Po’er’s heart was thumping rapidly, forcing her heart to hold down her glee. However, the corners of her lips couldn’t help but quietly hook up. She bowed to Lin Shiheng and shyly said, “Thank you, Your Highness, for your compliments.”
She didn’t mention Mu Qingrong for quite some time.
Mu Qingrong’s eyes darkened and she nearly passed out from anger.
When Po’er sensed an icy glare and turned around, she saw Mu Qingrong staring at her with a gaze that seemed to be quenched in poison.
Her heart felt cold. Although she hadn’t served Mu Qingrong for long and this Third Young Lady was obviously an unmarried girl, but Po’er still knew that she was even more ruthless than the other ladies of the house.
Thinking that her deed of sale was still in Mu Qingrong’s hands, she hastily withdrew her previous complacency and hastily added, “This maid isn’t as good as Your Highness said. Compared to Third Young Lady alone, I’m like a firefly to a sky full of stars.”
Mu Qingrong was satisfied with that, and straightened her stance to show a shy smile.
She was about to say, ‘how could that be, I’m not that good.’
Lin Shiheng turned his head to look at her with a look of disgust on his face, then turned to Po’er and gently said, “Po’er is too modest. Compared to you, Third Miss Mu is only a firefly. With your appearance and character, you are too modest. You’re really the most peerless woman this Prince has ever seen.”
Mu Qingrong, who thought she would be praised but ended up being stepped on:She watched as Lin Shiheng smiled with increasing admiration at Po’er’s compliments to herself, while on the other side, Princess Consort Mu Qingling was just as posed, smiling unconcernedly. She noticed something for the first time.
Her enemy wasn’t Mu Qingling, the indifferent and unfavored Princess Consort.
But the beautiful, charming and seductive woman like Po’er.
Mu Qingrong’s hatred was instantly drawn to Po’er, while Mu Qingling, who was on the side, was completely ignored by her.
Because she finally realized, she didn’t need to distance herself from the Prince who could flirt with other women in front of the Princess, and how much respect he had for his wife.
In her mind, she regretted that she had sent Po’er over, and she was angry that Lin Shiheng had completely lost sight of her when he saw Po’er. It was a
mess.
“Po’er will be someone close to Elder Sister. Since Elder Sister is going, I’ll take her back to pack her things for now.”
Mu Qingrong forgot her cheeky plan, so she hastily bowed and withdrew. She gave Po’er a look and hastily left with a surge of anger at the sight of Lin Shiheng looking reluctantly at the maid.
“Are you leaving?”
King Linjiang looked at Po’er’s departing back with considerable regret and inclined his head towards Mu Qingling, “This Prince hasn’t promised the position of side consort yet.”
Mu Qingling graciously smiled and gently said, “Wait until Your Highness sees the Po’er girl next time, then you can promise her.”
Lin Shiheng smiled in satisfaction, “Princess Consort’s thoughts are correct.”
With that, he went to Mu Qingling’s side, grabbed the umbrella in the hand of the maid who was holding the umbrella, and personally held it up for her.
While holding it up, he glanced at the maid in wonder and disgust, “My Princess Consort, this maid beside you is a bit too...”
Seemingly not wanting to wear out his consort’s good will by saying it, Prince Linjiang hesitated for a few moments and chose a less hurtful word, “She’s too mediocre.”
Mu Qingling nodded and smiled, indicating that although the girl was mediocre, she was a good worker.
She had given up reminding him that this girl was the one Lin Shiheng had just complimented on being as watery as her name before they left the house this morning.
The pretty girl, who had been described as mediocre, didn’t look sad or embarrassed.
She couldn’t help it. If she was alone, she would’ve felt bad about being called unattractive, but in just a few days’ time, all the maids whom the Prince had seen felt the ‘sky high compliments on the first meeting, and lack of acknowledgement on the second’.
They just got used to it.
The girl followed behind Mu Qingling obediently, thinking that one day, when the Princess Consort was in a good mood, she would see if she could ask for
permission to marry when she reached a suitable age.
The Prince was an abnormal one. Instead of trying to climb onto the dragon’s bed and then being beaten half to death and scolded for being ugly, it would be better to serve the Princess Consort well and get out of the mansion sooner, to become a proper wife.
