Su Xiaoqi found it hard to believe.
But seeing was believing.
Princess Huian's raised hand had yet to be lowered.
Hearing the commotion, she turned her head and saw Su Xiaoqi. Her lips quivered, and she burst into tears, "Wuwu… Xiaoqi jie jie, she, she just bullied Bao ge'er."
Su Xiaoqi followed the direction she pointed. She saw Bao ge'er lying on the ground, a large bruise swelling on his forehead.
Her heart ached when she saw it. She quickly went forward to pick up Bao ge'er and asked Nanny Xu to fetch some ice for him.
The Grand Princess saw this and immediately reprimanded the maids serving nearby, asking what had happened.
Unfortunately, Bao ge'er had been so focused on playing hide-and-seek that he chose a spot where no one could see him.
So, only he, the little maid, and Princess Huian knew what had happened.
But he was still young, and his throbbing forehead made him cry uncontrollably.
The little maid, having been slapped by Princess Huian and fallen to the ground, knelt there like a mute gourd.
Only Princess Huian could speak normally in the scene.
She told the two that she and Bao ge'er had been playing well when she suddenly heard Bao ge'er crying. Following the sound, she discovered that this little maid was bullying Bao ge'er.
She was pulling at his clothes, covering his mouth, and shaking him upside down towards the ground, causing the bruise on his forehead.
She had even intended to throw him from the high platform.
Frightened, she snatched Bao ge'er from her hands and slapped her in the process.
"I, I didn't want to hit anyone," Princess Huian looked at her red palm, which still faintly felt a surge of heat.
Su Xiaoqi quickly hugged Princess Huian and patted her back to comfort her, affirming her actions.
"You are right. Bao ge'er is your younger brother. As an elder sister, you should protect him. Hit anyone who bullies him."
Princess Huian got up from Su Xiaoqi's embrace and looked at her with some doubt.
Was it really like that?
The Grand Princess also gave her a thumbs-up, praising her for doing the right thing.
She also told her that she was a princess of this manor, with noble status. These lowly maids, let alone if they made a mistake, even if they didn't, what was wrong with hitting them a few times if she didn't like them?
Princess Huian was bewildered by this reasoning. She lowered her head, clearly not daring to question it.
She didn't want to be hit by others, and she equally didn't want to hit others.
This was because she knew how upset she had been when Princess Qionghua had bullied her for no reason.
She could empathize.
What she couldn't bear, she didn't want to inflict on others.
Su Xiaoqi understood her thoughts.
In fact, although the Grand Princess treated her very well, she did not quite agree with her statement just now.
After all, she had grown up under the red flag, and all people were born equal, with no distinction between high and low.
It was only the class divisions created by the people of the Daliang Dynasty that led to all of this.
But no matter what, Princess Huian was persuaded by the two.
They had both proven that she was not wrong to hit the little maid.
She had saved someone.
Su Xiaoqi said that if it weren't for her timely slap, Bao ge'er might have been thrown off the high platform by her.
From such a height, if he hadn't slid down a fixed chute, he would have definitely been injured.
"Grand Princess, I don't think this little maid is the type to do something like this herself. I think we need to interrogate her thoroughly."
The Grand Princess disregarded her status and honor, gritting her teeth and saying hatefully,
"That's right. She deserves to die, but before that, I will have someone interrogate her thoroughly. I want to know who is trying to take my Bao ge'er's life this time."
"No, Your Highness! This servant didn't want to harm the young master, this servant, this servant..." the little maid begged tearfully, repeatedly emphasizing that she would not kill Bao ge'er.
The Grand Princess's temper had reached its limit, and she wished she could kick the little maid to death.
She asked Su Xiaoqi to take Princess Huian and Bao ge'er back.
She held her hand and begged her to take good care of the two siblings.
In this vast Grand Princess's manor, she could only trust her.
Su Xiaoqi felt a slight pang of sadness.
She realized that if the Grand Princess found out something this time, she might do something—something she had wanted to do from the beginning but had been hesitant about.
However, she was currently with two children and couldn't worry about anything else. Her first priority was to treat Bao ge'er's injury.
Her second priority was to comfort Princess Huian.
So as not to scare her and leave her with psychological trauma.
Upon bringing them back to the Grand Princess's main residence, Nanny Xu had already prepared what Su Xiaoqi had instructed.
Su Xiaoqi first treated Bao ge'er's wound.
She also made them delicious iced jelly.
There happened to be watermelons from the palace, and putting them into the jelly made it taste incredibly good.
Bao ge'er was someone who forgot everything once he had something to eat.
After eating, the medicine on his wound took effect, and he no longer felt pain. He then became sleepy and wanted to sleep.
Su Xiaoqi saw that apart from the bruise on his forehead, he had no other external injuries and was in good spirits, with nothing unusual.
She was relieved, thinking it was likely just a superficial wound and not a concussion or anything serious.
She asked Nanny Xu to take him to sleep.
At this time, the situation outside was unclear, and Su Xiaoqi did not dare to let him be far away. He slept in the west wing next to the Grand Princess's room.
She and Princess Huian stayed in the courtyard outside, enjoying the cool breeze and watching over him.
At the same time, Su Xiaoqi did not forget to comfort Princess Huian.
Maliciously hitting someone was wrong, but like she did just now was self-defense.
If it weren't for her timely slap, like timely rain,
Bao ge'er would probably be in danger now.
"You are protecting the relatives you care about. You have done what an elder sister should do."
Princess Huian was actually doing what any ordinary sister would do.
The reason she couldn't figure it out and had a knot in her heart was entirely related to her naturally timid and cowardly disposition.
After talking for a while, the Grand Princess returned.
Su Xiaoqi noticed that her spirits were very low, her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had been crying.
Su Xiaoqi was surprised. Before she could speak, Princess Huian nervously grabbed her sleeve.
The Grand Princess's appearance had frightened her.
After all, she had not experienced much and did not know how to handle these matters.
This was because her mother, the Grand Princess, had never allowed her to participate in such things.
Just like this time, the Grand Princess had waved her sleeve as usual, asking her to leave.
But Su Xiaoqi stopped her.
"Your Highness, you just said that the Princess is the Princess of the Grand Princess's manor. If something happens in the Grand Princess's manor, she should know about it."
Although Princess Huian was not very old, given the generally precocious nature of people in Daliang, she would be married in a year or two.
Once married into her husband's family, she would be like spilled water, losing the protection of her maternal home.
The Grand Princess had good intentions, not wanting Princess Huian to be involved in these sordid affairs, preserving her innocence and purity.
But when she went to her husband's family, who would wholeheartedly consider her and protect her?
Rather than facing it later, it was better to face it now.
At least at this moment, if anything went wrong, the two of them were here and could provide comfort.
The Grand Princess sighed, thinking, "Yes, my Huian has grown up. Mother has been negligent."
As the children grew up, the affection between husband and wife naturally faded.
But why should their relationship fade to the point where he would target the children she gave birth to? Didn't they have the surname Liu?
Wasn't his blood flowing within them...
The Grand Princess's fingers clenched into fists, her long fingernails digging into the flesh of her palm, her anger irrepressibly surging outwards.