Song Shuyu looked at Nanny Rong and the maids and matrons behind her, her face filled with curiosity.
“You said Father sent you to bring me back, and also sent them to serve me?”
Nanny Rong smiled and dipped into a curtsy. “That is correct, Commandery Princess Funing.”
“His Highness only learned today that you have been bullied in the residence recently.”
“His Highness feels terribly guilty that you suffered such grievances without anyone informing him.”
“It must be that the people serving you failed in their duties.”
“So this old servant has replaced everyone in your courtyard.”
“These people have all served in the Prince’s Residence for many years. They would never dare disobey you, Commandery Princess.”
At that, Song Shuyu immediately looked around for Chunxiao.
But she did not see Chunxiao anywhere.
“Where is Chunxiao?” Song Shuyu asked unhappily.
Nanny Rong bowed again.
“Commandery Princess, as the senior maid at your side, Chunxiao actually betrayed you. His Highness ordered her beaten to death and thrown into the mass graveyard.”
Song Shuyu’s heart gave an involuntary shudder.
“She’s dead?”
The smile on Nanny Rong’s face did not change in the slightest.
“Commandery Princess, His Highness can never tolerate servants who betray their masters!”
“Although Chunxiao was your personal maid, everything she did was at someone else’s command.”
“You need not grieve over such a disloyal maid.”
After saying this, Nanny Rong pointed to the youngest woman among the matrons.
“Her name is Chunhua. From now on, she will serve you.”
“Chunhua, why haven’t you come forward to greet the princess?”
Chunhua stepped out of line and knelt before Song Shuyu.
“This servant Chunhua greets Commandery Princess Funing!”
Song Shuyu stood frozen.
Chunxiao had betrayed her?
How had she never known?
Chunxiao was clearly a maid she had chosen herself.
How could she be a spy planted by someone else?
And who had planted these new people?
Song Shuyu lost interest.
“All right, I understand. You may all leave!”
“You too!”
Song Shuyu lifted her chin toward Chunhua.
The smile on Nanny Rong’s face stiffened for a moment.
“Commandery Princess, this old servant is now in charge of managing the Prince’s Residence.”
“If any servant behaves improperly in the future, just tell me. I will certainly punish them severely!”
“If you need anything, have Chunhua inform me. I will see that it is done.”
“His Highness said that, no matter what, we must ensure that you are happy.”
Seeing that Song Shuyu was dismissing her, Nanny Rong hurriedly finished conveying her master’s instructions.
“Oh, and Commandery Princess, His Highness is truly worried about you.”
“It’s just that he has been injured and cannot come to see you in person.”
“He said that if you have suffered any grievances or need anything, you may go to him.”
As she spoke, Nanny Rong watched Song Shuyu’s expression carefully.
In truth, Nanny Rong did not quite understand her master’s intentions.
Commandery Princess Funing was only a little girl. Although she was reputed to be a lucky star, how could His Highness have reached his current position through a mere blessing of good fortune?
Song Shuyu was still completely absorbed in the fact that Chunxiao had died. She nodded distractedly.
“I’m tired. Leave, now!”
Nanny Rong’s brows knitted together for the briefest instant, but the smile on her face soon became warm and pleasant again.
“Yes. The commandery princess has suffered lately as well. I have already ordered the kitchen to prepare some delicious food to help you regain your strength.”
“Please rest well, Commandery Princess. This old servant will take her leave first.”
Before leaving, Nanny Rong took the opportunity to curry favor with her.
She knew that Song Shuyu loved to eat.
Sure enough, as soon as she mentioned the food, Song Shuyu’s eyes lit up.
Before departing, Nanny Rong deliberately reprimanded the people she had brought in front of Song Shuyu.
“From now on, you are all part of the commandery princess’s household.”
“If your mistress is well, then you will be well too.”
“So you must serve the commandery princess properly!”
“If anyone dares to pretend to obey while secretly going against her, and I find out, being beaten with a rod will be the least of your worries. Your entire family will be sold to the most degrading places!”
Nanny Rong’s words made the matrons lower their heads even further.
They were hereditary servants, with their families all working in the residence.
If they implicated their families, they would be ruined.
“Yes, this servant understands,” they answered one after another.
Only then was Nanny Rong satisfied. She bowed to Song Shuyu and left.
The matrons dispersed of their own accord and began arranging their duties.
Chunhua remained behind.
“Commandery Princess, would you like to bathe? This servant will prepare some hot water.”
When Song Shuyu had gone on a rampage in the kitchen, soup had splashed all over her. She had also torn her clothes somewhere along the way.
On top of that, she had been locked up for an entire night. Her clothes were now as wrinkled as dried pickles, and she did not smell particularly pleasant either.
Since gaining weight, Song Shuyu disliked bathing.
Every time she had to confront the mounds of flesh on her body, she wished it were all just a hallucination.
Song Shuyu had loved being beautiful since she was little. She had never imagined that one day she would become so fat.
She alone was as heavy as two Xiao Yunmings.
But Song Shuyu could not control her appetite.
Every day, she felt hungry.
So hungry that whenever she saw a person, she wanted to take a bite just to find out how salty they were.
As for asking her to eat even one bite less? That was out of the question!
“I’m tired!” Song Shuyu lifted her chin and dismissed her without hesitation.
Chunhua dipped into a curtsy, withdrew, and closed the door.
The moment the door shut, Song Shuyu deflated like a balloon with a hole in it.
She lowered her head and looked at the clothes she was wearing.
Every piece of clothing on her, from the innermost layer outward, had been sewn by Chunxiao, stitch by stitch.
At first, Chunxiao’s embroidery had been poor. She only began learning when she wanted to make Song Shuyu a dudou.
After that, her needlework steadily improved, and she took over the making of all Song Shuyu’s clothes, shoes, and socks.
Song Shuyu’s gaze fell on the embroidery basket beside the bed.
Inside was a dudou that had not yet been completed.
Because she had grown even fatter, her old dudou no longer fit. Chunxiao had therefore begun making her a new one.
A peony had been drawn on the front, but the embroidery had not yet begun.
Song Shuyu picked up the dudou, and tears suddenly streamed down her face.
She refused to believe that Chunxiao had betrayed her!
She had treated Chunxiao so well!
She had even told Chunxiao that as long as she stayed by her side, she would have good food and fine drink for the rest of her life!
Who else could Chunxiao rely on besides her?
At that thought, Song Shuyu suddenly froze.
It seemed she had realized something.
She flung the dudou in her hand violently onto the floor.
Looking at the red dudou lying there, she still felt unsatisfied.
Song Shuyu hopped off the bed and stamped on it several times with all her strength.
Before long, she was exhausted and gasping for breath.
Her gaze once again fell on the clothes she was wearing.
She gave them a hard tug.
Riiip!
The fabric tore.
Song Shuyu simply ripped the rest of the clothes apart and threw them onto the floor.
She rushed to the wardrobe, wanting to find something Chunxiao had not made.
After rummaging for a long while, she finally found the clothes she had worn when she first entered the residence.
But the clothes seemed to have shrunk. She could no longer fit into them.