As soon as Mu Qingrong had returned to her room, she angrily turned around and looked at Po’er, who was following her, “Kneel down!”
Po’er was too afraid to object and immediately knelt down.
“What did I order you to do? What did you do? When you saw the Prince, your eyes fell on him, where is the master, me, in your eyes?!”
Po’er’s heart was aggrieved. However, she had a little confidence because she was favored by the Prince, so her speech was a little assertive.
“Miss wanted this maid to seduce the Prince and to separate the Prince and the Princess Consort, which the maid had been doing. I don’t know why Miss would want this.”
“Why should I?!”
Mu Qingrong coldly looked at the kneeling person on the ground. She directly reached out and slapped her.
-Pa!
The sound of a crisp slap rang out. Po’er’s eyes went red and she covered her cheek with a tearful expression.
Above, Mu Qingrong’s sinister voice rang out, “I am the master, you’re the servant. Why do you need to question me about what I do? “
“You think that because you’re favored by the Prince you have something to fall back on? Listen well, there are ways to make a little maid like you disappear from this world without a trace! If you displease me again, it won’t be something as simple as a slap in the face next time!”
Unlike the Mu Qingrong of the previous life, she wasn’t just saying this to scare her. In her previous life, as a favored concubine, she had treated those other concubines who wanted to compete with her for favor and secretly conceived the Emperor’s child, much more ruthlessly. There was no hesitation in adding a little maid to the list.
Po’er also heard that Mu Qingrong was really capable of such a thing. She was so frightened that her face turned pale and didn’t dare say anything further.
Mu Qingrong looked at her fearful face with satisfaction, “When Mu Qingling meets the Madam in the afternoon, I’ll ask her to go to the pavilion at the lake, to enjoy the flowers. You’ll follow and push me into the water when no one is looking.”
Po’er was startled. She was a servant, if she pushed her master into the water, how could she remain living? “This maid, this maid ...”
“Don’t worry.”
Mu Qingrong saw through what she was thinking at a glance and smiled disdainfully, “When the Prince arrives, you can simply say that Mu Qingling pushed
me.
“But Miss, your body is too noble. If something happens to you..."
“Since I said so, I am certain I can get the Prince to arrive in time. All right, go and change your clothes. If you don’t do well in the afternoon, you don’t have to enter the Prince’s mansion, and as I see it, the deserted courtyard to the east lacks a water tank filler.”
Po’er couldn’t figure out how a teenage girl could be so ruthless. She shivered in fear and fell to her knees in response, “Yes, this maid will certainly do as Miss
says.
Everything went as Mu Qingrong had planned.
She did have a way to lure Lin Shiheng in, too, by sending a maid over to say that Po’er had gotten into an argument with the Princess Consort. Lin Shiheng, who had taken a liking to Po’er, would surely go over.
This was based on Mu Qingrong’s understanding of Lin Shiheng in her previous life.
And when he reached the scene, saw her in the water, half-dressed and struggling, he would surely jump into the water to save her; even if he had no feelings for her.
Mu Qingrong didn’t put all her eggs in one basket. She could swim. In her last life, as a concubine, she had accompanied Lin Shiheng, who loved to swim in the water, countless times, and that small lake in the garden couldn’t bother her at all.
If things changed, and Lin Shiheng didn’t make it, she could just swim up by herself.
Everything was well planned, except, Lin Shiheng came a little early.
Mu Qingrong only had time to wink at Po’er, and was pushed into the water.
It was very difficult for a person who knew how to swim to pretend that they couldn’t.
She kept rising and falling in the water, shouting for help, and pretending to be struggling with her clothes half removed.
Everything was perfect.
Until she saw Lin Shiheng darting to the pavilion, “Po’er! Are you all right... who’s this?”
Mu Qingling remained dignified, glancing coldly at Mu Qingrong in the water, “Your Highness, this is Po’er.”
Lin Shiheng, with the familiar ‘three parts astonishment and seven parts dislike’ to Mu Qingrong, gestated for half a second before hesitantly saying, “Did this maid offend my Princess Consort?”
