Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 139 Winter Melon's Opportunity Arrives Again

Mingyue spoke up: "You are extremely rude. It's one thing to hide behind a tree and eavesdrop, but you even dared to try to..."

Hua Yan noticed that the second young lady was tense, so she quickly reached out and pulled Mingyue back. It was fine for this young lady to speak recklessly in Yunyi Courtyard, but she shouldn't anger the prince in front of her.

Sure enough, before Hua Yan could speak, the pale-faced, beardless man behind the Prince of Jin stepped forward and angrily rebuked in a deep voice:

"How dare you! Whose maids are you, daring to offend my master like this? We were just enjoying the scenery nearby at 9 am, who knows if you followed us here?"

Jingming spoke words that were utterly scathing, but the Prince of Jin stood with his hands behind his back and did not stop him.

When the second young lady first heard the man's voice, she panicked for only a moment. But when she saw that the other party was turning the tables on her, she immediately became serious. If Hua Yan hadn't stopped her, she would have almost argued with him.

Hua Yan, disregarding any attempt to comfort her, had Mingyue protect the second young lady, looked directly at Jingming, and said solemnly:

"This concerns a woman's reputation, so please be careful with your words. Mingyue was rude just now and did not mean to offend you. As for the milk tea, it was just some tea snacks and not worth mentioning."

The first encounter with Prince Jin was unexpected, and Hua Yan secretly regretted letting the second young lady go to the back mountain.

Based on Ruizhu's inquiries and what this person just said, it's clear that Prince Jin dislikes noble ladies deliberately getting close to him. How could she dare to risk getting the Second Miss to speak?

Moreover, Granny Gao had also taught them how to deal with different situations if they encountered a man while traveling with their master.

The most important thing is to protect the young lady's appearance and leave decisively.

Therefore, after speaking, the master and servant exchanged a glance, Hua Yan whispered a few words to each other, and with her shielding them, the two bowed slightly to Prince Jin from a distance, then turned and walked with Mingyue toward the study.

Prince Jin didn't care who the other woman was, but seeing how well the pretty maidservant behaved, he couldn't help but become curious about her mistress and couldn't help but look at the two beautiful figures.

If even the maids around her are so beautiful, then this young lady must be even more stunning...

"Your Highness, should I send someone to investigate? However, Wei Ying has been gone for some time now, and I reckon the ladies and young women still in the temple probably think Your Highness has returned to the palace?"

Prince Jin was well aware that the three men before him, master and servant, had not approached him intentionally, and perhaps did not even know his identity. So he waved his hand, but still said, "Send people to inquire throughout the capital. I want to see what this milk tea is."

My mother, residing deep within the palace, has always enjoyed delicacies from outside. Even when I send him to offer incense, she never forgets to bring back vegetarian food. If this milk tea is delicious, it would be perfect to find the recipe and send it to my mother's palace.

The two young ladies, along with their servants, bypassed the meditation room on their way back to the quiet courtyard.

Hua Yan was still shaken. In just a quarter of an hour, although she couldn't discern the other person's temperament, the oppressive aura emanating from him was ever-present. Ming Yue belatedly realized that, seeing Hua Yan's cautiousness, she probably understood the other person's noble status and knew she had almost ruined things.

"Miss, I was rash just now. Please punish me." Mingyue bowed her head and admitted her mistake.

The second young lady said, "I can't blame you. But loose lips sink ships. Just be more careful in the future." When the second young lady was in Lin'an, she was pampered by the old lady at home and was also fawned over by the women outside. Today, she met the royal family for the first time and suddenly realized something and began to reflect on herself.

In the past, she was no different from Mingyue, speaking without restraint or any inhibitions. If Huayan hadn't stopped her just now, she doesn't know what she would have said, and might have made a mistake.

A moment later, the second young lady sighed silently.

It was a pity that Hua Yan had covered his face so thoroughly that she hadn't seen a single thing about the Prince of Jin... Although, according to the rules taught by Granny Gao, even if Hua Yan hadn't stopped her, she couldn't look him directly in the eye...

