"Yes, yes, I also heard that Miss Luo was seriously injured by Miss Luo before, which is why she hasn't been able to come out. Even the annual talent competition that will be held in a few days, the second young lady refused the invitation. It must be because of her injuries that she is unable to participate. It's such a pity. If it weren't for the second young lady's injuries this year, the number one talented woman in our Mu Dynasty would definitely still be the second young lady Luo! This second young lady has been the number one talented woman since she was a child."
"Indeed, the second young lady is beautiful and intelligent, talented in both literature and dance. Such a gifted person, it's a pity she was born into such a family. I don't know who the jinx is. Besides attracting fire and men, what else can she do? She's ruined such a good young lady. Besides, the second young lady has won the title of the most talented woman for several consecutive years, hasn't she?" the person asked in confusion.
"It's the ninth time!" The old woman who had mocked the maid glanced at Luo Zhiheng with a sarcastic look, then raised her voice slightly and said, "If the second young lady could also participate this time, she would definitely be the tenth consecutive winner. What an honor that would be! She would truly deserve the title of the number one talented woman! It's a pity that she ruined such a good opportunity and achievement because of her own sister."
Another person sighed, and then said with a sigh, "But it can be said that God has eyes. Although the Second Miss lost this marriage, God actually let the Second Miss escape this calamity..." She paused for a moment. This calamity naturally refers to the disaster that Mu Yunhe would not live past the age of twenty. The implication is that Luo Ningshuang is lucky. Although she was harmed at the critical moment, she was able to avoid living as a widow.
Those who heard this all paled. This was outrageous! Where did these three lunatics come from? How dare they utter such presumptuous words in front of the young prince's courtyard? Besides, weren't they subtly mocking the unlucky one—who was actually Luo Zhiheng?
Yes, Luo Zhiheng could have peacefully waited to marry into a good family, but because of her willfulness, she stepped into a grave. Right now, only one foot is in that grave; in a few days, she'll be lying there completely. It's obvious whose fate is unfortunate!
The servants in the courtyard were furious, but they dared not speak, for Luo Zhiheng was sitting there. At that moment, everyone would secretly glance at Luo Zhiheng, fearing that she might suddenly erupt in anger and cause trouble, lest they suffer the consequences. 11.
But Luo Zhiheng's expression stunned everyone. She was sitting there with one foot on the chair, her hand on her knee, her chin resting on her hand, her big eyes blinking, looking completely absorbed as if she were listening to a very interesting and vivid drama, rather than listening to this group of people belittling her.
Her reaction was too strange; she didn't seem angry at all, which was completely inconsistent with the legendary Luo Zhiheng, who was said to be capable of endless lust and cruelty. The three old women suddenly felt uneasy and were somewhat wary of Luo Zhiheng, who was smiling and whose emotions were impossible to discern.
Despite their fear, they had to continue, otherwise both sides would suffer a terrible fate. So the first old woman sighed, "That makes sense. Heaven has eyes. Although the second young lady suffered a loss, her dowry should all belong to her. The eldest young lady stole someone else's destiny and married into the royal family in their place, so naturally she should accept the second young lady's dowry. As for the eldest young lady's dowry, it rightfully belongs to the second young lady."
At this point, the group seemed to have just finished their discussion. They all straightened up and, as if nothing had happened, smiled ingratiatingly at Luo Zhiheng, saying, "Oh, good morning, Miss. We're here to pay our respects to you."
Luo Zhiheng looked at them with a smile and waved her hand warmly, saying, "No need for greetings. Tell me everything you know. It's so funny. I've never heard such a good joke in my life. Come on, keep going. Don't stop listening, or I'll get angry."
The three men froze, completely unsure how to respond to Luo Zhiheng. Luo Zhiheng's attitude and reaction were entirely different from anything the two men had described to them. What was going on?
The maid who had been holding Luo Zhiheng's hand could no longer hold back her tears and shouted, "Don't talk nonsense! That woman is no good, not at all! She's a bad person, she's the one who's harming my young lady!"
The three old women's eyes lit up. Luo Zhiheng wasn't taking the bait, but there was this naive girl who would be perfect for them to use to set a trap: "Heh! Girl, can you stop joking? Who in our Mu Dynasty doesn't know about the Luo family's two beautiful sisters? You're talking nonsense in broad daylight, be careful you don't run into ghosts at night."
