Pinger looked at the bold and eye - catching gray footprint on Caiyu's instep. Her face turned as white as paper, and her eyes were dazed.
She had been hunting wild geese all day long, but never thought that today she would be pecked in the eye by a wild goose!
Who would have thought that someone would actually notice the footprint on her foot!
Jiang Jinyue, standing beside, also felt her eyebrows twitch. She sensed something was amiss.
Caiyu stepped closer to Pinger. "Miss Pinger, please take off your shoes so that I can prove my innocence."
Pinger looked panicked. Under Caiyu's aggressive pressure, she stepped back step by step and refused to take off her shoes no matter what. "No... In public, you actually force me to take off my shoes. I'm a girl... I cherish my reputation... I, I..."
"Arrest her." Song Yinghuai commanded in a low voice.
Two guards from the entourage immediately stepped forward and blocked Pinger's way.
Caiyu endured the pain and reached out to pull off Pinger's shoes, but Pinger broke down and cried out:
"My lord, spare my life! It was I who set the trip!"
Song Yinghuai's face grew even darker. "Speak."
Pinger timidly glanced at Dong Yurong. The latter's face changed, and she reached out and slapped Pinger.
"You lowly maid! How dare you frame others?"
Pinger was slapped to the side. She let out a wail, then got up and crawled on her knees to Dong Yurong. She tightly grabbed the hem of her dress and pleaded for mercy:
"Miss Dong, this maid knows her mistake. I just couldn't stand the coquettish look of Caiyu...
"Miss Dong is innocent and kind - hearted. Just now in the dormitory, when you saw the lord massaging Caiyu's ankle, you only thought that the lord was kind to his servants, and you even became more infatuated with the lord. But I knew that it was that coquette who was seducing the lord...
"Miss, I've always known that you're in love with the lord. So I took the liberty to get rid of this coquette for you!"
Even in the panic, Pinger still maintained her level of slandering others, which even made Caiyu marvel.
Han Fen had fetched the well - water and was about to run over to give it to Caiyu. But then he heard Song Yinghuai's cold voice:
"Take it to the princess mother!"
Although Concubine Yao had been quickly pulled aside by Song Yinghuai, a grain of the splashed congee still inevitably landed on the back of her hand, leaving a red mark the size of a grain of rice.
Han Fen was stunned for a moment. He looked at Caiyu's hands full of blisters, but finally answered and took the well - water to Concubine Yao.
Concubine Yao's originally gloomy face finally cleared up. She said comfortably, "Huai'er is making a mountain out of a molehill. I was just a little startled."
Seeing this, Jiang Jinyue quickly stepped forward and soaked a handkerchief.
In the cold winter, when she touched the icy well - water, Jiang Jinyue shivered. She forced a smile, wrung the handkerchief half - dry, and applied it to Concubine Yao's wound for cold compress.
"Aunt, cousin is just being filial. You got hurt, and cousin was so worried. Even for such a minor injury, you should take good care of it!"
"You two are both sensible and filial children." Concubine Yao sat down contentedly and enjoyed Jiang Jinyue's service.
In the huge Buddhist hall, no one seemed to care who was the most seriously injured.
Caiyu silently lowered her eyes, hiding the mockery and disappointment in them. Her two burned hands in front of her, her fingertips were tightly clenched together.
Song Yinghuai's gaze swept over her gloomy face. His expression was cold.
Dong Yurong looked flustered. She bit her bloodless lips, and her beautiful face was streaked with tears. She sighed:
"Pinger... You're so muddle - headed!"
She turned around and curtsied gracefully to Concubine Yao. She looked so fragile that it made people feel pity. "Princess, it's my fault for not disciplining my servants well. I've been too lenient with my servants on weekdays. I didn't expect them to misunderstand my intentions and take the liberty to get rid of someone for me..."
She wiped the tears on her face with a handkerchief. "Princess, now that I've caused you to get hurt, I'm willing to accept any punishment. As for this unruly maid, please tell me how you want to deal with her."
She showed full sincerity.
Concubine Yao only had a red mark the size of a grain of rice on her hand. It wasn't a big deal.
