The spring day was radiant, with a gentle breeze caressing the face. Lush green grass carpeted the ground, while warbling birds and chirping swallows, adorned with tinkling accessories, made the back mountain of Ganquan Temple suddenly lively.
At this moment, Princess Qionghua’s attention shifted from Princess Huian to Su Xiaoqi.
The woman before her wore a pale blue brocade robe with an overlapping front. The fabric of the skirt was fine, and the floral pattern was fresh, befitting this sacred Buddhist site.
It was unlike their group, who were not here to worship Buddha, but to compete in beauty.
Each of them wore bright and dazzling dresses with intricate embroidery, dressed in full splendor. Beautiful they were, but in the mountains, it was a dazzling spectacle that strained the eyes.
However, no matter how fresh and beautiful the woman before her was dressed, the mere fact that she dared to instigate Princess Huian to disobey her was enough for Princess Qionghua to dislike her.
Princess Qionghua was extremely arrogant. She pointed at Su Xiaoqi but did not speak to her. Instead, she turned to the people beside her and asked, “Who can tell me who she is?”
“Your Highness, I happen to know her. She’s from my hometown, too. We’re both from Zhao Family Village.”
Zhao Xiaohua, in order to suppress Su Xiaoqi, revealed her own origins without reservation.
“Oh, from the countryside? No wonder she’s so ill-mannered,” Princess Qionghua said with an “I knew it” expression.
As she spoke, she tilted her chin, and the red agate pendant on her forehead swayed gently. She reached out and took Princess Huian’s hand, sweetly requesting,
“Sister Huian, come, help me pick up this kite, and we’ll play with you. It’s much better than you playing with this uncivilized woman from the countryside.
Lest you get tainted by her vulgar aura, like this Miss Du, and no one will play with you anymore.”
Princess Huian, seeing that everyone around her was being blamed because of her, first Sister Yiyi, then Sister Xiaoqi, her eyes welled up with tears.
Although unwilling in her heart, she told herself that they were of the same rank, both imperial princesses, and she did not need to be inferior to her.
But when she faced Princess Qionghua’s eyes, which could see through her innermost thoughts at a glance, she became timid again.
Fearing that she would target her companions again, she bit her lip, lowered her head, and bent down to pick up the kite. She wanted to de-escalate the situation.
At the critical moment, Su Xiaoqi reached out and stopped her again. She said lightly,
“Your Highness, this is Princess Qionghua’s kite. If you want to play with it.
We’ll play with our own. Granny Xu will bring them over soon. Don’t worry, just wait a moment.”
Su Xiaoqi’s words resolved Huian’s embarrassment.
The situation just now, in the eyes of outsiders, was Princess Huian acting subserviently before Princess Qionghua, and even bending down to pick up things for her.
With Su Xiaoqi’s words, it became that Princess Huian was childish, fond of playing, and merely wanted to play with Princess Qionghua’s kite.
Who was superior and who was inferior was immediately apparent.
Princess Qionghua frowned as she looked at the woman before her, whose figure was better than hers, whose skin was fairer, whose features were more delicate, and whose smile was more captivating.
Her heart filled with anger and jealousy. She gritted her teeth and berated,
“Where did this lowly servant come from, daring to meddle in my business? Huian, are you still stubborn and going to side with her? Look carefully, you have to make a choice now, choose her or us?”
Princess Qionghua glared at Princess Huian angrily, applying pressure with her eyes.
“Your Highness, think of the Grand Princess, think of Bao Ge’er, think of your own status.”
Su Xiaoqi remained gentle and soft-spoken, her voice sweet and mellow, completely unfazed by Princess Qionghua’s harsh words.
Princess Huian, seeing her light and calm demeanor, seemed to be encouraged.
Coupled with the memory of being bullied by Princess Qionghua in the past, her body shivered.
As a human being, she did not want to bully others, but she also did not want to be constantly bullied.
She raised her head, straightened her back, and shook her head resolutely, “You all play. I’ll play with Sister Xiaoqi and Sister Yiyi.”
Su Xiaoqi heard what she wanted to hear, and her expression softened.
She knew that to outsiders, Princess Huian had merely said a refusal to Princess Qionghua.
