The Other Maid

She was age six when Princess Royal took her in, having found her in a wartorn village.

She was thus witness to the dysfunctionality that was the Xiao Household, when Princess Royal Huiwen came home after a War Expedition to find that her husband married one of her maids, Xue as his concubine. Princess Royal was nineteen when it happened. By this time, Concubine Fang and Qin gave birth to a daughter and son respectively and by the time she came, the children were two years younger than her.

The other maids were angry on her behalf, but Princess Royal didn't care.

'Milady, how come you don't care?' this girl named Yanli cried unhappily. 'At this rate if you keep giving inches, they'll take miles!'

'Yanli's right princess! You cannot let this go!' Jianqiu, Huiwen's Head Maid burst out. 'That slut, after milady saved her from poverty, treachery is her payback?!'

'Bad enough Master married that shameless harlot Qin on your wedding night!' another maid protested.

'Indeed, I don't care for Yuancheng at all, he can do what he wants, even if I lose face to the public that I, Royal Xiao-furen is undermined in this household.' said Huiwen softly. 'For this is a political marriage and an abnormal one at that.'

The maids stilled.

Indeed this was abnormal.

Royal Princesses are only bestowed to Princes and Dukes who gathered enough merit to be worthy of marrying a Royal Princess. Yet the Empress Dowager married her to a mere Duwei who wasn't even of note and made him Prince Consort!

That marriage caused an uproar and a lot of angry suitors protested, but it also made Xiao Yuancheng arrogant.

After all, if he married the Fairy of Nanyi, he can have any women he wanted!

'But this can't go on...' Jianqiu moaned unhappily.

'Well, in a way this is a good thing.' Yanli mused as the adult maids gave the little girl a 'What the hell?!' while Huiwen blinked owlishly. 'The public will see what kind of man Xiao Yuancheng is. Cheating on his wife while she's out risking her life for Nanyi and its people, what will people say about that? Prince Consort can't keep it in his pants! We can complain and let people overhear our mutterings and Royal Family will hear in no time flat.' the maids began whispering and wore evil smiles.

'Yanli, you're only six years old...' Huiwen sweatdropped. For a child to have such evil thoughts befitting a bitter woman...

'Even a baby can figure this out.' Yanli said wryly. 'My village where you saved me from, this happens a lot we learn early in life to be careful with itchy men for our future!'

'Oooooh!' the maids gasped out, wide-eyed at the scandalous revelation.

Next thing Huiwen knew, her maids were active in spreading rumors that indeed, their targets lost face in public and when word reached the Emperor, he was furious, and ordered Prince Consort and his new Concubines be dragged by force if need be, and they got the tongue-lashing of the century, and lost their Imperial Family status as punishment even if Princess Royal remains married to Xiao Yuancheng. The Xiao even lost their fief, Mengzhao that annually earns 30 million gold ingots that their income is now from Yuancheng's salary as a Duwei as well as Senior Master's income as a summoner. Naturally to add insult to injury, the wealthy Princess Royal will not share her income with the clan, ever.

'Serves Xue right!' the maids laughed.

A Duwei's monthly salary is only 2500 gold. Try dividing THAT to three separate families, as well as household maintenance and feeding not just family but also servants!

No room for personal luxury in there at all.

Senior Master Qiyuan found out through a friend and was furious with his son. He had it all and stupidly lost it all because he can't keep it in his pants!

He talked to Princess Huiwen for her good grace, unhappy that it's HE who has to beg for mercy and not his stupid son.

'You are blameless, why are you saying sorry, and not the one who offended me, father? He can't even have the spine to face me.' Princess Royal would tell him. 'He has failed me by failing my tests of character, so do not blame me if I respond in kind and you only have him to blame.'

However, she felt sorry for the servants, and not 'her husband's family'. Instead of giving money, she released the Xiao servants from their slave status instead, freeing 70% of them, and only those who are still single remains, as well as Butler Zhou and his daughter Peiyu. Those who have children and elderly are freed to become normal citizens with a starting family budget of 20000 gold coins each family. Only 21 slaves remain in the vast estate that tending to it all will be back-breaking work for everyone. THEN she pays for food just to feed the slaves for a month and everything else, is on Yuancheng's purse strings.

