16 Everything is forbidden!

Lost in her thoughts, Chao Xing was mopping the path at a distance from Lin Qin. Her gaze went on Lin Qin who seemed to be lost in her thoughts.

She wasn't as cheery as she used to be. She seemed to be abnormally more quiet.

'What's wrong with her?'

Chao Xing wanted to go ask her. She decided to go towards her and ask her. She was just about to move when suddenly her eyes went towards the corridor and she saw Fei Hong standing there keeping a hawk-like gaze on every girl.

'I might get in trouble if I tried to talk to her now. I will just ask her in the night.'

With this thought she continued doing her work.

After some time they were done cleaning the path and then only Fei Hong arrived.

"I will take you to your class now. Follow me."

She gestured to them to follow her through her hand and was just about to walk away when Fei Hong saw Princess Xiao Chen walking towards them.

"Hurry! Hurry! Get in a straight line!"

Knowing that the princess will be soon going to walk through that path, she made the girls stand in a straight line on the side.

"Bent down. With your hands stretched." She put her both hands forward one above another, her knees bent down as she showed them how to greet by bending down.

She was just teaching them when Princess Xiao Chen arrived, she looked at each and every girl with an analysing look. All the girls were standing in a line with their knees and body bent down.

Fei Hong got startled all of a sudden when she arrived, she moved back and herself bent down too as she greeted hurriedly, "Your highness!"

Chao Xing was bent down too, she had her head down and hands forward. She used to watch many historical dramas and movies and watching them she knew how they greeted in the past.

Peeking up at Princess Xiao Chen, she was awestruck by her beauty. Everything about her screamed royalty and luxury. She had that polite and elegant manner like any princess. Chao Xing actually blushed looking at her. She felt like she just had a girl crush on the princess.

There were four girls behind her who seemed to be her maids. All had their heads bowed down, their skirts were of pink colour.

'I guess different rank servants have different colours of skirts here. I wonder if pink is better or brown. Which servant has the highest rank?' Chao Xing wondered.

Fei Hong on the other hand bowed more like she was apologising as she added, "These are the new girls. They just came here yesterday and don't know about the palace rules and manners yet."

Fei Hong looked like she was saying sorry in place of the girls as they didn't bow on time and properly.

"It's okay. I hope they will learn soon." Giving a polite smile she asked, more like she told her to let them learn as fast as they could.

"Yes." Fei Hong bowed a little more.

Xiao Chen left from there after that while Chao Xing's eyes were still on her. Until Fei Hong came and bonked her head lightly with the stick.

"Stop staring already! Move!"

Fei Hong took them for their class. The room had small tables with cushions in front of them. All the girls sat there on the cushions in front of those tables.

Chao Xing soon saw the man who bought them and brought them here entering the room. He went and stood there in the front.

Fei Hong was standing on a side keeping an eye on the girls while he was standing in the centre.

"First of all I will tell you about the things which are forbidden in the palace." Guo Ling had both his hands on his back as he said out loud with authority and loudly.

His each and every word was clear so that every girl sitting there could listen and get his words.

"Disobedience is forbidden, Gossiping is forbidden."

Walking around in the room he looked at every girl to check if they were listening to him or not.

He continued, "Fighting is forbidden, Insubordination is forbidden, men are forbidden!"

With a twirl he turned back as he reached in front of the girls again.

"Am I clear?"

"Yes!" All the girls said out loud.

"Any questions?" Guo Ling asked and at that a girl sitting in the back put her hand up.

"Yes?" Pointing at the girl who just held her hand up Guo Ling asked.

The girl hesitated a bit as she said, "Ah actually you said men aren't allowed here…..."

She again hesitated and stopped a little when she heard Guo Ling saying, "Yes! They are strictly prohibited here. No servant nor any girl of this palace can have any affair or even look at any man unless agreed by any member of the royal family."

"Then how come you are also here?" The girl couldn't help but ask again.

Guo Ling understood now what she was asking. Rolling his eyes he said, "I am not."

His cheeks turned pink as he blushed with embarrassment and to increase his embarrassment more the girl again said, "You are a man."

Guo Ling slapped his forehead while Fei Hong laughed a little at that and told the girl herself making things easier for Guo Ling, "He is allowed here because he isn't a man. He is an eunuch, harem attendants."

Along with Fei Hong all the girls laughed, trying their best to control their laughs they put their hands on their mouths. Poor Guo Ling got more embarrassed at that and angrily said, "Stop laughing, you all. Otherwise you won't be getting any food today."

The girls again tried to control their laughs but still they were laughing a little. Chao Xing too had a little smile on her face but she wasn't laughing like everyone else....