Liu Xiaoyun was in such an excellent mood that the corners of her mouth were practically reaching her ears, yet she still insisted on putting on an act, covering a yawn and stretching lazily as though she were exhausted.
“This servant takes his leave.” Ning Xuan made a flawless exit. From beginning to end, his expression had been so rigid it seemed frozen onto his face. Even blinking appeared unnaturally slow. He could not help wondering if he had somehow been carved from ice. Otherwise, how could such cutting words provoke absolutely no reaction from him? He was calm to the point of being eerily undisturbed.
“Pei’er, go light that rose incense His Highness specially bestowed upon me. His Highness said this morning that he wants me to attend him later today. He likes that scent the most. Though honestly, His Highness’s favor is almost too much to bear. After you light the incense, come massage my waist for me.”
Liu Xiaoyun’s soft, bashful voice, dragging out the final syllables coquettishly, should have faded into the distance behind him. Yet perhaps when someone’s luck turns bad, even Heaven joins in the fun. Though the voice sounded faint and indistinct, every single word carried clearly to Ning Xuan’s ears without omission.
He hurried away as though fleeing, only to underestimate just how unlucky he truly was.
“Well, well. In this darkness I almost didn’t recognize you. Isn’t this Brother Ning Xuan, His Highness’s most favored attendant? It’s only been a few hours, yet you already look so much more haggard. Why are you still wandering around here at this hour? Shouldn’t you be warming His Highness’s bed? What if His Highness returns and finds the bed cold? Whatever will you do then?”
Who else could it be but Xiao Jiu?
Back when they had both worked in the library pavilion, Xiao Jiu had already been notorious for currying favor with the powerful while bullying those beneath him. He was the very image of a shameless opportunist. During the days when Ning Xuan had been basking in favor and privilege, Xiao Jiu had frequently visited, eager to flatter and ingratiate himself. But Ning Xuan was straightforward by nature and disliked dealing with people like him, so he had inevitably been “cold” toward Xiao Jiu. That had left quite a grievance in Xiao Jiu’s heart. At the time, however, Ning Xuan’s status had been too high, and Xiao Jiu still had ambitions of benefiting from him, so he swallowed his resentment. Now things were different. Although Xiao Jiu’s position had hardly changed—he was still the same kitchen errand boy he had always been—Ning Xuan’s circumstances were no longer what they once were. When a tiger falls to the plains, even dogs dare bully it. And Ning Xuan was hardly a tiger to begin with. How could Xiao Jiu possibly pass up such a perfect opportunity to kick someone while they were down? The fact that he wasn’t trampling Ning Xuan to death already meant Ning Xuan’s ancestors must have burned exceptionally good incense.
“If you’re so bored you’ve got time to wander around aimlessly, then let me advise you to crawl back to wherever you came from. Don’t stand here showing off that foul face and rotten mouth of yours. I can’t speak for anyone else, but if you interfere with my duties, I’m afraid the consequences will be more than you can handle.”
Liu Xiaoyun was one thing. She was a mistress of the manor, practically half the female master of Prince Rong’s estate. Even if everything she said was unreasonable, even if she insulted all eight generations of his ancestors, Ning Xuan still could not talk back unless he had grown tired of living. This was a prince’s manor. This was a feudal society. Human rights existed for those with status and power. If you were a servant, everything you said was wrong by default. But what was Xiao Jiu? Why should Ning Xuan fear him? Why should he show him any respect?
“You think you’re still the favored Ning Xuan?” Xiao Jiu spat viciously. Clearly he had not expected such a response and was momentarily caught off guard. Rage immediately twisted his features as he spat on the ground beside him and rolled up his sleeves as though preparing for a fight. “Bah! You’re nothing more than someone who washed himself clean, spread his legs, and climbed into a bed. I’ve seen plenty like you in this manor. Why don’t you ask around and find out how they all ended up? And you still dare put on airs in front of me? What are you supposed to be? Still, you should count yourself lucky. At least it was our noble and exalted prince who slept with you. Even if he’s tired of you now, you can probably still shamelessly cling to him and beg for scraps. Isn’t there a saying about old affection? But if it had been some ordinary household, things wouldn’t be so easy.”
“Do you know why?” Xiao Jiu lifted his chin toward the two servants beside him, looking unbearably smug, as though he had uncovered some profound secret. “Because if a woman gets lucky, she can at least end up pregnant after a few months of favor and turn her fortunes around through her belly. But what about you? Does that stomach of yours look like it’s carrying anything?”
“But I really am curious. You look so pretty and delicate. How did His Highness get tired of you in only a few months? Is our prince just too vigorous, or are you too precious and fragile? Did he ruin you after only a few rounds? I wonder whether that thing of yours can still earn you a living in the future.”
Ning Xuan gathered every ounce of strength he possessed and threw a punch.
Xiao Jiu had just turned his head and had not yet regained his footing when the fist slammed directly into his face. He staggered back several steps, the corner of his mouth instantly splitting open. His vision darkened from the sudden impact.
Xiao Jiu himself was too stunned by the blow to react immediately, while the two servants who had witnessed everything were equally shocked. Neither had expected Ning Xuan to strike first.
“You bastard! Looking for death!”
Someone like Xiao Jiu, who specialized in bullying the weak while flattering the strong, was never going to swallow such humiliation. His face immediately twisted into something vicious and terrifying as he lunged forward and drove a fist directly into Ning Xuan’s stomach.
How could Ning Xuan possibly be a match for a local bully who had spent his whole life fighting? The punch landed solidly.
The two servants beside Xiao Jiu immediately rushed forward as well, grabbing Ning Xuan’s arms from either side to hold him in place while Xiao Jiu continued his assault. Xiao Jiu felt no shame whatsoever about outnumbering him. His fists came down like a rainstorm, striking Ning Xuan’s chest and abdomen again and again, targeting every painful spot with ruthless precision as though determined to squeeze every last breath from his body.
“What is all this? Trying to start a rebellion?”
A cold male voice abruptly cut through the fight.
“Steward Mo…” Xiao Jiu’s sharp eyes immediately spotted Mo Yan, the manor steward whose influence was so great that even the Princess Consort treated him with respect. His face instantly transformed into an expression of sickening flattery, every feature practically collapsing into a single grin. It was grotesque to look at, though Xiao Jiu seemed convinced it was charming. He hurried forward eagerly. “What brings you here?”
As he spoke, he shot a look toward the two servants still holding Ning Xuan, signaling them to release him immediately.
The dull ache in his chest made it impossible for Ning Xuan to stand straight. The moment he lost their support, he collapsed to the ground. Drawing a deep breath of air so cold it felt capable of freezing bone and blood, he managed to ease the pain in his chest somewhat. Looking up, he realized the newcomer was indeed Mo Yan. His clothing was surprisingly thin, as though he had rushed over in such haste that he had forgotten to put on a proper winter coat.
“You seem to have plenty of free time,” Mo Yan remarked. His gaze swept slowly over the four of them. He showed no visible anger over what he had just witnessed, yet the sharpness hidden within his calm eyes made everyone feel uneasy. “Since you have so much energy to spare, the solution is simple. Our manor is always short of hardworking people. Why don’t you go work in the stables? Taking care of livestock is perfect for energetic fellows like you.”
Everyone knew exactly what kind of place the stables were. To Xiao Jiu, who dreamed of advertising himself at every opportunity in hopes of climbing the ranks, being sent there was a fate worse than death. He would have preferred execution.
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