Rebirth of the Ninth Princess

The four palace maids who served Ouyang Qingcheng each had their unique talents, and Xiaoyi's wood-type magic allowed her to extract medicinal properties from plants, which making her capable of healing injuries.

Xiaoyi stepped forward, placing her hand gently on Xiaoding's small body.

A faint light shimmered over the wounds, and before long, the marks on Xiaoding's body vanished without a trace, as though they had never existed.

Xiaoding nuzzled against Yuanjiu with a pitiful expression. "Yuanjiu, I saw so many flowers here and just wanted to play. But that woman screamed and ordered her people to hit me. I was careless and got caught by them."

Yuanjiu gently patted Xiaoding's back to comfort her. "Don't be afraid, Xiaoding."

Yuanjiu stared coldly at Consort Yu. "Xiaoding is my friend. You hit it without any reason. I want you to apologize."

Consort Yu raised an amused eyebrow, her lips curling into a smug smile.

She rose slowly and took a few steps forward, her tone imperious. "Ninth Princess, you're so sharp-tongued for someone so young. Since you're so clever, you must know that my rank is higher than yours. When you see me, you're supposed to bow your head."

"Xiaoding is so small, yet you still hit it. You don't deserve respect. Besides, Father Emperor has never required me to bow my head to anyone. Is your status higher than Father Emperor's?"

Xiaoci and Xiaoyi exchanged anxious glances nearby, feeling worried.

Consort Yu was the emperor's consort, someone they couldn't offend lightly.

They were afraid Yuanjiu might end up at a disadvantage.

Consort Yu didn't expect this small child to be so articulate.

Embarrassed and enraged, her face twisted with anger. "How dare you, you insolent brat! I am His Majesty's consort. By rank, you should address me as 'Mother Consort'!"

Yuanjiu remained unfazed. "I don't care about your rank. I want you to apologize to Xiaoding."

"A mere magical beast? You expect me to apologize to it? Impossible."

Consort Yu elegantly lifted the hem of her gown, looking down at Yuanjiu with a smug expression, as if daring her to do something about it.

"Leave now. Since you're still young, I won't hold today's offense against you," she said loftily, as if showing great magnanimity.

Xiaoci and Xiaoyi looked at Yuanjiu nervously, seeing her standing there unmoved.

Yuanjiu recalled the strategies from the tactics manual her father had given her.

One phrase stood out: "The best strategy is to conquer the heart."

Suddenly, she said, "Consort Yu."

A triumphant smile spread across Consort Yu's face.

Ah, a child is just a child.

She's finally showing deference.

"What advice does the Ninth Princess have for me?" she asked, her tone slightly softened.

"I was wondering, Consort Yu, why did you visit the Cold Palace to see me a year ago?"

Consort Yu abruptly stood up, her reaction betraying her guilt.

Realizing she had overreacted, she sat back down, feigning composure.

"I was friends with your mother, Concubine Li," she replied smoothly. "When she tragically passed away, it was only natural for me to visit you out of concern."

Her mind worked quickly.

Yuanjiu gave a faint smile. "Is that so? Then I should apologize to you, Consort Yu."

Feigning generosity, Consort Yu waved her hand. "No need for that Ninth princess. As I said earlier, I won't hold it against you."

Xiaoding tugged on Yuanjiu's sleeve, confused as to why she had suddenly changed her tone.

But Yuanjiu remained calm and added, "My apology isn't for today's incident. I meant I should apologize for what happened when you were demoted from Noble Consort to Consort."

"You!" Consort Yu stiffened instantly, her demeanor like a bristling hedgehog. "Where did you hear about that?"

That incident was the cause of her fall from grace.

How could she not hate it?

"My wet nurse told me," Yuanjiu replied nonchalantly. "Originally, no one knew about your visit to the Cold Palace…"

Consort Yu clenched her fists tightly.

Indeed, she had meticulously studied the guards' patrol routes before secretly visiting the Cold Palace that day.

It should have been impossible for anyone to know.

Later, she had conducted her own secret investigation.

All she found was that a palace maid had once visited the servants' quarters, but no matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find that maid.

It was as if the person had vanished into thin air.

Who had spread the story?

"But the wet nurse was probably upset because you said I was too ugly. So, she told someone passing by the Cold Palace about it…"

"I see!" Consort Yu slammed the table, a trace of murderous intent flashing in her eyes. "Did you deliberately tell me this?"

Yuanjiu replied calmly, "Didn't I already say I wanted to apologize to you?"

"You insolent brat!" Consort Yu, consumed by fury, swung a slap at Yuanjiu.

Although small, Yuanjiu's instincts as a trained killer were still sharp.

The moment she sensed Consort Yu's intention, she dodged her slap effortlessly.

Xiaoci and Xiaoyi immediately stepped forward and said in unison, "Your Grace, please compose yourself!"

Their tone carried a hint of sternness and warning.

If Consort Yu dared to harm Yuanjiu, they wouldn't hesitate to commit the offense of insubordination.

After all, they were loyal to Yuanjiu, and if she was harmed, her rank or status wouldn't matter.

Consort Yu who feel ashamed and enraged, gritted her teeth. "Well, well, I underestimated you, little brat! Just you wait!"

Her words carried a venomous warning.

Yuanjiu had no doubt that if she pushed Consort Yu further, the woman might truly resort to violence.

"I've already apologized to you. Now, shouldn't you also apologize to Xiaoyi?"

"Yuanjiu, this woman is too fierce. My powers haven't recovered yet, and I can't deal with her. Let's just leave."

Xiaoyi clearly frustrated at its inability to protect its master.

Xiaoyi quickly stepped forward, curtsying. "Ninth Princess is still young. Please, Your Grace, calm your anger."

Yuanjiu frowned and looked at Xiaoyi disapprovingly. "Sister Xiaoyi, why say that? Father Emperor told me that there's no need to tolerate unreasonable people."