But only she knew how difficult it was for Princess Huian, a gentle woman who had been bullied for a long time, to say “no” in front of the person who bullied her.
Regardless, this was a good start.
Su Xiaoqi gave her a sweet smile, clasped her hands, and gave her an encouraging hug.
Princess Qionghua watched this scene unfold, unable to react for a long time.
Huian not only learned to refuse her, but also learned to resist?
She finally believed that her suspicion at Fengzao Palace, where she accused her and Liu Liyun in front of so many people, was not an illusion.
It was all true.
This doormat, this crybaby, was standing up from today onwards.
From now on, she would no longer be the little kitten that she could bully and insult at will.
Princess Qionghua found it difficult to accept. She glared at Princess Huian and coldly said that what she had said earlier was a mistake, and she would give her another chance to choose.
Princess Huian did not hesitate for a moment and shook her head directly, “No need. Even if you give me a hundred more chances to choose, I still wouldn’t choose you.”
Princess Huian found that since she had spoken her refusal in front of Princess Qionghua, the words came more and more fluently.
It was as if the shackles on her heart had been unlocked by a key, and she was completely free.
It was as if a kite, tethered by a long fishing line in the sky, had suddenly broken free and flown towards the vast expanse, flying farther and farther until it could no longer be seen.
Even if it eventually fell, it would never land in the same place.
“You, Huian, and you, Su Xiaoqi, right? Fine, very good, I’ll remember you.”
Su Xiaoqi smiled faintly and replied softly, “This humble girl is just a commoner. How could I dare to trouble Your Highness to remember me?”
As she spoke, Su Xiaoqi caught sight of a figure of grace and nobility approaching from the corner of her eye. She turned her gaze and replied to Princess Qionghua in a low voice with a smile,
“But if Your Highness is willing to remember me, this humble girl has no objections. It would also prevent Your Highness from being blind in the future and not recognizing me when we meet.”
“You, you dare to insult me? You b*tch.” Previously, only Princess Qionghua had the right to hit and curse others.
She had always walked sideways in the capital, how could she be insulted by others?
At this moment, she became furious and strode towards Su Xiaoqi. Before she could get close, she raised her hand high and slapped out.
“Stop…” a sharp cry rang out, and Su Xiaoqi precisely grabbed Princess Qionghua’s wrist.
On the surface, her grip seemed light, but she applied subtle force, pressing on her acupuncture points, making her feel pain and numbness. She wanted to struggle but was firmly held by Su Xiaoqi, unable to break free.
“You… you, let go, how dare you disrespect this Princess,” Princess Qionghua said with difficulty.
Su Xiaoqi chuckled and said good-naturedly, “This humble girl also dares not disrespect Your Highness, but I know that if I let go, your slap would likely fall on my face.
Although I have no birth parents, I was raised by my adoptive parents.
Furthermore, my maternal grandmother, the Old Madam, has been teaching me a lot recently. If I make a mistake, I have elders to discipline me.
No matter how noble Princess Qionghua’s status, it is probably not your place to overstep.”
Su Xiaoqi’s words were reasoned and well-founded. Crucially, she revealed her backing. She was not the ordinary country girl that Zhao Xiaohua had described.
Indeed, upon hearing Su Xiaoqi’s words, the expressions of the noble ladies following Princess Qionghua changed.
They had long heard that the Duke of Yu’s mansion had gained a cousin, who, although not biologically related, was no less than the legitimate cousin, Du Yiyi.
They were even personally tutored by the Old Madam.
Princess Qionghua wanted to hit someone but was restrained. Unable to break free, she had to tilt her head and listen to her lecture. She was furious but did not know how to react.
She waved her hand, signaling for the nannies and maids under her to step forward.
However, Du Yiyi, standing beside her, was not to be trifled with. She had already taken out the whip at her waist.
With one flick of the whip on the ground, the lush green turf was sent flying everywhere by the barbs, landing on the noble ladies on their side.
But each of them, fearing Su Xiaoqi’s aura and Du Yiyi’s whip, did not dare to step forward.
Moreover, they saw that the Grand Princess, whose status was much higher than theirs, had arrived surrounded by a host of nannies and maids.