The cruel little princess

Zhang Yuyan frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in her eyes. She turned her head slightly and winked at Feicui beside her. Feicui immediately understood, stepped forward, and shouted at the weeping maid, "How dare you, a rude servant! How dare you secretly weep here and offend our young lady! Today, I will bring you before the Concubine Shu, so she can give you a good beating!" Then, Feicui deliberately grabbed the maid's arm, preparing to drag her to the Chaolu Palace, where the Concubine Shu was staying.

"Sister, please spare my life! Please let me go! I can't repay your kindness in this life, but I will repay you in the next!" Xianglan was terrified and clung to Feicui's legs, refusing to let go. She knew that if she were dragged to see Concubine Shu, she would be dead. She couldn't die like this, because she had a mother at home waiting to be saved!

Feicui saw that the fire was almost ready, so she bent down slightly and whispered to Xianglan, "It's futile for you to beg me, after all, you offended my young lady! However, my young lady has a kind heart. Maybe as long as you beg her for mercy, she may show mercy and forgive your sins!" After that, Feicui quietly pointed out a way out for Xianglan.

"Miss! Miss!" Xianglan crawled to Zhang Yuyan with a terrified face, then knelt on the ground and kowtowed, begging for mercy: "Miss! I beg you to have mercy on me. Please forgive me because this is my first offense! I am willing to work like a slave for you in return! Please, Miss!"

Seeing that the time was right, Zhang Yuyan signaled Feicui to help Xianglan up, "Xianglan, get up first and come with me to talk over there."

After saying that, Zhang Yuyan took the lead and walked gracefully towards the pavilion by the lake not far away.

Despite the bitter cold of winter, snowflakes fluttered down the lake, but thanks to the fresh water flowing from the Jinshui River, the lake's surface remained liquid and not completely frozen. The dim light filtering through the thin layer of ice made the water appear exceptionally clear and transparent, like a giant gem reflecting a dazzling light. A gentle breeze rippled the surface, adding a touch of dynamic beauty. The water plants beneath the ice appeared even greener in the dim light, creating a striking contrast with the white snow and the gloomy sky, creating a beautiful scene. On the lake's surface, the sky was clearly reflected in the snow-free areas of the ice, creating a striking contrast with the white snow on the surface and the green water plants beneath. The interplay of white, blue, and green was exceptionally beautiful.

Zhang Yuyan walked slowly into the pavilion. Feicui hurried forward and took out a silk handkerchief and carefully spread it on the stone bench, fearing that her young lady would catch a cold if she sat down.

Xianglan lagged behind, and after entering the pavilion, she plopped down on her knees before Zhang Yuyan. "As long as the young lady is willing to let Xianglan go this time, Xianglan will do whatever the young lady commands!" she said, as if to express her determination.

Zhang Yuyan gently covered her face and mouth with a silk handkerchief, afraid that the cold wind would fill her stomach and chill her body. "Xianglan, can you really do what you say?"

"Xianglan swears to the sky! I am willing to serve the young lady like a slave! If I break this oath, Xianglan will be killed to pieces!" Xianglan stretched out three fingers of her right hand and swore to the sky.

Zhang Yuyan was quite satisfied with her attitude, and then she said, "Xianglan, there is something I want you to do for me. Of course, I will never treat you unfairly. Don't your father and mother need 30 taels of silver for medical treatment? I will give you 100 taels! You take out 30 taels to treat your mother, and leave the rest for her retirement." Zhang Yuyan said generously.

"Miss! This...this..." Xianglan was so frightened that she couldn't utter a complete sentence. Her face was full of disbelief. She really couldn't believe that such a good thing that fell from the sky would actually fall into her head!

"Think about it carefully. If you can help me accomplish this, I will forgive you for what you did today and even reward you with money so you can support your mother! But if you're unwilling to serve me, don't blame me for being cold-blooded. I'll bring you to my aunt, Consort Shu, and have her handle this matter personally!" Zhang Yuyan's words were clearly threatening. "I can give you an incense stick of time to think it over carefully!"

