CH 70

Looking at Ming Zhu’s embroidery, Biying genuinely praised her, “Miss’s embroidery skills are really good.”

Ming Zhu’s embroidery skills were comparable to those of the female embroiderers of Jiangnan.

Before, when she was still in her family, she had nothing to do at home, nor books to study, so she stayed at home to learn the female works with a momo, unlike the few legitimate daughters of the family, who would get impatient after learning female works for just a while. If she even showed one ounce of dissatisfaction, someone would immediately report to the matriarch about it and all she would get was a scolding or beating.

At that time, Ming Zhu was always on tenterhooks, worried that the matriarch would one day marry her to an old man who already had one foot in the grave, so she behaved well at home, so as to try and get a good marriage as much as possible, in order to live a quiet and stable life.

Ming Zhu embroidered a begonia flower, a flower which she favored, on the small scented pouch. After finishing the embroidery, she twisted her sore neck, then picked it up and looked at it with satisfaction. Turning to Biying, she asked, “Is it pretty?”

Biying nodded her head: “It’s really pretty.” The weather was slightly hot, she poured Ming Zhu a cup of water to quench her thirst, asking, “Miss, are you planning to gift this to someone?”

Ming Zhu shook her head, “I’ll use it myself.”

“Miss, if you have too much of these, anyway you cannot use them all, you can gift it to His Highness.”

Suddenly hearing these words, Ming Zhu froze for a few seconds and her fingers also clenched. She embroidered a few small scented pouches because she was idle, not because she had a mind to gift them specially to Zhao Zhi.

As she raised her head, the warm sunlight swept across her cheeks and she squinted her eyes, feeling a little sleepy, “I’ll use it myself.”

If she couldn’t use them all at the same time.

Then she would just use them slowly.

Biying couldn’t keep on trying to persuade her. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from outside, it was the servant boy serving in the main courtyard running over to deliver an invitation.

It was Ming Ru inviting her to go out for a spring outing with her, in seven days.

In addition to her, there would also be several other concubine-born sisters of the Ming family going.

Ming Zhu didn’t know what Ming Ru was planning. Looking down at the invitation card, she didn’t say whether or not she was going to go. Biying was a little curious, “Miss, are you going to go?”

Ming Zhu put the invitation card aside, “I don’t know.”

Whether or not she went, it was not up to her to decide. This also depended on whether Zhao Zhi agreed or not, the last time, when she had been invited by the junzhu, she went to the palace without informing him, and later she was coldly reprimanded by him.

Ming Zhu propped up her chin, looking at the sky in frustration. She really couldn’t figure out why Zhao Zhi’s desire to control her was so strong. How she lived would be according to his wishes, how she died also depended on his mood.

Recalling what happened last time, Biying still had a lingering fear. If His Highness had arrived later than he did, maybe miss Ming Zhu wouldn’t have been able to come out of the palace alive, for no one knew what the junzhu was able to do in the heat of anger.

After seriously thinking about it, she pursed her lips and said, “Miss, it would be better not to go.”

Ming Zhu cast her a side glance, asking, “Why?”

Biying didn’t hide what she thought, “Miss Ming Ru always gave you a hard time in the Ming residence, this time she probably doesn’t have any good intentions either.”

She would have her wash her clothes with cold water in the middle of the cold winter, as well as other trivial chores. Even as she recalled it now, Biying still felt angry.

After hearing her words, Ming Zhu nodded in approval. This was quite true. Her two legitimate sisters had always looked at her as an eyesore and they wouldn’t let go of any opportunity to make her fall.

In fact, even without Biying’s reminder, Ming Zhu was already aware that Ming Ru had absolutely no good intentions this time.

It was very unlikely that Ming Ru would use force on her like the junzhu did, but she surely thought that she was weak and easy to bully, and taking advantage of the fact that she was the future side consort, she most probably was going to gather her group of good friends in the capital to mock her status with a few sneers. She most likely thought she was still like she used be in the old days, that she was going to be unable to lift her head because of her low status, and that she was going to let them humiliate her in a cynical way.

Being caught back this time, Ming Zhu thought through some things. She wasn’t going to endure humiliation anymore.

Didn’t they all think that she was relying on being favored to be arrogant, that she had been so spoiled by the crown prince that she was now unruly and openly tyrannical ? Then she would show them properly how she was arrogant.

If she made trouble, Zhao Zhi would nevertheless have to take responsibility for her.

If it came to the point where even Zhao Zhi wasn’t willing to clean up after her, she couldn’t wait for it even more.

Ming Zhu pursed her lips, “It’s better to go. Being locked up in the residence every day, I’m going to get moldy.”

Biying hesitated for a few seconds before cautiously reminding her, “Then you remember to tell His Highness about it.”

“Mmh.” Her tone of voice was indolent, as if she didn’t take it to heart.

As the third month sunlight was shining on her body, she felt even more indolent. Ming Zhu yawned and, leaning against the soft pillow on the recliner, she slowly closed her eyes.