Chapter 5: 005 Teaching the Maid a Lesson

Qiange's words were neither heavy nor light, yet they were imbued with an unprecedented majesty; an aura of a superior naturally flowed from her. It startled Huamei so much that she shuddered, hurriedly denying, "No! I didn't! I was just acting out of sudden urgency, wanting to do something for Miss..."

"You dare refer to me in the third person right in front of me, your Second Miss," Qiange's gaze was icy. "Does this mean you're still claiming I've wronged you?"

"No, no, this servant wouldn't dare!" Huamei was so terrified that she knelt on the ground, looking toward Xue Qiandai for help, only to see her mistress staring blankly with a face full of shock.

Xue Qiandai couldn't react in time. How could this be? Shouldn't these two foolish women be questioning her about what "unspeakable difficulties" she had? Why was the reality so different from what she had imagined?

Huamei then looked toward Xue Qianwu: "Eldest Miss, Eldest Miss, please speak for this servant! I did not disrespect the Second Miss, nor did I harbor any malicious intentions..."

"What is your status that you actually dare to command the Eldest Miss!" Qiange rebuked sharply.

Looking at the scene before her, Xue Qianwu had indeed been about to follow Xue Qiandai's previous thought and question Huamei about what was going on, but Qiange had preempted her. Seeing Qiange's stern expression and tone, she couldn't help but feel that something was amiss.

She was naturally a brilliant and clever person; otherwise, she wouldn't have been the most favored woman in the six palaces in her past life. Her current self was merely inexperienced and simple-minded, which did not mean she was stupid. She surmised that Qiange would not lash out without reason, so she hesitated and did not speak up for Huamei.

"Since Second Sister is so angry, how can your younger sister know what to do," Xue Qiandai's expression turned slightly unpleasant. To disrupt her plans and then scold her maid—wasn't this just making things difficult for her? "It is my fault for not teaching my maid well. I will certainly discipline her when we return. Sister holds such a precious status; why bother being serious with a mere servant? If you ruin your health with anger, it will be my fault again."

"Look at what Third Sister is saying," Qiange chuckled softly. "Taking the blame for a servant's mistake and putting it on yourself—those who know will say Third Sister is kind and magnanimous, but those who don't will think Third Sister's maid is ill-mannered and that the mistress must take the fall for her mistakes. You mustn't spoil them like that. Huamei was disrespectful to her mistress, but for Third Sister's sake, I will just punish her by having her serve me my medicine. What do you think, Third Sister?"

Xue Qiandai gritted her teeth secretly. This bitch really thought she was something special today. Fine, you want to punish her servant, do you? A flash of malice crossed Xue Qiandai's eyes.

"Second Sister is too lenient. I feel the punishment is too light; I'll have to discipline her again once we return." Xue Qiandai walked to the table and tested the temperature of the medicine bowl with her hand. "The medicine has gone cold. Huamei, go take it to the kitchen to warm it up, then come back and properly serve Second Sister her medicine."

"Yes, this servant obeys." Huamei hurriedly stood up from the ground, her body swaying unsteadily. She had always lived a life of luxury by Third Miss's side, especially since she was very good at pleasing her and was highly favored. She had never been forced to kneel in punishment like this, and her heart filled with resentment and hatred toward Qiange.

Huamei took the bowl from Xue Qiandai's hand. Her eyes met Xue Qiandai's for a brief moment, she gave a slight nod, and then walked out quickly.

Qiange watched the interaction between the two and smiled. "How could I trouble your maid to run errands?"

"It's no trouble," Xue Qiandai said. "I saw earlier that Eldest Sister brought the medicine in herself. I imagine the servants of Mingyu Pavilion are so busy they don't even have time to carry medicine. It is only right that I ask someone to help."

"Isn't that so," Qiange looked at her and smiled. "Mother showed her care by sending several maids and old women over for me to command, yet I don't see a trace of them all day long. I just don't know if they've gone off somewhere to slack off, or if they've been sent away by someone. For Mother's sake, I cannot hit or scold them, so I can only tolerate them."

Xue Qiandai was choked up. Whether they were slacking off or being sent away by someone, it would ultimately be blamed on their mother; there was no way for her to answer.