The others burst into laughter, and Luo Zhiheng joined in, saying, "That's very well said. Someone, please invite these old women into our room. They've been here since early morning, telling me stories for half the day. I've had a wonderful time listening to them. How can I not treat them well after all the laughter they've given me today?"
She stood up, and as she waved her slender arm in the rising sunlight, she exuded an aura of commanding thousands of troops, leaving onlookers stunned and unable to react for a moment.
The girl screamed and pounced on them almost immediately. The three old women didn't even have time to run away before the girl pinned down two of them. The third one tried to run away, but was also restrained by the two burly old women guarding the gate.
Luo Zhiheng stood on the stone steps, her voice cheerful and gentle: "Be gentle, be gentle, don't break them, otherwise someone will ask me for them, where am I going to find such foul-mouthed and low-class slaves?"
Upon hearing Luo Zhiheng's words, the three old women were immediately terrified. These were no kind words; even though Luo Zhiheng was gentle, her words sounded like daggers in front of so many people. The three old women immediately started shouting and wailing, "Miss Luo, what are you doing? We old women haven't offended you, have we? What are you going to do with us?"
"Heavens! Is there no justice in this world? We were just delivering vegetables to the Prince's mansion, and we greeted a maid we knew before. Why are we being arrested and threatened with death?" Another old woman immediately burst into tears.
"Good heavens, look at us! How did we end up with someone like Miss Luo? We really meant no harm! Please, someone kind enough to save us! We'd be eternally grateful!" Sister Xu was frantic.
The three of them screamed and cried, sounding utterly miserable as if Luo Zhiheng had done something to them. They were so perfectly in sync, insisting that Luo Zhiheng had made things difficult for them and was going to kill them. It was as if… they had planned it all beforehand.
That's interesting, isn't it?
Luo Zhiheng narrowed her large eyes, like a cat, using a lazy posture to conceal the deep aggression and defensiveness, as well as shrewd wisdom, in them.
"What are you all standing there for? These three are crying like this, it's so pitiful. Quickly help them inside. I, the Princess Consort, will personally serve them tea and apologize for my failure to keep my servants in check, which frightened them." Luo Zhiheng was still smiling, but even in the sunlight, her charming smile was a chilling coldness that the fiery light could not penetrate!
Since someone is trying to scheme against her and cause her trouble, she'll accept the challenge. No matter who's behind it, she'll play along to the end.
The bloodthirsty instinct within Luo Zhiheng had been dormant, but today, it seemed poised to awaken. She licked her lips, eager to know who was behind today's events. She wanted a final showdown; she wondered what kind of opponent they were, whether they were strong enough for her to... kill with two blows!
The maid led the person to a room, tied them up, and gagged them before coming out angrily. She questioned him with some resentment, "Master, they slandered you like that and even spoke well of that jinx. Why didn't you let me teach them a lesson?"
Luo Zhiheng chuckled and patted the girl's head, asking, "Do you know what they do?"
The maid immediately replied, "They're the vegetable deliverymen. They used to deliver vegetables to General Na's mansion, so they know you."
Pouring herself a cup of tea, Luo Zhiheng, fully aware of the conspiracy and scheming, calmly said as if she knew the whole situation was under control, "Silly girl, don't you find it strange? They were delivering vegetables. Is the Prince's mansion a place where delivery people can just walk around? How could they just 'coincidentally' pass by our courtyard and happen to have an argument with you?"
The girl was confused for a moment, then her eyes widened...
Second update! Hehe, 10,000 words updated today! Leaders, darlings, and everyone, I'm begging for recommendations and comments! Love you all! *kiss*
104 Seven Bowls! A vicious conspiracy! An arrogant declaration of war!
Updated: 2013-06-15 09:08:21 Word Count: 7827
Seeing the girl's wide eyes, Luo Zhiheng felt relieved; it seemed the girl wasn't so stupid after all. But the girl innocently replied, "I don't know."
puff!
