Jinyi Spring

Chapter 212 The Golden Branch Strikes Again

After exiting the back gate on the east side, we arrived at the shared small garden. The back door was half-open, and the sounds of crying and attempts to comfort us mingled together inside.

Peony pushed open the courtyard gate with one hand, passed through the corridor next to the back building, and arrived at the backyard.

Shui Raofu was standing under the corridor crying, surrounded by two palace maids and a nanny.

Everyone turned their heads and saw Shui Chuchen standing at the door with a group of people, her face ashen. They immediately fell silent.

Shui Raofu, her face streaked with tears, paused for a moment, then screamed, "You vile woman, how dare you barge into my place! You killed my mother..."

Shui Chuchen walked step by step to her, her eyes sharp as two swords, staring at this freak born of inbreeding.

"Who are you calling a wolf that got torn apart? Who are you calling a bastard? Who are you calling unlucky?"

Shui Raofu retorted, "I'm not lying, everyone's saying that! She went out to her death in the middle of the night, what does it have to do with my mother..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shui Chuchen raised her hand and slapped her.

This slap was even harder than the last one; a crisp "smack" echoed through the courtyard.

Shui Raofu was knocked off balance and staggered a couple of steps before being caught by a palace maid to prevent her from falling. Her face immediately became red and swollen.

She covered her face, her eyes filled with disbelief, "You hit me again!"

"That's considered mild,"

Shui Chuchen sneered, her voice low but carrying a chilling ruthlessness, "If you dare to utter another word against my mother, I'll beat you to a pulp. If you don't believe me, just try me."

Shui Raofu became even more enraged. Her mother's tragic death had already driven her to madness, and besides, she still had her grandmother, the Empress Dowager, behind her.

She pushed away the palace maid who was helping her, pointed at Shui Chuchen's nose and threw a tantrum, "Shui Chuchen! Don't think you're so great just because you've been granted the title of Yong'an! You're just an uncultured country bumpkin who only knows how to fight."

"Second Princess!" Eunuch Tang suddenly shouted, his sharp voice startling everyone.

As Shui Chuchen's personal attendant, he was usually silent, but this shout carried a great deal of intimidation.

"The eldest princess is Princess Yong'an, personally bestowed by the Emperor, and is your elder sister. Empress Xiaoxian is the Empress Dowager, posthumously honored by the Emperor. If you continue to utter such disrespectful words, this servant will have no choice but to report to the Emperor and request His Majesty's judgment!"

Only then did Granny Bai come to her senses and hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over, "Princess Yong'an, please calm down. The Second Princess is young and doesn't know any better. Please be magnanimous..."

"A large number of adults?"

Shui Chuchen turned her head, her gaze coldly sweeping over Granny Bai. "She cursed my mother. My mother, the Empress Xiaoxian, was cursed and insulted here by a concubine's daughter. Not only that, she also questioned the Emperor's decisions, showing great disrespect to the Emperor. As a supervising nanny in the Imperial Ceremonial Bureau, instead of strictly disciplining her, you're just trying to smooth things over. What use are you? What use is your Imperial Ceremonial Bureau?"

Granny Bai's face turned bright red, her lips trembled twice, but she couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

Seeing that even Granny Bai didn't dare to discipline her, only out of fear of the Empress Dowager, Shui Raofu became even more emboldened. Pointing at Shui Chuchen, she cursed, "You're just a country midwife, and you call yourself the eldest sister? Bah! Your mother was eaten by wolves anyway, so why blame my mother..."

Shui Chuchen rushed forward, grabbed her collar and slapped her several times, making Shui Raofu scream in pain.

Shui Raofu's servants went to protect their mistress, but were pushed to the ground by Shaoyao, one with each hand.

Tang Jian and Granny Li, while protecting Shui Chuchen and preventing those in the middle from rushing forward, advised, "Your Highness, that's enough, you can't fight anymore."

