Rebirth of the Phoenix Princess novel Chapter 148

Only silence followed Yun Shang's question. The Princess was surprised. She removed the hairpin from her head, and hid it in her sleeve. Then she signaled at Qian Yin to open the door.

Qian Yin suddenly pushed open the door. When Yun Shang peeped, she saw a man in dark grey standing in front of the carriage. The man, who seemed to be in his forties, bowed a little in a respectful manner. There were also several maids standing behind him.

Yun Shang said with a frown, "Why did you bring me here? What do you want?"

The man didn't raise his head at Yun Shang's words. He answered leisurely, "Your Highness, I know nothing about this. I'm just a servant. My master ordered me to take care of you. Please, get off the carriage and come with me into the courtyard."

Yun Shang pondered for a moment and then decided to follow the strange man. When Yun Shang bent her waist to step out of the carriage, Qin Yi stopped her. Yun Shang turned to look at Qin Yi, who seemed quite calm in spite of her pale face. "Your Highness, please let me go first."

Yun Shang knew Qin Yi was worried about her. Qin Yi was trying her best, even at the risk of her life, to protect Yun Shang. The girl didn't even know Kung Fu! This gesture touched Yun Shang.

"It is okay. I will be fine." Yun Shang smiled at Qin Yi before stepping out of the carriage. Yun Shang saw a thick grove as soon as she stepped out. In the grove lay a beautiful courtyard that added to the tranquility of this place. But Yun Shang was upset as she did not know where she was.

However, Yun Shang's agitation only lasted for an instant. As soon as she jumped off the carriage, she studied the mansion carefully. She saw nothing special about the courtyard. There was not even a plaque on the entrance gate to show the identity of its owner. The owner must be very prudent! Yun Shang became irritated without information with which to identify the owner.

"Please come in, Your Highness." The man bowed a little in front of Yun Shang, and welcomed her with due respect.

Yun Shang raised her brows to measure the courtyard before walking toward it. "How... should I address you, Sir?"

The man answered with a smile, "My surname is Zhao, and I'm the chamberlain in this courtyard. Your Highness can call me Master Zhao. These girls are servant girls in this courtyard. They are Chun Hong, Xia He, Qiu Ju, and Dong Mei. Please feel free to let them serve you. They will do anything for you. Your two maids are our distinguished guests as well. Please let the four girls do all the tasks you would normally ask your maids to do."

Yun Shang uttered coldly, "That would be nice, Master Zhao." Zhao must be a fake surname. Many people have the surname Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li under the heaven. And Zhao is the first name listed in the One Hundred Surnames*. When a person walks on the street, at least half the people he or she would run into would probably have the surname Zhao.

(*TN: One Hundred Surnames is a list of one hundred surnames commonly used in China. Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li are the four most common surnames in the One Hundred Surnames, with Zhao as the first in ranking.)