"The princess has arrived."
At the announcement of the maid, the concubines in the hall immediately stood up. Zhao Shuang Er lifted her delicate hand unwillingly and was helped up by the maid.
Everyone looked towards the plum blossom screen, to see the Princess being helped out.
A royal blue brocade dress accentuated the elegant dignity befitting a princess, and her face that elicited envy and hatred from others bore a slight smile.
When Lin Jiaojiao sat down, the concubines took the lead to salute: "We wish the Princess well."
"I, Zhao, wish my younger sister, the Princess, well."
These words came from Zhao Shuang Er.
Zhao Shuang Er was indeed two years older than her, but according to seniority rules, she was the main wife, and no concubine should address the main wife as younger sister.
This was clearly a show of force. If she let this pass, how would she manage the harem in the future?
She looked up at Zhao Shuang Er, whose clothes were more formal than those of the Princess herself. She had a good figure, seductive but not vulgar, delicate but not overly glamorous, definitely a beauty.
Only there were some hollows at her temples. If they were not hidden by her middle parted hair, her face would appear unbalanced.
"Sister Shuang Er looks exceptionally charming today, the Prince will surely be pleased when he sees you," she said, taking the tea handed to her by Xuemei and sipping it leisurely.
Zhao Shuang Er originally had a smirk on her face, only to realize that something was very wrong!
She had been in the Prince Manor for two years, and had never even seen the Prince, how could he like her?
On the contrary, it was Lin Jiaojiao who was personally chosen by the Prince to be his wife, and last night he stayed in her chamber, was this not mocking her?
Anger immediately filled her eyes, her fox-like eyes seemed to want to swallow the person sitting above alive.
Lin Jiaojiao casually put down the tea cup, facing Zhao Shuang Er's gaze without the slightest fear, but showing a somewhat complacent look.
The angrier Zhao Shuang Er was, the easier it was for her to make mistakes, which would make it easier for her to deal with.
At this time, Maid Wang rushed in, grabbed Zhao Shuang Er's wrist, and calmed her down.
"This servant, Madam Wang, pays her respects to the Princess." Maid Wang performed a very formal salute, neither servile nor overbearing, with all the respect due, and did not make people feel too intimate.
"Princess, my Concubine here has been feeling the wind chill in these past few days, I'm afraid it's not suitable for her to stand for long."
Lin Jiaojiao gave her a glance, and hooked the corner of her lips. She had forgotten about this Maid Wang.
Someone from the Empress Dowager's side was sent to serve Zhao Shuang Er, this maid had helped Zhao Shuang Er do quite a bit in her past life.
Even... Xuemei was killed by this Maid Wang herself.
In the past life, Zhao Shuang Er had falsely accused her of stealing the Empress Dowager's bestowed Ruyi Jade, but that wasn't important. After all, Yan Sihan was protecting her, and the Empress Dowager wouldn't do anything to her.
But her father, Lin Zhengyang, had rushed to the Empress Dowager's Shou Kang Palace to plead guilty for her, causing the matter to be known to all in the Capital.
He had solidified the crime of stealing royal property for her.
The Empress Dowager lightly punished her severely, having her personal maid Xuemei beaten twenty times, and then locked in the woodshed.
The twenty heavy blows would not kill her. When she went to visit, she happened to see Maid Wang strangling Xuemei's neck with a rope.
By the time she rushed in, Xuemei was already gone.
Afterwards, rumors circulated in the prince's manor that she had personally strangled the maid who had taken the blame for her, and the spit from the Capital's citizens could have drowned her.
Remembering this, she tucked away the hatred in her eyes and said amicably to Maid Wang: "So it's the Empress Dowager's Maid Wang."
"Indeed, it's me," Maid Wang respectfully answered again, her tone having changed.
Just now, she saw the coldness in the Princess's eyes, as if she hated her to the bone, but just in the blink of an eye, it was gone.
Looking at the brightly smiling young girl in front of her, she wondered if she had been mistaken.