This was to the dismay of her husband and his concubines. While Fang was used to living on the mercy of the family as a former slave, the dismayed wives were Qin who grew into luxury as her father was the 30000 gold Counselor-in-Chief and Xue was a slave who tasted luxury days into her marriage now finding herself living 'on scraps' again!

This forced Senior Master to get Butler Zhou to calculate Family Budget with his son in tow. Because Qiyuan is now Senior Master thus retired from Family Responsibility, his income is now solely his alone. But his son has four wives when he should only have two...Fang whom he married before he was bestowed Huiwen.

With Huiwen's wealth plus the granted fief, his Xiao Family would finally gain status, but this idiot lost it all! Where has he gone wrong in raising this boy?

This was caused by Huiwen's unhappy maids when one of them, Xue seduced her lady's husband to concubinehood and this was their revenge before Princess Royal got home from a month-long expedition VS Beiyao. They talked loudly about the matter outside the estate and naturally, its fire on oil, earning the Emperor's rage. Bad enough his son cheated on their lady's wedding night, there was this! So they ensured Xue will not get to enjoy her betrayal for long. So how on earth, can 2500 gold go far with maintaining, clothing and feeding a whole estate, and to think children aren't even born yet!

'2500 gold isn't enough for the whole family Yuancheng and this is all your fault!' Qiyuan scolded his son. 'And you have no chance of promotion in the military now, do you seriously think you'll get promoted after you angered the entire city with your stunt?! We barely survived your scandal with Qin and now we lost everything when you married Xue! You thought of yourself as Tang Huang(chinese equivalent of Don Juan) when you got bestowed Princess Royal, didn't you!'

xxx

Yanli was no ordinary girl.

She was once a certain girl-who-lived who chose to die after losing Sirius, her only family left in the world and no, the Dursleys don't count.

She has her Invisibility Cloak with her that when she died by Veil, she was greeted by Death.

You chose death when my Cloak can hide you from me...why is that?

'My reason to live and fight is gone, by my own stupidity no less!' Carwen Potter cried. 'I didn't know I was set up by those visions! Sirius was safe all along yet got into danger and killed because of me! Kreacher lied to me!' she wept. 'All I wanted was a family who'd give a damn about me and I got him killed! Why should I live?!' she cried despairingly, inconsolable. 'You can have the cloak, I'd rather die for getting him killed!'

A family, is it? Well, I shall take you to your next adventure, shall I?

She was reincarnated with her memories and personality intact in a chinese-esque world...but a wartorn world.

She was named Yanli by her new parents who gave her the love she wanted, but one night, war came to their village without warning. Her parents have interesting hair and eye colors, that she got her mother's lavender hair, but her father's red eyes. Her parents were farmers that they got quite the tan while she was peach-skinned, yet to get the tan by family occupation. But her parents...aren't human at all...her mother looks like a bat, while her father was a ferret!

She got orphaned. Again and buried her parents.

It was then that she was found by Princess Royal, one of the army generals of Nanyi Country and she is of Beiyao. She gave her, her hand and took her in. Princess Royal was kind to her and apologized to her for failing to keep Guangyao Palace Summoners away from her village when the warzone should have been in the nearby valley.

She then took her in as a maid, so she performed and got tasty food throughout the trip home. Her family was barely above poverty line that they ate what looks like mush, if you boiled wheat in water for too long...it doesn't help that neither her parents know how to cook beyond 'poor folk stew' that she took to foraging for wild edibles to make their boring diet interesting. She retained her magic because Beiyao Citizens are born with unique powers as well...the trade-off being if you fall in love within the country, the demon guardian will punish you by turning you part beast! So most citizens here, are part beast. The stronger the love, the more beastly you are. Transformation was cruelly-painful, but her parents loved each other so to have her regardless of what happens.

