Chapter 111 - Thoughtful (2/2)
Her mother looked at her face and sighed, ”How did it become like this?”
Lei Xing smiled, ”It was an accident...Anyway, why are you here?”
Her mother calmed down and then informed her that the Emperor sent her an invite to the palace yesterday evening. Lei Xing frowned and wondered why he would do that. Then her expression fell when a memory of herself hugging a certain someone while crying for home flashed through her mind. Her eyes went wide and her mouth hung open.
{...What was I -?...You know, being sick is like being drunk, it's not me, it's nothing...}
”Xing er', is something wrong?” Her mother asked on the verge of restarting her waterworks when she saw Lei Xing's weird expressions.
Lei Xing put on a smile, ”No, I'm perfectly fine.”
Her mother sighed and stroked Lei Xing's hair, ”The Emperor seems to care a lot for you, that's at least reassuring...It must make you happy.” Her mother finished with a sad, warm smile.
Lei Xing's lips twitched but she gave a half-hearted laugh and nodded to reassure the woman, so she did not start worrying and resume crying.
Lei Xing inwardly sighed.
{...This was thoughtful...Although a tad annoying but still...}
***
Meanwhile, Prince Yi was in the throes of a high fever. Alone in his room, save for the Imperial doctor on the side watching his condition. He was sweating profusely and frowned in discomfort and quietly whispered, ”Mother.” and his frown deepened.
”Your highness, please forgive him, it was an accident.” His mother fervently begged on her knees.
Jun Shan frowned at his mother and tried to pull her up, ”Why are you begging? She was the one who walked into me!”
”Be quiet!” His mother bit out, then turned to the two women in front of her and smiled, ”I'm sorry, children only know a child's way. He didn't mea-”
”Are you insulting me for not having children?” The older of the two women coldly cut her off with a deep scowl on her face.
His mother took a deep breath and immediately kowtowed, ”Not at all! Never! I didn't mean it that way, I ju -” She fell silent, not knowing what else to say. The two sisters in front of her were currently very powerful in the harem. The eldest, Zhong Hua was a Noble consort and the newly appointed Empress's right hand. While the younger one, Zhong Ji was the Emperor's current favorite. And the one who just spoke was Zhong Hua, who was known for her extremely bad temper.
”Even if you didn't mean it, that's what I heard. Servants, of course, need to be taught how to behave...” Zhong Hua then ordered her maid to flog her. The maid quickly obediently went to break off a branch from a nearby tree.
Zhong Ji knit her brows, ”Jie, why don't you just let it go? In any case, he is still a Prin-”
”Shut up!” Zhong Hua barked, then sneered, ”In any case, useless will always useless...” Zhong Ji sighed and remained silent.
The maid began the flogging, while another servant held the struggling Jun Shan so he did not get in the way, he eventually broke free and ran to his mother. The maid stopped feeling a bit apprehensive of flogging a Prince, when Zhong Hua barked to continue, the maid quickly obeyed.
”Stop!” They turned to see the little Fourth Prince, Jun Kai trotting to the scene with a deep frown. Jun Kai stopped next to Jun Shan and his mother and flatly asked, ”What's the meaning of this?”
Zhong Hua frowned but then quickly corrected her expression to a smile, ”It's nothing for you to worry about, Fourth prince...You should hurry along. If you are late for your lessons, the Empress will be upset with you.” She dismissively said and then turned to the maid and said, ”Continue.”
The maid complied but as she brought down the stick, Jun Kai caught it and snapped it into two, which caused his hand to bleed when one of the ends dug into his skin. He was unfazed and calmly said, ”I said to stop.”
Zhong Hua panicked and shoved the maid to the ground then bent down to check on his hand, ”You're bleeding!” The fourth prince was now considered the second Empress's son, not to mention the Emperor apparently cared about him a lot. He was really not someone to offend.
Jun Kai withdrew his hand from hers, ”Don't touch me.”
Zhong Hua frowned and then turned her anger towards the maid who was kowtowing, pleading that she did not mean to harm the Prince.
Jun Kai ignored them and turned to Jun Shan and his mother, managed a small smile and said, ”You should leave.”
Jun Shan worriedly looked at his bleeding hand and wanted to say something, but his mother bowed and quickly dragged him off. Jun Shan glanced back to see Zhong Hua and the others too busy fawning over Jun Kai's injury to even notice the mother and son pair, covered with marks, leaving the scene.