Chapter Ten: The Back View of the King

  Chrysanthemum sighed: "The queen naturally doesn't want Butterfly Concubine to be so arrogant, but what can she do? Now the king dotes on Butterfly Concubine, and the queen isn't someone who would resort to sinister plots. She can only suffer in her heart, with no one to confide in."

  Xue Lengyu nodded, the queen of the Cold Palace was indeed quite pitiful.

  "Right." Xue Lengyu said: "What's our king's name?"

  Chrysanthemum was taken aback: "You don't even know our king's name?"

  Xue Lengyu shook her head: "I knew everyone would call him Wang Ye."

  "That's the king's name." Chrysanthemum said: "The king's surname is naturally the national surname."

  Xue Lengyu nodded, somewhat perplexed. What surname is the national surname? Xue Lengyu didn't dare ask this question again, or else she would have to treat Ju'er like a fool.

  Chrysanthemum smiled and said: "The princess just praised you as a clever and clever girl, how did you become so stupid in this matter."

  Xue Lengyu smiled awkwardly: "Then what is the queen's background? Is she close with the king?"

  "It was good in the past." Chrysanthemum said with some sadness: "When the princess first married into the mansion, she and the king were in perfect harmony, facing each other every morning and evening. It was truly enviable. But our princess, being a young lady from a large family, would sometimes inevitably show her temper. As time passed, there were bound to be some awkwardness between them. The king, in a fit of anger, took in a famous concubine. This time the princess got even angrier, and things escalated until they barely saw each other now."

  "Didn't the princess feel sad?" Xue Lengyu said.

  "What's the use of being sad?" Chui'er sighed again: "Now the king doesn't even want to see the queen's face, and the queen is also a bit self-abandoned. We, as servants, are anxious in our hearts, but what can we do to help the queen share her worries?"

  "That's also true." Xue Lengyu said: "Matters between husband and wife, outsiders can't intervene. Let alone the feelings of Prince Wang and Princess Wang, what can we say?"

  "This is not the most hateful thing." Chrysanthemum said: "The king having three wives and four concubines is normal in itself, and it won't affect the queen's status. The most hateful one is that Butterfly Concubine, ah, never mind, anyway, if there's a chance, try to help the queen as much as possible."

  "What can I do to help the princess?" Xue Lengyu smiled self-deprecatingly: "We're already doing well if we can just avoid making mistakes ourselves."

  Chrysanthemum also smiled and stopped talking. She followed to find Butler Wang, carefully instructing him in this way, then returned with Xue Lengyu to the Princess's courtyard.

  "Let me take you around the mansion." Chrysanthemum said: "It's better to be prepared for next time, you don't even know the way."

  "Alright." Xue Lengyu was delighted: "Let me also see what a wealthy and noble family is like."

  She really doesn't understand anything. Chrysanthemum also smiled and led Xue Lengyu to walk while talking about the trivial matters between the concubines in the palace, how the queen got along with them and so on. Xue Lengyu didn't refute, but listened with a smile.

  As they approached the Wang Fei's residence, they saw someone walking towards them from a distance. Ju Hua quickly pulled Xue Leng Yu to stand aside with his hands hanging down, and whispered: "The Prince and Die Fei are coming, stand still and don't speak."

  "En." Xue Lengyu responded with a single grunt.

  The footsteps came from afar and drew near, walked up to the front, then went far away again, and Ju Hua finally lifted her head.

  Xue Lengyu tiptoed and looked in the direction where the figure had disappeared, but only saw a group of backs.

  "Never mind, you'll have plenty of chances to see Master Wang."

  "Really." Xue Lengyu said: "Actually I'm just curious, haven't seen a celebrity before. By the way, is Prince Wang handsome?"

  "Of course he's handsome." Chrysanthemum smiled and said, "Our prince is young and tall, handsome and elegant. I don't know how many girls have fallen for him."

  Xue Lengyu smiled and wondered why every time she met a handsome guy for the first time, all she saw was his shadow.

  Returned to the Spring Garden, Ju Xiang led Xue Leng Yu to report back to Wang Fei.

  After entering the house and exchanging greetings, the queen asked, "Is everything settled?"

  "It's all settled." Chrysanthemum said: "I've already told Manager Wang the content and style, and he said he would immediately go ask the master craftsman to make the signboard. They will rush work on it, and by this afternoon, the signboard can be done."

  "Very good." The princess said: "After the plaque is replaced, this courtyard will be officially renamed Yu Chun Garden. Leng Yu, I like this name very much."

  The princess said, taking a silver ingot from Mei'er's hand: "This is a reward for you."

  "'I don't dare want it.' Xue Lengyu hastily said: 'This is all something Lengyu should do.'"

  "There's nothing I wouldn't dare to want." The queen smiled and said, "I think if it should be given, then it should be given. As I said, whatever you do, as long as it benefits me, I will never treat you unfairly."

  "Yes." Chrysanthemum ran over, took the silver from the queen's hand, and smiled as she stuffed it into Xue Lengyu's hands: "The queen gave it to you, just take it. As long as you remember in the future, no matter what happens, just keep the queen in your heart."

  "The slave knows." Xue Lengyu said: "Your Majesty, can I give this silver to my father?"

  The princess smiled and said: "You are indeed a filial maid, the things I reward you with are yours, you can naturally dispose of them as you please."

  "Thank you, Niangniang," Xue Lengyu also said.

  It's true that a dead camel is bigger than a horse. This fallen queen, with just one move, wouldn't know how long it would take for her whole family to make enough money.

  The princess saw Xue Lengyu was really happy, and she smiled sincerely: "I still say the same thing, as long as you always have me in your heart, I will not treat you unfairly. Your family will also live a good life."

  Xue Lengyu stood with her hands down, thanking him verbally, but her heart was racing. No work no pay, although she took the money happily, she wouldn't be foolish enough to think that free lunch really exists, and especially not from the princess's pocket. But this money couldn't be pushed away either, so for now, regardless of what the princess wanted her to do, she would just take it first and play it by ear later.

  The princess smiled: "It's getting late, let's have lunch. There are no outsiders today, you don't need to stand up, sit down with me at the same table and make it lively."

  It seems that Mei, Lan, Zhu and Ju are often in cahoots with the princess. Upon hearing her words, they didn't show any surprise, but merely nodded and went off to spread the word, leaving Xue Lengyu standing alone, unsure of what to do next.

  Standing was not an option, Xue Lengyu could only walk to the side of Ju'er, who she thought was the easiest to talk to: "Ju'er, what can I do?"

  "Who?" Chrysanthemum thought for a moment: "Actually, we just need to pass on the message, there's really nothing else to do. If you're bored, why not take a look at the flowers in the courtyard?"

  Is this a good thing? Serving as a maid in someone else's house, receiving money and rewards. Xue Lengyu muttered to herself, but said aloud: "How can that be good?"

  "What's the big deal?" Chrysanthemum said: "The queen values this courtyard's flowers the most, you'd better get familiar with them."

  "Oh." Xue Lengyu felt a bit silly, thinking that after becoming a maid in the Wang Fu, she would be washing clothes and cooking non-stop every day. Who knew now it was just admiring flowers and reciting poetry, her heart still not at ease.

  Tonight is still one more shift on this weekend