After hitting her enough, Shui Chuchen pushed Shui Raofu hard, knocking her to the ground. Shui Raofu's face was already bruised and purple.

She glared at Shui Fuyao and said, "You have insulted my mother time and time again, so I deserve to teach you a lesson. I'm going to find my father to settle this matter now."

As she spoke, she strode towards the courtyard gate and then towards the Taiji Hall. A group of palace servants followed behind her.

Shui Raofu's cheeks were already red and swollen. She cried out, "I'm going to find my grandmother to get justice for me."

She then led a group of people towards the Cining Palace.

Granny Bai was so frightened that her legs trembled. After thinking for a moment, she decided to follow behind the Second Princess.

Shui Chuchen hurried along, heading straight for the Taiji Hall. Behind her followed Eunuch Tang, Peony, Granny Li, and several eunuchs.

Upon arriving outside the palace, the eunuch on duty, seeing that it was Princess Yong'an with an unfriendly expression, hurriedly went in to report.

Emperor Jianzhang was having dinner when he heard that Princess Yong'an was requesting an audience. He paused slightly, put down his chopsticks, and said, "Let her in."

Shui Chuchen knelt down as soon as she entered the door and kowtowed. When she raised her head, her eyes were already red and tears were welling up, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

"Your subject has struck the Second Princess; please punish me, Your Majesty."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a stubborn tremor.

Emperor Jianzhang frowned, a hint of surprise in his voice, "She's younger than you and has just lost her mother, why did you hit her?"

Shui Chuchen bit her lip, and tears finally fell.

"Shui Raofu cursed my mother with the most vicious words. She cursed me once the day I moved into the princess's quarters, and today is the second time. My mother is innocent; my father has exonerated her, and the people can testify to it. Yet she still says that my mother brought this upon herself, that she is an unlucky person, that even Heaven couldn't stand it, and that she deserved to be torn apart by wolves. She not only insulted my mother but also questioned my father, showing him great disrespect. She even called me a country bumpkin, a midwife, and said that we killed Xue Shi..."

She choked up, her tone hardening, "I don't care if she insults me. But I cannot tolerate her cursing my mother and questioning my father. If she weren't my sister, I would kill her with a knife. If my father also thinks I am wrong, please punish me."

After saying this, she prostrated herself on the ground, her forehead pressed against the cold gold brick, and did not rise again.

Emperor Jianzhang's face gradually darkened, becoming so shrewd it looked like it could drip water. He put down the handkerchief in his hand and turned his gaze to Tang Jian and Granny Li, who were kneeling to his side.

"Does the Second Princess really say that?"

Tang Jian knelt on the ground, his voice trembling, "Your Majesty, the Second Princess did indeed say those words. The people from the East Route and the Central Route, as well as Granny Bai, who was sent by the Bureau of Ceremonies to keep the Second Princess in check, all heard it."

Granny Li added, "Yes."

Emperor Jianzhang remained silent for a moment. The candlelight flickered in the hall, casting shifting shadows on his face. Xue Heqing was no good, which was why he had raised his daughter so poorly.

"You're right to teach me a lesson. Get up," he finally spoke, his voice low and deep.

The water was still at dawn.

"I said I don't blame you, didn't you hear me?" Emperor Jianzhang's tone was tinged with annoyance, yet also seemed somewhat helpless. He raised his chin, gesturing for Granny Li to help him up.

Shui Chuchen was helped up and stood with her head down, tears still wet on her face.

Emperor Jianzhang glanced at her, then looked away, as if he was suppressing something.

A moment later, he said to the eunuch beside him, “Go and convey the imperial edict that the princess has given me—the Second Princess Shui Raofu has disrespected me and Empress Xiaoxian, and has disrespected her elder sister. She shall be punished by copying the ‘Admonitions for Women’ one hundred times and confined to her quarters for one month. Also, have the Imperial Ceremonial Bureau send a matron to discipline her strictly. If she dares to violate the edict again, she shall be severely punished.”

The eunuch acknowledged and left. (End of Chapter)