Fragrance Beauty 12: Bribe

Proofreader: Prof Zhu Yuan

Ru Pei waited for her to continue to speak, but An Rujin did not say anything.

Ru Pei was a little unhappy, "Rujin, I want to make a deal with you. Can you take the exam next year?"

An Rujin paused, and then looked aside at the smiling faces of the two ladies-in-waiting.

She slowly let go of Ru Pei's hand and asked lightly: "Why?"

Ru Pei smiled: "Because I have been preparing for the examination since last year. This is my second year."

Oh, that’s why she came to me, Rujin thought.

Rujin looked Ru Pei up and down, who had a winning smile. She also smiled lightly: "Oh, I understand."

Ru Pei thought Rujin had promised her to skip the exam this year. She hurriedly took out a bulging sachet and handed it to Rujin: "Don't worry, Rujin, I will make up for you. As long as you promise to take the examination next year, this will be your compensation."

The sachet was heavy in hand. It seemed that there was a lot of money in it.

An Rujin smiled, raised her dark eyes and looked at Ru Pei. "It's very kind of Miss Ru. But I can't accept the money, nor dare I accept it."

She said, giving the sachet back to Ru Pei.

Ru Pei took the sachet back and chuckled: "Why are you so polite? You are still young, and there will be nothing different to take next year's examination. Besides, Lady Intellectual Chen thinks highly of you; your future is limitless. Why are you in such a hurry? "

An Rujin looked at the sachet and suddenly asked: "What if I don't agree?"

When Ru Pei heard this sentence, her face suddenly changed: "What did you say?"

Rujin took the sachet and threw it away, saying coldly, "Sorry, Miss Ru, I don't agree."

Ru Pei was infuriated when she heard this. She gnashed the teeth in anger: "An Rujin, you should know how to appreciate favors."

The other two maids following her also shouted: "An Rujin, who do you think you are? It’s a blessing that Miss Ru thinks highly of you. Don't be ungrateful."

"Yes! Don’t flatter yourself! How unappreciative you are! "

They scolded continuously, but An Rujin just stood coldly and did not utter a word. Other ladies who studied the way of fragrance also came together at this point. They saw the angry Ru Pei and two aggressive followers, and did not dare to approach.

Ru Pei saw more and more people gathering, snorting coldly: "An Rujin, I’ll give you a few days to think it over. If you still don't know what to do, I won’t be so easy on you!"

Rujin gave her a cold look: "Miss Ru, what are you going to do?"

Ru Pei didn't expect her to be so tough, and she suddenly became speechless.

An Rujin continued with a cold voice: "If you have nothing to do here, please leave. Lady Intellectual Chen will come to teach later. You are more senior than me in this palace, so you must know the rules very well. You should not be disrespectful in front of Lady Intellectual Chen."

This sentence had a faint color of threat.

Ru Pei’s face was ghastly pale. She wanted to attack back, but with more and more people gathering around her, she could only give a sign to the other maids: "Let’s go!"

They went away arrogantly, and a maid deliberately knocked over the incense table that An Rujin had just arranged. The ladies of the Medicine Hall were friends with Rujin. They were so arrogant and their anger was aroused but no one dared speak a word.

An Rujin slowly arranged her incense table. Bihe and Qingqing came to help.

"Where are these three maids from? They are so arrogant! "

"I heard that they are maids in Jade Hairpin Palace."

Before An Rujin asked, one maid suddenly realized something and spoke out: "Jade Hairpin Palace! Oh, boy! It turns out to be Beauty w.a.n.g's palace. That lady was Ru Pei."

She looked at An Rujin with sympathy: "Rujin, you are in bad luck. She is Ru Pei. She is Beauty w.a.n.g's cousin and wanted to be a Lady Intellectual of the Twenty-Four Departments after she failed to be conferred a t.i.tle last year. It's a pity that she is not qualified enough and failed the examination again. I heard that she decided to pa.s.s the exam this year."

Qingqing sighed, "Rujin, you are so unlucky. How could she be after you?"

"That’s because Rujin learned well. That woman is really unreasonable," said Emerald Lotus angrily.

The maid who had just spoken hesitantly said to An Rujin again, "Rujin, why don't you lay low and stay away from the trouble. It is said that Beauty w.a.n.g 's father is a senior official with a large number of followers. Since Beauty w.a.n.g entered the palace this year and obtained a t.i.tle, Ru Pei has become more arrogant, often bullying other maids in the same palace. If you offend her, I'm afraid Beauty w.a.n.g will also…"

On hearing this, Rujin laughed, "How could it be? There are so many people taking the exam. Even if I withdraw from the exam, she may not be able to pa.s.s it and become a Lady Intellectual successfully."

Seeing that she was so determined, the maid stopped trying to persuade her. However, she also knew in her heart that only maids with a better background like Ru Pei could take the exam for the second time. If a powerless maid like An Rujin failed to pa.s.s this year, she would never have the second chance to become a Lady Intellectual again, unless she took n.o.ble people’s fancy one day in the future.

However, what a faint hope it was! No one would give up the present opportunity for a future that could not be guaranteed.

Ru Pei left Medicine Hall, and her heart grew more and more gloomy. Seeing her unhappy, the maid following her comforted her: "Miss Ru, don’t worry. That An Rujin is no match for you!"

"Yes! Miss Ru has been learning from Lady Intellectual Zhou for one year and will definitely pa.s.s the exam this year." Another maid flattered.

Ru Pei was tired of hearing their nagging: "Shut up, you two! You know Lady Intellectual Chen has a special status in the palace. Even Lady Intellectual Zhou studied from her in the past. It is for sure that people who can get her praise must be extraordinary. "

The two maids dared not say more after being reprimanded.

Ru Pei gnashed her teeth. Lady Intellectual Chen was once praised by the deceased emperor. Unfortunately, she was rigid and never take sides, so she offended some people of high level. She hadn't been promoted for decades. Unexpectedly, she could endure the loneliness for years and keep teaching new waiting ladies every year.

"The unappreciative An Rujin! I must find a way to make her regret!" Ru Pei's eyes flashed with resentment.

At this moment, one maid following her looked at the sky. "Miss Ru, let's go back to the palace. It's time for Beauty w.a.n.g to get up. We have to go back."

Hearing this, the other maid immediately said, "If there is no other way. We can ask Beauty w.a.n.g for help to teach An Rujin a lesson and make her give up."

Ru Pei nodded thoughtfully.