Xianglan knelt on the ground in fear, her body trembling constantly, her mind quickly thinking about what Miss Zhang had just said. If she didn't agree to Miss Zhang's request, then today she might not even be able to save her life. However, if she agreed to Miss Zhang's request, she knew in her heart that it would definitely not be a good thing, and might even offend others! Otherwise, why didn't Miss Zhang let her maid do this? Obviously, this matter was somewhat dangerous! In this case, even if she helped Miss Zhang complete the task, she herself would probably have no way out.

But Xianglan had no choice. Either way, it was a dead end! If she could get the 100 taels of silver she'd earned from her life to pay for her mother's medical treatment, it would be a way to repay the kindness she had shown her mother!

Thinking of this, Xianglan kowtowed to Zhang Yuyan without hesitation and said, "I will obey your orders, young lady! But I have a request that you do not want me to ask! I hope you will grant it!"

Zhang Yuyan was shocked when she heard this. "You still want to negotiate terms with me?!" But it didn't matter. She'd just listen. "Oh? What terms? Just tell me!"

"I will get the silver today! I will ask someone to send it to my brother tomorrow! This is my last bit of filial piety to my mother!" Xianglan kowtowed to the ground for a long time.

Zhang Yuyan gazed at the woman named Xianglan and secretly admired her. She could tell at a glance that Xianglan was intelligent and clever; conversing with her was truly enjoyable. Clearly, Xianglan understood the significance of the one hundred taels of silver—it wasn't just a generous reward; it was the price of her life.

Zhang Yuyan tilted her head slightly to look at Feicui beside her. Feicui understood what she meant and quickly pulled out a silver note worth one hundred taels from her waist pouch and gently placed it in Xianglan's hand.

"This is a banknote from the Sitong Bank. You can use it with confidence," Zhang Yuyan said to Xianglan with a smile. "This money is enough for your family to live a comfortable life, but the prerequisite is that you must complete the task I assign you."

Xianglan took the banknote, examined it carefully, and carefully hid it inside her underwear. Then, she knelt down again and kowtowed, expressing her gratitude and willingness to follow any instructions from Zhang Yuyan.

Zhang Yuyan nodded in satisfaction and looked around to make sure no one else was around. She leaned in close to Xianglan and whispered, "Xianglan, swear to heaven that no matter what happens, you will never tell anyone about what happened today. Even if this is eventually exposed, you will take full responsibility and will not implicate me in the slightest."

"God is above, and the Earth is below. Xianglan swears here that she will never reveal what the young lady has arranged to anyone else! Even if Xianglan is exposed, she will never betray the young lady and implicate her! If I break my oath, I will be struck by lightning and my body will be torn to pieces!" Xianglan repeated the oath after telling the whole story.

"Xianglan, come closer and listen..." Zhang Yuyan said to Xianglan.

Upon hearing this, Xianglan immediately knelt down and crawled forward a few steps to come in front of Zhang Yuyan.

Zhang Yuyan whispered a few words into Xianglan's ear.

"Huh?!" Xianglan fell to the ground in shock. Miss Zhang actually...actually ordered her to do something like that! This was truly going to kill her!

Xianglan stared at Zhang Yuyan in horror, her eyes filled with disbelief and fear. She had never imagined that Zhang Yuyan would ask her to do something so dangerous and unethical. Her body trembled, her lips quivered slightly, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Zhang Yuyan watched Xianglan's reaction, feeling secretly pleased. She knew Xianglan would be frightened, but she didn't care. She wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice anyone's life to achieve her goal.

"Xianglan, don't be afraid. As long as you do what I say, I won't treat you unfairly after the success." Zhang Yuyan comforted her. But she left it unfinished...if you are still alive!

Finally, Xianglan gritted her teeth and decided to obey Zhang Yuyan's orders. She knew that if she didn't obey, her fate would be disastrous. So, she slowly stood up and nodded, indicating that she was willing to accept the task.

Zhang Yuyan smiled with satisfaction. She believed Xianglan would be able to complete the task. She gently patted Xianglan's shoulder and encouraged her, "Well done, Xianglan. I believe you can succeed. Remember, this matter must not be leaked, otherwise we will all face disaster."

Xianglan nodded silently, vowing to herself that she would complete the mission. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her fear and prepare for the coming storm.