Chapter 78 Punishment

  Sheng had originally agreed with Han Xiang that she would come over in the afternoon when she was free, and teach her the ten characters that she hadn't had time to teach last time.

  Let me calculate it, the words on that textbook have been taught already.

  However, it's still easy to find this book in the East Palace. Chao Sheng plans to ask Xiao Shun to get a copy of "Three Character Classic" or "Book of Songs" for her, and continue teaching - while also familiarizing herself with traditional Chinese characters.

  She waited for a while, unknowingly feeling drowsy, leaned against the wall and dozed off. After an unknown period of time, the needlework basket on her knees slipped to the ground with a loud thud, startling her awake from her light sleep.

  Has Huan Xiang arrived yet?

  Chao Sheng pushed open the door and took a look at the sky, then called over Shanhu to instruct her, and came this way towards Songtao Pavilion.

  Before entering the Songtao Pavilion, a little palace maid named Yao Cui saw her and waved her hand. Chao Sheng's heart tightened, looked at her for a moment, and walked to a place not far from the door. Yao Cui glanced over and ran over in a hurry: "Chao Sheng sister, are you looking for Han Xun?"

  Chao Sheng felt somewhat uneasy: "What's wrong with her?"

  "She broke something and was slapped twenty times on the mouth, now she's still kneeling in punishment."

  Tidal birth astonished: "Is... Your Highness punishing her?"

  Yao Cui licked her lips and whispered, "It was Song Chan's punishment, the prince returned and said he wasn't feeling well, he slept and hasn't woken up yet." Yao Cui sized up her expression: "Chao Sheng sister, why don't you... come back another day?"

  Is she still kneeling?

  Yao Cui nodded.

  Chao Sheng took a deep breath: "I'll go find Song Can."

  Yao Cui was startled: "Don't go, Chao Sheng Jie, Song Chan Jiejie had a huge temper today, and we all tried to mediate, but it didn't work. If you go like this... don't quarrel with her."

  "Don't worry, I won't quarrel with her."

  "Don't say I said that."

  Chao Sheng nodded slightly and forced a smile: "I know, don't worry."

  Chao Sheng walked in the door and immediately saw Han Xun kneeling under the corridor. The spring breeze was cool and crisp, she knelt there with her head down, Chao Sheng walked to her side and stopped for a moment.

  Han Xun seemed to have sensed something and slowly lifted her head up.

  Chao Sheng saw her face and then knew why she had been keeping her head down.

  Xun's face was red and swollen, puffed up high, the whole face had changed shape. It can be seen that the person who hit him was so cruel, the corner of his mouth was also broken, extremely disheveled.

  Han Xun was startled and just wanted to say something, but turned her head back to look around, didn't see anyone, then lowered her voice and said: "How did you get here?"

  "I've come to find you." Chao Sheng asked her: "Does it hurt?"

  Her lips twitched slightly at the corner of her mouth, possibly wanting to smile at her, but with this movement, her eyebrows furrowed first.

  "It's nothing, it doesn't hurt. I'm fine, you can go back now...I'll come see you the day after tomorrow."

  The anger in his heart slowly rose up.

  "What did you break?"

  "The tea tray and teacup, the water was too hot, I lost my grip..."

  Chao Sheng did not believe that Han Xun would make such a mistake, she had always been steady.

  "How could it be broken?"

  Han Xiang spoke hesitantly and vaguely: "It's just that I lost control... You'd better leave quickly."

  Chao Sheng turned around and walked in the opposite direction, but Han Xiang quickly got up and grabbed her arm.

  "Where are you going?"

  "I'm going to look for Song Can."

  "Han Xun suddenly said: 'You... how could you be so muddled? I did something wrong and it's only right that I should be punished.'"

  "Did you really do something wrong?"

  Han Xun nodded vigorously: "It was indeed me who broke it, and Sister Songcui punishing me is nothing. I've almost finished my kneeling punishment, why bother offending people for me? We're not in the right anyway."