Luo Zhiheng spat out her tea. This answer didn't match what she expected. Was the girl really that stupid? Then why was she so angry at Luo Ningshuang, that hypocrite? The girl was just too straightforward and didn't know how to be cunning or flexible. Luo Zhiheng had already understood the girl's temperament through their brief interaction.
Honest, straightforward, and loyal, but also easily angered because of his lack of cunning.
Just like before, if it were someone with a discerning eye, they would never be so foolish as to start arguing with that group and speaking ill of their second young lady. The girl didn't say those things out of malice; it was just because she was too naive and didn't know how to hide her true feelings or be hypocritical. She only wanted to protect Luo Zhiheng. But it also shows that the girl isn't a fool. At the very least, this honest and straightforward girl knows that Luo Ningshuang is not a good person.
Therefore, even though Luo Zhiheng knew that summarizing the maid's bad behavior had already caused her trouble, she still didn't scold the maid in person. Luo Zhiheng believed that reputation was important, and avoiding trouble was a good thing, but none of these things were as important as the heart of someone who truly cared for her and was wholeheartedly protecting her. She couldn't let the person who was good to her feel disheartened.
Since ancient times, the human heart has been the hardest thing to win over!
"Girl, can you tell me why you reject Luo Ningshuang so much?" Luo Zhiheng decided to try to persuade her gently.
The maid frowned, her apple-shaped face showing barely concealed sadness and anger: "Because she always bullies Miss. She sends people to find Miss, and after Miss goes there, she gets sick or falls down, there's always something wrong, and then rumors start circulating from her courtyard that Miss is hurting her. She's so wicked! She's clearly lying. Every time Miss goes there, although she scolds her and makes her cry, she never hits her. Miss, you tell me, even I can see through something so simple. Aren't those who believe her even dumber than me?"
Luo Zhiheng rubbed her forehead. Good heavens, this day really is a naive little white rabbit. Hearing her say that, then Luo Ningshuang's tears every time she was scolded were probably fake, right? Since you can see that Luo Ningshuang's injuries and illnesses are fake, how come you can't see that Luo Ningshuang's tears are also crocodile tears?
But she still smiled and praised gently, "Yes, those people are all idiots, the girl is very smart. So, is there anything else? What else do you dislike about her?"
Upon hearing Luo Zhiheng praise her, the maid immediately became excited. Her apple-shaped face turned increasingly red, as if she were ripe. Her clumsy tongue became nimble: "Miss, you have never praised me for being smart before. You always called me a fool, a complete fool who is good at nothing but ruining everything."
Success is never enough, but failure is always plentiful...
Luo Zhiheng almost burst out laughing. Was the old Luo Zhiheng too silly, or was the girl in front of her too stupid? How did this classic line become such a terrible mess? How could these two idiots face their ancestors!
Luo Zhiheng wiped the chill from her forehead and asked in a weak voice, "Girl, just tell me why you still dislike her. Don't lie, or I'll know. I know you must have other reasons for disliking Luo Ningshuang."
Because every time Ya Tou mentioned Luo Ning Shuang, she always carried a deep sense of fear and shame, Luo Zhiheng felt it was necessary for her to find out the reason for Ya Tou's healthy psychological development.
The girl hesitated for a moment, then timidly glanced at Luo Zhiheng. Seeing her expectant look, the girl, being honest and straightforward, said hesitantly, "Because...because she thinks the girl eats too much."
Luo Zhiheng's eyes widened.
Seeing this, the maid quickly said, "I'm already controlling my appetite. I definitely won't eat the young prince's family out of poverty like Chunnuan said. I just want to stay by the young lady's side. The young lady is good to me, and I want to be good to her too."
Luo Zhiheng gently held the girl's hand and said, "Don't be afraid, little girl. Now that I've brought you here, I'll keep leading you. As for food, how much can you eat? Luo Ningshuang actually complains about your appetite?"
Luo Zhiheng thought Luo Ningshuang was crazy, just making trouble out of nothing. How much could a maid eat? And she even dared to drag the family she married into into this mess. She was obviously just looking for trouble. However, Luo Zhiheng had never actually seen the maid eat anything, nor had she ever heard anyone gossip about how much the maid ate.
