Du Yiyi was still dazed by the look Su Xiaoqi gave her.
But when Su Xiaoqi pulled her along, she followed.
Su Xiaoqi quietly gestured to Du Yiyi and Zhang Yu, assigning tasks. She would attract the attention of the unfamiliar green-clothed maid from the front, while Du Yiyi would go to the side to rescue Bao Ge'er. Zhang Yu would circle around to the back for a surprise attack.
The plan was perfect.
But it couldn't withstand a teammate who acted like a complete idiot halfway through.
Just as Su Xiaoqi was about to get close to Bao Ge'er's position, a sharp voice rang out, scolding Su Xiaoqi:
"Stop right there! Who allowed a country bumpkin like you to approach this county princess? The moment you step closer, you'll dirty the place where this county princess is standing."
Su Xiaoqi froze and looked at the speaker, Princess Qionghua. She was busy with her own mission and had no intention of dealing with her, heading directly towards Bao Ge'er. However, her attitude instantly angered Princess Qionghua. Especially when her maid whispered to her that this woman was Du Yiyi's good friend, and that the two often stayed together, even calling each other sisters. Princess Qionghua had been hiding in the back of the pavilion, observing the scene where Du Yiyi rescued Liang Jingning, and Liang Jingning clung to Du Yiyi. She was consumed by jealousy. However, she feared the whip in Du Yiyi's hand and couldn't control her, thinking it would be good to take her anger out on her close friend. Princess Qionghua, initially startled and then angered, acted strangely, completely disregarding the current situation. She didn't even look clearly to see whose pavilion she was taking refuge in.
Su Xiaoqi, held up by her, felt a bit anxious at first and instinctively wanted to look in Bao Ge'er's direction. But after thinking about it, she felt it was rather good. This was because the unfamiliar maid's attention had been completely drawn to her and Princess Qionghua, who even had a look of watching a good show on her face. Su Xiaoqi's heart settled slightly, and she tried her best to calm down. It was good to attract the other person's attention here, but she was still too far away, and she worried she wouldn't be able to help if a fight broke out. She wanted to take a few more steps forward.
However, Princess Qionghua wouldn't give her the chance after she had succeeded. She kept a close eye on Su Xiaoqi, and any step she took, Princess Qionghua would have her maid hold onto her tightly, as if afraid she would run away. Su Xiaoqi's face darkened, and she glared at her, whispering, "Your Highness, if you want to throw a tantrum, at least consider the timing." If it were any other time, she might have given her some face. But now, she wasn't in the mood. She forcefully shook off the maid's hand and deliberately took several steps towards Bao Ge'er, as if to provoke her. Her actions were very smooth, not attracting any attention from the green-clothed maid. Instead, she even took two steps back as if to make way for her.
Su Xiaoqi saw that Du Yiyi and Zhang Yu had reached their agreed-upon positions. She looked up and winked at them. The green-clothed maid was also sharp and realized that things were not going well. She grabbed Bao Ge'er, twisted her wrist, and tried to choke him to pull him away. But before her hand could reach him, Zhang Yu struck her wrist with a palm. Su Xiaoqi quickly followed up, forming her fingers into a claw and firmly pinching the acupoint on her wrist. With the pain, she could no longer hold Bao Ge'er. Du Yiyi seized the opportunity, pulled Bao Ge'er to the side, and successfully broke free from her grasp. However, Su Xiaoqi, in her haste to save him, was too close and was grazed by a dagger from the green-clothed maid. "Hiss..." she let go in pain.
The green-clothed maid was very skilled. She pushed Zhang Yu, who was trying to pursue her, away with a palm. With a turn, she grabbed Princess Qionghua, who was following Su Xiaoqi, and choked her by the neck. The green-clothed maid's face was chilling. She had heard Su Xiaoqi call her "Your Highness" and knew her status was high. Therefore, she didn't worry about not being able to escape without a guarantee. "Ah... Your Highness," Princess Qionghua's personal maid screamed and rushed forward crying, looking somewhat fearless. "Step back..." the green-clothed maid roared. Her skin was not fair to begin with, and when she was angry, she looked even more flushed, with fire in her eyes, making her look terrifying. The group of people who had surrounded Princess Qionghua earlier had all disappeared. They valued their lives more than pleasing Princess Qionghua.
But there was one exception. A simply dressed young girl went against the trend and stepped forward, trying to persuade the woman: "Taoniang, what are you doing? Let go of the county princess." "Miss Lin, please don't try to persuade me. My mission has failed. I must kill a few people today." She had no hope of survival anyway. "Taoniang... why must you? You were also a good girl, how did you become like this?" "You don't understand. It's true, I was a good girl from a decent family. My family ran a small shop, and business was neither good nor bad. My family's food and drink were not a problem. But it was this damned court, with taxes fiercer than tigers, and the bullying of the villain Lei Laohu. My elder brother couldn't even afford betrothal gifts for his wife, so he had to sell me to raise ten taels for the betrothal money. If she hadn't helped me, I would have died long ago. What's wrong with me rebelling now? Miss Lin, I advise you to join me instead of living like a mere maid despite being a legitimate daughter at home."
Taoniang was alert and intelligent. She deliberately used her tragic experience to attract everyone's attention, and while speaking, she dragged Princess Qionghua outwards. Princess Qionghua was stunned with fear, trembling all over, her body going limp like mud, unable to even walk. Taoniang dragged her along the entire way. Forget about her image, she looked as unsightly as can be. No one dared to stop Taoniang wherever she went, partly because her appearance was truly fierce, and partly because she was holding the Ning King's county princess, and everyone present feared that a small move would cost them their lives. They automatically cleared a path.
"Qionghua, Qionghua, you, you let go of my daughter." Princess Pingning, hearing the commotion, had rushed over from the pavilion of the Duke's mansion nearby. Seeing her daughter in such a state, she was terrified and looked pleadingly at Taoniang, full of hope that she would let her go. Unfortunately, all of this was in vain. Taoniang's mind was filled with the words of the person who told her to give them a taste of their own medicine. Moreover, she finally had a chance to join them, and it had been agreed that if she survived, it would be a test for her. If she died, she would be a martyr. If she was fortunate enough to live, she would be able to leave with them, learn more powerful skills, and return to take revenge on these noble families who were useless but enjoyed luxuries! Why!
In just a moment of rapid thought, the two had already retreated outside the pavilion. The surrounding women and children, realizing they were temporarily out of danger, let out a sigh of relief, one by one. As for Princess Qionghua's safety, they couldn't be bothered. But soon, Su Xiaoqi's words made them nervous again: "Everyone, quickly check the maids around you, see if there's anything unusual." "Yes, quickly check." Everyone responded.
But at the entrance, Taoniang let out a cold snort, looking at everyone with an expression as if they were fools. Su Xiaoqi narrowed her eyes. Her gaze was unreadable. But for some reason, she had a strange feeling that among these people, there should be her accomplices. Perhaps it was not yet their time to emerge. Su Xiaoqi's heart turned cold. If that organization could arrange spies among so many noblewomen, then their strength was truly not to be underestimated. Realizing this, Su Xiaoqi moved closer to Du Yiyi and called Zhang Yu over. The three of them huddled together and discussed.