Xiu'er lifted the curtain and went out, saying to the crowd outside, "Everyone, please go to the garden to watch the play first. Her Highness the Princess will treat Eighth Miss Zhou's wounds and then come over."
Everyone had their own guesses, but no one dared to voice them.
Is the Princess Consort about to reprimand Zhou Xu?
However, since it didn't concern them, no one wanted to step forward and offend the princess.
Zhou Fu bit her lip, bowed to Xiu'er, and said, "Madam Song, could you please...?"
Xiu'er: "Since you know it's trouble, don't say anything. We don't have time to worry about you right now; we're too busy saving people!"
Zhou Fu's face instantly turned bright red.
She had always had a good reputation and was well-liked, so when they heard Xiu'er's blunt words, everyone felt some sympathy for her and some resentment towards Xiu'er.
But it was just a thought in my mind.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Fu managed to remain composed at this moment, bowing her head in apology. "Madam Song, I was just too worried about Eighth Sister, so could I please stay..."
"If your concern were useful, why would the Princess Consort need to intervene? Get out, get out, and don't cause any more trouble!"
She glanced at Zhou Fu again, and said with a forced smile, "Or are you saying, Ninth Miss, that you want to delay the recovery?"
At this moment, someone pulled Zhou Fu up.
Zhou Fu bit her lip, bowed with tears in her eyes, and withdrew.
Xiu'er rolled her eyes.
Virtue.
He was still putting on an act in front of her.
Little did she know, after spending so much time with Meng Yulan, how could she not see through these hypocritical schemers?
Meng Yulan, that was their ancestral master.
How many times has the maternal uncle's wife instructed her own princess?
Xiu'er felt that she was just a stubborn rock; if she just stood there, she could attain enlightenment and ascend to heaven.
Neither the Empress nor she wanted to become that kind of person, but that doesn't mean they couldn't see through the scheming hidden behind their dignified demeanor.
This is especially evident in Zhou Fu.
In short, it's about constantly making your presence felt.
Inside the house, Tang Zhuyun cleaned Zhou Xu's wounds, saying, "Bear with it, it will hurt a little."
Zhou Xu nodded gratefully, but unknowingly, her injured forehead touched Tang Zhuyun's cotton swab, causing her to gasp in pain.
"How did you do that?" Tang Zhuyun's hands moved quickly.
"I threw the stone myself."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
That's a ruthless person.
People who are ruthless to themselves should not be underestimated.
But she remained expressionless and said calmly, "What do you want to say to me?"
"Your Majesty, you know..." Zhou Xu somewhat guiltily.
Tang Zhuyun: "You're in this state, if I still don't know, how stupid would I be? Would you dare ask someone like that for help?"
Zhou Xu smiled, but with half her face covered in thick white powder and the other half stained with blood, she looked rather gruesome.
"Your Majesty, look at me, I look like a clown... It's not that I want to, but I'm forced into this situation..."
Tang Zhuyun calmly reminded her, "You'd better keep it short."
No need for sentimental expressions; just get to the point.
"I was born out of wedlock, and my aunt and her daughter have been suppressing me," Zhou Xu was indeed clever and quickly got to the point, "I've been pretending to be ugly and stupid since I was little, and they forced me to do it."
"To highlight Zhou Fu?"
"Yes!" Zhou Xu's eyes flashed with endless hatred. "My stepmother, Lady Wang, firmly believed that she was only one step away from entering the palace back then; and she also felt that Zhou Fu was exactly like her, so she was determined to raise her to be all-powerful and marry her into a high-ranking family."
Tang Zhuyun sneered.
Is the Governor's Mansion of low social standing?
Greed knows no bounds; even a snake cannot swallow an elephant.
"My aunt, Lady Yu, was weak and submissive, completely controlled by Lady Wang, and I... had no other choice as a result."
"But clearly, you have a rebellious streak," Tang Zhuyun said calmly, her hands still moving. "I might need to cut some of your hair..."
People in ancient times valued their hair highly, but if not treated properly, wounds could easily become infected.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Xu said nonchalantly, "Everything is up to Your Majesty's decision. Thank you for saving my life. I do have a rebellious streak; they're driving me crazy."
Originally, Zhou Xu thought that she could still get by with this kind of life.
However, two years ago, Lady Wang and Zhou Fu went even further, forcing her to do many absurd things.
In order to control her, they even deliberately made Concubine Yu fall ill.
"... They controlled the doctor who treated my aunt, and I had no choice but to obey them."
"Trying to control the doctor?" Tang Zhuyun said, "Do you think that one doctor can cure your aunt's illness?"
"Yes," Zhou Xu said through gritted teeth, her voice filled with resentment, "Because my aunt has tuberculosis."
Tang Zhuyun frowned. "Tuberculosis, and he's only lived for two years?"
"Yes, only that doctor has the medicine." Zhou Xu's eyes were filled with tears. "They won't let me see my aunt; I can only catch a glimpse of her from afar each time..."
Tang Zhuyun: "Excuse my bluntness, but are you sure that's your aunt, and not someone in disguise?"
"No. That is indeed my aunt," Zhou Xu said. "I may not be smart, but I'm not stupid either. I've spoken to my aunt every time, it really is her."
"And what about those people who imitate her voice?"
Tang Zhuyun thought of Chahua, no, Qu Hua, who was skilled in ventriloquism.
Zhou Xu said, "Your Majesty is very cautious. But while a voice can be imitated, some things cannot. I grew up with my aunt since I was little... Lady Wang said it was because she couldn't bear to see us, mother and daughter, become estranged, but actually..."
From the very beginning, Lady Wang had planned to use Zhou Xu as a foil to her own daughter.
Therefore, she would not raise Zhou Xu as a child.
That way, if she embarrasses herself in the future, it won't be her problem.
Tang Zhuyun: "She's the legal mother; there's no way to escape that."
"She never intended for me to live," Zhou Xu sneered. "Once she's used me up, she'll just let me 'die of illness,' roll me up in a tattered mat, bury me in the ground, and who will remember me then?"
Tang Zhuyun remained silent.
"I had no choice. My aunt is my only family," Zhou Xu said. "I had heard before that Your Majesty's medical skills were superb, and today I witnessed Your Majesty saving someone with my own eyes, so..."
"So you smashed your own head open? You really had the heart to do that."
"Your Majesty, all these years, do you think I haven't cared about my reputation? But I want to live even more; if I'm unwilling to harm myself, someone else will be even crueler to me!"
Tang Zhuyun: "You're right, staying alive is more important than anything else."
"I want to live," Zhou Xu said, her eyes filled with boundless hatred. "Even if my abilities are limited and I can't kill them with my own hands, I want to watch them suffer!"
Tang Zhuyun cut off a lock of her hair, and while continuing to clean the wound, she said coolly, "Perhaps it's the other way around; they're the ones watching you suffer."
"This is nothing unusual; it's been like this for the past sixteen years," Zhou Xu said. "Your Majesty, I beg you to help with my mother's illness."
What if I can't help?
"Then... then I will help Your Highness too." Zhou Xu gritted her teeth, "I want to see with my own eyes that they meet a miserable end!"