"Let's not go to the Viewing Plum Pavilion just yet, it's quite crowded right now. I'll take you two to another place," said Feng Zhenzhen, leading Li Xia and Li Xin towards a corner of the Plum Garden.
As they walked around a man-made hill, they found a single blooming plum tree in this area. The flowers on the tree were not the usual pink, white, or red, but a unique pale green. Li Xia, delighted to see green in winter, couldn't help but approach and touch the petals. The icy cool petals brought a smile to Li Xia's face.
Seeing Li Xia's smile, Feng Zhenzhen was spellbound, at a loss for words to describe the beautiful person and scenery before her eyes. As Li Xia reveled in her joy, Li Xin watched quietly from the side. This beautiful scene was abruptly shattered by a discordant voice.
"Xiaoyu, cut a few branches of the green plum blossoms to put in a vase back home," Feng Zhenzhen heard a domineering voice and couldn't help but frown. She had avoided taking Li Xin and Li Xia to the Viewing Plum Pavilion just to avoid this person. The fact that they had run into each other here was truly unfortunate.
A palace maid in traditional attire stepped forward with scissors to cut the plum branches. Feng Zhenzhen stepped forward to stop her. "Princess, the plum blossoms in the Plum Garden cannot be arbitrarily pruned."
"Feng Zhenzhen, you dare to stop me?" Princess Yunxia threatened.
"Since the time of my grandfather, the rules of this Plum Garden have been clear. Apart from regular pruning, no one is allowed to arbitrarily cut branches," Feng Zhenzhen responded clearly, implying that even the princess was not exempted.
"Don't scare me with Grand Preceptor Feng, I'm not afraid of you," retorted Princess Yunxia. She waved her hand, signaling the people behind her to cut the branches as well.
The maids next to Feng Zhenzhen also stepped forward to stop them. Pushing the palace maid in front of her, Feng Zhenzhen shouted, "Stop! No one is allowed to cut."
"As long as I am here, cut it," Princess Yunxia commanded, lifting her chin slightly.
With only two maids by her side, Feng Zhenzhen could not stop so many people. Li Xin and Li Xia exchanged glances, then stepped forward to help Feng Zhenzhen prevent the maids and eunuchs from cutting the plum branches.
Qiu Chan and Li Yu, both skilled in martial arts, were more than a match for these palace maids. However, they couldn't resort to violence. For a moment, the situation was at an impasse.
Princess Yunxia's face grew increasingly dark, especially when she saw Li Xia's beautiful face, wishing she could stab it with the scissors in her hand. There was nothing she hated more than someone more beautiful than her.
"What's going on here?" a clear voice broke the deadlock.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Princess Yunxia's face showed surprise, then delight as she complained, "Brother Crown Prince, I'm being bullied."
The Crown Prince was followed by Cao Fugui and Li Hui.
Cao Fugui had specifically brought Li Hui to meet the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince, in turn, had been eager to meet the man who had saved his sister. Upon meeting Li Hui, the Crown Prince did not put on airs and asked about Li Hui's studies in a friendly manner.
Li Hui answered sensibly, admitting what he didn't know. The Crown Prince thought highly of him, calling him a promising young man.
Being praised by the Crown Prince, Li Hui was overjoyed, but showed even more respect on his face. Noticing Qiu Chan coming over, he became anxious, worrying about Li Xin and Li Xia.
Just as he was thinking of an excuse to leave, he heard Cao Fugui say, "Cousin, looking at red plums every year is boring. Let me take you to see the green plum blossoms."
Noticing the subtle movements of the few, the Crown Prince glanced at Cao Fugui, offering no rebuttal. Cao Fugui led the group toward a corner of the Plum Garden. As they neared, they heard a somewhat shrill voice from Princess Yunxia, "Feng Zhenzhen, you dare harm the people of this Princess."
Cao Fugui was anxious, fearing that the two Misses from the Li family have been bullied by Princess Yunxia. Li Hui, following behind, was also worried, clenching his fists to control his impulse.
The Crown Prince also frowned upon hearing Princess Yunxia's voice. He was not fond of this cousin of his. As they approached, they saw several maids and eunuchs with scissors ready to cut the plum branches, and a few others trying to stop them empty-handed. Scissors could be dangerous weapons; it wouldn't be good if someone got hurt.
"The Crown Prince is here, everyone stop!" Cao Fugui shouted. Everyone on the scene stopped their actions. Li Xia pulled Li Xin back two steps away from the scissors.
The Crown Prince looked at the tear-streaked Princess Yunxia, "Who has bullied you?"
"It's them," Princess Yunxia did not point to Feng Zhenzhen, but to the Li sisters.
"Your Highness, it was my daughter who did not allow the Princess to cut the green plums. It has nothing to do with the Li sisters," Feng Zhenzhen quickly stepped forward to shield Li Xin and Li Xia.
But she was petite and could not completely shield the two. The Crown Prince raised his eyes and saw Li Xin and Li Xia. Especially when he saw Li Xia, and then at Yunxia, he knew that this girl with a petty mind was acting up again.
"She hurt my maidservant, it’s not about cutting green plums," One of them was pushed onto another during the scuffle earlier. The one holding the scissors had her hand cut.
"Injuries are inevitable in a scuffle. If you hadn't wanted to cut the plum branches, none of this would have happened," Feng Zhenzhen expressed her disdain for Princess Yunxia's blame-shifting.
"It's very normal for injuries to occur on the battlefield," Cao Fugui nodded furiously on the side, indicating his stance.
"I don't care, she hurt my people, it's like slapping me in the face. Crown Prince, you must avenge me," Princess Yunxia was adamant. She was a Princess, and hurting her people was like slapping her in the face.
"And how would you like me to avenge you?" The Crown Prince asked Yunxia.
Seeing the Crown Prince siding with her, Yunxia smugly looked at Li Xia. This wench dared to be more beautiful than her, "I want to cut her the same way."
Li Xin wanted to step forward, but Li Xia was one step ahead, "My servant injured the Princess’s maidservant, and should be punished. However, she was acting on my orders. I, as her master, should take the punishment for her." Saying this, Li Xia snatched the scissors from a palace maid, turned it around in her palm with the sharp edge down, and cut across her left hand. Blood flowed out instantly, and the faint-hearted couldn’t help but cry out and step back.
Li Xia's expression didn't change. Instead, she raised her hand to show the wound to Princess Yunxia, "I wonder if this appeases the Princess."
This made Yunxia somewhat afraid, taking a step back, then reacting with anger, "How dare you..."
"That's enough, Yunxia." The Crown Prince's tone was indifferent, but Yunxia knew that he was displeased.
Yunxia was seething inside, but Li Xia's preemptive move left her with nothing to say. She shot Li Xia a look that said 'I’ll deal with you later' and turned to leave. The palace maids and eunuchs by her side also quickly followed.
Ignoring everything else, Li Hui and Li Xin quickly came to Li Xia's side.
With red-rimmed eyes, Li Xin felt an aching sympathy for Li Xia, indignant at Princess Yunxia's excessive bullying, and even more furious at herself for not protecting Li Xia and for not acting sooner to prevent her from getting hurt.
"It's not painful, I'm fine," Li Xia reassured, even attempting to move her hand.
"Don't move," Li Xin said hoarsely, using a handkerchief to bandage the wound.
"I'm sorry, it's all because of me that you got hurt, Xia," Feng Zhenzhen blamed herself.
"Feng Zhenzhen, don't say that. This has nothing to do with you," Li Xia defended. Seeing Princess Yunxia's gaze, Li Xia knew that she was the real target of the princess.
