Before he knew it, half an hour had whisked by.
Ye Jiu had been lost in thought and hadn’t felt the time pass slowly at all. On the contrary, it was Prince Jing pacing back and forth, unable to settle down.
"Could it be that old monk is messing with me? So much time has passed, why hasn’t the Princess Consort woken up yet?" Prince Jing doubted deeply.
Hearing Prince Jing’s impatient tone, Ye Jiu quickly snapped back to reality.
"Perhaps it would be best if you stepped out for a while, Prince, and let me spend some time alone with the Princess Consort, if that’s alright?" Ye Jiu suggested.
"That’s fine." Having stayed here this whole time, his heart had been on fire with urgency, and he desperately needed to go out to cool off.
With that, Prince Jing turned on his heel and started towards the door.
"Oh, and girls, everyone is outside standing guard. If you need anything, just call for them. Treat this place like your own home and don’t be polite, alright?" Before leaving, Prince Jing still instructed the servants outside, "Take good care of the Princess Consort and Ye Jiu inside. Ye Jiu’s word is my command; anyone who dares not obey will be severely punished."
"Yes, as you wish," replied the girls in a neat and unified voice.
After the figure of Prince Jing had disappeared, Ye Jiu quickly stood up and walked to the doorway, commanding without any reservation, "I’m going to rest on the couch inside for a while, and none of you are to come in. Do you hear me?"
"This..." the girls exchanged looks, but not one dared to respond.
"What? Are the orders that your Prince just gave no longer effective?" Ye Jiu asked sarcastically.
"We wouldn’t dare, please forgive us, Miss Ye Jiu." Seeing how greatly Prince Jing valued Ye Jiu, none dared to act recklessly.
Yet, Miss Ye Jiu told them not to come in, but if something happened to the Princess Consort inside, who could bear such responsibility?
Everyone looked at one another, unsure what to do, until Nanny Liu took a step forward and said, "Miss Ye Jiu might not be aware, but the Princess Consort is currently unconscious and needs someone to take care of her. You’re still young and might not be up to the task, so..."
Even though Miss Ye Jiu had been brought by the Prince, she had been wearing a veil since she entered the Royal Residence.
How could Nanny Liu possibly trust someone whose face was even afraid to be revealed?
Ye Jiu, however, was resolute, "If that’s the case, then please fetch your Prince."
It’s not like she wanted to stay here any longer than necessary. She was eager to leave as soon as possible.
"This..." Nanny Liu bowed to Ye Jiu, "Please don’t make it hard for an old servant like me."
"Right now, it’s not me who’s making things difficult for you, but you who are making things difficult for me. If you’re unwilling to summon the Prince, then I’ll go find him myself." With that, Ye Jiu’s own footsteps moved away.
Suddenly, there was a rustling noise as the girls knelt down behind her, "We beg you, Miss Ye Jiu, please spare our lives."
Some of these girls had been purchased from outside, while others had been assigned from the Internal Affair Office. But, regardless of their origins, not obeying their master’s command, especially one that reached the ears of the Prince, left them with no other outcome than a swift death.
Royal authority is sometimes so unreasonable: a single word can cost a life without needing any explanation or reason whatsoever.
Ye Jiu had only intended to scare them a bit, but she hadn’t expected them to be so frightened!
Or maybe, the rules within the Royal Residence were truly strict, and her little show of borrowed authority had proven to be so effective.
Never mind whether she could refuse the earnest pleas of so many lovely girls—she had only just managed to get rid of Prince Jing, and there was no way she would trouble herself by calling him back.