Chapter 26


    One would hardly believe it was to send off the Emperor and Empress to the realm of immortality.


    After all, Zhen Fangyi''splexion looked awful.


    After the Emperor summoned her, she did not even spare him a nce, instead pulling Concubine Su out of the Emperor''s embrace: "Exin yourself clearly, who hates you so much? Although we entered the pce on the same day, I had never met you before then. After entering the pce, apart from the day when Consort Jiang struck you for blocking her path, the only time we had any interaction was when I said a few words to you as I passed by. When did we ever have any other dealings? Are you saying that I would cruelly kill my beloved pet to terrorize you?"


    Even when she went to Yikun Pce daily to pay her respects to the noble consorts, she was always apanied by Consort De and Consort Liang, never once going with Concubine Su.


    How could she have offended her, to the point where the other would use the words "hate" to describe her feelings?


    Concubine Su kept looking to the Emperor for help, but he was too preupied watching Zhen Fangyi, who resembled an angry little bird, not sparing her a single extra nce.


    She had no choice but to brazenly say: "If Noble Lady Fangyi does not resent this concubine for receiving Your Majesty''s favor on the day you moved pces, why did you invite Consort De to eat roasted meat that day but neglect this concubine who resided in the same pce as Consort De? And when Consort Jiang struck this concubine, why did you stand by and do nothing to help this concubine?"


    Jiang Xinyue was so angered she had tough. It turned out there really were people like Concubine Su in this world.


    As if she was the center of the universe, everyone had to revolve around her. Not helping her was hating her, not ying with her was hating her, notplying with her wishes was enviously hating her.


    Wasn''t this just pure madness?


    Not only did she find itughable, but even the Empress found it unbelievable: "Just based on your own imagination, you maliciously use Zhen Fangyi without a shred of actual evidence, ndering a consort of higher rank than you. Don''t you know this vites pce rules and warrants corporal punishment?"


    Concubine Su froze for a moment, her gaze shifting evasively: "This concubine... was only making a reasonable guess, not intentionally using Noble Lady Fangyi. Please, Your Majesty, in light of this concubine''s fright, do not pursue the matter."


    Look at that, call her stupid, but she still knows how to look out for herself and avoid harm.


    The body of Little Ai Jiang had been covered with a white sheet. Jiang Xinyue reached out to uncover it, but the Xuanwu Emperor stopped her: "Don''t look."


    Everyone in Hexi Pce adored Little Ai Jiang. If they saw its gruesome state with its eyes gouged out and body cut open, they would inevitably be heartbroken.


    Jiang Xinyue nced at the Emperor, shaking off his hand and slowly pulling down the sheet.


    "Ah!"


    Seeing Little Ai Jiang''s furpletely stained red with blood, its chest and belly sliced open with its innards spilling out, Xi Que let out a terrified scream, covering her mouth.


    She had acted improperly in the Emperor''s presence and knelt on the ground: "This servant deserves to die. Please, Your Majesty, forgive me."


    The Xuanwu Emperor paid it no mind, feeling her reaction was understandable.


    Everyone in Hexi Pce treated Little Ai Jiang like their own child, which was why it had such an amiable nature.


    Suddenly seeing their "child" meet such a gruesome death was simply too much for anyone to bear. Zhen Fangyi and her pce maids had shown remarkable restraint.


    "I told you not to look."


    Arge hand suddenly appeared before her tearful eyes, blocking her view.


    The familiar scent of dragon saliva enveloped Jiang Xinyue from behind. Indignant, she could not fathom how someone could be so cruel as to treat a small dog in this manner.


    As expected, the ipetent could only vent their resentment towards her on weaker beings.


    Such a vile person deserved to be found and executed to avenge the poor pup.


    Longshes brushed against the Xuanwu Emperor''s palm as warm liquid seemed to swirl in her eyes, the heat sshing onto his skin and tightening his chest.


    Unable to tell if it was heartache or something else, he turned Jiang Xinyue around and held her under his arm, covering her with his cloak as he walked out: "Wang Dequan, take Little Ai Jiang back to Hexi Pce and bury it."


    At the gate, the third prince handed Jiang Xinyue some candies: "Lady Jiang, don''t be sad. When Xuan''er recovers, we''ll alle visit you with eldest sister and second sister."


    Jiang Xinyue ruffled his hair, forcing a smile more unsightly than crying, and left without a word under the Emperor''s escort.


    With the Emperor gone, Empress Zhu also had no interest in staying, leaving in her sedan chair amidst a flurry of support.


    Concubine Su''s legs gave out, and she copsed to the ground. Clearly, she was the one most frightened by this incident, yet the Emperor only cared about Zhen Fangyi. The Empress didn''t even bother to investigate, simply using her of ndering Zhen Fangyi...


    Why was her life so miserable?


    Why did no one believe her?


    Mournful sobs rang out as Consort De shook her head and instructed her pce maids: "Go clean up the bloodstains outside Concubine Su''s quarters, and have the imperial physicians prescribe her a calming tonic."


    The Xuanwu Emperor had ordered Little Ai Jiang to be buried, so Wang Dequan dared not neglect the task. A makeshift small coffin was hastily prepared by the Ministry of Works, the white sheet-wrapped puppy''s body ced inside.


    Changxin Pce—


    Concubine Li, dressed in light robes with a headband marking her frail state,y reclined on her noble concubine''s couch: "You''re saying someone killed Zhen Fangyi''s dog and hung it outside Concubine Su''s quarters, and now the Emperor wants to hold a funeral for Zhen Fangyi''s dog and have all the pces send representatives to mourn?"


    Layue had been punished with fifty strokes of the rod and was still recovering in her room. Even if she recovered, she would never be allowed to serve Concubine Li again.


    To employ someone the Emperor loathed would be a tant defiance of the Emperor''s will. No matter how much the Emperor favored her, she dared not openly defy him.


    Chunhe, formerly a second-rank pce maid, was now Changxin Pce''s senior pce maid.


    She stood with lowered head and humble manner: "Yes, the Empress, Consort De, Consort Liang, Consort Jiang, Consort Wan, Consort Jin, Consort Rong, Noble Consort Rong, and the pcedies from every quarters have all gone."


    With the Emperor''smand, who dared disobey?


    Concubine Li exhaled heavily: "The Emperor indulges her antics. If the Empress Dowager were still overseeing the imperial harem, would such a spectacle be allowed? Mobilizing everyone just for a dog''s funeral—the Empress is simply ipetent."


    She was still displeased with the Emperor, who had not evene to console her. Instead he was upied with Zhen Fangyi. Did she have to lower herself first?


    She refused to do so.


    "Mydy, there''s no need to get upset. I''ve already declined on your behalf, and the Empress said you should focus on recovering and need not attend."


    "Well done."


    Concubine Li massaged her temples as Chunhe promptly came to assist her.


    The Hexi Pce had never been so lively since it opened its gates.


    Beautiful women filled the courtyard, plump and slender, dressed in red and green, striving to catch the Xuanwu Emperor''s attention with their beauty.


    Yet it was theirvish adornments that made Jiang Xinyue''s snow-white robe embroidered with peonies stand out as stunningly graceful and elegant.


    Complementing her delicate, exquisite features, it lent her an air of fragileeauty.


    Jiang Xinyue''s eyes wandered around, her gaze bing ever more pitiful and forlorn.