Encountered You

Pary 5; an act

Li Xi Yue knelt in front of her mother's sacrificial tablet with solemn expression since she was still in mourning, when Hong Ying knelt in her side,

"what happened?" she asked quietly, her small hands still burned paper moneys,

"junzhu... Han Cefei punished little Shizi to kneel."

She could hear gasped sounds in the room, she stood up and bowed towards her mother's tablet then walked outside. Her entourage alone were grand, consisted of four first rank maids, four two ranks maid and two eunuchs.

She went to Han cefei's yard, there's knelt her little brother with pale face, sweat in his forehead but the little boy were stubborn, he refused to cry, in his side, there's small male-servant who knelt too, both refused to shed any tears. His maids and old servants knelt a little far away, all of them were in tears, making Li Xi Yue clenched her hands.

"what are you doing here and not go to study?" she asked, she furrowed her eyebrow, looked at the maids and male servants that knelt, "why are you all knelt here and not helping shizi? This Wangfu doesn't need any useless servants like you."

The servants quickly helped their young master and looked at Li Xi Yue with grateful smile, "Junzhu!"

She gave them tight lipped smile, then her eyes were narrowed at Li Xi Qiu's appearence, "next time, except for me, don't listen to any other people who give you punishment even if that person is Father-wang."

"An He Junzhu!" She could hear a woman's shrieking voice, "what are you doing?"

Li Xi Yue lifted her face and saw a woman in a soft pink robes walked with a support of a servant girl, she let out a tired sighed,

"Han Cefei always so immature." she said, her eyes looked at her cold, "quickly come, bring Shizi to his Yard and apply ointment to him."

But Li Xi Qiu didn't move, he stubbornly stood in her sister's side, Li Xi Yue only brushed his hair,

"An He Junzhu is so rude!" Han Cefei gritted her teeth, "what's the problem with you? I give a punishment towards a naughty child!"

Li Xi Yue let out a cold laugh, "that naughty child you said is a Shizi of this Wangfu, a di son of Xian Wang and a grandson of the late Emperor Furong, a grandson of this current Empress Dowager and the nephew of our Emperor. Or is it that you think you are nobler than those people i mention? Even if there's no Empress Dowager and Emperor in the palace to give out a punishment, there's still me, An He Junzhu here to give it to him. It's not a mere concubine like you's turn to punish him."

"you..."

"yes, i am what?" Li Xi Yue snickered, "don't forget yourself, Han-shi. A Cefei is a concubine too, even if it has a Fei in it. Don't ever you think that a difference between a Cefei and a Wangfei is just in words. This time Father-Wang can let everyone call you Cefei but tomorrow he can let everyone in this Wangfu call any other women Cefei. You are not that special."

She took Li Xi Qiu and both walked away from the fuming Han Cefei. Li Xi Yue knew very well that she couldn't compare with Han-shi in the terms of strenght and if that woman could be more clever, she would definitely grasped the power withing the Wangfu, but what could she - Li Xi Yue - expected? A foolish man like her father could be able to said that he and another woman were in love and would take that woman into his house despite everyone's resistence?

In her point of view, her father was foolish and uncapable his behavior is unacceptable, but maybe in the eyes of common people who hear how the so called love story between her father and his concubine, they would think that her father was such a romantic man and her mother was a vicious woman who separated two lovers.

Han-shi was a woman who greedy by nature, these kinds of women, she could see by a first glance, there's a lot of women like Han-shi in Imperial Palace. That kind of woman was greedy but they were not that bright, they could only use force for those who were weak but never to those who were stronger than them and they relied themselves by a man's favor along.

These kind of women were the most pitiful, they would never recover once they lost a favor and would be driven into madness and vengeful, and always felt like the world owed them something, it was something common in Imperial Palace.

Maybe because she was raised under Emperor's knees - other than Rong Wang Shizi - who became the eldest grandson of the late Emperor, she was the eldest granddaughter, the current Emperor was very fond of her since he was still a Zhao wang, then he practically raised her under his knees because he didn't have any child of his own yet, so she always being the one he doted on the most, the Emperor even let her played in Imperial study, the favor that even Princess Qing He, the eldest daughter of the Emperor couldn't compare, she could seen everything clearly, the schemes and how many Imperial Concubines were forced to death by Empress Fang and Empress Dowager.

"Hong Ying, tell them to prepare carriage, we will enter the Palace right now." then she looked at Bai Xia, "go and take An Le Junzhu here, Imperial grandmother probably missed her now."

She looked at Li Xi Qiu, and his knees that got frighting red and purple, then at the book servant that accompanied him, "Xiao Er Guo, go with Jian Xia to apply ointment to your wound ."

Xiao Er Guo bowed to her and went with Jian Xia, leaving the two Siblings, "Qiu'er must remember, you are a Shizi of this Wangfu, other than the three in the Palace who can reprimand you if they find don't feel satisfied with you, in this Wangfu no one can reprimand or punish you, other than me, am i clear?"

Li Xi Yue looked at her brother's appearence and sighed inside, "you must study hard, ok? You are the future backbone of this Wangfu. I will not let others bully you but you must always know how to defend yourself." her brother was still innocent, Li Xi Yue wanted to protect his innocent mind but they were the Imperial Children, Emperor only had one son, the Crown Prince who had the same age as him, maybe if Crown Prince was a good and hard-working and benevolence in his act, just and steady, she would not feel anything because this Crown Prince would take a good care of them based on their father's relationship, but if the Crown Prince grew up as crooked one, their future would not secure and Li Xi Qiu would became the center of attention and also the thorn in Emperor's eyes.

She didn't need anything, just hoping that they, the three siblings could live their life well and content, and no need fo fear anything.