  "Is she in the right?"

  Breaking things is at most a matter of deducting monthly salary, kneeling in punishment, and slapping the mouth - it's not something that a single palace maid like Song Can can decide.

  Even if the senior palace maid privately bullies the junior palace maid, it's a given, but Huan Xun is now considered to have some dignity, and Song Can saying "hit her" like that is really too much.

  Kneeling for too long made his legs numb and disobedient, and as he spoke, his two legs trembled like sieves.

  Yi Chao Sheng thought that this thing about breaking things might have some ulterior motive. And Song Chan took the opportunity to severely punish Han Xiang...

  "Wow, Chao Sheng has arrived?"

  Song Chan stood on the other side of the corridor, smiling and saying: "Looking for me? Why not come in?" Her eyes swept over Han Xun: "Have you knelt long enough?"

  "Han Xiang said: 'No...' She fell heavily to her knees again with a thud."

  The tide was born and felt a mouthful of stagnant air stuck in his chest, unable to spit it out or swallow it.

  Song Chan walked over, lowering her voice: "Your Highness is not feeling well today and is still sleeping. If you all speak loudly here, who will take responsibility for disturbing him? Chao Sheng, if you're looking for me, let's talk in the back. If you're looking for Han Xiang... " She coldly smiled: "Then please come another day."

  Han Xun also said: "Chao Sheng, you'd better leave quickly..."

  Her eyes were full of pleading expression, standing straight up, her feet seemed nailed to the ground and couldn't move.

  She had also been bullied by the senior palace maid, and in the past, Qingjing had found fault with her at the Yanxia Palace. When she arrived at the Huanyi Lane, she was also given a hard time by others. At the Huaye Residence, Chunmo had also targeted her before.

  But when it comes to herself, she can endure it.

  Watching Xiangyun being penalized, she really...

  Who doesn't know Song Can's mind? She has a tight grip on the Songtao Pavilion, and if the Second Prince says an extra word to any palace maid, she will think of ways to intimidate and subdue them. But Hanyun has always been honest and not one to compete for favor, yet today she also encountered such a situation.

  "Hurry up and leave, I don't need you to bother with my affairs"

  Song Can snorted from her nose: "Did you hear that? This is our Songtao Pavilion's business, what does it have to do with you..."

  Yao Cui and another little palace maid came over, hesitated for a moment, then came over to pull Chao Sheng with force: "Sister Chao Sheng, you can go back now."

  The tide was born and didn't know what happened to himself.

  She has always been good at enduring.

  Because the rules of this world are completely different from her original world. She must make herself accept everything here, including the unfairness here, including her humble status -

  Are you still wanting self-respect when you're already a slave?

  Her face was burning hot, but her hands and feet were icy cold.

  Yao Cui and the others dragged Chao Sheng out of the door, Yao Cui hastily asked: "Hey, Chao Sheng sister, what's wrong with you today? Why did you get into a fight with that person?"

  Chao Sheng felt she couldn't speak up, and as soon as she did, her tears were about to fall.

  "You'd better go back quickly, it's not good if someone sees you."

  Yao Cui and the others did not dare to stay any longer, and hastily went back inside.

  Chao Sheng didn't even know how he got back home. He wanted to push the door open and enter the house, but his hands were shaking so hard that he couldn't muster up any strength at all.

  She slowly sat down at the edge of the door, staring blankly at a spot on the railing where paint had fallen off.

  She can't do anything.

  Even if she quarrels with Song Can, it won't help Han Xun, but will only make her situation worse.

  Chao Sheng was stunned for a moment and then rubbed his face hard.

  She didn't have time to be distracted, and there were many things to do.

  Auntie Li quickly noticed that Chao Sheng's heart was not in it and his movements were noticeably slower.

  "What's on your mind?"

  Chao Sheng lowered his head.

  "Don't play dumb with me, just say what you want."

