Chapter 244: Chapter 240: Bullying People_1

Translator: 549690339

Changxiu slightly furrowed her brows.

She was aware of the discord between this Chen Tiantian and young doctor Yingbao, and she also knew that the young doctor from the Xiao family had quarreled with Yingbao over Tiantian. Yet, she had no clue why this girl had come to her.

“Sister Chang, why aren’t you eating?” Chen Tiantian picked up a piece of lychee cake and handed it over.

Changxiu hastily took a step back, saying, “Thank you, Sister Chen. I’m already full now, I can eat it later.”

Chen Tiantian reluctantly put down the lychee cake, sighed lightly, and hesitated to speak: “Sister Chang, in fact, Yingbao and I hail from the same hometown and we were schoolmates…”

Changxiu silently watched her: “I heard about that.”

“Ah, you all only know one side of the story but not the other,” Chen Tiantian said. “I don’t know what I did to offend her and lose her favor, she often embarrasses me in front of others.”

Changxiu remained silent.

Despite being only 15 years old and serving in the palace for three years, she had seen and heard many things even though she was always occupied with chores.

The young doctor was only six years old, nor was she a cruel and calculating person. Anyone who could make her despise them was probably not simple.

Chen Tiantian continued, “I was commanded by the Empress to serve the Prince in the Qing Palace, but Yingbao has consistently refused to let me enter the inner hall. She also said that palace maids have a cloudy aura that can harm the Prince’s health.”

The faces of several maids instantly turned sour.

“Did she really say that?” a palace maid cried out angrily, “So young and already so malicious, she dares to call us people with a cloudy aura!”

Chen Tiantian nodded, “Many people know when she said this. The sisters who lived with me were very upset.”

Zhang Yuyue spoke indignantly, “Yingbao is truly wicked. She belittles us like this without fear of divine retribution.”

Then she glared menacingly at Changxiu, “You even brought us the leftovers from her meals to eat, what is your intention?”

Changxiu panicked and quickly defended herself, “The young doctor is not like that. She kept the maids from entering the inner hall because she didn’t want to offend the Prince who has been ill for a long time and is surrounded by a heavy yin aura…”

Zhang Yuyue interrupted her, “In the end, you’re saying that we are affecting the Prince’s health? What benefits did she give you? Are you siding with an outsider?”

A nearby maid chimed in, “Exactly, we’re here to serve the Prince. Because of her words, will we ever have a chance for promotion?”

Changxiu was at a loss for words.

Chen Tiantian quickly spoke, “Please don’t criticize Sister Chang, it’s not her fault. She means well and she’s not defending Yingbao.”

“Humph! She is just trying to climb higher branches, not knowing if she’s even worthwhile to them!”

Zhang Yuyue shot Changxiu a disdainful glance and taunted, “Don’t end up being kicked to the corner as a cloudy object!”

Changxiu lowered her head without replying, collected the uneaten meals, and carried them to the dining hall.

As she was walking, Chen Tiantian followed her.

“Sister Chang, let me help you carry that.” She reached out to take the lunch boxes, but Changxiu avoided her.

Chen Tiantian looked aggrieved and spoke, “Is Sister Chang mad at me? I… I didn’t expect them to direct their anger at you. It wasn’t intentional…”

Changxiu didn’t look at her and only coldly replied, “Please, Miss Chen, go back. I’m just a lowly chore worker, with no sway. I can’t help you with anything.”

This young girl was no ordinary person, able to incite anger and hatred amongst the crowd with just a few words. Given enough time, her future was limitless.

She could not afford to offend Tiantian nor could she get close, lest she be used by her, and in the end, not even knowing how she ended up dead.

Chen Tiantian halted her steps resentfully, watching Changxiu walk faster and faster until she disappeared from sight, then turned around and sulkily walked back.

The afternoon sun shone on her, causing her to sweat profusely.

Upon returning to her own quarters, Chen Tiantian saw a few maids lying on the shared bed, leisurely fanning themselves to keep cool.

When they saw her come in, they didn’t pay attention and continued to chat amongst themselves, “Let’s go to the lake and pick some lotus pods later, Qiu Yue, you are quite familiar with the Steward, ask him for some lychees.”

The one called Qiu Yue grumbled, “You go and ask yourself, I don’t even like eating lychees, they are too sweet, not as good as peaches. We can’t even finish the peaches from the tree at our place, why would we want lychees.”

“Exactly, that Steward is very difficult to deal with, as if the orchard belongs to him, we are all judged by him every time we pass by, disgusting.” One woman commented.

“Isn’t it? I also encountered it once.”

As they chatted, the conversation shifted to the prince.

“That young doctor is really talented, his medical skills are better than the Imperial Physician despite his young age.”

“Indeed, if I had such a sister in my family, my ancestors’ tombs would be smoking.”

Suddenly one laughed, “Ever since her arrival, things have become easier for us, we don’t have to stand guard at night anymore, we let the eunuchs do it instead.”

“Indeed, the eunuchs’ eyes are black from lack of sleep these past few days, they all look frostbitten and stumble as they walk.”

As they giggled, Chen Tiantian softly said, “But she says we have a yin aura and can’t be near the prince.”

A palace maid glanced at her and fanned herself, “That’s the way it has been since ancient times, men represent yang and women represent yin, a balance must be kept. Moreover, the young doctor only said we can’t be close to the prince when he is sick, not forever. What are you worried about?”

The moment Chen Tiantian arrived, she was assigned to serve the prince personally in the inner palace, which honestly upset all the palace maids in the inner palace.

Luckily, Doctor Yingbao kicked her out and forbade her from approaching, allowing the maids to breathe a sigh of relief.

Even if they themselves were ordered not to approach the inner palace, all the palace maids tacitly agreed to exclude Chen Tiantian.

After all, the young doctor won’t threaten their survival status, but Chen Tiantian will.

Not only will she pose a threat, she may also climb above them, something none of the older palace maids in the inner palace can tolerate.

If Chen Tiantian was a noble lady from a high-ranking family, they would accept it since they cannot compete against her high status. But she is a simple country girl, why should she seize their place upon her arrival?

Another palace maid sneered, “She’s worried about not being able to go into the inner palace to flatter the prince. Such a young age and already so cunning!”

The group of palace maids laughed behind their fans.

After enduring their mockery, Chen Tiantian could no longer bear it and ran out of the room.

She went to the lakeside pavilion and couldn’t stop herself from crying.

The voice in her head kept urging her to go to the prince’s side, please him, make him have a good impression of her.

But she didn’t want to go at all, and she had no confidence in making him have a good impression of herself.

If she doesn’t do as the voice in her head says, she might not live past the age of twenty-one.

What should she do?

Chen Tiantian became more and more agitated as she thought about it, she sat in the pavilion hugging her knees and cried.

Why is this Yingbao targeting her all the time? She didn’t offend her.

Even if her mother made one mistake, she shouldn’t have to pay for it.

“What’s wrong?”

A young boy’s voice sounded beside her.

Looking up, Chen Tiantian saw the young master of the Xiao Family, Xiao Chengjun, standing beside her, looking at her with concern.

“I…” Chen Tiantian didn’t know what to say, hurriedly covering her face with her sleeve.

“Is Yingbao bullying you again?” Xiao Chengjun asked, “Don’t be afraid, tell me, I’ll take revenge for you.”