A Maid Dressed As A Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role (Transmigration) - Chapter 21

Liang Youyun thought she had misheard. Chao Mu was going to discipline her maid for her? Before Liang Youyun could react, A’Zhi strode over and slapped the maid who had been making so much noise.

“A’xiu! You…” The other maid, seeing A’xiu get hit, instinctively glared at A’Zhi. A’Zhi’s face was impassive. Without a second thought, she slapped her, too.

After two sharp slaps, the two maids from the Liang Estate had perfectly symmetrical handprints on their faces. Seeing they still dared to look up, A’Zhi gave them a stern look, and the maids immediately lowered their heads like quails, not daring to make another sound. They were now well-behaved and obedient.

All the noblewomen and their maids watched and were stunned. The slaps were so swift and decisive, without a moment of hesitation.

Liang Youyun’s gaze shifted from her two maids to A’Zhi, glaring at her with hatred, and finally settled on Chao Mu. Her voice trembled as she asked, “A’Mu, what is the meaning of this? No matter how wrong they were, they are still maids from my Duke’s estate.”

Liang Youyun’s frail figure was swaying, like a delicate pink petal about to wither, completely unable to survive in this frigid environment. Her eyes were red. “A’Mu, are you trying to slap my face? Or is the Qi Estate trying to slap the face of the Liang Estate?”

Chu Qingqiu, who was close with her, saw Liang Youyun’s state and softened her expression. She reach out to help her.

Chen Yue, however, spoke up at the right time. “A’Yun, stop talking. Your family’s dignity is kneeling on the ground right now.” She pointed her chin at Xiao Que, who was still kneeling.

Liang Youyun’s face froze. The crowd was also silent. You certainly know how to put it into words.

Chu Qingqiu glanced at Xiao Que out of the corner of her eye, and her hand, which was about to reach out, retracted. Her expression turned slightly cold.

Liang Youyun’s pitiful demeanor became difficult to maintain. Chen Yue’s words were blunt, but she wasn’t wrong. The Liang family’s dignity wasn’t being slapped by others; they had willingly discarded it on the ground themselves. Xiao Que wasn’t sent by Chao Mu, and Liang You’an sleeping with Xiao Que wasn’t ordered by Chao Mu either. It only showed that the Liang family had a loose household, Liang You’an was of poor character, and the estate had no rules or discipline for its servants, which had led to this embarrassing situation.

Now, for the princess to have A’Zhi slap the Liang maids might actually be a way of helping the Liang family—to teach the maids a lesson so they wouldn’t make bigger mistakes.

Chao Mu and A’Zhi, who were already in the right, now stood on even higher moral ground. Especially after the dinner, where Chao Mu’s soft, innocent image had been cemented in everyone’s minds, no one thought she was deliberately trying to slap the Liang family’s face. The little princess was probably just a stickler for rules. On the other hand, Liang Youyun’s behavior today was completely different from her usual self, leaving a deep and unforgettable impression. The gentler she had been earlier, the more shocking her current behavior was.

Chao Mu also explained in a slow, gentle voice, “What are you talking about, Sister Liang? If they disrespect me today, they might disrespect a prince tomorrow. At a smaller scale, it’s their personal lack of manners. But on a larger scale, people will think that the Liang family looks down on the royal family.”

Chao Mu was the same Chao Mu as during dinner. She was still wearing the same unassuming goose-yellow dress. But now, standing in the courtyard, the afternoon sun made the yellow fabric seem to glow, making people afraid to meet her gaze. Princess Fu Jia, no matter where she grew up, was the daughter of the Grand Princess. She was a member of the royal family, the most noble princess in the Great Dynasty.

Liang Youyun couldn’t say a single word. She simply gave a slight curtsy, lowering her eyes. “Thank you for the lesson, Princess.” The address had changed from “little sister” and “A’Mu” to “Princess.”

After the curtsy, Liang Youyun turned her face away, as if deeply hurt. She raised a sleeve to her eyes and said hoarsely, “If the princess has no other instructions, I will take my leave.”

Seeing that she was about to leave, Xiao Que quickly grabbed her hem and cried, “My Lady, you can’t abandon me! Take me back to the Liang Estate. We can find the young master to prove whether my words are true or not.”

Liang Youyun forcibly pried Xiao Que’s fingers off her clothes, her eyes filled with venomous hatred, as if she wanted to kill her on the spot. She forced out a smile, her voice still gentle. “You are now a maid of the Qi Estate. How can I take you back? You should stay at the Qi Estate for now, and I won’t ignore your situation.”

Xiao Que refused. She let go of Liang Youyun’s hem and instead hugged her legs like a barnacle. “My Lady, please take me with you.” She didn’t want to stay at the Qi Estate. She didn’t want to wash clothes and do heavy labor anymore. Xiao Que knew this was her last chance. If she stayed at the Qi Estate, she would never be able to return to the Liang Estate.

Xiao Que’s mind was working quickly now. While clinging to Liang Youyun’s leg, she turned her head, crying, and pleaded with Chao Mu, “Princess, please let me go. I can’t be away from my young master. I miss him every day when I’m at the Qi Estate, and I’m sure he misses me, too.”

Everyone listened to Xiao Que’s bold declaration of love, but Chao Mu was watching Chu Qingqiu’s expression. Miss Chu’s face was so dark that it looked like it was about to snow, her fingers clenched tightly in her sleeves. Yet, she still didn’t say she wanted to leave. If the Chu family really didn’t want to marry into the Liang family, Chu Qingqiu, with her proud and aloof nature, would have stormed off by now. This showed that sometimes, profit was more compelling than dignity and pride.