  "I'm worried about Han Xun..." Chao Sheng and Han Xun's friendship was known to Aunt Li: "Just now I went to look for her, saw her being punished by Song Can, kneeling down and slapped twenty times, her face swollen so badly it can't be looked at... don't know how she is now..."

  Auntie Li snorted: "What a waste of time, what's the big deal? Is it worth your while to be so anxious? Kneeling as punishment won't kill you."

  Chao Sheng raised his head: "But Aunt..."

  "Come on, don't be like this, can't bear a little hardship?" Aunt Li gave her a bowl of filling: "Mix it evenly, use it to make dumplings."

  Chao Sheng stirred the sauce while listening to Li Aunt's words.

  "Don't think too much," said Li Gu. "Song Can is not what she used to be. In the past, if someone caught her eye, she would make sure that person was ruined and never able to get back up again. But now, the Second Prince is not like he used to be either. You don't know, but when the Second Prince was younger, he didn't understand things well, and his temper was terrible. Song Can would just need to provoke him a little, and he would fly into a rage. There were eunuchs who were beaten to death, and palace maids who were crippled. Look at how things have been for the past year or two?"

  "There were also beatings..." But it's not that serious anymore.

  There isn't anyone who was beaten to death... and it seems like there isn't anyone who was left disabled either.

  "So, the second prince has grown up and his temper is better than before. He won't get angry as easily as he used to. He also has his own judgment and knows who to value. Of course, he won't change his mind just because of Song Chan's two sentences. This way, Song Chan's trick of using someone else to kill won't work that well. Besides, this girl Huan Xun... looks steady, pleasant to look at, and speaks comfortably. The better she appears, the more uncomfortable Song Chan will feel. I'm telling you, don't just listen, take action!"

  Chao Sheng hurriedly added fuel to the fire: "So the Second Prince's previous reputation... and Song Can was also involved in stirring up trouble?"

  Aunt Li said, "Hmph, at that time the prince was young and easy to bully. Now it's not the same. Song Can can't do anything to Huan Xiang anymore, at most she can just find fault with her in daily life. I think after this incident, Huan Xiang should have learned a lesson, and next time Song Can finds fault with her, it won't be so easy - besides, the second prince is going to get married soon and then move out. Heh, by that time, who knows who will be in charge?"

  Really.

  Li Aunt didn't mention it, and Chao Sheng hadn't thought of it either

  The day of the second prince's marriage is not far off.

  I had thought about it before, but always felt that the time was still early.

  But now that I mention it, there aren't many days left

  The second prince is getting married and moving out of the East Palace... Is Huan Xiang going to follow him too?

  It should work.

  The second prince now lives in Songtao Pavilion, but it's just one courtyard, and everyone is crowded. But after going out, it's a big house, and this little bit of people can't fill it up at all.

  I'm afraid the people serving now are going to be taken away, after all, they are familiar and convenient to use. Then the inner servant supervisor will reassign personnel, and the new bride who comes over must still have accompanying servants...

  Got it, in the future there will be more complexity and difficulty.

  So many people from different factions are mixed together, everyone wants to show their face in front of the master, mix a good position, grab more power...

  Auntie Li was right, who knows who will have the final say. That's what they call a lively and thriving scene with a hundred schools of thought contending.

  Can I pay with Alipay?

  "Auntie Li praised her, saying: 'Hmm, this dough is just right, knead it smoothly, don't scatter it, or when you come back to make the meatballs, they won't have any chew. You're worried about her, but why not think about our own affairs instead?'"

  "We..."

  Trouble again?

  Auntie Li looked at the water in the pot, which slowly started to move and churn, splashing water droplets: "We don't have to worry too much, the Fourth Prince is a man who knows his own mind..."

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  Ouch!

  I heard that the cold air will gradually move southward, everyone be careful not to catch a cold. My big orange (daughter) has caught a cold and is dragging two little noses~ This weather is strangely cold.