maidservant

Chapter 30: Li Clan bullies Prince Yang Chenghui and secretly forces the Duke of Ying

Li responded in a delicate voice:
"Sister, you don't know that I am so busy every day. I have to worry about all the big and small things in the East Palace. How can I take care of everything? Sister, please bear with me." She didn't care about the unfavored Yang at all.

Yang Chenghui knew that this was a sensitive period and it was not appropriate to cause trouble.

Helplessly, she could only swallow her grievances and anger silently and leave.

In this seemingly calm but undercurrent-filled East Palace, contradictions are like a volcano that has been accumulating for a long time, and finally erupted completely on this day.

The cold winter wind was biting, cutting through every corner of the East Palace like a knife.

On this day, Fangfei, Yang's maidservant who came with the dowry, went to get her share from Yinxi, who was in charge of distributing supplies under Li.

Yinxi replaced the silver charcoal that was supposed to be distributed to Yang for heating with inferior charcoal, and the share of mink fur that was supposed to be complete was now made up of spliced-together scraps, which had no warmth at all.

Fangfei had been bullied by the Li family and others on a daily basis. When she saw these things today, she could no longer suppress the grievances and anger that had been pent up for a long time.

She rushed forward and asked, "Why are all the defective products given to us?"

Not only did Yin Xi not feel the slightest bit of guilt, but she crossed her arms, raised her head, and sneered in a shrill voice:
"Has Your Highness ever set foot in your room? What's the point of having such fine charcoal and sable fur? What's most important is that Your Highness is comfortable. Your Highness has only been to our master's room this month, so the good things must be left to us. You can just make do with these!"

Fangfei was so angry that she was shaking all over. She could no longer suppress the anger in her heart, so she raised her fists and started fighting with Yinxi.

For a moment, the yard was in chaos, with shouting and quarreling heard everywhere.

This conflict caused by supplies completely pushed the contradiction between the Yang and Li families to a white-hot level.

As a noble lady, Yang had lived a life of luxury since childhood and had never suffered such continuous humiliation.

At this moment, the grievances and resentment in her heart were like a surging tide, completely drowning her. She could no longer bear it and decided to seek justice for herself.

She hurried through the winding corridors and headed straight for Lin Yu's residence.

The moment she saw Lin Yu, Yang's eyes instantly turned red and her voice trembled slightly:

"Sister, the Crown Princess is ill, so I dare not disturb her. But this Sister Li is truly too much! Her maidservants have repeatedly made things difficult for my servants, and the supplies they distribute are also defective. She has also spoken wildly and wantonly humiliated me and my people. I hope you can step forward to help deal with this and seek justice for me."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes and she had to hold them back. Her words were filled with helplessness and a plea for help.

Lin Yu hurried forward and held her hand, comforting her in a gentle voice: "Sister, don't get angry first. It's not worth it if you get angry and hurt yourself."

She patted the back of Yang's hand gently, spoke softly, and tried to calm Yang's emotions.
"In this large and deep courtyard, bumps and bruises are inevitable, so just relax."

After saying that, Lin Yu turned to look at Yun Jin beside him and nodded slightly:
"You can send the good-quality items from my share to Sister Yang, just to calm her down." Yun Jin accepted the order and left in a hurry.

Lin Yu then expressed embarrassment, and said helplessly to Yang, "Sister, this matter involves many issues, and I really can't make the decision. You two are both noble people, and it would be inappropriate for me to intervene rashly. In my opinion, we must ask the Crown Princess to make the decision. She is fair and will surely resolve this matter properly."

This dispute over supplies was the only minor flaw in Lin Yu's handling of the situation during her tenure as assistant manager, yet she deftly passed it along like a shove. When Lin Yu arrived at the Crown Princess's residence, her expression was filled with humility and self-reproach.

She bowed slightly, lowered her head, and said with a hint of sincere regret in her voice:
"Your Majesty, I am not capable enough to properly handle the affairs of the Eastern Palace. This mess has occurred, and I truly failed to live up to your trust."

That look of submissiveness and guilt was impeccable. Yunshan also knelt behind him, unable to get up.

A hint of displeasure flashed in the Crown Princess's eyes, and she had no choice but to summon Li.

After this incident, the storm gradually subsided, but the undercurrent in the East Palace was still secretly surging beneath the calm surface.

During this month, Lin Yu managed the affairs of the Eastern Palace in an orderly manner, and the Crown Princess seemed to be plagued by illness and was ill for a whole month.

One day when the sun was shining brightly, the prince suddenly hurried back to the East Palace in broad daylight, his steps hurried, and he ran straight to the Crown Princess's bedroom.

Yunshan subtly inquired about the news from the attendant who was accompanying him, saying that the prince had specially invited the princess's mother to visit him.

Lin Yu suddenly felt doubtful, his eyes full of thoughts:

"The Crown Prince's actions this time may have a deeper meaning. Perhaps he wants the Crown Princess to intervene and persuade the Duke of Ying to take action in the court to balance the forces of all parties."

Yunshan nodded slightly, and added in a low voice: "It could also be coercion."

"Coercion? Where does this come from?" Lin Yu asked with a puzzled look on his face.

Yunshan leaned closer and lowered her voice, "This servant is just speculating in the darkest places. Master, please just listen casually."

"Whether the Crown Princess is truly ill or feigning illness, not only us, but no one in the entire Eastern Palace can be sure, let alone the Duke of Ying who is far away from the palace. Since she has been sick for a month, and today, in front of His Highness, mother and daughter are meeting, the Crown Princess must feign illness to the end for the sake of safety, otherwise she would be deceiving the emperor."

"But who wouldn't be suspicious of someone so ill now? Even if she tells Madam Huangfu that she and the Crown Prince are living in harmony, her mother will inevitably become suspicious and wonder if the Crown Prince is forcing her to say so."

After hearing this, Lin Yu suddenly became clear-headed:
The Duke of England has always disliked getting involved in court disputes, and has not expressed his position on the court situation this time. However, the Duke of England has few children, only one son, and his son has only one daughter, the Crown Princess.

In this case, the Crown Prince used family affection as an excuse to threaten blood ties, and then used both kindness and force. Faced with such a situation, the Duke of England would probably have to carefully weigh the pros and cons and make a choice in the court.

"Our Highness is truly a man of deep thoughts. This move has left the Duke of England powerless to fight back."

Lin Yu muttered softly, with a hint of admiration and amazement in his eyes.

In this unfathomable vortex of power in the Eastern Palace, every step is full of hidden secrets, and the prince's move of taking advantage of the situation is truly ingenious.

Yunshan looked at Lin Yu quietly, and after hesitating for a moment, she spoke softly:
"Master, I know you are truly devoted to His Highness, and that His Highness dotes on you. But the situation in this palace is unpredictable. If one day His Highness, for the sake of the situation, uses you as a pawn, what will you do?"

　I wish you all meet your soulmate and stay together forever.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)