I was a queen in ancient times, no, a maid!

From then on, Lotus lived in Cheng Yu's yard.

Hehua's leg was injured, and she and the other maids were locked up in a cell. The food they were given was not calculated based on the number of people. When a bowl of food was brought to them, everyone scrambled to eat it.

Eat what you can grab, and starve if you can’t.

Lotus has two little helpers by her side. One of them was bullied, and Lotus stepped forward to help.

An old maid in the kitchen shouted loudly, saying that it was Hehua who was causing trouble.

Lotus's leg was broken by the jailer's stick.

Cheng Yu took her to see a doctor, who said that the injury was serious and that due to untimely diagnosis and treatment, her leg would never heal properly.

Lotus became a real cripple.

Cheng Yu wiped away her tears out of heartache, but He Hua persuaded her, saying that she was lucky, because at least she survived and she met Cheng Yu.

Although Lotus became a cripple, she still worked as efficiently as before.

People are optimistic and positive.

***

Seven or eight days later, the palace sent a carriage, and it was Dingxiang who came to pick her up.

Cheng Yu seldom rode in a carriage, let alone a carriage in the palace.

She was neatly dressed and made up.

Now she was no longer the cook or maidservant beside Zhao Rulan, so she didn't have to worry about who coveted her and forcing her to become a concubine. She also didn't bind her chest as tightly as before, making it hard for her to breathe.

She was still wearing ordinary clothes, but she looked different from when she was a maid.

"I always feel like there's something different about you, but I can't tell where it is."

"I see you are living a very easy and comfortable life now."

Ding Xiang said jokingly.

Cheng Yu smiled lightly, "Maybe I'm not afraid of anything anymore. I've relaxed and I feel much more relaxed."

"Yu'er, the young lady and the prince had an argument two days ago. It was because of you."

Ding Xiang said it directly.

"The prince seems to have taken a liking to you. Miss noticed it and told him not to focus on you. Miss is letting you into the palace this time, and she will definitely say something about your marriage. You should be prepared."

Cheng Yu's heart, which had been relaxed, was suddenly tightened again.

"Sister Ding Xiang, when will the prince return to the military camp?"

She would only be safe when he left.

That man was like a wolf. Once he set his eyes on someone, he would basically not let go.

"I don't know about this either, but I seem to have heard that he is not going back for the time being. He has received an imperial decree to do some work in the city."

Dingxiang had never asked about the prince's affairs.

He also couldn't answer what Cheng Yu wanted to know.

"Well, let's talk about it after we meet the young lady. As for my marriage, ..."

Cheng Yu was also very worried. She didn't want to marry casually, and she didn't want to be Zhao Shiyan's concubine.

As they were talking, the carriage soon arrived outside the palace.

This is her second time to come to the palace.

Every time she came, the feeling was different. She followed Dingxiang to see Zhao Rulan first.

The house where Zhao Rulan lived was much larger and more exquisite than the Lu family's orchid garden. Cheng Yu was dazzled by the sight and simply stopped looking and followed Ding Xiang forward.

Dingxiang was most familiar with this place. She walked and stopped here and there, introducing it to Cheng Yu.

The original owner grew up in the palace compound, but she had never been to the eldest lady's compound, so it was normal that she was not familiar with it.

"The eldest lady's courtyard is so magnificent. If I hadn't been a maid as part of the dowry, I would never have had the chance to come to the eldest lady's courtyard." Cheng Yu said with a smile.

Ding Xiang said: "Gold will always shine."

"Yu'er, follow me. The eldest girl's room is just ahead."

After Zhao Rulan returned to the palace, her stepmother, the step-princess, came to visit her once. Of course, this was also for Zhao Shiyan's sake.

The current Crown Prince is a military general favored by His Majesty.

Prince Jing is an incompetent person, but his son is capable. The Prince Jing's Mansion, which has always been despised and looked down upon, has now become the object of praise.

Cheng Yu was not interested in these.

After entering the house and paying homage to the eldest lady, Cheng Yu was given a seat.

Ziwei and Madam Li brought the young lady over.

Zhao Rulan said, "After arriving at the palace, Sister Yan refused to accept anyone, but Mother Li held her. She didn't cry or make a fuss, and simply let Mother Li take care of the child."

Cheng Yu's eyes fell on the child, and it would be a lie to say that he didn't miss him.

But she couldn't show too much enthusiasm in front of the child's biological mother.

Madam Li was holding her, and she glanced at him twice.

"I don't know how much milk powder the little lady has left, so I made two cans and brought them along this time."

"You are always considerate."

"Yu'er, I really want to eat the food you cook. I really can't bear it without you around."

Cheng Yu hurriedly said, "Miss, what do you want to eat? Send a maid to tell me and I'll come and make it for you."

Zhao Rulan knew that if Cheng Yu left, she would never come back to be her maid again.

Suddenly a strange idea came to her mind.

He waved away the maids around him, leaving only Cheng Yu by his side.

Zhao Rulan and Cheng Yu had a heart-to-heart talk.

"Yu'er, what do you think of the prince? Tell me the truth. Don't worry, I'm not an unforgivable person."

"I'll tell you the truth. I just came back and someone came to propose marriage to me. My stepmother was quite satisfied and urged me to find someone to marry while my child was still young. She didn't care how old the man was, she just wanted to push me out."

Cheng Yu really has a gossipy heart.

"Whose husband is that?"

Zhao Rulan snorted, "Who else could it be? The Meng family in Jiangbei City. It's strange. I have such a bad fate with the Lu family, but I just got out of the Lu family's wolf's den and then came the Meng family's tiger's den."

"Are you talking about the great man of the Meng family?"

"It's him." Zhao Rulan said.

Cheng Yu thought for a moment, then said, "I told you before that I went to Jiangbei City to ask for help from the great master of the Meng family. He didn't want to pay attention to me at first, but when he found out that I was your maid, he stopped and asked some questions. I think he helped me because of you."

"Young lady, you don't know that I saw the people of the Lu family being sold out on the street a few days ago. I ran into He Hua, who had helped me in the Lu family's kitchen before. I learned that they were imprisoned together and the food was brought out in a basin, and everyone scrambled to eat it. He Hua even got a limp because of fighting for food, and it hasn't been healed yet."

The eldest master of the Meng family is indeed indebted to us.

Cheng Yu didn't want to hide this matter.

Zhao Rulan asked in a daze, "You mean, he helped us because of me?"

"Later, when we were in prison, we did gain some respect, and the guards were quite polite to me."

At that time, Zhao Rulan thought that the yamen runners were respectful to her because she was the eldest daughter of Prince Jing's Mansion.

I heard from Cheng Yu today that it seems there is another reason.

"I don't know what's going on. The noble status of the Meng family's master is not something I can climb up to."

"So, I blamed the wrong person, didn't I?"

Zhao Rulan laughed and said, "Forget it, I'll send someone to ask later. If they owe me a favor, I'll just pay it back."

"What I want to ask you is, what do you think of the prince? If the prince marries you, would you be willing?"