Chapter 16: Was Su Yingxue’s Previous Willfulness and Spoilness All an Act?

Such a trivial trick, and she thought it would make him, Chu Xingchen, abandon his original humiliation and hatred, and feel grateful to her, Su Yingxue? Dream on!

Chu Xingchen felt resentful inside, his expression displeased as he coldly asked, “What did Su Yingxue do just now? What did she say? Why was the Main Hall so noisy earlier?”

Zhao Ying reported everything he had observed and overheard to Chu Xingchen. After listening, Chu Xingchen fell into brief contemplation before asking coldly, “Zhao Ying, don’t you think this Su Yingxue is somewhat different from the one before she fell into the lake?”

Chu Xingchen’s gaze was clear and cold, lost in thought.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ying scratched his head, thought for a moment, and awkwardly replied, “What’s different? Nothing’s different, right?”

“Ah, right, I know! Today, the Eldest Princess is wearing new clothes from this year! So, Master, you think Her Highness the Eldest Princess looks slightly better than before, don’t you? After all, with Master’s temperament, you’ve never bothered to spare her a second glance before, let alone think about—” Before Zhao Ying could finish, a wet cloth was thrown into his mouth, cutting off his words.

Zhao Ying pulled it out and realized it was the wet cloth Chu Xingchen had been using to cool his forehead.

He looked up with a wronged expression and saw Chu Xingchen’s face dark with anger, his gaze sharp as an arrow as he coldly said, “Who am I? It’s as if she suddenly became wiser! Much more mature, as if she gained cunning and scheming overnight, unlike before when she was easily used as a pawn.”

Zhao Ying suddenly understood. “Master, now that you mention it, that’s true. Could it be that her previous willfulness and spoilness were all an act by Su Yingxue?”

Chu Xingchen replied indifferently, “It’s possible. If so, this Su Yingxue must be guarded against.”

“An Eldest Princess full of schemes and cunning is far more difficult to deal with than a spoiled, arrogant fool who only knows how to flog people,” Chu Xingchen said with a grave expression. “Now is a critical time. Stay vigilant and keep a close watch on her. Don’t let her ruin our plans.”

Chu Xingchen’s voice was as cold and emotionless as a clear spring beneath a stone as he ordered, “I’ve had enough of being a Hostage Prince all these years. As we approach the time to return to our country, nothing must go wrong!”

“Understood,” Zhao Ying replied before leaving.

The next day, Su Yingxue went to the Cold Palace early in the morning, accompanied by Qiushuang, several capable guards, and a few Inner Eunuch Directorate guards lent to her by Cao Dewang. According to palace regulations, it was more appropriate for the Inner Eunuch Directorate to handle palace servants.

In truth, dealing with a few servants in the Cold Palace didn’t require Cao Dewang’s people—her status as Her Highness the Eldest Princess was more than sufficient. However, nowadays, the title of Her Highness the Eldest Princess had long been notorious and disreputable in the eyes and ears of the palace servants, officials, and commoners of the Great Sheng Dynasty.

After receiving the task from the System, Zhang Susu began planning for Su Yingxue to do some good deeds, intending to accumulate them gradually. This was to slightly improve her bad reputation among the commoners, officials, and palace servants in the future and reduce their stereotypical impressions of Su Yingxue.

She didn’t expect gratitude for doing good deeds. It was enough if the stereotypical impressions and public opinion of Her Highness the Eldest Princess could be slightly improved. This would also be more beneficial for leaving a slightly better impression on the second male lead, Mo Yunsheng, when she met him in the future, making it easier to increase Favorability later on.

This joint operation between Cao Dewang and herself was authorized by His Majesty. Su Qinhuai, the monarch of the Dasheng Kingdom, was still considered a diligent and benevolent ruler who cared for his people, a virtuous sovereign with a certain reputation for integrity.

By leveraging Cao Dewang’s Inner Eunuch Directorate this time, she had two objectives: first, to make an example of the palace staff in the Cold Palace who had consistently bullied Chu Xingchen, using them as a warning to intimidate all the servants in the Dasheng Royal Palace. Second, to use Cao Dewang’s influence to slightly enhance her own reputation.

If handled well, this matter would not only make Chu Xingchen’s future life more comfortable but would also, to some extent, preserve the dignity and friendship between the Qi and Sheng kingdoms. It could truly be considered a contribution to state affairs.

Yesterday, Su Yingxue had sent people to surround the Cold Palace. Today, when the servants saw her enter, they were overjoyed, thinking that their account of bullying Chu Xingchen the day before had pleased her so much that she had come to reward them all.

Little did they know that as soon as Su Yingxue stepped inside, several stern-faced attendants clad in the uniforms of the Inner Eunuch Directorate followed closely behind.

At that moment, all traces of joy vanished from the servants’ faces. The arrival of the Inner Eunuch Directorate attendants always meant only one thing: punishment for errant palace staff. What kind of place was the Inner Eunuch Directorate?

Almost immediately upon seeing the attendants, the Cold Palace servants turned pale and knelt in unison before Her Highness the Eldest Princess, Su Yingxue, kowtowing and pleading tearfully, “Your Highness the Eldest Princess, spare us! We only came up with such harsh methods to vent your anger, Your Highness! You cannot burn the bridge after crossing it like this!”

“What? Who did you say is burning the bridge after crossing it?” Su Yingxue’s expression turned grave, her gaze icy and authoritative as she stared coldly at the kneeling servant who had spoken recklessly. “When did This Palace authorize you to bully Chu Huangzi? To assign him heavy labor? To mistreat him?”

“Now it seems your audacity has grown beyond measure—daring to fling such filth onto This Palace!”

Su Yingxue stood up, unleashing her fury upon the kneeling servant, terrifying the other servants into silence. “You wretched scoundrel! You, with your black heart, bullied and mistreated Chu Huangzi. Now, This Palace is seeking rightful justice for my savior, and yet you dare to reverse the blame and drive a wedge between This Palace and my benefactor? Such vile intentions deserve severe punishment!”

“Guards! Slap him until he acknowledges his wrongdoing!” Su Yingxue commanded coldly. Attendants had already specially brought a chair and tea from the Princess’s Palace for her. She sat down, accepted the tea handed to her by Qiushuang with both hands, and watched coldly from the courtyard of the Cold Palace as the Inner Eunuch Directorate guards carried out the punishment.

The guards, burly and trained in martial arts, delivered resounding and forceful slaps. In no time, the servant’s face swelled, and his pleas for mercy became muffled and indistinct, as though he were speaking with stones in his mouth.

Seeing that this was enough, Su Yingxue gestured for the guards to stop. Yesterday, while applying medicine to Chu Xingchen’s wounds, she had been deeply shaken, guilt-ridden, and enraged to see his body covered in fresh and old injuries, without a single patch of unblemished skin.

Chu Xingchen was at an age as tender as a flower—in modern times, he would be in school, studying and playing with classmates. How could he have been tormented into such a state by these servants who took pleasure in abuse and cruelty?

Chu Xingchen’s hands, as white and smooth as fine porcelain, had been eroded by years of washing, scrubbing, and frequent use of soapberries. This was due to being constantly assigned tasks like cleaning chamber pots, sweeping latrines, doing laundry, and tidying rooms.