Reborn to be replaced, remarried to the royal palace to raise children and train husband

The maid who served tea was slapped by Gu Qinlan. She knelt down and begged for mercy, covering her swollen face. She was in so much pain that tears were streaming down her face, but she dared not make a sound.

Zheng Huiyi frowned, her eyes like ice falling on the trembling maid. She spoke slowly, with unquestionable majesty in her voice: "Gu Qinlan, this maid was just serving tea and water, why did she suffer such a severe punishment?"

Gu Qinlan's eyebrows were raised, and the coldness on her face became even more intense. She glanced at Zheng Huiyi coldly: "Huiyi, you don't know the whole story. This maid is very scheming. She almost burned Princess Duan and intended to murder the master."

The tea-serving maid shuddered when she heard this. She looked up at Zheng Huiyi with a hint of pleading in her eyes: "Miss, I...I really didn't burn the princess."

Zheng Huiyi nodded slightly and motioned for the maid to stand up. She turned to Gu Qinlan and said firmly, "Gu Qinlan, whether this maid is guilty or not, there should be an explanation. Let her tell the truth and we will decide."

Gu Qinlan sneered: "The truth? Does she dare to tell it? This maid is as cunning as a fox. If you don't teach her a lesson, she won't tell the truth."

Gu Qinlan's eyes were cold and her voice was as cold as ice: "Drag this maid away and give her twenty strokes of the cane!"

The maid was held by two servants, and she struggled to ask Zheng Huiyi for help: "Miss, please, save me!"

Zheng Huiyi's eyes widened as she stared at Gu Qinlan and said, "Gu Qinlan, how could you do this? A maid is also a human being. She was just careless for a moment. How could she be punished so severely for this?"

Gu Qinlan frowned and looked at Zheng Huiyi coldly: "Huiyi, don't you understand? In the palace, the maid's duty is to serve the master, and she cannot be careless. If not, the masters will bear serious consequences. By defending her like this, aren't you condoning her mistakes?"

Zheng Huiyi's face became even more angry. She stood up, walked to Gu Qinlan, and looked at her face to face: "Gu Qinlan, even though you are the Crown Prince's Consort, it does not mean that you can punish the maid at will. She is just an ordinary person, not your punching bag."

Gu Qinlan sneered: "Ordinary people? Huiyi, do you think the maids are willing to serve us? They are doing it for survival and for their families. In such an environment, they must strictly abide by the rules, otherwise they will be punished. This is the rule of the palace, and you and I must abide by it."

Zheng Huiyi's eyes widened and she said angrily, "Does the rule allow you to hurt others recklessly? Sister-in-law, look at the maid being beaten to pieces, don't you feel bad?"

Gu Qinlan's expression became more and more indifferent: "What can I do if I feel distressed? Huiyi, you have to understand that this is the survival rule of the palace. If we are soft-hearted, we will be irresponsible to the entire palace. The princess's injuries were caused by the maid's mistakes. If you really care about your mother, you should support me in punishing her."

Zheng Huiyi was speechless for a moment.

Gu Qinlan walked quickly to Princess Duan, her eyes full of worry and concern. Her eyes warmed Princess Duan's heart, and although she tried to remain calm, she could not hide the pain in her eyes.

"Mother, how is your injury?" Gu Qinlan asked softly, her tone gentle, like the warm spring breeze.

Princess Duan's fingers trembled slightly, trying to hide her discomfort: "It's just a minor injury, don't worry about it."

Gu Qinlan noticed the red marks on Princess Duan's fingers. They were scars left by burns, which were shocking. She gently held Princess Duan's hand, frowning: "This is not a minor injury. Look at these red marks, it must be very painful."

A trace of gratitude flashed across Princess Duan's eyes, but then she revealed a look of self-blame: "It's all my fault. If I hadn't been careless, you wouldn't have been implicated."

"Why do you say that, mother?" Gu Qinlan shook her head slightly, her tone firm, "Since I have come to Prince Duan's Mansion, I am a member of the Mansion, and the affairs of the Mansion are also my business. I deserve this burn."

Princess Duan was touched when she heard this. She patted Gu Qinlan's hand gently and said, "My dear, you are so considerate. I can't live without you any more."

Gu Qinlan smiled and shook her head: "What are you talking about, mother? I am your daughter-in-law, and it is my job to take care of you."

As the two were talking, a maid hurried in with a basin of snow water in her hands. Gu Qinlan took the basin and gently placed it in front of Princess Duan: "Mother, soak your fingers in the snow water first to relieve the pain."

Princess Duan nodded and put her hands into the snow water. The cold water made her fingers feel cool and relieved a lot of pain. She looked at Gu Qinlan with gratitude in her eyes.

Gu Qinlan found that her hands were also burned, and several blisters appeared on her fingertips. Princess Duan saw this and felt distressed: "Qinlan, your hands are also injured, come and soak in the snow water."

Gu Qinlan smiled gently: "Don't worry, mother, I'm fine. It's just a minor injury, it won't cause any trouble."

Princess Duan couldn't help but blame her, "You are always so considerate of others, but neglect yourself. If you hadn't saved me in time, I'm afraid..."

Gu Qinlan gently held Princess Duan's hand: "Mother, don't worry, I will be fine. The most important thing now is your injury, you have to take good care of yourself."

Princess Duan looked at Gu Qinlan, her heart filled with guilt.

Gu Qinlan was willing to burn his own hands for her. This kind of consideration and care made her feel deeply warm.

"Qinlan, I..." Princess Duan hesitated to speak, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.

Gu Qinlan gently patted Princess Duan's hand: "Mother, don't say anything, I understand what you mean. As long as you can recover, my injury is nothing."

Princess Duan was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She held Gu Qinlan's hand tightly, as if she wanted to convey all her apologies and love to her.

Zheng Huiyi stood aside, her eyes full of surprise and confusion.

Zheng Huiyi couldn't help but ask, "Mother, what's wrong with you? You weren't like this to her before, why do you value and love her so much now?"

Princess Duan gently patted Gu Qinlan's hand, slowly stood up, and looked at Zheng Huiyi, with a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She sighed and said, "Huiyi, you don't understand. Mother did misunderstand Qinlan before, but now I understand that she is a good child and deserves my careful treatment."

Zheng Huiyi frowned, still puzzled: "But mother, why do you misunderstand her? Is it because she married my brother that you are prejudiced against her?"

Princess Duan was silent for a moment, with a painful expression on her face. She said slowly, "Actually, all this is my fault. When Qin Lan first came into the palace, I felt that she was not worthy of my son. In addition, she was weak in character, and I thought she could not shoulder the responsibility of Princess Duan, so I rejected her."

At this point, she sighed, her eyes full of guilt: "Qin Lan has been enduring my neglect and exclusion, and I knew nothing about it. It was not until recently that I realized my mistake. In fact, Qin Lan has been silently contributing to this family. I deeply admire her kindness and tenacity."