Well, a farmer's annual income is 200 silver coins.

Barely enough to keep their house and they have very meager belongings, but at least they were a happy, loving family of three.

She used her magic to determine edibles they can eat, and she hunts edible animals as well and she helps her parents by doing chores and cooking when she turned six.

Just that...their first taste of rabbit meat was also, their last.

And she's a servant once more, only, instead of to the Dursleys, it's to the kind princess who treats her servants well. Their daily meals are congee, as opposed to boiled wheat or millet every day.

She was educated by the maids, learning how to read, write and do maths as well as things a lady's maid should know.

Wow, maids back in her world aren't THIS educated.

Not only that...

In a world like this, in a treacherous harem setting, a lady or young master's only allies are their own maids/servants against a treacherous family.

The rich and nobles have this kinda problem. Family? What family? It was a world of use or be used or be discarded. No love lost there that its rare for family members to care for one another if they're rich, as all compete for the favor of the Family Elders and Family Head.

But in this case in the Xiao Household, its EVERYONE ELSE who must curry Princess Royal's favor in a world of Might Makes Right as martial arts is the basis of one's prestige. A royal princess. Fairy of the Country as if a woman is known for being a beauty among beauties, she is respectfully called Fairy...insanely powerful as a Warrior and Summoner and wealthy, being the lord of Miyang County that gives 190 million gold ingots a year.

Princess Royal started training her in Martial Arts by making her cultivate, starting by developing her Spiritual Roots...and building her foundation. Its in these two crucial stages where one can determine if she has an element or not. Those with elements can become a Summoner or if you have Earth Element, a Pharmacist.

She has the element of Earth.

'Princess, not that I'm not grateful but a maid like me to learn martial arts...' Yanli croaked out. 'And you're paying for it, even!'

'Someday, you will be the maid of my child.' said Huiwen. 'And their protector. If anything happens to me, I can count on you for their sake.'

'Oh...'

Princess Royal goes out for days on end, thus she was left with supplies to cultivate after her lessons from her seniors.

Time passed by, Xue gave birth to her first child Yun and a year after, Zhonglei.

But after three years after Yun was born, war with Dongli ended, and she's pregnant with child.

Anyone with a brain knows she's not Xiao Yuancheng's daughter, that Princess Royal quickly bewitched the entire estate while only Qiyuan and Yuancheng knows the truth, as do her own maids. So thus word spread that she finally got knocked up by her playboy husband, but Qiyuan and Yuancheng knows the truth as she wore the green hat. Why can't she when she was cheated on by him first?

It was a slap to the face and the two men knew it. Qiyuan accepted this with a heavy heart while Yuancheng was bitter that some other man touched his beautiful wife and fathered her child, but was helpless as this was revenge. And with powerful enchantments, they cannot tell anyone no matter what method.

She gave birth to a daughter, Beiyue. Father's identity, unknown.

Qiyuan who now has a Rank 12 Fire Leopard, has to start helping with cultivation for the family Childe, Zhongqi as to not lose face any further. With his Rank 12 Fire Leopard, he can cultivate to 9-star hood in years to come. He was currently a 5-star Summoner but too busy to ascend by racking up money for the family Childe.

Yanli is now nine years old, and a 2-star Summoner as well as started taking cosmetic pills so when puberty hits, she would grow into her beauty. Due to her magic abilities, she has the natural predisposition to getting stronger quicker. And when she cultivates, she makes sure her levels are utterly condensed she can see a strong, solid wall of ki before deciding to ascend.

Nobody outside Princess Royal's Mansion knows that one of her maids is a Summoner, Warrior and Pharmacist Trainee...

And helping raise little princess Beiyue was a joy.

When she was born, she was given the title of Princess and Qinghe County by her doting uncle, and it earns 190 million, making her richer than Prince Zhanye who's currently four years old. Two years younger than Zhongqi.

And she was the little one's bodyguard.

Due to her magic abilities, she created a kitchen. When little Beiyue was a baby, her baby food and drink was good for brain, eye and bone health using her knowledge of food and herbs.

