Trespassing!?

"Who are you that trespass his highness study?" A male voice inquired, and Liu'er froze on the spot.

"How about I go out and you stay here, the crown prince already knows you so it will be difficult to explain," Liu'er suggested as she attempted to walk outside, but Meiruo pulled her back.

"Don't worry, I'm not a coward, and I have a perfect explanation," said Meiruo as she walked out in place of Liu'er.

"Where is your partner?" the masculine voice inquired, still noticing a hidden shadow, liu'er sighed, and Liu'er walked out, looking up to face the man, but she suddenly remembered his face.

"You're that proud peacock," Liu'er exclaimed.

"You're the parrot," the person said, referring to Liu'er whom he met on their way to the palace.

"What did you call me?" they both questioned.

"Peacock," said Liu'er.

"You!"

The man stated

The crown prince approached them and asked, "Yunxi, do you know each other?"

"Yes,your highness," Yunxi replied with a bow.

"She is a talkative I met while patrolling today"the guard,the one who noticed the girls.

"All right, what about her?"The crown prince inquired.

"I don't know much about her because she hadn't said anything and her friend here is a chatterbox," Yunxi said as Liu'er rolled her eyes and Meiruo continued to bow her head.

"Hold your head up."The crown prince said, and Meiruo slowly lifted her, and the prince looked at her, stunned.

"Tang min, what have you been doing for so long?" the crown prince inquired, and Liu'er fixed his gaze on him.

She was aware that Meiruo knew the Crown Prince, but tang what?

Liu'er later decided to question Meiruo and spoke up. "I think, your highness is."

Liu'er was about to explain, but he cut her off.

"I wasn't addressing you."

"You can both leave now."

Said the crown prince, liu'er and yunxi bowed their heads and left.

"I can't believe you remained a parrot even in the presence of his highness, your friend could talk you know," Yunxi exclaimed after they stepped foot outside.

"Of course I do, because not everyone is as stupid as you."

Liu'er looked at him.

"You!?"Yunxi was at a loss for words.

"You can leave now," Yunxi said, echoing the crown prince's words.

"He didn't say I was the only one who was to leave," Liu'er said.

"I'm not going!"

"I have to stay here and guide this place," Yunxi said.

"Oh! I apologize for forgetting you were a guard." liu'er exclaimed with a gasp

"I also can't leave because I'm waiting for my friend," she said solemnly.

The crown prince moved closer to meiruo in the study.

"Tang min, I have missed you for a long time," he said, and Meiruo bowed.

"Your highness,I believe you mistook me for someone else; I am just a new maid named Xi ming," Meiruo explained.

"All right, I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable"Looking away,thinking of how he mistakes lots of people for her, the crown prince said.

"May I leave now?"

Meiruo inquired.

"You certainly can."

The crown prince said trying not to look at her, and Meiruo walked away,outside she meet Yunxi and Liu'er glaring at each other.

Yunxi entered the study as soon as Meiruo left with Liu'er.

"Is she the consort, Your Highness?"

Yunxi inquired.

"I'm not sure, check her background," the crown prince said as he sat down by the desk.

On the way, Liu'er bombarded meiruo with a slew of questions such as

"Did you tell the crown prince anything?"

"Did he realize you were once his mistress?"

"How come you have so many different names?"

"Did you know that if he investigates you and discovers you lied to him, he has the authority to have you killed?"

"Why aren't you responding to me?"

Liu'er finally asked, putting an end to all her inquiries.

"Because you asked too many of them, I don't know which one to answer"Meiruo explained.

"All right, answer my first question," Liu'er said.

"I introduced myself as Xi ming," Meiruo said.

"Second," Liu'er asked.

"No, he didn't," she replied.

"Third," Liu'er asked.

"My parents knew they were going to leave soon after I was born, so they made countless birth certificates for whoever came to get me from the hospital," Meiruo explained.

"Fourth," Liu'er asked.

"Of course I do, but he'll never know because I have authentic proof for whatever name I use."

Meiruo stated that as soon as they arrived at their room, Liu'er opened the door and they retired to their beds.

They awoke the next day and submitted their name tags; they were to assist in the kitchen.

In the kitchen

Liu'er and Meiruo were busy doing the dishes when a Maid rushed in.

"Wu min, is sick and is unable to deliver concubine Yin's food."

"Concubine Yin, will almost kill us if her food does not arrive on time," Yu Yan,the maid said.

"What will we do, can't she try to go?" wondered the head cook.

"No, she can't even stand up," Yu Yan explained.

"Yan Ming, what can we do? Can you deliver the food?"

The head chef inquired.

"I can't because I haven't delivered the crown prince's food," Yan Ming explained.

"Can't you deliver the food?"

Yan Ming inquired.

"I can't, I don't deliver foods, and I'm the one who prepares all the food for the royalty," said the head cook.

Meiruo approached the head cook and asked, "Can I deliver the food?" Everyone's gaze was drawn to her.

