The driver of the carriage kept still, as if he didn't notice the boy in the middle of the empty street or the anxious mother yelling . It certainly looked like he wasn't intending to stop the royal carriage .
'Well, if he does, he might get yelled at or fired by his employer . It's a member of the royal family too so it would be hard for him to find work later on, too . Judging from his behavior, the royal in the carriage must be one of those royal pain in the a.s.s, arrogant and willful despite being only a side relative to the imperial family . ' Shen Tianyu thought .
"Should we save the kid?" She asked Rong Jian who stood next to her .
"What does wifey want to do?" He replied with another question .
"Hmm . . . you guard me . " She decided and he nodded at her .
The carriage was already two chi(1) away from the little boy . He seemed to have froze on the spot, either out of fear or fascination . Shen Tianyu jumped out from the side and scooped the child up in her arms as she ran to the other side of the street .
The horse got spooked by something das.h.i.+ng in front of it and started going crazy . The driver had no choice but to calm it down and the carriage stopped . Amid the small chaos, a voice sounded from the carriage .
"What's going on?! You stupid driver, you don't even know how to drive a horse carriage!" It was a young woman's voice that berated the carriage driver .
'As expected . ' Shen Tianyu thought as she set the child down next to his mother .
"I'm sorry Miss, but someone just ran out in front of the carriage, startling the horse . " The driver tried to explain that it wasn't the fault of his skills .
The curtain behind where the driver sat was swept aside and a young woman emerged . She wore a pink robe with white sleeves . The edges of the sleeves were pink, a circle at the end of the sleeves . Pink ta.s.sels hung down from her shoulder, where the pink robe and white sleeves connected . Her sash was a light pink with a white ribbon tied in the middle and a flower pin . A light, almost transparent, narrow silk cloth was held up by her elbows, winding around her back to the other arm . She wore a gold necklace with three rubies hanging down the front . Her hair was tied up with most of it let down in a layer . In her hair was a circlet that was weighed down towards her forehead by a pink flower . In her bound hair was a peach blossom hairpin and a golden comb with more peach blossoms and golden strings dangling down . Her whole outfit gave off a delicate and lovable air .
However, unlike her clothes, she was making a face scary enough to make the child Shen Tianyu just saved to burst into tears . Her face was twisted in an angry scowl .
"Who had the audacity to run in front of my royal carriage?!" She yelled, impatient .
Shen Tianyu stepped out without hesitation and gave a salute . "This esteemed princess, it was this little one . "
"Good! At least you have the integrity to admit it! Guards, come! Drag her to the Punishment Chambers! I don't have time to waste, just throw her to them when we get to the Imperial Palace!" The princess flung her sleeves angrily and made to go back in the carriage . The guards following behind the carriage walked forward .
"This princess, do you not think you are being unreasonable? You haven't even questioned why I did it . " Shen Tianyu spoke as she straightened up .
"And why should I?" The royal pain in the a.s.s turned back around with narrowed eyes . The guards also stopped in their tracks .
"Your carriage was just about to run over a little boy, your driver wasn't slowing down either so I could only jump in front of the carriage to save him . You haven't even looked at the child and you want to punish a pa.s.serby doing a good deed? Is that not unreasonable? I haven't even had you apologize yet . " She continued .
The princess gave a crisp laugh . "So what? It's just a commoner's child . Is he more valuable than my life? Than my matters? I'm in a rush to get to the Imperial Palace, while you people can only ever look at it's walls . How dare you try to compare my duty with a commoner's child! You even want me to apologize! Peasants are just ants!"
"Why do you say so? Wasn't the first emperor of the dynasty originally a peasant also? Are you looking down on your own lineage? Or, have you become so arrogant, that you don't admit to being the descendant of a peasant? Besides, you are not a member of the direct Imperial line, I do not think you have the right to be so arrogant . In addition, you get your spending money by taking the peasants . Not only do you not appreciate them giving you money to spend for free, you even look down on them . " Shen Tianyu argued .
"Hmph! I'm still a royal relative . Of course they have to pay me . " The princess crossed her arms .
"You do not have a job and are not contributing to the country . They are basically paying you to be a no good, pampered princess . Jing Qie and Xi Qi had only signed a peace treaty 3 decades ago, is the court already rotting?" Shen Tianyu asked .
"You!" The princess pointed a trembling finger at Shen Tianyu . "You dare to slander the imperial family! You're not afraid of being beheaded!"
"Tsk, tsk . When did I slander the Imperial family? I was only asking about the Imperial court . If I'm slandering anyone, it'd only be you, a relative of a ruler who doesn't value the lives of their own people . If Emperor Jing heard what you said, what do you think his reaction would be?" Shen Tianyu clicked her tongue .