Chapter 12: In Front of QueenMother (XiaoRue's story)
Lets back to the morning, before TanTan wakes up to see what happened to XiaoRue...
In the very early morning, XiaoRue opened her eyes in her tiny and simple room. Her room is actually just a small room that used to become an abandon room. It is smaller than other servants' bedroom where the servants can sleep together. Since she first arrived with HuaMuTan to Li Mansion till now, actually she was never get any good treatment from Aunt Tong and other servants. They are calling her a fool girl coz at first, they ever offered her to be their side, which mean not obeying HuaMuTan anymore. But how could she? XiaoRue had regarded HuaMuTan as her own sister, who grown up together. She won't betray her own sister. But the consequence she gets is being ignored and treated harshly by other servants.
The condition of her room was actually very poor but she never complaint nor reported to HuaMuTan. Beside HuaMuTan was also never care nor asking about XiaoRue's condition.
But there is another reason why she didn't tell, if she told HuaMuTan about her room condition then her XiaoCie would punish all servants and forced them to give a big room and special treatment for her. XiaoRue didn't want that, because it just made the situation with other servants became worse. She just satisfy with what she has right now.
As her habit, she opened the window, patted her face and then shouted loudly to her self.
"Ciayooooo XiaoRue....Remember this day is also a blessingggg...Do your besttt okayyy"
Behind the door close to the window, someone couldn't hold his laugh hearing XiaoRue's shout.
"Who's there?" XiaoRue surprised and felt embarrased with the laugh. She immediately opened the door.
ManQi was standing there, smiled to XiaoRue,
"What an unique way to start a day, Ms XiaoRue..."
"You....how shameful, are you peeking on me?" XiaoRue couldn't stop her face to become red instantly.
"I am not!...I just want to knock your door before i hear your shouting..."
"Why do you come here anyway?"
"Prince Li asks me to pick you up. Come on..."
"Wait...I'll call XiaoCie first..."
"No need....Prince Li just want to meet you only...let's go..." ManQi just pulled her hand tightly and go with her.
XiaoRue couldn't say anything because she was distracted with the hands...once again this man didn't care with the manners, 'how can he easily hold a maiden's hand just like that?' XiaoRue felt her heart beats became messy again while they kept walking till the lobby of the mansion where Prince Li had waited for them.
"Master, XiaoRue is here..." Finally ManQi released XiaoRue's hand and reported to Prince Li politely.
"Prince Li..." XiaoRie bowed down to greet Prince Li politely.
"Stand up XiaoRue... Right now I need you to come with me to the palace..."
XiaoRue blinked her eyes, 'The palace?....but why?'
"Queen Mother has hearing about ShuangAi and requesting me to come and explain her condition, I need you to help me telling Queen Mother exactly what happened in the road when we returned to Li Mansion last time. She needs to hear it from a reliable witness. But I warn you, XiaoRue...don't say anything nonsense in front of Queen Mother or you will lose your head easily... Do you understand?"
XiaoRue gulped, she bowed and answered nervously,
"Yes, Prince Li. XiaoRue understood..."
"Okay, let's go..."
Prince Li ride on his own horse and also Manqi on his own horse.
'Oh, not again...' XiaoRue knew where she should sit on but she hesitated, remembered last time she felt weird about it. ManQi offered his hand to help XiaoRue up to the horse.
"Ride with ManQi, XiaoRue....and don't left behind...let's go..." Prince Li ordered clearly so XiaoRue couldn't disobeyed it, she accepted ManQi's hand and sit behind him. As the horse started run, XiaoRue instantly held ManQi's waist tightly again.
This was actually not the first time XiaoRue entered the palace. As a personal servant of HuaMuTan, she often accompanied HuaMuTan to meet Queen Mother. It is because HuaMuTan's mother, Li ShuiXian was a princess before, a daughter of Queen Mother so technically HuaMuTan is the granddaughter of Queen Mother. And that's why Queen Mother is so fond to HuaMuTan, she was the one in HuaMuTan's persuasion, asked the king to give a marriage decree between HuaMuTan and Prince Li. But after the marriage, Queen Mother heard a lot of unpleasant story from HuaMuTan about how Prince Li didn't treat her well and so she became having bad impression about this Prince Li.
This time also, after hearing the accident that HuaMuTan got, she thought it was Prince Li's deed, so she called him to scold him about it or maybe to punish him later.
Arrived at the front of the room of Queen Mother, XiaoRue didn't dare to look directly, so she just bowed her head, and seeing the floor following Prince Li while Manqi was outside, waiting.
The eunuch announced their arrival,
"Prince Li and XiaoRue, the servant ask permission to enter the room...."
"Let them in..."
Getting permission to enter, Prince Li entered and then greeted Queen Mother properly together with XiaoRue.
"*Queen GrandMother..."
"You arrived, Prince Li... I think you how why I call you to come... I have heard that My MuTan had a unfortunate incident, is that right? She just escaped from the death but then be attacked when you picked her home??? I want you to tell what happened exactly!"
"Queen GrandMother, I believed you had heard everything, but I feel you will be more satisfy to hear from this XiaoRue, you may recoqnize her as the personal servant of HuaMuTan..."
Queen Mother looked to XiaoRue, she examined her...
"Oyeah...you are right. She is MuTan's personal servant. Quick, tell me what happened to my MuTan...tell me everything..." Hearing Queen Mother commanded her, XiaoRue immediately retell the situation when they were being attacked as best as she can remember.
She told in detail, almost everything but the only thing she didn't tell was the time when Prince Li came and threaten HuaMuTan the day before the attack. She knew she would be killed right away by Prince Li later if she told about it.
