"It’s not necessary to meet the Princess face to face since you don’t have anything important to discuss with Her Highness. Just curtsy at where you’re standing is enough for Her Highness to see your kind intention. Am I right, Attendant Consort?"
Hearing the voice, everybody looked towards the direction where it came from, and saw a pretty young maid wearing a cyan dress.
It was unexpected for Chu Jiao to hear someone contradicting her in her presence. With no intention of haggling over the trifles with a servant girl, Chu Jiao signaled Li Chenxiang with her eyes, who then rebuked the maid: "How dare you! Who do you think you are to teach the Attendant Consort and me what to do? Get out of our way!"
The servant girl was standing behind Liu Ying(Lit. Firefly) among a group of other girls. Hearing Li Chenxiang's words, she stepped forward and slightly curtsied, neither humble nor arrogant, "I’m Zhe Liu (Lit. Willow), a sweeping servant girl at Phoenix-Perching Palace. How dare I teach you madams? But we servants in this Palace certainly shall obey the Princess’ orders on all accounts. It's not necessary for noble Madams like you to degrade yourselves just to embarrass us inferior servants, wouldn’t you say?”
Li Chenxiang was dumbfounded and stared at Zhe Liu angrily: "Eloquent!"
Zhe Liu smiles sweetly with two dimples: "Thanks for Madam Li’s appreciation."
"You!" Li Chenxiang looked indignant as she raised her hand, ready to slap Zhe Liu.
Chu Qiao was enjoying watching the drama from behind the door, thinking that Zhe Liu was pretty likeable, as she was neither humble nor arrogant, moderate and clever. Now she needs people who can support her, so she decided to start with Zhe Liu. Making up her mind, Chu Qiao walked out and stared at Li Chenxiang coldly, "Have you forgotten what I said at Floral Pavilion a few days ago?"
"Next time anyone who dares to hurt my people must cut off their hands as an apology!" Chu Qiao's indifferent tone reminded Li Chenxiang of the other day. Her fear was still lingering when recollecting the scene, so her hand froze in the air and she didn’t know whether to slap Zhe Liu or to let her go.
Sighing in relief, Zhe Liu immediately walked to Chu Qiao and curtsied with respect: "Your Highness."
All maids curtsied together: "Your Highness."
Chu Qiao nodded slightly, signaling them to stand up, but her eyes were fixed on Chu Jiao and Li Chenxiang.
Seeing Chu Qiao gains power, Chu Jiao looks a little embarrassed. She lowered her head slightly, bowed and said, "I wish you good health, dear sister. I was worried sick that you were not feeling well and therefore refused to meet us, but now you seem to be in a good shape. "
The stare of Chu Qiao made Li Chenxiang’s hair stand on end, so she took back her hand and gave a curtsy: "Your Highness."
Chu Qiao looked at Chu Jiao and sneered, "Do you think that I have to grant your request every time? Who is the inferior after all? "
Chu Jiao looked even more embarrassed. She looked up at Chu Qiao's eyes and was about to retort when she noticed the golden hairpin in Chu Qiao's hair. Her face suddenly turned livid, unlike the usual dignified Attendant Consort, and even her tone was changed, "Where did you get this hairpin?"
Chu Qiao frowned slightly for Chu Jiao's digression and didn't bother to answer her question. Instead, Qing Luo took the opportunity and announced proudly: "The Prince gave it to Her Hignness as a present this morning."
Li Chenxiang widened her eyes in surprise at the sight of that hairpin in Chu Qiao's hair as she exclaimed, "Oh, Sister Jiao! Isn't this hairpin your design? How come... "But she immediately shut her mouth when noticing Chu Jiao's livid face.
Chu Jiao had spent a month carefully working on the design of that hairpin, constantly striving for perfection. Dantai Yunhan was pleased with it and he praised its delicacy. He even asked a craftsmen to make one based on her design right away.
