Chapter 10 - Provocation

 Before Zhao Yujiao arrived at the gate of Ye Chuyan's courtyard, she learned that the prince was worried about the princess. Her nails immediately pinched into her palms, but she quickly put away her emotions and thought clearly about the reason. The Ye family had just been destroyed. Now Ye Chuyan was just the daughter of a guilty minister and could not get pregnant again. If Pei Xiuyan was harsh on Ye Chuyan at this time, it would inevitably be criticized. This must be done for others to see.

She came to the outside of Ye Chuyan's courtyard and saw that the gate was wide open. The two guards at the gate were dealt with by Pei Xiuyan. The new servants in the courtyard had not arrived yet, and there was no one in the entire Jianjia Garden. Zhao Yujiao and her servant went straight into Ye Chuyan's inner bedroom as if they were in an empty space. They saw Bai Zhi sitting by the bed and feeding Ye Chuyan porridge.

Zhao Yujiao pretended to be surprised and said, "Sister, I feel relieved to see that you have a good appetite."

Bai Zhi looked back and saw that it was Hongying who pushed Zhao Yujiao in. She immediately frowned and said, "What are you doing here?"

She got angry when she saw Zhao Yujiao's face. Thinking back then, the master and the lady of the Ye family treated her very well, but she broke off relations with the Ye family after the princess got married. She also moved to the Qing Palace to live and disgust people, and she often provoked the relationship between the prince and the princess.

Zhao Yujiao didn't care about Bai Zhi's expression at all.

"Sister, we had some misunderstandings in the attic a few days ago. No matter how I explained to the prince that I broke my leg, he just didn't believe it and hurt you because of it. I couldn't sleep day and night because of this."

Zhao Yujiao said sincerely, "I have always wanted to apologise to you. Here, I bring you the thousand-year-old ginseng that the prince gave me. I hope you can forgive me."

Hongying took out a mahogany box from the cloth bag on the back of the wheelchair and put it on the table. Zhao Yujiao saw Ye Chuyan lying on the bed without any reaction.

She continued, "But I can't go out because of my leg injury. In addition, something happened to the Ye family. I am anxious every day. I am worried that you will not be able to let it go, and I am worried that you will blame the prince wrongly. Now that I see that you have a good appetite, I think these things have not affected your mood, so I am relieved."

Bai Zhi glared at Zhao Yujiao with gritted teeth. Ye Chuyan gently patted Bai Zhi's hand, signalling for her to calm down. She said hoarsely, "You arranged the maid who delivered the message outside the wall that day, right?"

Zhao Yujiao choked suddenly and instantly returned to normal, saying innocently, "Sister, I don't understand what you said."

Ye Chuyan sighed slightly; it was Zhao Yujiao. Zhao Yujiao is probably the person who knows her best in this world. Knowing that she doesn't like sweets, she will definitely refuse. Knowing that she is afraid of water, she will definitely forget to struggle if she falls into it.

Knowing that no matter how she explains, Pei Xiuyan will not believe her. Knowing that her biggest weakness besides Pei Xiuyan is the Ye family, she deliberately let someone reveal the news to her during the confinement. She has called Zhao Yujiao sister since she was a child. Before marrying Pei Xiuyan, she thought she had never done anything to let Zhao Yujiao down. Now, the two are like enemies. Calculating carefully, it is all her fault to have come to this point.

Zhao Yujiao didn't know what Ye Chuyan wanted to do. Seeing that she was silent, she signalled for Hongying to push herself forward. Bai Zhi stood beside the bed like a hen, protecting her chicks, and was determined not to let Zhao Yujiao's wheelchair get close.

Zhao Yujiao said one foot away from the bed, "Sister, there is one more thing I don't know whether to say or not. I'm afraid that you will be sad if I say it, but I'm afraid that you won't know if I don't say it."

Bai Zhi immediately blocked her words, "Then don't say it! Get out!"

Zhao Yujiao looked back at Hong Ying. Hong Ying had no choice but to scold: "When the master is talking, when is it your turn as a servant to interrupt?"

"What kind of master is she? A shameless master living in someone else's house?" Bai Zhi was completely desperate. As long as she was alive, she would never allow anyone to bully the princess.

These words hit Zhao Yujiao's sore spot. She was so angry that her heart trembled, and she bit the tip of her tongue to calm herself down. Then she wiped her tears and said sadly, "I know my sister has many misunderstandings about me, but I will always remember the kindness of the Ye family. My uncle was tortured for three days, and I cried for three days at home."

Zhao Yujiao sobbed. "Yesterday, I sent people to the mass grave to collect the bodies of my uncle and others. Who knew that the bodies had already been eaten by wild dogs? Every time I think about this, I am heartbroken."

Bai Zhi was so angry that she gasped. The princess finally had the desire to survive, and Zhao Yujiao's words could make people angry to death. Before everyone could react, she went up and overturned Zhao Yujiao's wheelchair to the ground. Hongying screamed immediately and hurried to help Zhao Yujiao. The room was in chaos.

Ye Churan lay on the bed with pale lips, muttering to herself, "I don't believe it, I don't believe it..."

She thought that even if Pei Xiuyan had no conscience, he should give his father and brother a thin coffin and shouldn't throw the bodies into the mass grave and let the beasts eat them.

When Li Fu entered the courtyard with the newly bought servants, he heard shouting inside and rushed into the house with people. Ye Chuyan was lying on the bed with a pale face; Zhao Yujiao was half lying on the ground, trembling with her broken leg; and her wheelchair was overturned.

Hongying and Bai Zhi were wrestling with each other like crazy women. He took a deep breath and hurriedly helped Zhao Yujiao up. Several servants controlled Bai Zhi and Hongying, respectively. Zhao Yujiao's eyes were red, and her eyelashes were wet with tears.

"Butler Li, please don't blame Miss Bai Zhi. It's all my fault. I just wanted to send ginseng to my sister... But I didn't expect that my sister hates me so much now that she wants Miss Bai Zhi to drive me away even if she can't move while lying down..."

Li Fu understood something when he heard it. It turned out that it was Zhao Yujiao who came to deliver things, and Bai Zhi overturned the wheelchair, which caused Hongying to fight with her. Zhao Yujiao didn't allow Li Fu to speak; she sobbed and said to Hongying with all her heart, "Hongying, quickly apologise to Miss Bai Zhi."

Hongying understood and knelt down with a plop, kowtowing to Bai Zhi.

"Miss Bai Zhi, I am also eager to protect my master; please be magnanimous; don't blame me."

Everyone in the room was shocked and gasped. Especially the newly bought servants, who never expected that the princess lying on the bed would be so arrogant and domineering, and they were a little shocked for a while. Bai Zhi didn't expect that Zhao Yujiao would turn black and white with just a few words, and she was so angry that she trembled all over. She was pulled by two newly bought servants and couldn't move, so she spat at Zhao Yujiao.

"Bah! You master and servant have bad intentions, and you are confusing right and wrong. You will not die well..."

Li Fu's face changed drastically, and he slapped Bai Zhi in the face.

He scolded: "Bold and mean slave, this is the Qing Palace; how can you be so presumptuous?"

The slap was so strong that half of Bai Zhi's face was swollen. Bai Zhi was stunned on the spot. She had been with the princess for so long that she had never been insulted like this. Zhao Yujiao didn't expect that Li Fu would dare to risk offending Ye Chuyan by hitting Bai Zhi today. For a moment, she felt quite happy. Li Fu was also shocked by the slap. He didn't know why he was like a madman. Seeing Zhao Yujiao crying so pitifully and Bai Zhi scolding, he actually hit the princess's personal servant in front of everyone.