only hated herself for acting too rashly and getting pecked in the eye by a sparrow.
The tips of her ears grew hot, and her expression became extremely awkward.
But the other party was Zhu Xinyan.
As someone naturally arrogant, how could Mingyu simply bow her head now?
She still lifted her chin slightly and said stiffly,
“Zhu Yiniang, I admit I misjudged the situation. I’ll take these two away now and interrogate them to find out who instructed them.”
Zhu Xinyan sneered.
“Heh… Mingyu, after insulting me, you think you can simply walk away like that? Does that seem appropriate to you?”
Ruixue stepped forward and blocked Mingyu’s path.
Turning around, Mingyu stared directly at Zhu Xinyan and said mockingly,
“Zhu Yiniang, what exactly do you mean by this? I already admitted my mistake just now. As a concubine of Prince Rui’s Manor, why are you still clinging to such a small matter—”
Zhu Xinyan’s patience had limits.
Listening to all the screeching irritated her beyond measure.
She raised her hand and slapped Mingyu hard across the face.
“Mingyu, because you serve by His Highness’s side, I already tolerated you once before. But this time, without understanding right from wrong, you came at me with accusations immediately.
“I may only be a concubine, but I’m still your master. Fine, you don’t call yourself this servant before me — whatever. But now, without even asking my opinion, you decided on your own to take these two away for private interrogation.
“What? His Highness leaves the manor for one day and you become lawless already?
“You may refuse to acknowledge me as your master, but where exactly does that place the Princess Consort?
“With so many people witnessing this, if word spreads outside, others will think His Highness and the Princess Consort cannot control their servants properly — allowing a vicious servant to ride roughshod over her masters!”
Mocking a concubine was one thing.
But once His Highness and the Princess Consort were implicated, the matter became serious.
Every sentence struck like a steel blade, pinning Mingyu over a fire and roasting her alive.
Her face turned green with anger.
Her fists clenched tightly.
Though rage filled her chest, she still had no choice but to kneel and apologize.
“Zhu Yiniang, this servant had no such intention. I was simply angered by these two and spoke recklessly. It was this servant’s fault. Please punish me.”
“Punish you?”
Zhu Xinyan tilted her lips mockingly.
“I’m merely a lowly yiniang. How would I dare punish such a favored servant?”
Then she looked toward the crowd.
“Which one of you manages this garden?”
The garden steward was an old woman surnamed Cui.
She knew Zhu Xinyan was currently favored and had personally witnessed her methods.
The moment she heard herself called, she hurried forward eagerly.
Bowing respectfully, she answered,
“Replying to Zhu Yiniang, this old servant is the one.”
“I’d like to trouble Nanny to take these three people to the main courtyard and explain everything that happened here to the Princess Consort.”
“You’re too polite, Zhu Yiniang. This old servant will handle it immediately.”
After curtsying, Old Madam Cui waved her hand.
Several maids stepped forward at once, seized the three troublemakers, and escorted them toward the main courtyard.
Normally, servant disputes didn’t require such a huge commotion before the Princess Consort.
Usually, someone would simply report it, a senior maid would question them briefly, and punishment would be handed out.
But Zhu Xinyan had intentionally escalated the matter.
She wanted to destroy Mingyu’s pride.
Didn’t Mingyu care most about face?
The garden and the main courtyard sat at opposite ends of the manor.
Dragged all the way there under countless watchful eyes, Mingyu’s dignity would be completely stripped clean.
Compared to kneeling punishment, this humiliation would torment her far more.
Only after everyone dispersed did Concubine Wei finally emerge from hiding.
Clutching her pounding chest, she let out a long breath of relief.
Thankfully, Zhu Xinyan had behaved within the proper bounds of a concubine and hadn’t detained the two women for interrogation.
Otherwise, if they confessed and the matter reached the Princess Consort, she herself would be finished too.
And after witnessing today’s events, she finally realized Zhu Xinyan was someone extremely calculating.
In the future, if she wanted to scheme against her again, she would need to think very carefully first.
As for Mingyu ruining the plan, she would naturally need to report the matter to the Princess Consort.
Back at Qingfu Pavilion, Ruixue helped Zhu Xinyan remove her shoes and settle onto the couch.
With obvious regret, she said,
“Why didn’t Yiniang keep those two behind and interrogate them to discover the mastermind?”
Zhu Xinyan dragged over a large pillow, leaned comfortably against it, and adjusted herself into a perfectly lazy position.
Patting the empty spot beside her, she motioned for Ruixue to sit down.
“And what would asking accomplish? Besides me, there are only four women total in the rear courtyard. If it isn’t her, then it’s her. I just entered the manor — why should I rush to make enemies?
“Besides, if someone dared set me up, they definitely prepared backup plans too. By handing the matter to the Princess Consort, doesn’t your big sister here get to stay comfortably uninvolved? Besides, I have no interest in playing judge.”
After thinking it over carefully, Ruixue felt she was right.
Forget the mistresses of the rear courtyard — even the servants in this manor all had minds with eighteen twists and turns.
Only she herself was simple and easily fooled.
Ruixue neatly arranged Zhu Xinyan’s shoes, washed her hands, then poured tea and brought over a fruit platter.
Standing properly, she sincerely reflected on herself.
“Yiniang, I’m sorry. Just now this servant was even blaming you for being cold-hearted.”
Pinching a grape between her fingers, Zhu Xinyan replied casually,
“It’s fine. Relationships between people take time. I’m not exactly a proper person, but when I become serious, I stop being human entirely. Usually I prefer living like a salted fish and rotting comfortably. Anyway, you’ll understand me eventually. No need to rush figuring out my personality. We sisters can slowly get along…”
She never referred to herself as “this master.”
Instead, it was always “big sister,” “little sister,” and similar familiar words.
For Ruixue, who had grown up in the manor enduring all kinds of coldness and hardship, those words warmed her heart deeply.
Her eyes reddened.
“Yiniang, this servant understands now. This servant will eat more pig brains to nourish myself.”
Hearing this, Zhu Xinyan’s eyes lit up.
“Go tell the kitchen to prepare more meat, vegetables, and pig brains. Tonight we’re having hotpot.”
Then she touched her face and called after Ruixue again.
“Bring back a few cucumbers too.”
At that moment, Qiao’er poked her head in from outside while carrying Jiang Li.
“Miss, you want cucumbers? Then tell them to make some fried egg sauce too. This servant’s craving it.”
“So little ambition.”
Rolling her eyes, Zhu Xinyan scoffed.
“Do you think all I ever think about is food? I have important uses for them.”
Qiao’er made a helpless expression.
“Miss, you say you’re not thinking about food, but it’s barely past noon and you’re already planning dinner.”
“You talk too much.”
Zhu Xinyan complained before clapping her hands toward the sleepy Jiang Li, who had just woken up and was rubbing his eyes.
“Come here to Mommy.”
Qiao’er handed him over.
The little boy wrapped his arms around his mother’s neck and burrowed into her chest like a baby piglet.
Zhu Xinyan tickled him, and mother and son quickly started playing together.
Half an hour later, someone arrived from the main courtyard.
The senior maid Qiuhé entered the room—
Only to see three adults and one child lying flat across the couch with cucumber slices covering every single face.
She froze instantly.
What kind of bizarre scene was this?!