The Dragon's Flower Vol 1-5

Vol 1 Chap 16 - We, as servants, must support our master

Chapter 16 - We, as servants, must support our master

Seeing how badly the younger girl reacted to the scene, An Jing lifted the terrified girl into her arms to leave the place, not before giving An Wan a meaningful glance which An Wan returned with a nod.

"Clean it up," An Wan ordered the other servants, and they instantly moved, fearing that if they were a second slower, they will be punished.

An Jing carried Xiao Hua to a quieter place but still at the same courtyard. She advised kindly to the trembling girl in her arms. "You have to get used to violence soon."

When Xiao Hua gazed at her wide eyes filled with confusion and fear, An Jing further explained. "The Third prince aims for something that is beyond reach for a normal person. We, as servants, must support our master and smooth the journey to achieve his goal."

"His aim...he will use force to achieve it?" Xiao Hua's heart squeezed in fear. She did not know what the Third prince's objective was, but if he had to use force to achieve it, it must be something big.

An Jing brought them entered a bedroom that was much larger than the old Madame MingLu's bedroom. The room was decorated in a simple style, with only a white vase filled with a bunch of flowers to brighten the room.

Xiao Hua was placed down on a stool and An Jing took a seat as well. "If we do not use violence, we will die by other people's violence. To stay alive, our master has no choice but to attack instead of defending until the end. If we do not attack, many of our people will die and our master is not a cruel person to his own men."

Xiao Hua pursed her lips. She could understand what An Jing said, but that does not mean she could easily accept it!

Le XiaoTing was familiar with business war, family war, and political war, but never wars that used weapons and fists to exchange blows until the victor was decided by the last person to survive. She never really liked violence, and playing video games was just a game, not reality.

"Sister An Jing, I don't think I could not accept it."

"I was the same as you in the beginning," An Jing revealed, not at all angry at Xiao Hua's averseness. Her eyes were staring at Xiao Hua, but at the same time, she was not truly gazing at her. She was seeing her past, remembering what she had experienced.

"I have seen and experienced the horror of starvation, and I never want my family to suffer that again. I am eternally grateful for the Third prince to save my family and me from hunger and poverty."

Xiao Hua shivered at the older maid's words. Le XiaoTing knew how unfortunate a person's life could be, but she chooses to remain ignorant and willingly close her eyes on the darker side of society. But now that she was living as Xiao Hua, she was forced to live in that dark side and it will be darker in the future.

"When I was appointed as a lower-ranked maid for the Third Prince, I worked very hard to become an inner maid." An Jing chuckled softly as if laughing at herself. "I've got a mindset that the higher my position will be the lesser worries I will have."

"But it won't," Xiao Hua said softly with her head bent low, her eyes revealed empathy and pity as her hand grips onto her dress until her knuckles turned white.

An Jing smiled in agreement. "You are right, it won't. But my worries had changed. In the beginning, I'm worried about food, shelter, and safety of my family. Now my worry is focused on my master. His safety, his enemies, and his worries are the factors that could harm the safety of my family."

"You want to keep the Third prince safe just to protect your own life?"

"What do you think?" An Jing asked with clear eyes.