A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 506: Chapter 506: Alone, Peaceful!

If Miss Ni hadn’t gone to find her brother with complete disregard for herself, he might already be gone by now. No matter how heartbroken everyone else might be.

The so-called parents of the Xia Family continue to live in luxury, eating and drinking well. They do not lack sons, nor daughters. What they lack is silver.

So, they spent the money that was meant to save the life of their child born of a concubine with a clear conscience. It’s ludicrous!

Such people, they still have the gall to live, to be parents!

Zi Su also sighed.

”Your Majesty, speaking of which, how many parents, upon having children, will drown them the moment they see it’s a daughter! Or, when the child reaches seven or eight, they trade her for some silver to get by! And then they continue to have more children! To pass on the family line, to pass on the family line, when the household is too poor to even lift the pot lid, what’s there to pass on!”

As Zi Su spoke, she began to cry.

There was no need to ask why. Xia Ruqing didn’t stop her. With such bitterness in her heart, would speaking it out truly make things better?

”Are you talking about yourself?”

Zi Su nodded, then continued.

”I was sold by my birth parents when I was seven or eight years old. By the time I entered the palace at twelve, I had already been trafficked through several handlers!”

After she finished speaking, she even rolled up her sleeves.

”These! And these, they are all scars from beatings back then! They wouldn’t give us food or water, and they forced us to recite poetry and paint! Later, when I saw that people were being selected as Palace Maids to enter the palace, I escaped! Thankfully, Heaven showed me favor. Once in the palace, I met a good master!”

After Zi Su finished, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Xia Ruqing smiled and said, ”Am I good?”

Zi Su nodded fiercely, and Zi Yue at her side also nodded fiercely.

Xia Ruqing then said half-jokingly, ”Actually, I can be quite cruel and ruthless as well. Anyone who betrays me and falls into my hands might not die, but they will surely be flayed of a layer of skin!”

Zi Su and Zi Yue hurriedly knelt down to show their loyalty.

Xia Ruqing just laughed.

”Get up! I’m tired, and I’m going to sleep!”

Zi Yue and Zi Su attended to her, covering her with a thin silk quilt, and then they left.

Xia Ruqing watched their retreating figures and sighed. It wasn’t her fault for constantly keeping them on their toes. She has a child now and can’t afford betrayal.

In ancient times, especially within the palace, the rules and restrictions were terrifying, and there were too many areas of powerlessness. She was just too afraid, too insecure.

Thankfully, she was favored, and thankfully, she still had her child!

She was already so much better off than many others, wasn’t she?

「Returning from the temporary palace.」

As soon as Xia Tingfeng had returned to his residence and set down the jewelry his sister had sent him, a Little Eunuch came with news.

”Marquis Xiahou, that girl who was bitten by the snake has woken up!”

Xia Tingfeng was surprised and delighted.

”Really? Let’s go, I want to see her!”

The Little Eunuch led the way with joy.

The girl had been arranged to stay in a place close to the Imperial Physician who accompanied them. The Imperial Physician treated her with acupuncture every day. There were also Palace Maids specially tasked with brewing and administering her medicine. After two or three days, she finally awoke.

Xia Tingfeng and the Little Eunuch hurriedly made their way to the Imperial Physician’s courtyard.

Upon entering, he saw that the girl had indeed woken up and even sat up. A Palace Maid was beside her, feeding her medicine.

Seeing him enter, the girl was momentarily taken aback.

Why does this man look so familiar? It seems I’ve seen him somewhere before!

Xia Tingfeng was also stunned.

Isn’t this too presumptuous of me, considering men and women should keep their distance? He had actually forgotten this matter!

The two just... locked eyes with each other!

The Palace Maid holding the medicine bowl felt awkward. She couldn’t help but cough lightly, put down the medicine bowl, and rise to greet him.

”Marquis Xiahou!”

Xia Tingfeng finally came back to his senses, his expression extremely uneasy.

”I’ve been presumptuous, Miss, please forgive me!”

The girl was stunned for a while before she also snapped out of it, her face immediately showing surprise. He recognized this person!

”You are...”

”You recognize me?”

Both spoke in unison!

They looked at each other for a moment, then both looked down at the same time. After an awkward moment, they both looked up again.

”You go first...”

”You go first!”

Again, in unison. This time, it was even more awkward.

The Palace Maid felt like she was an enormous third wheel. She quickly set down the medicine bowl, and, with a flushed face, hastily made her exit.

Now, only Xia Tingfeng and the girl were left in the room.

After a few minutes of painful awkwardness and a mysterious sense of mutual understanding, they finally resumed normal communication.

”My name is Ye Tang! Thank you so much, Young Master, for rescuing me!”

”It seems... I’ve also saved you before!”

Xia Tingfeng immediately smiled.

”So it turns out you really are Ye Tang! Oh no, I mean, so you really are Ye Tang!”

He had always felt that there couldn’t be many women who were hunters. The girl in front of him looked extremely similar to the description in Manxue’s letter. So from the beginning, he felt it was her!

What a coincidence, it must be fate! To unexpectedly meet her here without any effort.

Xia Tingfeng felt a huge sense of relief wash over him.

”Manxue was right, you truly are a heroine among women!”

Seeing this woman who could take down a Tiger with a single arrow really opened his eyes.

Ye Tang was still as hearty and cheerful as ever, just a bit weak. Even her laughter had diminished, as she teased him.

”No wonder Miss Ni is so deeply devoted to you. You really are quite handsome, and you’ll look even better once your injury has healed!”

”HA HA...”

Xia Tingfeng’s expression became somewhat uneasy, and not knowing what to say, he simply bowed deeply.

”Thank you, Miss Ye, for saving my life! After my injury healed, I had people search for you everywhere, but to no avail. To meet you here so fortuitously now, it truly must be fate!!”

Ye Tang could no longer stay seated, and she got up, her face pale.

”Young Master Xia... there’s no need to be so formal. You also saved my life! Hearing their discussions, you even gave me a blood transfusion. It’s a life-saving favor I cannot repay!”

The two of them took turns expressing their thanks to one another.

In the end, it was Ye Tang who said with a laugh, ”We needn’t thank each other anymore! Since we’re fated, let’s just consider ourselves acquainted through this encounter!”

Then she patted Xia Tingfeng on the shoulder, much like a good brother would do!

Although men and women were expected to keep their distance, Xia Tingfeng didn’t feel uncomfortable. The bond between brothers is definitely different from romantic affection, free of all that coyness and restraint! Ye Tang might be a woman, but as a brother, she was genuinely good!

That afternoon, the two of them enjoyed their heart-to-heart talk. They discussed everything from hunting skills to ’how much arm strength is needed to kill a Tiger with a single arrow or pierce through its throat with a sword.’

Not to mention that very skill, there were many men who couldn’t match up to her. Indeed, as Manxue said, she was a heroine among women, a woman who could stand shoulder to shoulder with men.

The more Xia Tingfeng observed her, the more he admired her.

”Miss Ye, with your impressive skills, it’s truly a waste to live by hunting alone!”

Ye Tang spread her hands with a bitter smile.

”What else can I do? Join the army? Protect the nation? As a woman, they wouldn’t want me, would they?”

Quite helpless, isn’t it? She herself sometimes wondered how she had ended up a woman! After all, it wasn’t up to her to decide!

Xia Tingfeng also grew concerned. It seemed... that was indeed the case.

Ye Tang waved her hands and chuckled.

”Hunting is quite good too. After all, being alone is peaceful!”