Po’er didn’t have time to think about why Prince Linjiang’s attitude had changed so quickly, but immediately knelt down on the ground and spoke with a sobbing voice as instructed, “Your Highness, please understand! Just now, the Third Young Lady and the Princess Consort were enjoying the flowers here. I don’t know what was said, but the Princess Consort pushed the Third Young Lady into the lake in a fit of anger. Please save the Third Young Lady, Your Highness!!”
As she said that, she looked up pitifully. But she met Lin Shiheng’s disgusted and skeptical gaze.
“You maid, with your ugly looks, your character must be unbearable. How could my Princess Consort push someone with her own hands. Even if she wanted to, wouldn’t she get a maid to do it?”
“Men, take this lying maid out and beat her with forty strokes of the staff.”
Po’er was dumbfounded.
Mu Qingrong, who was still struggling in the lake, was also dumbfounded.
Only Mu Qingling was unsurprised.
Po’er looked at the Princess Consort’s cold, indifferent expression and a sudden surge of resentment rose in her heart.
Why should I be forced to live under Mu Qingrong’s thumb while Mu Qingling, being targeted by Mu Qingrong, enjoys the Princess’s seat without any disadvantage?
She gritted her teeth and screamed as she was dragged out, “Your Highness, please understand, Your Highness! The Third Young Lady was pushed into the water by the Princess. When you save the Third Young Lady from the water, she will certainly tell the truth!”
“At that time, when all the truth is revealed, it won’t be too late for Your Highness to deal with this maid!!”
“Wait.”
Lin Shiheng did wave his hand and told the servants who were holding onto Po’er to let go.
“Are you so sure that when Third Miss Mu comes ashore, she would say that the Princess Consort pushed her into the water?”
Po’er repeatedly nodded, “This maid is certain!!”
In the water, Mu Qingling gritted her teeth and struggled, shouting, “Your Highness!!! It’s really my elder sister who pushed me. Please, Your Highness, save...
um... save me...
Lin Shiheng glanced at Mu Qingrong who hadn’t drowned so easily even after being pushed into the water all this time.
“Since Po’er said she’s certain of this and Third Miss Mu says so, then don’t punish.”
Po’er, who was on her knees, was delighted, as was Mu Qingrong, who was still pretending to struggle in the water.
She knew that Lin Shiheng had always treated the people he cared about with the utmost care and attention from his bones.
Even if they made the biggest mistake, he would do anything to protect them.
This time, Mu Qingling will lose.
In the next moment, however, Lin Shiheng spoke up and said...
“Pull this maid straight out and have her ‘silenced.’ “
“And Third Miss Mu..."
Lin Shiheng thought for a few seconds. Under Po’er’s disbelieving gaze, he ordered, “Bring a bamboo pole over. Don’t let her come ashore, don’t let her come up alive and damage the Princess Consort’s reputation.”
The implication of that was murder for a cover up.
Mu Qingling, who was sitting at the side and calmly drinking tea, choked on her tea.
“Cough cough...”
Although she was calm, she couldn’t be calm anymore.
Lin Shiheng rushed to pat her on the back, urging the servant waiting beside her as he did so...
“What are you standing around for!!! Go on!”
After yelling at his servants, he reassured Mu Qingling in a gentler tone, “Princess Consort, don’t worry. This Prince will never let anything happen to your reputation.”
Mu Qingrong, in the water, almost cramped up.
She watched as Lin Shiheng, on shore, actually did get a bamboo pole. His servant held it out towards her.
The man from her previous life, who still protected her even if she had killed his own son, was looking over with a gaze that was as if he was looking at some hindrance. He had a bamboo pole, and was going to knock her on the head with it.
“Heh, she’s quite good at dodging.”
Is this a dream?
Am I dreaming?!!
Mu Qingrong finally made her escape to shore, in what could almost be described as the fastest time since the learned how to swim.
She was in tears.
Survived at last!!!
At this moment, the joy of escaping from death filled her whole heart.
I knew it!!
I won’t die that easily!
The gods had allowed her to live her life all over again, so that she could remove all her regrets and obstacles.
She gritted her teeth and vowed that she would trample Mu Qingling under her feet.
In the next moment, a devilish voice sounded in her ears.
“Such a nuisance.”
“Men, throw her in the water again.”
— Crack.
Mu Qingrong’s tooth was literally crushed.