Chu Jiao clenched her fists so hard that her nails almost pierced through her skin, but somehow she still managed to maintain her demeanor. Yesterday, the Prince promised to go to her place with that hairpin as a gift. However, it turned out that he not only went to the Phoenix-Perching Palace instead, but even gave the gold hairpin designed by her to Chu Qiao!
After a long period of silence, Chu Jiao reluctantly spit out one sentence "Let's go", then she turned around and took her leave abruptly in a petulant mood.
Li Chenxiang also left, following Chu Jiao hurriedly.
Chu Qiao gave them a piercing stare. She smiled and said, "Well, is Phoenix-Resting Palace a place where you can just come and go without any restrictions?"
Chu Liao halted, turned around and bowed perfunctorily, with a great effort to contain her anger: “I don’t feel well now, so I will come and visit Your Highness some other day.”
Chu Qiao said slowly as she touched the gold hairpin in her hair: "Now that you are not feeling well, you’d better stay in and rest. And you, Li Chenxiang, don’t wander around before your swollen face is fully recovered. Otherwise, the whole Prince Place will lose face because of you. Well, you two can leave. Alright, everyone, just get back to your work. "
Chu Jiao left without saying a word. Li Chenxiang followed behind, covering her face, and stared at Chu Qiao with hatred, as if she wanted to crucify her.
The farce finally came to an end. All the maids sighed in relief and answered in unison, "Yes, Your Highness."
"Hold it!" Chu Qiao deliberately stepped forward, measuring Zhe Liu with her eyes, "Your name is Zhe Liu, right? From now on, you will be my personal maid."
Overjoyed, Zhe Liu knelt down and said: "I don’t know how to than you, Your Majesty! In return for your appreciation, I pledge my forever loyalty to Your Highness until my last breath!"
Qing Luo was also very happy to have someone serving the Princess together with her, so she immediately took Zhe Liu’s hand and said: "We’ll serve Her Highness together, like sisters."
Chu Qiao nodded slightly and said: "Get up. Come in with me. I need you to do something for me."
Seeing Zhe Liu following Chu Qiao and Qing Luo into Phoenix-Perching Palace, the other servant girls became very envious and began to chatter and gossip.
"A maid at the lowest rank now becomes the Princess’s personal servant girl only by juggling with words before the madams. How convenient!"
"I agree. She is the last one qualified for the Princess’ personal maid. It should be sister Liu Ying, whatever happens. "
Feeling jealous and angry, Liu Ying turned around and left with a step of impatience.
After sending Qing Luo to decoct some herbal medicine, Chu Qiao took off the hairpin, pulled out some money from her pocket and handed it to Zhe Liu, whispering to her about what to do. Zhe Liu seemed stumped as she blinked: “Your Highness, I’m afraid that inappropriate. After all, it’s a gift from the Prince...”
Chu Qiao said with composure, "Just do what I told you to."
Zhe Liu put them into her pocket, bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Highness." Then she left and came back at dusk.
Chu Qiao was leaning against the window, enjoying the breeze. She took a glance at Zhe Liu and asked, "You did what I asked?"
Zhe Liu took out the title deed and gave it to Chu Qiao with both hands: "I have bought the Fortune Casino as you ordered. Here is the title deed. Your Highness just need to leave your fingerprint here. "
Chu Qiao took over the title deed, pressed her fingerprint after carefully reading, and then put it away in her jewelry box.
Qing Luo came in with her dinner, shaking her head and sighing: "Your Highness still bought the casino regardless of our advice? Even if you don't care about what people will gossip when they hear it, the casino itself has been losing money since its opening and now it’s at the verge of bankruptcy. Even its boss was almost driven to commit suicide, and ‘fortunately’, Your Highness is going to take over this mess. "
Chu Qiao responded with a meaningful smile, "I have my own plans. What you need do is wait, for our wealthy life is just around the corner."
As the Princess, Chu Qiao received a lot of money from the Prince Palace every month, but she had to plan for the future. She didn't want to be trapped in this four-cornered cage all her life, for she regarded herself as an eagle, which would be destined to soar in the sky.
And what is the most important thing in the world? Nothing else but money and power.