Chapter 004: The Nine Grades of Concubines

Mu Wanqing hastily had some porridge and then hurried to Tonghua Residence

Zhi Ning thought for a moment before saying: "I have been sold into the Xiang residence since childhood, serving the young lady from a young age. This year, the young lady is seventeen, so it has been about ten years."

Mu Wanqing cast a glance at the people in the inner hall; they were all maids, each with their heads bowed in silence. Mu Wanqing bit her lip, realizing that her Aunt Gui Xin, who usually treated her well, was not present in the inner hall. It seemed that this time there would be no witnesses to her defense.

Returning to the Green PIng Courtyard, she went to the small kitchen to cook porridge. Zhi Ning was still asleep, so she took advantage of this opportunity to sweep the peach blossom petals in the courtyard

Huo Chen glanced at her, his eyes filled with disdain: "Afraid? Do you know how the masters in the palace punish their servants? Those servants who make mistakes are made to pick up the scalding hot coals, and those who speak out of turn must swallow those coals, so that they will not err again in the future. It's just asking you to pick up a piece of agarwood, and you can't even do that?"

Mu Wanqing chuckled softly to herself; in the eyes of those powerful elites, human life truly holds little value. She slowly crouched down, enduring everything that came her way. Her fingers gradually reached towards the red wood, feeling the warm breath emanating from it.

As it drew nearer, Mu Wanqing simply closed her eyes, choosing to die with a sense of nonchalance

"My lord, I have just secured the incense burner; it is possible that it was knocked over by some little wild cat." Mu Wanqing cast a glance at Yingji, either intentionally or unintentionally.

Your Highness! A shout echoed at the entrance

"What a despicable woman! How dare you look at me like that? Do you understand the rules?" Ying Ji glared at Mu Wanqing, her voluptuous figure slowly approaching, and Mu Wanqing could smell the fragrance of her rouge.

Mu Wanqing was taken aback, and the maid impatiently shouted, "Hurry up! Are you deaf or what?"

"You've been by my side for ten years, so why say sorry?" Mu Wanqing said, urging her to quickly drink the saltwater and then rest well.

I only came over after Zhi Ning fell asleep, not knowing that I had missed the time. Mu Wanqing stuck out her tongue, thankful that Huo Chen had not returned yet; otherwise, she would definitely have been punished again

She is merely a ninth-rank maid, while Ying Ji is considered a concubine of the library, holding a higher status than her. Otherwise, she would not have to engage in the task of exchanging spices. Mu Wanqing, being adaptable, said: "I see that Madam Ying Ji is radiant today, with such exquisite beauty; the prince will surely take a liking to her."

Huo Chen snorted, not even glancing at Mu Wanqing, and said, "You made a mistake and still want to shift the blame onto others? Ask the people in the inner hall, who can testify for you?"

The porridge had only a hint of saltiness, without any additional ingredients, yet it exuded a refreshing fragrance. A bowl of porridge was quickly finished, and Zhi Ning's complexion finally became a bit more rosy. Mu Wanqing felt relieved at this moment. Last night, she had endured the pain to release Zhi Ning from the woodshed. At that time, Zhi Ning's breathing was weak, and she appeared lifeless, yet she kept murmuring: "Miss... Miss..."

"Are you feeling okay?" Mu Wanqing asked with concern, handing a cup of saltwater to Zhi Ning. "Drink some saltwater to replenish the salt lost from your body."

As she watched him walk in, Mu Wanqing was reflecting on how uneventful and safe it was, but a maid suddenly called out to her: "The prince requests your presence inside"

At that moment, www.hetushu.com, Mu Wanqing could not help but shed two lines of clear tears. Clearly, she did not want to cry, but never had anyone treated her this way. In the modern world, she was an orphan, growing up in an orphanage, without relatives, and had never experienced any warmth. However, the feeling that Zhi Ning gave her made her want to protect this silly girl, Zhi Ning, for a lifetime.

Mu Wanqing let out a sigh of relief and quickly placed the incense burner back on the table. Everything was ready, and only then did everyone relax. She and the group of maidservants withdrew. After a short while, Huo Chen returned, dressed in official robes, looking dashing and impressive. His facial features were so deeply chiseled, as if carved with a knife, and a smile played at the corners of his mouth, suggesting he had encountered something joyful.

Ying Ji touched her cheek, smiled slightly, and glanced at Mu Wanqing: "You really know how to talk; I'll let it go today." After saying this, she entered the inner hall to wait for Huo Chen

Mu Wanqing smiled faintly and asked, "How long have you been following me?"

Indeed, the prince has just returned from the morning court and is quite fatigued. Yet, you, this lowly creature, are so ungrateful as to ruin the prince's mood. Ying Ji's voice was delicate and sweet, while her fingers continued to caress Huo He Tu's chest.

"If you cannot even accomplish this small task, what use do I have for you?" Huo Chen said coldly, kicking the incense burner.

Not long after, Zhi Ning had already awakened, but her consciousness was still somewhat hazy. Upon seeing Mu Wanqing, her eyes immediately became moist, and she opened her mouth but could not utter a single word.

Mu Wanqing suddenly opened her eyes and turned her head to look back.

At this moment, the sun also emerged, and Mu Wanqing felt the warm sunlight. She was still aware of everything; she was still alive. Although she was borrowing someone else's body, being alive was better than anything else

Mu Wanqing nodded slightly and went to fetch the incense burner adorned with entwined peonies and emerald leaves from the table, heading outside. It is indeed peculiar how Huo Chen has this habit; the incense used in the burner is agarwood, and even the fragrance sachets contain agarwood, resulting in a scent of agarwood enveloping him entirely. She went out to replace it with new agarwood incense, and just as she was about to enter the inner hall, she saw Ying Ji walking gracefully into the Tonghua Residence. Their eyes met, and sparks seemed to fly between them.

She hurriedly walked into the inner hall, only to see Huo Chen sitting in the grandmaster's chair, with Ying Ji seemingly bonelessly leaning against him. Her eyes looked down, and she noticed that the entwined peony incense burner had fallen to the ground, its fragrant sandalwood fragments scattered everywhere, still emitting a faint wisp of smoke. Her head buzzed, and upon seeing the cold smile at the corner of Ying Ji's mouth, she understood everything.

Madam, please go prepare the incense burner; everything else is nearly ready

"Do not speak, eat some porridge first." Mu Wanqing helped Zhi Ning up and began to slowly feed her porridge.

Huo Chen is about to finish the morning court session and return, and the Tonghua residence is bustling with activity. Aunt Guixin, seeing Mu Wanqing arriving late, couldn't help but frown and say: "Madam, why are you late today?"

"Have you nothing more to say? Then pick up the sandalwood and do not obstruct my view."

Zhi Ning took the cup of salt water but did not drink it. She lowered her head and said in a hoarse voice: "Miss, I am sorry..."

Mu Wanqing widened her eyes in surprise; the agarwood was still hot. If she were to pick it up, her fingers would likely be burned.

You! Ying Ji was immediately enraged and was about to curse loudly, but realizing that Huo Chen was right beside her, she said with a look of grievance: "Your Highness, she said I am a little wild cat."