"Concubine Yin is considered the most wicked concubine; if any maid offended her, she would make sure her maid slapped her ten times," the headcook said.

"Do you want to deliver the food for her?" the head chef inquired.

"She won't complain if I deliver the food for her because I'm a maid, and the entire kitchen will be punished if no one delivers the food"said Meiruo.

"Yes, and if she slaps us, I'll make sure I beat up the maid" Liu'er said,making the head cook laugh.

"All right, the food is over there," the head cook said, pointing to a corner.

"Because you're new in the palace, Yan Ming will take you to her palace," the head cook said, and Liu'er nodded her head and took the food, walking out with Yan Ming and Meiruo.

Yunxi passed by and looked at them as they walked into the concubine's palace.

"I'll come to a halt here."

"Be careful and try not to offend her," Yan

Ming advised and walked off.

Liu'er and Meiruo took a deep breath before opening the door and walking to the dining room.

They dropped the food, knelt, and bowed to the concubine, who looked at them proudly and waved for them to stand up.

Liu'er and meiruo rose elegantly, and Liu'er proceeded to serve the dishes.

"Your face is new here; where is the girl who previously served me?"

Concubine Yin inquired.

"Your highness, she became ill and was unable to stand, so we were sent to replace her," Meiruo explained.

"Oh!"

"Do you understand all of the rules and regulations for serving me?"

Concubine Yin inquired.

"Yes,Your Highness," Meiruo said respectfully, concubine yin nodded her head as Liu'er finished serving the dishes.

Meiruo took a step forward and called out the names of each dish, how they were prepared, and their benefits. She quickly returned to stand beside liu'er and the concubine tasted the food.

"It tastes good, you really have a good way of serving me, I'd like you to serve me all the time,"Concubine Yin said, Liu'er stared on her eyes widening while meiruo remained calm.

"I'm sorry,your highness, we are new maids who have been assigned work, so we are mostly busy,"Meiruo explained.

"All right, I'll ask the crown prince to change you from maid to cook, what do you think?"Concubine Yin inquired.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid I can't work as a cook because I lack the necessary skills."

Meiruo stated.

"If you don't have the skills, you will learn them." Yin, the concubine, stated.

"I'm afraid I can't, Your Highness."Meiruo and liu'er chorused.

"How dare you speak back to me?"

Concubine Yin yelled and stood up angrily from her seat; they both covered their faces but soon let down their hands.

Concubine Yin scoffed and yelled, "I thought you knew all the palace rules, you kneel whenever I am angry with you."

But liu'er and meiruo continued to stare at her.

"I see you're trying to avoid my presence"She said

"Lu Lin"Concubine Yin called.

"Here," she reported as if she were a guard.

"Give them both two slaps each."

Concubine Yin said as she went back to sit while liu'er and Meiruo's eyes widened as Lu Lin walked up to them like a boss and raised her hand to slap her as meiruo turned her heads over.

Suddenly, the crown prince grabbed the maid's hand and threw it away.

Concubine Yin stood up, stunned, as her maid staggered back.

*A flashback

Yunxi walked right past the trio meiruo, Yan ming, and liu'er, into the crown prince's study.

"Where did you go?" the crown prince inquired as Yunxi entered the study.

"I went on a short partol and met that talkative," Yunxi explained.

"Did her friend xi ming accompany her?"

the crown prince inquired

"Yes, and they were on their way to Concubine Yin's palace," Yunxi said, and the crown prince looked at him with suprise in his eyes.

"Does she still punish those who serve her?" inquired the crown prince.

"Yes, even if they do nothing wrong."

Yunxi chuckled.

"The people who have to serve her are so unlucky." Yunxi said again.

"Well, I guess it's time to teach her a lesson," the crown prince smirked.

"Let's go, I'd like to have breakfast with concubine yin today?"

Yunxi gasped as the crown prince said this.

"I thought you didn't like her behavior, so why do you suddenly want to eat with her?" Yunxi inquired.

"You'll find out when I get there," said Crown Prince Yang Lei as he exited the study.

*Flashback concludes

Concubine Yin smiled and said with a slight bow

"Your highness,you didn't inform me that you were coming,I'm sorry I can't properly receive you".

Yang Lei,the crown prince turned to her and gave a slight smirk.

"Do you mean I should leave?" Crown Prince Yang Lei inquired.

"Of course not,your highness,I'm just saying,"Concubine Yin replied as Yang lei, the crown prince, approached Meiruo and inquired.

"Are you all right?"

Concubine Yin's eyes almost popped out of their sockets the crown prince arrived at her palace for the first time in many years, only to ask a maid if she was okay.

This maid is becoming a thorn in her side.

"I'm fine, your highness, I'll take my leave now," Meiruo said as she bowed and left with Liu'er without waiting for him to respond.

"What made you want to slap her?"

Yang Lei inquired.

"They.....They talked back to me and didn't knell down when I asked them to"

Concubine Yin expressed surprise that Yang Lei was standing up for an MAID!

"Really!?"

Yang lei inquired.