Chapter 42 Punishing Qin Meng


    Yun Shang thought about the previous night for a moment and guessed what might have happened.


    She looked up at Qin Yi. Mischief danced in her eyes. "I''m in no hurry. I will have my breakfast before I


    deal with the Qin Meng situation."


    Qin Yi nodded and then turned to leave. She stepped out and spoke with the messenger standing


    outside. A short whileter, a maid-in-waiting brought breakfast to the Pce. Qin Yi took it from the


    maid with a smile. She said to Yun Shang, "You have red bean porridge for breakfast. Looks delicious."


    Yun Shang nodded and exined herself, "You see, there is always trouble. Qin Meng certainly is


    troublesome."


    Qin Yi put the dishes on the table while saying, "I forget that we are now in Prince Jing''s Mansion


    instead of at our own. Qin Meng deserves to be punished. Someone had to teach her a lesson. Then


    she would know that she can''t just do whatever she wants to do, wherever she goes, and whenever


    she pleases."


    Yun Shang smiled. She tucked into a bowl of red bean porridge before picking up an egg roll from the


    te. After breakfast, Yun Shang took a nap before finally deciding to deal with Qin Meng. She asked a


    servant to lead her to the so-called forbidden area in the Prince''s Mansion.


    Qin Meng was kneeling in front of the door of the forbidden area. She must have been kneeling for a


    long time for she could barely stay straight. Hearing a noise, she looked up slowly and, upon seeing


    Yun Shang, her eyes brightened. She straightened her upper body and said with tears in her eyes,


    "Princess, help me, please. I just wanted a private ce to relieve myself. But the mansion is sorge


    that I couldn''t find a servant to guide me. It was during my search that I stumbled here. I didn''t know


    that this is the forbidden area. Princess, help me…"


    Yun Shang frowned and walked towards Qin Meng quickly. With an anxious expression, she


    reprimanded the maid. "Qin Meng, how could you be so careless? We are now in Prince Jing''s


    Mansion. You are not allowed to walk around freely. You have caused offense to my uncle, Prince Jing.


    I am unable to save you…"


    "I didn''t mean harm. Princess, please go beg the Prince to forgive me." said Qin Meng. Tears gushed


    out of her eyes. Fearful of the consequences, Qin reached out and grabbed Yun Shang''s tunic.


    "Those who enter the forbidden area without permission are executed. For the Princess''s sake, our


    Prince won''t order your death. However, the fact remains that you entered the forbidden area,


    regardless of whether you did it on purpose or not. You have been absolved from execution, but some


    punishment is inevitable. Since you dared to walk around as you saw fit, you should also ept the


    consequences." said the butler coldly. He remained unmoved with Qin Meng''s plight.


    "Princess, help me, please. Go beg the Prince to forgive me." said Qin Meng. Having heard the butler,


    her anxiety increased and her voice reached a piercing intensity. She bit her lip and looked pale as she


    waited for the Princess to respond.


    Suddenly, a deep voice rose above the mor and chaos. Yun Shang turned round and saw Prince


    Jing-Luo Qingyan enter the room.


    "My Prince, she entered into the forbidden area yesterday. She is the Princess''s maid-in-waiting." said


    the butler reverently as he stepped forward and bowed.


    Prince Jing caught a glimpse of Yun Shang. Their eyes connected for a brief moment before he looked


    away. "What does the Princess say about this?"


    Yun Shang smiled and spoke calmly, "I brought Qin Meng here. She made this mistake because I didn''t


    discipline her well. Innocence does not equal guilt or crime. I beg you not to punish her too severely."


    Prince Jing thought for a while and nodded. "Do as the Princess said. Qin Meng will face a rtively


    light punishment." With these words, he looked at the maid-in-waiting who was still dressed in pink.


    The maid-in-waiting seemed relieved. Prince Jing raised the corners of his mouth grimly and said,


    "Those who entered into the forbidden area in the past, are all dead now. For she is the personal maid


    of Princess Yun Shang, she can stay alive. Just break her legs as punishment."


    On hearing this, Yun Shang retracted the smile in her eyes. A look of surprise showed on her face. The


    butler nodded his head and replied, "Yes, my Prince."


    As the Prince''s words sunk in, Qin Meng lost the relief she felt when the Prince had announced a


    lighter punishment. Her eyes filled with consternation. Suddenly, she rose to her feet and screamed,


    "No… You can''t do this to me…"


    "Too noisy, " said Prince Jing. As Prince Jing frowned, a guard put a gag on the maid.


    Prince Jing turned around to look at Yun Shang. He said, "When the punishment is executed, there will


    be a violent and bloody scene. Princess, you''d better leave to avoid seeing it."


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    "But Qin Meng…" said Yun Shang hesitantly. She frowned and looked at Qin Meng. Her tears ran


    freely down her face and blue veins stood out on her brow.


    "Princess, don''t plead for her again. I have shown enough mercy." After saying this, Prince Jing turned


    round and walked away.


    Yun Shang stopped and nced at Qin Meng, then did a double-take. As soon as she noticed that


    Prince Jing was no longer in the same courtyard, she ran after him.


    As they went out of the courtyard, Yun Shang said gently, "I owe you a debt of gratitude, my uncle."


    Prince Jing said softly, "Well." After a while, he added, "How can I trust you if you are unable to get rid


    of those who intend you harm? This time I have punished Qin Meng for you. Next time, you have deal


    with such people yourself."


    On hearing this, Yun Shang became annoyed. She nodded and said, "I see."


    With no more words to be shared, Prince Jing quickened to leave, walking further and further away


    from Yun Shang.


    "Princess, Qin Meng is a good-for-nothing now. How pleasant it is to see her end up like this. The


    Empress managed to put her by your side, but she was turned into a useless person by the Prince


    before she did anything useful for the Empress. It is the Prince that punished Qin Meng. You did not


    hurt her. Nobody can attribute her punishment to you. What a wonderful thing it is to get rid of her


    without doing anything." said Qin Yi with excitement.


    Yun Shang stood still and looked into the distant bamboo grove. Joy didn''t appear on her face. She


    said, "Letting her stay by my side is not necessarily a bad thing. I had thought I could make use of her


    vignt all the time without an agent of the Empress by my side."


    "Princess, you can take the chance to ce several trustworthy servants by your side." said Qin Yi.


    This was the first time since her return from the Temple that Qin Yi feltpletely at ease.


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "We will set out for our Pce once the Prince''s servants send Qin Meng


    back.


    Yun Shang wanted to meet with Prince Jing privately for two reasons. The first was to get a little space


    from the Imperial Pce and its on-going schemes, and the second to ally with someone who disliked


    the Empress as much as she did. Now that she got what she wanted, there was no reason to stay.


    Besides, Prince Jing''s would set off interesting events in the Imperial Pce. How could she miss that?