Chao Mu thought, Chu Qingqiu can tolerate Xiao Que, who was intimate with Liang You’an, so why was she so ashamed by a baseless love letter that she wanted to commit suicide in public? Chu Qingqiu’s actions back then were nothing more than a way to force Chao Mu to her death. Chu Qingqiu, as a member of the Chu family marrying into the Liang family, may have had her own reasons for acting as she did, but was Chao Mu not innocent, too? A scheme and a letter had implicated her and her mother, damaging the reputation of the Qi Estate and the royal family. But her mother was already dead and could no longer defend her own innocence. As her daughter, as a lady of the Qi Estate, and as a royal princess, Chao Mu had to prove her purity with her death. Looking back now, such an act was truly laughable. Nothing in this world was more important than being alive.

Chu Qingqiu felt as though someone was watching her. She looked up and met Chao Mu’s gaze, and the disappointment in Chao Mu’s eyes startled her for a moment. But when she tried to look closer, Chao Mu blinked, and her eyes became clear again, devoid of any emotion. Chu Qingqiu was bewildered. She was certain she had never met Princess Chao Mu before today, so why would Chao Mu’s eyes hold such emotion for her? Chu Qingqiu looked at the person in the goose-yellow dress. Amidst a crowd of vibrant colors, she looked as innocent and harmless as a soft, thornless little yellow flower. Her personality was like a little yellow chick in a flock of crows, so pure that she seemed out of place.

Because Xiao Que was pleading desperately for Chao Mu to let her go, everyone looked over at the little princess. Chao Mu sighed softly. “Although I’m sad to see you go, since you insist on returning, I will release your deed and let you go. From now on, you will be a commoner. This is my way of honoring our relationship as mistress and servant.”

Upon hearing this, not only Liang Youyun was dumbfounded, but A’Zhi was as well. Her eyes widened, darting between Xiao Que and the little princess. She hated that she wasn’t as lucky as Xiao Que, who was about to become a commoner in the blink of an eye! Was it really that easy to get a deed of freedom? A’Zhi’s heart was stirring. She considered whether she could also get her deed if she cried and hugged Chao Mu’s leg.

Liang Youyun’s shock was because Xiao Que was now a commoner. There was a huge difference between a commoner and a slave. A slave could be sold or beaten to death at will, but a commoner could not. By giving Xiao Que her freedom, Chao Mu had made it difficult for the Liang family to kill Xiao Que without a great deal of trouble, and it might even backfire on them. Liang Youyun looked at Chao Mu. Does she really not have a grudge against the Liang family?!

Chao Mu looked troubled, her watery almond eyes filled with pity. She gave a weak explanation to Liang Youyun. “Xiao Que hasn’t had an easy life. Since she wants to go back so badly, you should take her.”

Liang Youyun’s face twitched for a long time, unable to manage a smile. Given the situation, Liang Youyun could only nod, agreeing to take Xiao Que back to the estate, and then figure out how to deal with her later.

“The princess has spoken. Go and pack your things and come back with me,” Liang Youyun said, patting Xiao Que’s head. “You truly are a lucky one.”

Xiao Que hadn’t expected this opportunity. She quickly wiped her tears and kowtowed to Chao Mu three times. “My Lady, wait for me. I’ll be right back.” She stumbled away happily to pack her things, her back radiating joy.

When Xiao Que returned with her bundle, Chao Mu saw her off at the gate. “Take good care of yourself at the Liang Estate. I will have A’Zhi come to visit you when I have time.”

Liang Youyun, who had planned to kill Xiao Que as soon as they got back, was speechless. Who are you pointing out here?

In front of the Liang family’s carriage, Liang Youyun curtsied to Chao Mu and said her goodbyes. “This banquet today, you certainly went to great lengths, Princess.” Her words had a double meaning.

Chao Mu looked innocent and bewildered. “What are you talking about, Big Sister? It’s my duty to work hard for the banquet. If you enjoyed it, I’ll invite you again next time.”

There probably won’t be a next time. Regardless of whether Chao Mu’s actions were intentional or not, she had completely offended both the Liang and Chu families. Their marriage might even be called off, and she was still thinking about another banquet. Liang Youyun simply smiled without a word, got into the carriage with Chu Qingqiu, and pulled the curtains shut, telling the coachman to hurry and leave. She didn’t want to stay for another moment.

Chu Qingqiu, however, lifted the curtain and looked back at Chao Mu, her gaze filled with a mix of curiosity and scrutiny.

A’Zhi took half a step forward, smiling slightly as she curtsied to see the Liang family’s carriage off, simultaneously shielding the little princess from view.

Afraid that Chao Mu might be sad, Chen Yue quickly said to her, “If you host another banquet, please invite me. I’ll definitely come, and I’ll even wait in line to bring you pastries.”

Chao Mu’s eyes curved. “That would be wonderful.”

Other than the Liang and Chu families, everyone had enjoyed the banquet very much. The host and guests were all happy.

After seeing everyone off, Chao Mu stood at the gate and asked A’Zhi, “Do you think the Liang family will thank me for returning their old love to Liang You’an?”

A’Zhi was still thinking about how easily Xiao Que had gotten her freedom deed. She nodded with certainty. “Yes, they will.”

They will thank your whole family!