Not the right Master

If Ming Shu was disappointed early with the Princess decision, right now she was relieved. Right now they were at the plum forest, which was filled with snow. A normal Miss would get sick if they stayed kneeled in the snow, even if it was for a small time. Of course it probably wouldn't happen to Ming Shu since her body was trained and the Princess probably counted this possibility, but there was a small chance that she could get sick and this would be an undesirable outcome for the Princess since the support that she hoped to gain from Ming and Li families would be harder to get. In all, it was a bad move by the Princess.

Before Ming Shu thought that even though she couldn't be friends with Jinghua, she could at least serve her properly, but now she extinguished all thoughts of having Jinghua as a 'Master'. Ming Shu knew this was probably the Princess inexperience and that she would get better as the time passed, but unfortunately, she was remanded to serve the Princess now and not in the future, and this would lead her to problems that Ming Shu didn't want to bother with.

Smiling gracefully to the Princess, Ming Shu bowed.

"This subject accepts her punishment"

When she saw Ming Shu smile, Jinghua got a feeling that something was amiss, but seeing that the brat was finally respectful to her she put the felling in the corner of her head. She knew she made the right decision. Although the Eldest Miss Ming was a powerful asset to her, she needed her to know her place.

"You can kneel then. We won't take long since no one would want Eldest Miss Ming sick would we?"

Jinghua after seeing Ming Shu kneeled left with her entourage and the Misses. With Ming Shu now there was only Mo Meihui and Ming Yunning.

"What are you still doing here?"

"Of course accompanying you, you dimwit. Why would you not let me confront the Princess about this stupid punishment? Do you seriously want to get sick?"

"Listen to what you saying Meihui. You are talking about opposing a member of the Imperial Family. We are their subjects do well in remembering that. Besides, if you confront or stays here with me you will put your family at odds with the Princess, and this wouldn't be favorable to me since I'll need to be in her care for a time"

"Why can't I even be here?"

"You don't seriously think that you can stay healthy after a long time exposed to cold right"

"Why you can and I can't?"

"I train. Now go, Yunning is frail and can easily get sick"

"I won't go Jiejie!"

Ming Shu looked at the small frame that was already trembling with the cold. It warned her heart to think that her sister wanted to share her burden, but what kind of big sister would she be if she let Yunning caught a cold because of this silly situation. So she shook her head to her sister.

"Yunning you must go, what would your Mother do if she knew you not only got a feud with Princess but also was sick because of me?"

Ming Yunning paled thinking about the future punishments that awaited her but still stood her ground. She puffed her little chest and put a face of one that welcomes death, just like a soldier who was marching to his death but promised to do his utmost.

"I will still stand here even with the punishment"

Seeing her sister's behavior burst in laugh.

"Oh dear warrior, you'll be victorious in your fight"

Meihui started to laugh together with Ming Shu, which made a dark hue appear in Yunning's cheeks.

"I'm serious!"

"Sorry little Yunning it was too funny"

"Sorry, Meimei I couldn't hold. But still, my decision didn't change, you should go. If you stay here my feud with your mother would get worse. Don't you want us to live in peace with each other?"

Although she knew that a reconciliation with Lady Ye was impossible, Ming Shu couldn't make herself tell Yunning about the last feed performed by Lady Ye. A mother was such a special figure to anyone, and she didn't want her sister being at odds with hers.

"She is right Yunning, let's go together with the group you are already freezing here. Your sister is strong s little punishment like this is not sufficient to bring her down, but is enough for both of us"

Yunning, although unwilling, still did what her two big sisters told her to.

"Jiejie you must promise that you won't get sick or else I won't let you in peace for a moment in your life"

"Yes, yes. Now go. I'll see you later"

As both girls turned to follow the group, the thoughts roaming in their heads were similar. They despised the Princess and those Misses that threw false accusations in Ming Shu. But what they hated more was their inability to help those that they wanted to. Both of them, with each step they took, had their conviction of getting stronger more consolidated.

They vowed to themselves to not let anyone trample in their loved ones even when against the Imperial Household.