bestfiction Chapter 210 Rules
Chapter 210 Rules
As the sun began to set, in the inner courtyard of the Marquis of Weiyun's residence, Yujue, with his armbands tied, personally washed his younger sister's hair, while Qixin stood by, holding a tray with various utensils.
The comb glided through her soft, black hair, and after combing it several times, Yu Jue put the comb down. Yu Mi obediently turned her head to the side, and the rising steam from the copper basin moistened her face.
"Are you settling in well at the palace school?"
Yu Jue scooped up a ladle of water and slowly poured it down, letting the warm water flow gently down her hair.
Yu Mi squinted her eyes contentedly, "It's fine, but Pingting doesn't seem very happy."
Seeing Yu Mi's brow furrow slightly, Qi Xin leaned down and replied, "When Shu Xiao went to fetch the two young ladies, he overheard Third Lady complaining about how people in the palace school were sycophantic and opportunistic, lamenting the fickleness of human nature..."
Upon hearing this, Yu Jue frowned even more. She had asked this question because she was worried that Yu Mi might be mistreated at the palace school, but seeing that Yu Mi still seemed carefree and didn't seem to be in any trouble, she wondered why Ping Ting would say such a thing.
After much thought, I finally understood the key points.
Although she had planned ahead and given up most of her dowry to gain a reputation for disaster relief, or perhaps she relied on her maternal family's influence to avoid being implicated, Lady Yu was still considered a descendant of a disgraced official because of the crime of defeat in the war.
Ning Cuo was enjoying the Emperor's favor, and it was expected that the noble children in the palace school would not dare to be too presumptuous, but cold treatment and alienation were inevitable.
Pingting had always longed to enter the palace academy, but now that she had actually gone, her experience was completely different from what she had imagined, and she inevitably felt disappointed. Ami, on the other hand, was different. Because of the prophecy given by the Taoist priest at the time of the full moon that she was destined to have no relatives, she had been known as a cursed loner since childhood. No one in her clan was close to her. Entering the palace academy was just a change of scenery for her, and there was no difference between her and the palace academy.
Yu Jue's mind raced, but her hands never stopped moving as she rubbed the tea seed oil into her black hair, creating a foam.
Yu Mi seemed to sense her sister's low spirits and said, "Sister, I encountered an interesting thing in the palace today."
Yu Jue smiled and asked cooperatively, "Oh~ What interesting thing happened to A-Mi?"
As Yu Mi recounted her encounter with Que Shu in the Imperial Garden, Yu Jue lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before asking, "Did A Mi thank His Highness Que Shu?"
"Thanks, I gave him a box of pastries."
"dessert?"
"Yes, it was originally meant to be fed to Bishui, but I punished it by not letting it eat today, so I just gave it to His Highness Que Shu."
"..."
"Sister, please don't think this is too small a gift. I heard that His Highness Que Shu is having a very hard time in the palace. His daily food is even worse than that of someone who avoids water."
Next, Yu Mi recounted the information she had gleaned from the casual conversations of the noble ladies.
While twisting her hair with a dry handkerchief, Yu Jue said, "Ami, do you know why His Highness Que Shu's situation worsened after he caused such a scene?"
Yu Mi's bright eyes showed some confusion, as if she was thinking, but she didn't really care. Anyway, her sister would tell her.
"Because he broke the rules."
"rule?"
"The allowance is just a formality. Not to mention the palace, even the servants in each household are all sycophants and bullies. Those that the head of the household values will naturally be given priority, while those that are not valued will have their allowances cut, and they can also enjoy the pleasure of 'power' in this process."
"Human beings have a strange obsession with power. Even a doorman likes to hold onto that little bit of power to announce someone's arrival, either to make things difficult for the visitor or to earn a reward."
“Power brings money…” Yu Mi murmured as if she had just realized something, “But doesn’t the head of the family care?”
"If the water is too clear, there will be no fish; if a person is too discerning, he will have no followers. Moreover, this can also demonstrate the power of the head of the family. With this comparison, people will work harder to flatter and please the head of the family."
Yu Mi suddenly realized, "I knew it! The concubines in the manor used to fight to the death over an old man..."
"To avoid offending elders." Yu Jue gently tapped Yu Mi's head to stop her from speaking disrespectfully to her grandfather, and then said, "When His Highness Que Shu caused a scene at the palace school in front of the Seventh Prince, he slapped Lu Xi in the face and offended his authority as the chief steward of the inner court."
"But Xuanyu's alliance is a matter of the king's word, and Lu happy's outward compliance while secretly going against it also offends the king's authority."
Yu Jue gave a mocking smile and said sarcastically, "Our king has issued many orders..."
"Ok?"
Yu Jue changed the subject, "The king won't care about such trivial matters."
"If Xuan Kingdom were to send troops to punish us in the future..."
"That's just a matter of beating and killing a few servants."
Yu Mi drew inferences from one instance to another: "As long as the interests are aligned and enough face is given, Emperor Xuan, a great ruler, would not care about these trivial matters. If the alliance falls apart in the future, then there is even less need to worry about it."
That makes sense.
"It's just strange that none of those纨绔 (spoiled brats) who waste their time at the palace academy ever bother with each other, fighting like chickens at the drop of a hat, and even daring to flirt with the Seventh Prince."
“What’s the difference between a noble family’s son who enters the palace school and Que Shu? It’s harmless for children to bicker, but there are things they absolutely cannot do, which they must have been told repeatedly at home,” Yu Jue picked up a sandalwood comb and combed her half-dry hair.
"With the warring states vying for supremacy, the situation is unclear and the outcome uncertain. There is no need to offend a prince of a country to the death, nor should we befriend him. Otherwise, the king will become uneasy."
"And those palace servants without roots, their lives are like drifting duckweed, only concerned with the present and not with the future."
"So that's why they were already living in constant fear of losing their livelihoods," Yu Mi suddenly realized. "I thought they had just become twisted from serving the nobleman for so long."
"...You're not wrong." When a prodigy falls from grace, it's easy to stir up evil desires in people's hearts, especially those who have lived in a quagmire for a long time.
"In short, given our sensitive status, we should keep our distance from Prince Que Shu in the Imperial Academy and avoid associating with him."
"Why should I befriend him?" Yu Mi looked back at her sister, puzzled.
Yu Jue was speechless upon hearing this. He had thought that two lonely children would easily develop a sense of sympathy and mutual understanding, and that after today's events, they would have crossed paths again. But looking into his sister's pure eyes, Yu Jue felt relieved.
Yes, Ami is different from ordinary children; she never cares about others.
"Lady".
Yu Jue came to her senses and looked up, only to see Yu Mi's personal maid, Hua Zhu, carrying a bamboo basket as she entered the courtyard.
Yu Mi jumped up from the stool, her half-dry hair trailing behind her, and went to the bamboo basket to look at the kitten, which had been cleaned and had regained its fluffy and soft fur. She smiled and reached out to pick it up and rub it a couple of times.
Upon seeing this, Qi Xin couldn't help but sigh, "Even the cats that Fifth Sister used to keep didn't seem to like this. The Marquis has a good eye and chose such a fine one."
Yu Jue smiled and said, "I'm glad A-Mi likes it."
Meanwhile, on the distant border of Anguo, Tao You's caravan was traveling at a leisurely pace, having already reached the foot of Panshi Pass.