For several days, Qi Zhenzhen pondered this matter until a post from the Prince Rui's mansion arrived. Unable to put it off any longer, Qi Zhenzhen set aside her thoughts and prepared to go out as a guest.
"You grew up in the countryside, and you don't have many friends in the capital. Now that Princess Ruining is friendly with you, you should nurture this relationship so you'll have someone to associate with in the future. Moreover, Prince Rui's mansion is on good terms with the Duke's mansion!"
Before she left, the Old Madam cautioned her and also prepared a respectable gift for her to take.
Compared to her last visit to Prince Rui's mansion, this occasion seemed more solemn.
Qi Zhenzhen understood that it was because Li Qing had caused a scene at Prince Rui's mansion last time, and the Marquis's mansion also intended to offer an apology.
Speaking of this matter, Li Qing's situation also needed to be mentioned. It was heard that Princess Qin took Li Qing back to the Prince's mansion. Apart from enduring some hardship when she initially resisted, Princess Qin did not torment Li Qing. Instead, she sent her to the quiet room within the mansion.
What was a quiet room?
It contained only a flat bed and a thin blanket. The window was boarded up with planks, allowing no light to penetrate. The door had two openings: one for passing food, and the other for taking out the chamber pot.
The person who delivered food and collected the chamber pot was the same, and they were mute.
In other words, Li Qing had no one to talk to except herself.
Often, mental torment was far more severe than physical torment.
For someone like Li Qing, who had been served her entire life, it was even more unbearable.
Putting aside other matters, just the fact that she had to eat, drink, excrete, and sleep all in one room was something she could not accept. Initially, she endured by not eating, thus reducing her need to excrete. But how could a person survive without eating or drinking? After feeling dizzy and lightheaded, Li Qing experienced the despair of near starvation and had to compromise. Once she compromised the first time, subsequent compromises became much easier.
However, what she found most unbearable was the lack of conversation.
Being constantly in darkness, the only moments she could see light were when food was passed in and the chamber pot was changed. But that sliver of light was of no help to Li Qing, who craved sunlight.
In the beginning, she cursed and cried, but even when her voice was hoarse, no one paid her any attention.
All of this was learned by the Old Madam from Jinghua Courtyard. The injuries on Madam Xiao Qin's face still required time to heal. To make her feel more at ease, the Prince's mansion naturally informed Madam Xiao Qin of Li Qing's daily situation. Madam Xiao Qin was initially unwilling, saying it was too lenient for Li Qing. However, Princess Qin said that injuring Li Qing was too lenient for her. Furthermore, if the Changping Marquis's mansion could invite the divine physician Luo to treat Madam Xiao Qin's face, they could certainly do the same for Li Qing. In that case, it would only be physical suffering at most.
Being confined to the quiet room, however, would create a lasting shadow in Li Qing's heart.
After all, it would take at least three months for Madam Xiao Qin's facial injuries to fully recover.
Prince Qin's mansion had openly declared that Li Qing would be released only when Madam Xiao Qin's injuries had completely healed.
Being confined in a place without light for three months was a great torment for those without strong wills.
When Qi Zhenzhen heard this news, she silently lit a candle for Li Qing in her heart. This was not someone else's fault; if you don't court death, you won't die. Li Qing was purely digging her own grave.
The carriage slowed down and soon came to a complete stop.
Lvliu's clear voice rang out, "Second Miss, my Princess has been waiting for you for some time."
Erxi jumped down from the carriage first and walked around to the back of the carriage to fetch a stool, placing it by the carriage so Qi Zhenzhen could step down. The last time they visited Prince Rui's mansion, her young lady had simply jumped down from the carriage with her arm supported by Erxi, causing the young ladies and madams who dismounted at the same time to cover their mouths. After returning, they were reprimanded by Madam Fang, who told them that her young lady's actions were not befitting a refined young lady. Erxi took this to heart and made sure her young lady would always step down using a stool.
Qi Zhenzhen awkwardly stepped down from the carriage using the stool and nodded at Lvliu. She quite liked this cheerful young maid.
Following her, Feixu also alighted from the carriage, holding two wooden boxes.
One was the gift prepared by the Old Madam, and the other was prepared by her young lady.
Lvliu quickly stepped forward to take one, sharing the burden with Feixu.
"My Princess and Miss Yan are waiting by the lotus pond," Lvliu said. "Last time, Second Miss left in a hurry, and you didn't get to see the scenery of the lotus pond. My young lady has been thinking about it."
Missing the lotus banquet and then being invited to admire the scenery alone? The young maid was quite thoughtful.
The lotus pond was located to the east of the center of Prince Rui's mansion, which was much more convenient than going to Ruining's courtyard. Riding in a sedan chair, they arrived in just over fifteen minutes.
In the pavilion by the lotus pond, thin gauze curtains hung around, making it difficult to see clearly, but the melodious voices could not be blocked.
"I wonder when Second Sister will arrive. I've almost eaten all the pastries." It was Ruining's soft voice.
"Look at you, your cheeks are getting rounder and rounder. The Princess Consort even told me today that she was afraid you'd be too fat and no one would want you." This was Yan Qi's languid voice.
"I'm not fat, I, I, I'm..."
Without seeing them, Qi Zhenzhen could guess Ruining's expression; she must have been puffing out her cheeks and pouting.
"You're perfectly round, any more and you'd be fat, any less and you wouldn't be as cute," Qi Zhenzhen interjected with a smile.
The gauze curtain was lifted, revealing Ruining's small, round face full of smiles. "Yes, yes, yes, Second Sister is right. I'm cute, not fat."
"Our Great Feng does not consider plumpness beautiful. If you continue to be so unrestrained, you'll regret it," Yan Qi pouted. "You don't have the natural advantages that I and Zhenzhen have, who don't gain weight no matter how much we eat."
With a single sentence, she successfully made Ruining pout again, and she looked pleadingly at Yan Qi, beckoning Qi Zhenzhen to eat pastries.
"Ruining, if you want to eat, then eat a little. But after you finish, you can't just sit here. Hmm, eat one pastry, and then you have to walk for two quarters of an hour, and so on," Qi Zhenzhen said after thinking. "This way, you won't gain weight."
"Really?" Ruining's eyes lit up like stars.
Qi Zhenzhen nodded. "That's how I do it anyway."
The little maid immediately grabbed a pastry with each hand, took a bite with relish, and chewed it slowly before swallowing, her small face filled with satisfaction. "I'll eat two, and walk for four quarters of an hour, and that will be fine."
"Are you sure? Aren't you the one who dislikes walking the most?" Yan Qi exposed her. "Who was it that needed to be carried up the mountain to worship Buddha?"
Ruining's small face flushed. "Although I don't like walking, if walking means I can eat delicious food and not get fat, then I can reluctantly accept it."
"I don't believe you," Yan Qi narrowed her phoenix eyes, looking utterly unconvinced.
"Second Sister, do you believe me?" Ruining looked at Qi Zhenzhen pitifully.
Subconsciously, Qi Zhenzhen also felt that Ruining might not be able to do it. But if she said she didn't believe her, wouldn't that be too discouraging for the little girl? After a slight hesitation, Qi Zhenzhen said, "I believe Ruining will do as she says."