Moreover, Pinger's target wasn't Concubine Yao. She wanted to harm someone that Concubine Yao disliked.
Concubine Yao wasn't unaware of the struggle between the Dong family and the Song family in the fiefdom.
Since Dong Yurong had lowered her status, how could Concubine Yao not give her face? She quickly motioned for Jiang Jinyue to help Dong Yurong up.
"This wasn't your instruction, Miss Dong. You're being too serious. I'm fine." Concubine Yao glanced at Caiyu, who was still standing aside, and snorted. "It turns out that the root cause of this incident is still her. If she hadn't behaved improperly, how could she have been misunderstood by you all? Speaking of which, I should be ashamed. Such a thing happened in the Yan Prince's Mansion. I've made Miss Dong laugh."
Dong Yurong quickly shook her head. "The lord is just kind to his servants. I admire the lord's noble character very much."
The two of them flattered each other for a while, and both of them felt comfortable.
Only Caiyu was in great pain. Her feet ached, and her hands felt like they were being stabbed. She was on the verge of collapse.
She knew very well that all their rambling would end up in nothing.
Sure enough, in the end, Pinger was still handed over to Dong Yurong to deal with.
Dong Yurong scolded fiercely, "When we get back, kneel in the yard and reflect on your mistakes!"
A cold smile tugged at Caiyu's lips.
Since the Lan family's downfall, she had long been used to the fickleness of human relationships and the harshness of the world.
Dong Yurong thanked profusely and hurriedly left with Pinger.
Master Guangzhi had just finished talking to someone and only then rushed over.
Jiang Jinyue quickly said to Master Guangzhi, "Master, come and take a look at my aunt's hand. Her hand is precious. We can't let it leave a scar."
Master Guangzhi's sharp eyes swept over Concubine Yao's hand. Then he ordered a young monk to take out a bottle of burn ointment and said:
"Amitabha. I have self - made burn ointment. It's very effective for scars and burns. If the princess doesn't mind, please apply some medicine."
After saying that, he strode towards Caiyu. "Madam, your hands are severely burned. Stretch them out and let me take a look."
Caiyu was stunned for a moment, then slowly stretched out her hands.
Jiang Jinyue felt ignored by Master Guangzhi. She said unhappily, "Master, she's just a maid. It's her duty to get hurt for her master. With your status, there's no need for you to examine her injury. Just give her some ointment to apply. You'd better come and take another look at my aunt's hand."
"Amitabha." Master Guangzhi motioned for Han Fen to bring the well - water and let Caiyu soak her hands in it. He said, "The Buddha said, 'All sentient beings are equal.' All sentient beings in the six realms have Buddha - nature. If one whole - heartedly follows the Buddha, one also has the chance to attain enlightenment, prove Nirvana, and be free from the cycle of reincarnation forever."
"In my eyes, there are only priorities, not differences in status."
"This madam's burn is serious, and the treatment has been delayed. She may very likely leave scars. For a woman in this world, her body and hair are very important. I need to deal with her injury first. Please forgive me, Miss Jiang and the princess."
"As for the injury on the princess's hand, after applying my ointment, it will recover quickly. The princess doesn't need to worry."
Master Guangzhi was highly respected, and he was an outsider. He spoke impartially, and no one dared to refute him.
Jiang Jinyue was left speechless on the spot. Her face looked embarrassed.
This old monk was just saying that she was a snob!
It was Concubine Yao who remained calm. She smiled and said, "Master's Buddhist principles are really profound. It's us who are too vulgar. A maid's life is also a life. Master, please take good care of Caiyu's injury!"
Her tone was slow, revealing her inner displeasure.
Master Guangzhi seemed not to notice her displeasure. After Caiyu finished the cold compress, he took a handkerchief and let her dry her hands.
Caiyu's hands had just been burned and then stimulated by the cold water. They were already numb.
But she remained expressionless all the time. She said indifferently, "This maid's life is lowly. It's not worth the master's trouble. Just stop after the cold compress."
As soon as she finished speaking, Song Yinghuai's sharp gaze quickly fell on her.