ebookland Chapter 166 Falling into the Water
Chapter 166 Falling into the Water
The second princess kept babbling on and on, each word like a sharp sword piercing Zhao Jihua's heart, deliberately choosing sensitive topics that would ignite her anger.
“Princess Nanhua,” the second princess said with a smile that seemed genuine but was actually quite meaningful. Her voice was soft but carried a hint of deliberate surprise. “I saw something strange today, and I thought it would be best to tell you.”
Zhao Jihua slightly raised her eyes, but a gentle smile still lingered on her lips. She asked softly, "Oh? I wonder what the Second Princess saw that was so mysterious?"
The second princess leaned closer, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes, and said in a low voice, "I saw your most beloved younger sister and the Ninth Prince you've been longing for, always together in the capital. They looked so intimate that anyone who didn't know the situation would think they were a couple."
As she spoke, she secretly observed Zhao Jihua's expression, eagerly anticipating seeing her anger, sadness, or jealousy.
However, Zhao Jihua only paused slightly after hearing this, then his smile deepened.
She gently shook her head, gazing into the distance, her expression calm and gentle: "Your Highness has gone to so much trouble, but I am already aware of this matter."
Upon hearing this, the second princess's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief: "Zhao Jihua, aren't you angry? That's the Ninth Prince you like!"
Zhao Jihua knew that the other party was trying to sow discord.
With the Ninth Prince's dull-witted appearance, how could he be worthy of her sister?
But she still sighed softly, her eyes full of doting: "Princess, you don't know, she is my most beloved younger sister. If she also falls for the Ninth Prince, what would I hesitate to do? As long as she is happy, I can give her to him. In my heart, my sister's happiness is much more important than these personal feelings."
The second princess stood there dumbfounded. Her carefully planned scheme to sow discord had been so easily thwarted by Zhao Jihua.
She was filled with resentment, but she didn't know how to refute it. She could only watch helplessly as Zhao Jihua smiled gently as always.
Seeing that Zhao Jihua showed no anger despite her many words, the princess felt as if she had punched a soft cotton ball. This feeling of having no way to vent her power made the second princess very unhappy.
Enraged, she raised her finger and pointed it viciously at Zhao Jihua, preparing to continue her tirade.
Suddenly, as if she had thought of something extremely funny, she burst into laughter: "Hahahaha, Zhao Jihua, Zhao Jihua, you probably don't know, do you? Back then, you risked offending this princess and your third brother to protect Xia Li, and now he's being harassed by your brother in every way possible. His life is incredibly miserable! Hehehe, how about that? Doesn't it feel especially good to hear this? Hahahaha... Uh!"
Zhao Jihua flashed forward like a ghost, instantly appearing in front of the Second Princess. One hand gripped her slender neck tightly like an iron clamp.
Her face was frighteningly gloomy, and she gritted her teeth as she said, "You can mess with me, but if anyone dares to touch a single hair on my sister's head, they will only face death!"
The maids standing around were terrified by this sudden scene. They rushed forward in a panic, trying to stop Princess Nanhua's crazy actions.
"Oh dear! Princess Nanhua, what are you doing? Let go of me!" a maid shouted, her voice filled with fear and anxiety.
Another maidservant, while desperately tugging at Princess Nanhua's sleeve, pleaded, "Your Highness, please, don't act rashly! What you're doing is a grave offense of disrespect. Murdering the legitimate princess is no joke! If this is exposed, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
Zhao Jihua took a deep breath and slowly released the other person.
She is indeed not strong enough to kill her opponent openly and legitimately.
but……
It's okay, it's okay. If we can't do it openly, we'll do it covertly.
I'm going to mess with you!
The rescued second princess, however, thought the other party was afraid.
With a gloomy look in his eyes, he finally revealed his purpose for the day:
"Ahem! Tell me, if you accidentally fell into the water, and no one around saw it, and you and my mother have already reconciled, how could you possibly pin the blame on me?"
As she spoke, she stepped forward, intending to push Zhao Jihua into the water.
Zhao Jihua smiled slightly: That's good, you've blocked the road yourself.
Without hesitation, she reached out and pushed the second princess into the pool.
The second princess was thrashing about in the water, screaming for help.
"Cough cough! Help! Zhao Jihua, you just wait, I will never forgive you."
Seeing her disheveled appearance, Zhao Jihua felt much better.
She slowly squatted down, looking at the figure thrashing in the water, a playful glint in her eyes: "You're right, no one around here saw anything, and I've already reconciled with the Empress, so you can't implicate me anymore, can you? If you dare to report this, I'll definitely make a scene before His Majesty, and I'm sure His Majesty will be able to find out the whole story and won't wrong me."
Just then, the sound of footsteps came from afar.
Zhao Jihua raised an eyebrow: "Oh? There's someone else? You didn't bring this upon me and ruined my reputation, did you?"
Her response was the sight of the second princess thrashing about in the water.
"Thank you for this generous gift, but I don't deserve it. You should enjoy it yourself."
Knowing that this was not a place to stay, Zhao Jihua got up and left quickly.
Before leaving, she said to the group of maids and servants:
"I advise you all to hurry up and stop those young masters. After all, they will definitely try to force their way in if they receive orders. If you fail to stop them and they break in, damaging the princess's reputation, you will be in even greater danger."
She wasn't repaying evil with kindness; she just wanted the princess to splash around in the water a little longer.
Upon hearing this, the maids and servants realized that the princess had fallen into the water, and they would be scolded by her either way.
But if the princess's reputation is ruined, the queen will surely have them beaten to death.
So, gritting their teeth, they all went to stop that group of young masters.
Just as Zhao Jihua had said, the group of young masters tried to force their way in.
Leading the group was Liu Kang, the illegitimate son of the Vice Minister of Revenue. He snapped his folding fan shut, slammed it against his palm, and said to the young men around him, "Today, we must break in and ruin Zhao Jihua's reputation! Who dares to disobey orders from above?"
The maids stood in a row, trying their best to stop them.
The head maid, Cui'er, though petite, was fearless. She straightened her back and said loudly, "Gentlemen, please wait. This is the inner palace. Please do not barge in rashly, lest you break the rules."
Another maidservant hurriedly added, "Yes, if the young masters have important matters to attend to, they can send someone to inform them. How can they be so reckless?"
But the group of young masters remained unmoved. Liu Kang, his face full of disdain, sneered, "Stop trying to fool us with rules. Do you think we don't know what you're thinking? We're going in today no matter what."
As he spoke, he reached out to push Cui'er away.
Cui'er stumbled from the push, but quickly regained her footing. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but she still stubbornly stood in front of him: "Young master, please don't be rude. If you force your way in again, we will have to ask the guards for help!"
One of the young masters sneered, "Calling guards? Who are you trying to scare? You're just stalling for time. Stop talking nonsense and get out of the way!"
Cui'er was so anxious she was almost crying: "You really can't go in! The princess is still inside. If you disturb Her Highness, you'll be in big trouble!"
However, this group of people did not believe it at all, and thought it was just an excuse.
They were about to force their way in!