Suddenly, she woke with a start. It took her a long time to calm down before realizing that everything that had happened was just a dream.
"Qin Erniang..." No one answered.
"Qin Erniang." She called out again, sitting up from the bed. At this time before, she wouldn't have to call; Qin Erniang would have already come. What was going on today?
Just as she finished dressing and was about to get out of bed, she heard footsteps from outside, followed by a voice, "Miss Xue, something is wrong! Your maid and the Ninth Princess have gotten into a fight."
Xue Xingyue quickly opened the door and saw a little maidservant standing outside. The little maidservant, upon seeing her, said, "Miss Xue, I am Fourth Miss's maid, Yun Zhu."
"Where is Qin Erniang now?" Xue Xingyue asked.
"At the Ninth Princess's place," Yun Zhu replied.
Xue Xingyue nodded. "Yun Zhu, thank you. I will thank your young lady later. For now, I must go and save my maid." With that, she turned and left.
The Ninth Princess resided in the northeast direction of the Song Manor. This was the largest courtyard in the Song Manor, originally built for the Old Master Song and Old Madam Song to live in, but it had been forcefully occupied by the Ninth Princess who appeared out of nowhere.
It was warm in winter and cool in summer. Plum blossoms bloomed in winter, and lush green trees provided shade in summer. Not far away was a small lake filled with lotus plants. This place was truly an excellent spot to escape the summer heat.
No wonder everyone in the Song Manor was so displeased with the Ninth Princess. It was clearly because she had occupied such a prime location; even coming here to cool off was impossible.
Before she even reached the Ninth Princess's courtyard, she could hear the Ninth Princess's voice.
"Hit her! Hit her hard, this little wretch! It doesn't matter if she's just a maid. Another one appears? Wasn't she very domineering just now? Is she scared now?"
Xue Xingyue's gaze turned cold. She leaped forward, but a dark figure suddenly blocked her path. This person was Feng Yun, who had recently been removed from his position as the leader of the Shadow Guards.
"Why are you stopping me?" she asked Feng Yun, her gaze icy.
Feng Yun said in a low voice, "Miss Xue, please do not be anxious. I have already sent someone to notify the master. I presume the master will arrive shortly."
She glanced at Feng Yun and asked, "Who did you send?"
Feng Yun was taken aback. "Yu Yun."
Upon hearing this, she sneered. "Then I'd better take matters into my own hands. By the time Yu Yun notifies our master, I fear Qin Erniang will be dead."
"Miss Xue, why do you not trust Yu Yun? She has already been punished." Feng Yun was a little anxious. This time, he merely wanted to ease the relationship between Xue Xingyue and Yu Yun. After all, this Miss Xue would become the master's wife in the future, so it was absolutely unacceptable for Yu Yun and Miss Xue's relationship to be strained. That was why he took it upon himself to have Yu Yun notify the master.
"Punished? I think the punishment was too light," Xue Xingyue said coldly.
Hearing Xue Xingyue's words, Feng Yun felt a flicker of displeasure, and his tone also turned cold. "Miss Xue, Yu Yun indeed did wrong before, but the master has already punished her, and Yu Yun knows her mistake. Can she not be forgiven?"
Her gaze turned sharp. She kicked Feng Yun away and said angrily, "Do not block my way."
"Miss Xue, you..." Before Feng Yun could finish speaking, he saw a pair of clear, cold eyes looking at him, like sharp ice blades piercing his body repeatedly. For some inexplicable reason, he felt a chill.
"Block me again, and do not blame me for being impolite." She finished speaking and flew forward.
Xue Xingyue saw Qin Erniang being restrained by two men, and the man standing in front of her was viciously slapping her. Seeing this, her heart filled with rage. She broke off a tree branch and walked inside.
The Ninth Princess saw her and waved her hand, causing the man slapping Qin Erniang to stop. She saw that Qin Erniang's face had been beaten into a pig's head and was shocked. With Qin Erniang's skills, it was impossible for her to be captured. Could something have happened?
She looked around and saw a man kneeling before the Ninth Princess, bound tightly with ropes. His clothes were disheveled, and he kept his head down, his appearance obscured. Kneeling beside him was a woman she recognized as the Ninth Princess's personal maid, Zi Yan.
She looked thoughtfully at Qin Erniang. Qin Erniang, seeing her, looked apologetic before lowering her head. However, her gaze remained fixed on the man bound by ropes. She seemed to understand, could this man be the "brother" Qin Erniang had mentioned?
But what was the current situation?
"You are here just in time. I don't need to send anyone to inform you," the Ninth Princess said condescendingly from her seat.
Upon hearing this, she smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes. The Ninth Princess said coldly, "What are you smiling about?"
"I am merely smiling that Your Highness the Ninth Princess's words are a bit too high-sounding."
"How dare you speak to His Highness like that?" the wet nurse beside the Ninth Princess scolded.
A single glance from Xue Xingyue caused the Ninth Princess's wet nurse to falter. It was a look of majestic sharpness, the gaze of a supreme ruler, an authority figure with the power of life and death.
How could a woman from a humble farming family possess such a commanding gaze? The wet nurse lowered her eyes, thinking she must report this to the Empress Dowager upon her return.
"Do I need a servant like you to interject in how I speak?" she said coldly.
Hearing this, the Ninth Princess sneered, "What? Dropped the act? Weren't you pretending quite well before? Now you're showing your true colors?"
"And what if I am?"