The girl lowered her head shyly and said nervously, "I have a big appetite, but I'm also very strong. When I was at home, I always helped the old women in the backyard chop wood and fetch water, but I was never full. When I was little, they never let me eat my fill while I was working in the backyard. Later, the young lady found me starving and gave me the grace to eat as much as I wanted until I was full, which is how I survived. The young lady is kind-hearted and good to me. She even lets me follow her around and gives me a share of any good food she has. I'm so anxious about it."
"Mother Zhang said that the maid's life was given by the eldest young lady, and that she should be loyal to the eldest young lady for the rest of her life and be good to the eldest young lady. The maid can definitely do it, and be good to the eldest young lady alone! So, so the second young lady bullies the eldest young lady, and the maid hates her so much." Perhaps recalling the past, the maid's eyes were red and her voice was choked with sobs, but the sincerity in her voice was genuine.
Just because of a full meal, a timely meal when the girl's life was about to end, he won over the most honest and simple heart...
Luo Zhiheng felt a pang of bitterness and emotion. Should she say that the Luo Zhiheng of the past was a fool, or that she was just a lucky fool?
This part of the story wasn't in Ke Luo Zhiheng's memories. While feeling a pang of sadness, she felt even more pity for the girl. Patting the girl's hair, she said, "Don't be afraid anymore. Be bold. Being with me means you can't be timid anymore. But remember, some things should be said and some things shouldn't be said. From now on, if you don't know what you shouldn't say, just look at me. If I nod, you can speak freely. If I don't nod, you have to hold back, no matter what you want to say."
Seeing the girl's confused expression, Luo Zhiheng laughed heartily and said in a straightforward way that the girl could understand, "You're good to me, and I want to be good to you too. The reason I don't let you say certain things is to protect you from trouble. If anyone speaks ill of me in front of you again, and I'm not by your side, you must treat it as if they're talking nonsense and ignore them. Come back and tell me right away, and I'll take you to settle accounts with them. Remember that?"
She's too straightforward today. Anyone who knows her temperament can easily provoke her anger, causing her to act recklessly. This could easily be exploited by someone with malicious intent; being beaten is a minor matter, losing her life is a major one! It's rare to find someone so devoted to protecting her; she must protect them thoroughly. A pure heart is the most precious thing.
The maid nodded, but still said angrily, "What about those stinking old women who spew nonsense and spew filth? They've wronged Miss!"
Luo Zhiheng suddenly felt so powerless. Even she, a bandit, was good at using idioms. How come the girl used idioms so incoherently?
"Good girl, your young lady has a way to deal with them. I guarantee they won't dare to come back again after this one time." Luo Zhiheng narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharp, and then suddenly said, "Someone, bring me breakfast, lots of it. Hmm, little girl, is there anything you'd like to eat?" Zhiheng Luo pretended.
The girl scratched her head sheepishly, her eyes shining as if she wanted something to eat, but she still blushed and shook her head.
Luo Zhiheng found it amusing and instructed, "Have the kitchen quickly make me a large plate of braised pork and bring it up immediately."
Once the food was served, Luo Zhiheng instructed that it be placed in the maid's room and dismissed everyone. Luo Zhiheng sat to the side, raised her chin, and said to the maid, "Sit down and eat."
The maid's eyes practically lit up at the sight of the table full of food. It all seemed so unrealistic. Since arriving at the Prince's residence, she had only dared to eat two large bowls of food at each meal, worried that eating too much would implicate Luo Zhiheng, or that Luo Zhiheng would abandon her because of her eating habits. This was the first time in all these days that she had seen so much food.
The meal was served in a wooden bucket, and included four different dishes, a mix of meat and vegetables. The glistening braised pork emitted an enticing aroma, making the girl almost drool.
Luo Zhiheng found it amusing and said, "Eat as much as you want. Remember, I paid for this food. It has nothing to do with the Prince's Mansion. You are my person, so it's only right that you eat my food. Don't hold back. I'll make you do some work after you finish eating."
The maid was simple-minded and never considered what others said. Luo Zhiheng was her trusted master, so whatever her master said went. The maid immediately sat down, quickly served rice, and ate it in big mouthfuls. Her eating manners weren't very elegant, and she ate very fast, but she ate with relish. Her good appetite was truly enviable.