Jingyuan.

Seeing the different expressions on the faces of the three women, Madam Yun's thoughts turned slightly heavy. She whispered to Wei Mama, who then quietly withdrew.

It was obvious that this matter could not be kept from the madam. On the way back, Tang Xian and the others' carriages returned to the mansion first. The second young lady went to the Su mansion to deliver the vegetarian meal, but did not dare to linger. After returning to the Tang mansion, Hua Yan immediately went directly to Yun Gui Courtyard with the second young lady.

Madam Yun was discussing the coming-of-age ceremony with Tang Xian and the wedding preparations for Tang Lin when she looked up and saw the Second Miss being ushered in by her maid.

After Wei Mama waved for the maids in the room to leave, Madam Yun and Tang Xian sat at the head of the table. After the second young lady finished her greetings, Hua Yan knelt on the ground to beg for forgiveness.

"This servant has made a mistake, please punish me, sir and madam."

Just as the second young lady was about to speak, Madam Yun said coldly, "You made two mistakes today, are you aware of that?"

Hua Yan's face flushed red, and she lowered her head, saying, "This servant knows her mistake. First, with Your Highness visiting the temple, I was only focused on the ladies of the officials who went to offer incense, and lost my vigilance. Second, I failed to promptly advise Your Highness, which led to this in the back mountain..."

The second young lady interrupted urgently: "Father, Mother, it was because I thought Jin... had already left that I insisted on going to the back mountain. Hua Yan did nothing wrong."

Hua Yan cautiously glanced at the lady and meticulously recounted her chance encounter with Prince Jin by the mountain spring, detailing every word and action thereafter. Since Madam Wei couldn't gather any information from the temple, Hua Yan's clear explanation would quickly reassure Madam Yun and the head of the household.

After a long while, Madam Yun's expression softened, and her gaze towards Hua Yan became much gentler.

After listening, Tang Xian quickly grasped the key point: milk tea might be something that could be developed.

He said slowly, "You handled it well. You've only been in the palace for five years at such a young age. It's quite clever of you to be able to recognize the Prince of Jin by the jade tablet on your belt when you first came to the capital. It's clear that you've put in a lot of effort in terms of knowledge."

Madam Yun held a cup of tea, a smile playing on her lips. She truly admired Hua Yan's skills.

She knew that when Hua Yan was in Lin'an, she had deliberately tried to get on good terms with her second uncle through Huan Yun's connection. She guessed that Han Jing (Tang Han Jing, the manager of Yongzheng Shop) had taught her a lot. As for 'insight', it was not something that she, who came from a poor family, could cultivate overnight.

Hua Yan's ability to find opportunities to learn about the appraisal of various artifacts in advance shows her meticulousness and foresight. Madam Yun once again lamented that with Hua Yan's talent, she could thrive in any position.

Observing her expression, Wei's mother stepped forward and helped Hua Yan up.

“Madam, in my opinion, Huayan performed very well, but Mingyue is a bit outspoken. Xiangmei (Aunt Mei) should give her a good talking-to.”

Madam Yun remained noncommittal, then turned to look at the Second Miss. It was not just Mingyue who spoke without restraint.

In the past, no amount of instruction in Lin'an could compare to a single stumble in the capital.

The second young lady said with embarrassment, "I know I was wrong. Managing the servants in the courtyard is my duty." The implication was that the punishment of Mingyue was not done in consultation with Aunt Mei.

Madam Yun nodded in satisfaction.

Before the second young lady left with Hua Yan, Madam Yun suddenly gave an order:

"The steward will send someone to fetch spring water from Guangci Temple tomorrow, so that Donggua can take a break from his kitchen duties for the next few days and focus on improving the milk tea. In addition, Huayan will help record the recipe and present it to Physician Zhen for review."

Hua Yan's eyes flickered, and she roughly understood what the lady was thinking.

If this article about milk tea is well-written, it will be far superior to those of the likes of the Earl of Shou'an's mansion who deliberately seek opportunities to get close to the Prince of Jin.

Winter melon has another opportunity!