After finish hearing from XiaoRue, Queen Mother seemed pale and shivered,
"My MuTan....got a big scar on her back? and now laying weak... Oooh how terrible....poor girl, My MuTan... Eunuch PO..." the eunuch that be called immediately enter and ready to take the command, "Hurry, sent the best physician and medicine to Li Mansion, give it to HuaMuTan..."
Prince Li responded about it,
"Thank you for your kindness, Queen GrandMother...Please be ensure, Physician Huang had treat her and I ensured you that I'll do my best to cure her scar."
But the words of Prince Li on the contrary, made QueenMother angry and scolded Prince Li,
"You bet you should, Prince Li!! Look what she had sacrificed to you... She even didn't care about her life for you and you....you still not grateful to have such a good and faithful wife...you didn't protect her well...like before, do you really want to make her die again and again???"
Prince Li felt furious in his heart to hear that words, he clenched his fist hardly but then he still kneeled down, asked forgiveness,
"Queen GrandMother, you're right! This is my fault! I failed to be a good husband that HuaMuTan wants. Please forgive me..."
QueenGrandMother sighed, and then she allowed Prince Li to stand up.
"Arise...Even though I want so badly to punish you, but I had promised to MuTan to release you as long she still alive and be your wife. But from now, I want you to be more careful and give your best to take care MuTan and protect her. I want MuTan recovers soon and then both of you must come to visit me immediately...If I hear any unpleasant rumour again about your marriage, I will ask the King to punish you and all people in Li Mansion, is that clear?"
"...Yes, QueenGrandMother. I understood. Thank you for your forgiveness...."
"Now go....I am so tired, you better go home and accompany your wife... and XiaoRue, you also need to take care your XiaoCie very well. I'll granted you rewards later for your good works"
"Thank You, Your highness..." XiaoRue bowed properly.
Prince Li stood up and went out in mad mood, passed ManQi silently while XiaoRue who followed him hurry ended bumped to ManQi's back.
"Auch..."
"What happened? Was Queen GrandMother scolded Master again?" ManQi asked XiaoRue but he didn't expect to be answered because he was not surprised, it had happened many times, mostly because of HuaMuTan, reported bad about Prince Li. But not only toward QueenMother, Prince Li was never get good mood after meeting almost all royal family in the palace. So ManQi gave a sign to XiaoRue to walk a little fsr from Prince Li, giving him space to calm down.
The palace is really huge, so it takes time to get their horse to go home. They must walked for a while, passing some places of palace. Usually Prince Li would calm him down while walking to the gate. In the middle of their way, they heard a voice called Prince Li loudly,
"*Qi WangGe...."
Prince Li turns around, and he recognize the person who approached them as his step sister, Princess XiXi, the younger sibling of Third Prince. She looked so beautiful with her mixed pink and white long sutra dress.
"Xixi..."
ManQi and XiaoRue were also greeted her properly but then they just silent and stood backward far behind Prince Li and Princess XiXi,
"QiWangGe....i am glad to see you! I thought I am too late... I hear that Queen GrandMother called you, are you okay?"
Princess Xixi was a big supporter for the relationship between Prince Li and ShuangAi. So she also knows about HuaMuTan and she is very hatred to HuaMuTan,
"Too bad that evil woman still alive....I heard that she even escaped from death twice....maybe she is indeed a monster?"
"Xixi...how come you say that? Was it you? The one that ordered the killers to attack HuaMuTan?" Prince Li felt suspicious, knowing that this Princess XiXi is a free-spirited person, who dare to do malicious things sometimes.
"No, unfortunately its not, QiWangGe.... You know my brother won't let me to do it even though I want to do it so badly..."
'That's right...this mischievous princess still have a cautious brother, the third Prince LiFengEr'
"Are you coming with *SanWangGe?"
"Yes, he is busy with *FuWang... I am so bore so I just take a walk around and wait them to finish their business."
"Oh, is that so..." But Prince Li felt a little odd that the king called Third prince to talk. The king seldom calls the princes just to talk, usually he calls to give important tasks, but mostly he asks the crown prince to do it. Beside any princes including him knows so well not to trigger any alertness of little dragon (the calling for the crown prince) by taking any the king's attention. The deceased second prince has becomes a good example of it. Maybe he should check it later and warn the third Prince?
"Well, I better to return to Li Mansion now. But XiXi, can you tell San WangGe, that I want to talk with him later?"
"Sure, QiWangGe... how about I'll ask San WangGe to visit your Mansion later? I am also want to meet FangFang..."
"It would be better...thanks Xixi..."
They greeted each others and then Prince Li with ManQi and XiaoRue walked away.
Princess Xixi was still watching them walking away while in her mind, she was thinking how pity is QiWangGe to have such an evil wife... she remembered how hard she tried to stop the bad influence of HuaMuTan toward GreatQueenMother but she failed because HuaMuTan was so cunning and good in pretending. In other side, she likes QiWangGe so much and always hoping that QiWangGe can having a better wife like ShuangAi... oh how she adore ShuangAi Cie...pretty and smart yet very humble, so opposite with that evil HuaMuTan. Nevertheless, she is still not giving up her dream to unite her dream couple.
"Let's see HuaMuTan...I will save QiWangGe and ShuangAi from your evil hand... If not, then my name is not Princess LiXiXi..." then she turned away.
*Queen GrandMother: a proper calling from the children of the current King to the QueenMother.
*Qi WangGe: seventh brother, called by royal siblings.
*San WangGe: third brother, called by royal siblings.
*FuWang: a proper calling from princes and princesses to their father, the current king.
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