Chapter 85 - The Confused Princess
Zhao Wenling was the most favored Princess by the Emperor. It was something she was always proud of.
Her father loved her the most. No one could compare to her in front of her Father.
However, today as she looked at her father's departing back, she felt utter humiliation. Seeing Zhao Xiuming's mocking eyes, she was furious.
She could hear the girls around herself whispering. They were talking about her. They were also looking down at her.
'You're an Imperial Princess, that too, the most favored. No one should be comparable to you.'
The nanny's words flashed in her mind and Zhao Wenling could not agree with them more at this moment.
Li Rui saw the unmoving Princess and walked toward her. Just as she touched her arm and called her.
"Wenwen…ah…"
She was pushed down to the ground.
Li Rui was shocked and raised her head to look at the Princess who was already looking down at her with red eyes.
"Wenwen…"
"Don't call me that."
Princess Wenling shouted and then emphasized
"Never call me with that name again."
And then she ran away from there leaving confused Li Rui on the ground.
It was Zhao Xiuming who stepped forward and helped her up from the ground.
"Does she behave like this with you always?"
Zhao Xiuming asked as she helped Li Rui in cleaning her dress that had a few stains of soil and grass.
"No, Wenwen treats me very well."
Li Rui answered immediately.
However, Zhao Xiuming didn't seem to believe her as she had seen with her own eyes what kind of a person her elder sister was.
Li Rui also didn't care whether she believed her or not. She gathered her and Wenling's books from the ground and went to Princess' courtyard.
Her maids were already waiting for her outside the courtyard. When they saw her, they sighed in relief. Just a few moments ago, Princess Wenling entered the courtyard alone. They were very worried when they didn't see their Young Miss with the princess.
"Young Miss, how did your dress get these stains?"
Li Zhan asked as she walked forward and kneeled down to clean the stains with her handkerchief.
"I fell down."
Li Rui answered her maid calmly but it worried Li Zhan more.
"Then did Young Miss get injured anywhere?"
Li Rui shook her head and then walked further into the courtyard. However before she could step inside, the nanny held her arm and looked at her strictly.
"Young Miss Li, Didn't this servant tell you that Princess is feeling unwell? Yet you still took her to attend the class with yourself."
The maids frowned at the nanny's behavior.
Li Rui's arm hurt as the nanny was holding it very tightly. She looked straight in the nanny's eye and said
"Leave my arm."
When the nanny still didn't leave her, she opened her mouth and bit down her arm mercilessly.
"Ahh…"
The nanny howled in pain and pushed Li Rui away immediately.
Li Rui could not balance herself against so much force and fell down on the ground.
"Young Miss"
The three maids ran forward and Li Zhan picked Li Rui up checking her body for any scratches. When she didn't find any, she glared at the nanny.
The nanny got furious when she saw a maid glaring at her and ordered the maids to throw Li Rui and her maids out of the courtyard.
From the beginning to the end, Li Rui never saw Princess Wenling. She glanced at the chamber's door for the last time and then left the courtyard with her maids.
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After that day, Li Rui never saw Princess Wenling again. She didn't let her maids tell anyone in the Li Manor about the incidents of the Imperial Palace.
She would go to the Imperial Palace on the first three days of the week but was never allowed to go inside the courtyard. However, she never stopped.
She was confused by the changed behavior of the princess.
This was the last day of the third week when she was returned from the Princess' courtyard. On her way to the Imperial Place's exit gates, she met Zhao Xiuming who invited her to play with other girls.
She refused in the start but when the princess insisted she couldn't refuse anymore.
While playing in the Imperial garden, Li Rui saw Princess passing by from there. She ran out of the Imperial garden without informing her maids.
"Wenwen…"
She shouted when she was finally closed to the Princess.
Zhou Wenling heard the familiar voice and halted. She turned around only to see Li Rui running towards her.
"Wenwen"
Li Rui called again when she was finally in front of the princess.
"Wenwen, what happened? Did I do something wrong?"
Zhao Wenling clutched the hem of her dress when she heard Li Rui's innocent and soft voice. Her mind was suddenly filled with confusion.
'What did Li Rui do wrong?'
When she didn't say anything, Li Rui stepped forward to hold her arm. As soon as she touched Princess' the nanny said
"Young Miss Li, you should not force Princess if she doesn't want to see or talk to you. Leave Princess this instant."
Li Rui ignored the nanny and continued
"Wenwen, tell me. Why did you suddenly change so much? Is it because of something I did?"
The nanny saw Princess's confused face and immediately tried to free her from Li Rui's hold.
"Miss Li, you can't force Princess like this. Leave her."
Li Rui looked at the nanny but saw that the nanny was already looking down at something.
She was about to leave Princess hand but when she saw the nanny's hand on the princess back and the pond in front, instead of leaving the hand she held it tightly.
"What are…"
Before Li Rui could even question the nanny, the nanny pushed Princess Wenling forward. Her strength was not comparable to nanny and she couldn't hold Princess at the last moment.
"Wenwen…"
Princess Wenling who was already confused was suddenly pushed forward and couldn't balance herself. Before falling down inside the pond, she only saw Li Rui's hand stretched towards her.