Chapter 431 - 425_1
"Guests? I’m just worried that my imperial sister is too simple-minded and has been deceived by some villain. She’s merely a peasant woman from a rural village, and in such a short time, she has ingratiated herself with the Jiang Family Head, and then made the acquaintance of Commandery Princess Roujia. Now even the imperial sister has been charmed by her, showing how deep and cunning her thoughts are. Such a person should not be allowed to stay with the imperial sister. What if she harbors ill intentions towards her? Who can bear such a responsibility? I think it’s better to deal with her sooner rather than later." The Fourth Princess looked at Lin Yue, not bothering to hide her contempt and hatred.
Lin Yue felt somewhat baffled. She had never had any interactions with the Fourth Princess and couldn’t understand why, upon her first arrival at the palace, she had been so despised by the Fourth Princess. To face such malicious speculations and be accused of plotting her own death was truly startling. Her status was already lowly; if she were to be dealt with, what good could come of it? The harem was indeed a place where murder occurred without a trace of blood.
Even if she wanted to avoid offending a noble person like the Fourth Princess, the princess had pushed her to such an extent that if she didn’t fight back, she would only be oppressed by her to the end, ignorant even of how she might die. Lin Yue straightened her back, kneeling on the ground with neither servility nor arrogance, "Your Highness, this humble woman does not dare to accept such accusations. Both Princess Yongle and Commandery Princess Roujia are wise and would not be easily misled. This humble woman has never dared to harbor any ill intentions. Could it be that Your Highness has been misled by some rumors and has misunderstood me?"
All love and hatred must have their reasons. The Fourth Princess’s attitude today made Lin Yue suspect the most likely culprit was that Miss from the Zhang Family. After all, she came from a Medicine Aristocrat Family, and it was not impossible that she had connections with a princess from the palace. As for Chen Ruyu, although she also harbored malice towards her, she did not have the capability.
"Fourth Princess, no matter what, today Lin Madam is a guest invited by the Third Princess. If Your Highness truly has any concerns, you may speak with the Third Princess. This servant is only following the Third Princess’s orders to ensure that Lin Madam arrives safely. I beseech Your Highness not to make things difficult for this servant," said Eunuch Wang with apparent courtesy, yet his words carried an undertone of firmness, suggesting a hint of disrespect for the Fourth Princess.
Though all are princesses, there are differences in rank and favor, much like the children in a prominent family, with distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate offspring. The Third Princess is a legitimate sister of the Emperor, a titled Princess Gulun of the Great Zhou Dynasty, while the Fourth Princess is the neglected and unhonored Princess Heshuo. Furthermore, since her mother feuded with the Empress Dowager during the previous emperor’s reign, she is now out of favor with both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Anyone in the palace of some status who knows the situation has little regard for the Fourth Princess. In the Imperial Palace, where one survives on favor, a person whom neither the Emperor nor the Empress Dowager cares for is indeed deserving of contempt.
The Fourth Princess had only come to probe the situation. Seeing that the Third Princess had sent her capable eunuch to fetch the peasant woman, she knew that she would not gain any advantage now. Her gaze cold and disdainful, she looked at Lin Yue and sneered, "Hmph, you have the Third Princess’s protection today, so I can’t do anything to you. But let’s wait and see what happens; we’ll ride the donkey and read the book – time will tell."
Lin Yue, watching the Fourth Princess’s departing figure, was truly frustrated. The little mood of excitement she had from her fresh experience at the palace had utterly vanished. Who would want to make such a powerful enemy without reason?