Xiao Jizi, after hearing Nanny Qi’s words, didn’t know what had happened but knew that Lian Hua was possibly in danger within. Alarmed, he rushed toward the door without a second word.
Before he reached the door, he saw Lian Hua emerge, wielding a rattan with a Serpent hanging from it. Xiao Jizi abruptly halted, unable to suppress a cry, "Master!"
As everyone saw clearly what was on the rattan, they were terrified and their faces showed their fright.
Nanny Qi pushed Pang Ya away, who had come to support her, and stumbled forward a few steps. Was this the creature Lian Hua had been dealing with?
Seeing the Serpent, Nanny Qi suddenly understood everything that had happened before. Perhaps the young girl had seen the Serpent on her bed, worried it would scare her, so she steadied her with words and seized the moment to push her out, risking herself alone.
Fortunately, no harm came to her, or Nanny Qi would have been to blame!
Nanny Qi, still shaken, trembled slightly, her charge having nearly come to harm right under her watch. How could she stay calm, despite having weathered many storms in her life, her heart now fluttered uncontrollably.
As she calmed down, guilt slowly rose within her. She asked herself if she had lived a life without guilt, but just then, the young girl had protected her, and she had scorned the girl’s sincere heart, a truly regrettable act. If not for this young girl, she would have been bitten by the Serpent and wouldn’t be standing here.
She really was muddled, seeing that the young girl was purely kind-hearted, yet she still couldn’t help but doubt her earlier, what a sin!
Lian Hua walked out of the room, her forehead and the tip of her nose dotted with tiny beads of sweat. She tossed the badly beaten Serpent to the ground, its tail still twitching.
Her expression as somber as still water, she asked those around her, "Do any of you recognize what kind of snake this is?"
Xiao Jizi, Xiao Linzi, and Pang Ya looked at each other, shaking their heads, unable to identify it.
Xiao Qing followed out; by the time she entered, Lian Hua had almost finished dealing with it. Now gazing at the Serpent on the ground, she tried but failed to recognize it. She had seen many snakes in her hometown but had never encountered this type.
Lian Hua snorted coldly, her voice ringing with a metallic firmness, "I’ve seen this kind of snake before. Its common name is Silver-wrapped Iron, a Serpent that grows in the south, extremely venomous. Even a great immortal couldn’t save you if bitten!"
Pang Ya gasped in fear, realizing this creature had been in Nanny Qi’s room. She hurried over to support Nanny Qi again.
Nanny Qi, overwhelmed with retrospective fear, briefly grasped Pang Ya’s arm tightly, her heart racing. Since the young girl knew about it, why had she then risked herself to save her? What if something had happened!
Xiao Linzi, terrified, quickly moved away from the Serpent on the ground.
Xiao Jizi came over, nervously asking, "Master, are you alright?"
Lian Hua shook her head, "I’m fine. When bitten by this snake, initially, the victim doesn’t feel anything. Soon after, they will start having trouble breathing, and by the time they notice, it’s already too late."
She had seen this type of snake during her childhood in the tea plantation. The uncle who tended the plantation had told her about its fierce venom and advised her to stay away from it.
Without waiting for the others to respond, she continued, "However, this snake fears the cold. It wouldn’t be found up north, especially not in the Capital. At Canglan Court during the Dragon Boat Festival, we had sprinkled Realgar Wine; throughout the whole summer, we hadn’t seen any Serpent. Now, as the autumn days grow cooler, it’s even less likely!"
Xiao Jizi was shocked and asked, "Master, are you suggesting?"
Lian Hua nodded towards him. There were no such serpents in Canglan Court, and even in the whole Imperial Garden, Lian Hua was sure of it. There was only one explanation, that the Silver-wrapped Iron must have been brought here from outside. However, she didn’t know whether someone intended to harm the people of Canglan Court.
Thinking of this possibility, Lian Hua’s gaze turned cold and, with blood rushing to her head, she couldn’t help but swing the rattan in her hand forcefully towards the ground.
Nanny Qi, stooping, walked over with the hand of Pang Ya. Seeing this, Lian Hua quickly stopped swinging, worried that the rattan might strike Nanny Qi.
Nanny Qi approached Lian Hua, tightly grasped her hand, her eyes reddening, and asked excitedly, "My child, are you alright?" After speaking, her throat choked up and she couldn’t find her voice, holding Lian Hua’s hand with a slight tremble.
She had always been strong-willed throughout her life, never having been protected by such a young girl, whom she had known for less than two days.
This serpent was so terrifying that her old bones weren’t worth mourning over, yet how could it be right for the young girl to risk her safety to save her!
In the palace, where most sought advantage and avoided harm and where the distinction between masters and servants was paramount, regardless of how high a servant’s status might be, they were still servants. It was rare for a master to endanger themselves to protect a servant.
Moreover, this young girl was carrying the emperor’s heir, readily facing danger and without a second thought, she shielded her. Such an act was unthinkable in the palace. Didn’t she recognize a good heart?
Lian Hua was panicked. What had come over Nanny Qi? The Nanny Qi she knew had always been composed; she had never seen her so agitated, looking as though she was about to cry.
In her haste, Lian Hua dropped the rattan, steadying Nanny Qi and said, "Grandmother, I’m fine, look, I’m perfectly alright. It’s this serpent that is the problem, surely you’re not about to cry over the serpent?" After speaking, she looked somewhat sheepish, as the serpent was definitely dead.
Immersed in an indescribable mix of guilt and emotion, Nanny Qi, startled by these nonsensical words, was momentarily amused, and couldn’t help but begin to scold as usual: "Talking nonsense again." Yet, as she finished scolding, her eyes couldn’t help but soften.
Lian Hua stuck out her tongue and began examining Nanny Qi, saying, "Grandmother, are you alright? The snake was quite close to you just now. Let me check you over."
With that, she began to roll up Nanny Qi’s sleeves to check for any bites. After seeing both arms were fine, she then proceeded to lift her skirt to examine further.
At first, Nanny Qi allowed Lian Hua to roll up her sleeve, knowing the young girl was concerned about her. However, as Lian Hua moved to lift her skirt, Nanny Qi quickly stopped her.
In broad daylight, with everyone watching, she still cared about saving face, how could she allow her skirt to be lifted? Moreover, known for her propriety, this was too much even for this young girl!
Nanny Qi looked somewhat annoyed and reproachfully glared at Lian Hua.
Realizing something, Lian Hua glanced around to see everyone watching, feeling somewhat guilty, she knew that concern had caused her to forget the propriety between men and women, alas...
Seeing this, Pang Ya said, "Master Lian, later Nanny and I will go inside and check thoroughly. Please don’t worry."
Lian Hua nodded and then asked with concern, "Grandmother, I was quite forceful just now, are you alright? Your arm isn’t injured, is it? I was just acting in a moment of urgency and didn’t gauge my strength. Please don’t blame me; I will definitely control myself better next time."
Hearing this, Nanny Qi couldn’t help but start scolding again, muttering, "What next time? There will be no next time."