But soon, Luo Zhiheng was dumbfounded, and finally realized just how much the girl could eat. Watching the girl eat to her heart's content, bowl after bowl of rice was being served, the dishes on the table were disappearing rapidly, and the rice in the rice bucket was also being consumed at an astonishing pace. In no time, the girl had already eaten six large bowls of rice, and it seemed she could still eat more. After finishing the seventh bowl, the girl finally relaxed, contentedly patting her now-bulging belly, looking at Luo Zhiheng happily with tears welling in her eyes.
"Miss, my maid hasn't had a full meal in a long time."
A simple sigh broke Luo Zhiheng's shock, leaving her with a touch of sadness. Just a hearty meal was enough to make this girl so content.
Luo Zhiheng stood up and saw that the rice bucket was empty. She found it both amusing and astonishing; such a large appetite! No wonder she was so strong. She immediately considered changing the girl's name. What was with the name "Girl"? It sounded so delicate; "Rice Bucket" would be much better. But then she thought that "Rice Bucket" was rather unrefined and would be considered insulting. Luo Zhiheng couldn't hurt the girl, nor could she allow others to hurt her. So she said, "Girl, how about I change your name?"
The girl was taken aback, then became happy: "Great! The name 'Girl' was given to me by an old woman. I don't have a mother. I heard that I got separated from my father and was taken in by the General's Mansion. I was just a little girl then, so the old woman just gave me a name."
Luo Zhiheng became happy and patted the girl's head as if she were petting a large, docile animal, tentatively asking, "How about Seven Bowls? Do you think Seven Bowls sounds nice, girl?"
The girl asked, confused, "It sounds nice, but why is it called 'Seven Bowls'?"
Luo Zhiheng suppressed a laugh and said, "Because the girl just ate seven bowls of rice. Hmm, I feel this is a very memorable moment. As her master, I finally made sure my girl was full. I'm so happy. Is the girl happy?"
The maid's eyes sparkled, and she nodded vigorously: "Happy! Let's call it Seven Bowls! Seven bowls of rice for the maid to eat her fill, Miss!"
Luo Zhiheng admitted that she really thought the girl who ate seven bowls of rice was too amazing. When she announced that the girl's name was changed to Seven Bowls, she did not tell everyone why she was given this name, and she also told the girl not to tell anyone. She was worried that people would laugh at the girl if they knew the reason.
Having eaten his fill, Qi Wan was quite different; he walked with considerable presence, following behind Luo Zhiheng with a majestic air.
Upon opening the door, three old women were found trapped inside, unguarded. Luo Zhiheng instructed the maid to close the door, then sat opposite them. Qi Wan stood behind her, glaring angrily, instantly creating an atmosphere of torture in the room.
Luo Zhiheng rested her hand on the armrest of the chair, propping up her cheek, and said casually, "I told you to speak, so you must speak. Don't give me any nonsense, or I'll show you what it means to wish you were dead. Qiwan, let go of that fiercest old woman next to you."
Qi Wan went over and took the tattered cloth strip. The old woman immediately started cursing. Just as Qi Wan was about to curse back, Luo Zhiheng coughed, and Qi Wan immediately stood obediently to the side.
Luo Zhiheng listened to the old woman's tirade with great interest, as if she were learning a skill. The old woman, perhaps tired of cursing, stopped, panting and glaring at Luo Zhiheng: "You've broken the law! What right do you have to hold us here? Don't think that just because you're a princess now, you can do whatever you want. We can still go to the yamen and sue you for setting up a court without permission. You can't escape this charge. If you know what's good for you, release us now, or you'll be sorry."
How arrogant!
Who gave them that confidence?
Luo Zhiheng smiled sweetly at them, but in her heart, she saw something deeper through their unbridled verbal attacks.
She didn't know these people, but they were clearly here to cause trouble, and with a very clear purpose. Luo Zhiheng was even certain that every word they said was pre-arranged; all their whispers today had hit her vital weaknesses. If it were the Luo Zhiheng of the past, she would have been a powder keg ready to explode, killing these people or taking her anger out on someone else—presumably Luo Ningshuang, who was involved in the topic of conversation.
This matter must be related to Luo Ningshuang!