When she was about two-and-half years old, war with Beiyao ended. There was an exchange of Hostage Princes.

Emperor's fourth prince Prince Xingzi was sent to Beiyao while they got their 9th Prince, Feng Lianyi, both six years old. They are to stay in their countries for ten years.

'Princess, will Prince Xingzi be alright?' Yanli asked Huiwen. 'I mean, falling in love is a painful crime there that my parents are mostly animal...the more you love the more beastly you will look...will your royal brother and his mother welcome him home if he comes back part-whatever? My features are non-human as well in regards to my hair and eyes as I have familial love toward my parents...'

'We'll cross that bridge when it comes to it.' said Huiwen. 'I'll prepare my brother who in turn will deal with his mother, Consort Xiunu.' she said with a heavy heart. 'But I need you to come with me as you know how your country works.'

xxx

Four years later...

Little Beiyue was six years old, time for her to train in Martial Arts. It was around this time that Princess Royal took in another little girl in hopes she be Beiyue's friend and handmaiden, a girl named Dongling who's a year older than the princess. Jianqiu also raised her like how she did Yanli when she was little.

However, she cannot cultivate.

All her attempts, disappear.

15 years old Yanli dove into the Princess' Body, and saw the situation. However there was no way of rectifying it. But Yanli bound herself to Beiyue's prison so it takes her energy instead of the young girl's. So she has a chance to cultivate. Yanli was a powerful cultivator in her own right anyway. And true to her name, she grew up incredibly beautiful. Considering she walks with Princess Royal while Jianqiu carries Beiyue around, she became known as a future fairy. It helps that for a maid, she has powerful cultivation due to her position as bodyguard, and a reputation as an Earth-Class Alchemist, dabbling in creating magical items and refining pills.

Very few people made it THAT far as most Pharmacists can only ever get to Mystic-Levels. There are about 10 known Earth-Classes making her the eleventh...and just two Heaven-Classes. The Pharmacist Sage, and Prince Xiaoyao. And even better, she was of such a level at mere fifteen years old when most people reached Earth-Class at their thirties...it was said that maybe just like Prince Xiaoyao, she'll be a Heaven Class by the time she's twenty, though the man specialized in pills and she, in magical items.

With her knowledge of her old world, she was able to create better versions of those items, and raked in a lot of gold. She was wealthy by her own right, that she has an annual income of half a million gold ingots and she often had no idea what to do with it, after repaying what she owed Princess Royal through the Emperor who was astonished that she asked his help to make the money flow into his sister's coffers, considering the woman spent on her to become a bodyguard and the daughter needs more money than she does now. Thus the Emperor aided her through the Bugi'er Clan in secret.

'Yanli, what have you done!' Huiwen squeaked as Yanli bound herself to her daughter's dantian.

'It's for Princess' Sake...to survive the cruel political waters of this world.' said Yanli. 'In this cruel society where might makes right, in a harem household no less, nobody must know that she cannot cultivate as she somehow was born with a prison containing a demon...it takes her ki that she can never cultivate...if she, your daughter of all people is known a spiritual failure, her life will be miserable and its not even her fault! Goodness knows those other wives will enjoy this!'

'Yanli...'

'For now, please focus on Princess' Cultivation...I'm strong enough to buy her time until she's a nine-star summoner in her future.' said Yanli. 'Everything will be alright for sure!' Huiwen can only embrace her sleeping daughter before embracing Yanli out of gratefulness.

'Why do you go so far?'

'...not many people are kind to orphans, nevermind give them a future.' said Yanli with a hollow laugh. 'I thought I was done for when I buried my parents...and you came.' she said with a sad smile. 'Its my turn to give little Beiyue a future she would have been denied of thanks to her situation.'

If in another world Beiyue became a timid coward with low self-esteem due to a condition she'll never know of, here, she flourished...thanks to her bodyguard who has a strong sense of justice.

And Yanli also foiled scheme after scheme...