The Xuanwu Emperor felt that today was not starting well.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Woo-woo-woo... Your Majesty, my face... it hurts so much... even my teeth are loose, Your Majesty... you must seek justice for me!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The Emperor rubbed his temples and looked helplessly at Noble Lady Liu, who was kneeling at the entrance of the Nine Provinces Clear Evening Gate. "What''s wrong with you now?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He regretted not having the Imperial Astronomer calcte an auspicious time before leaving, as he was immediately caught by Noble Lady Liu upon arriving here.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Your Majesty..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Noble Lady Liu''s face was swollen and her mouth was numb, making her speech unclear. With her face looking like a pig''s head, it was difficult to feel sympathy for her.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Unfortunately, she hadn''t realized this herself...<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Last night, I was walking in the garden with Concubine Cheng. I merely asked if her zither had been repaired, and she... she ordered her maids to beat me like this. Your Majesty, although my rank is below hers, she... she shouldn''t be so cruel!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She sobbed breathlessly: "She''s just... just a Concubine. Even if... if I did something wrong, she should have reported it to the Imperial Noble Consort for punishment. What right does she have to take matters into her own hands?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
How annoying!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
What did this have to do with him?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Indeed, the imperial harem couldn''t function properly without an Empress – even such trivial matters were being brought to his attention.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The Xuanwu Emperor had gone out early this morning to prepare a surprise for Jiang Xinyue.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He nodded perfunctorily: "Tang Shiliang, go to Yueyue Pavilion and reprimand Concubine Cheng. The imperial concubines should follow the Imperial Noble Consort''s example – be gentle, graceful, and magnanimous. They shouldn''t resort to violence, as it goes against feminine virtues."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Noble Lady Liu''s heart leaped with joy: "Thank you, Your Maj-"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Before she could finish her words, the Xuanwu Emperor had already slipped away, disappearing in an instant while she was kowtowing in gratitude.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The maid Yan''er helped her mistress up and asked puzzledly: "My Lady, why did you say Concubine Cheng beat you?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
It was clearly because her mistress had offended the Imperial Noble Consort with her loose tongue that she was beaten.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Fool!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Noble Lady Liu stood up, touching her aching cheeks. "If I had said the Imperial Noble Consort beat me, wouldn''t His Majesty have beaten me again to appease her? His Majesty angered herst night, so he must be in a foul mood today, too irritated to even listen to what I was saying. Since Cheng Nianhe dared to scheme against me and cause me such humiliation, if she won''t let me live in peace, I won''t let her have peace either."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
See? She only mentioned Concubine Cheng, and the Emperor, eager to leave, ordered his trusted eunuch to reprimand her without even investigating.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Hah!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Isn''t she proud and arrogant, hiding her ambitions behind that gentle and kind facade?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She would deliberately expose her false mask.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"But My Lady, why did you bring up Concubine Cheng''s zither..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Wasn''t it her mistress who had broken that zither?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
When Concubine Cheng returned to Chuxiu Pce at that time, she had cried bitterly. Everyone in the pce knew that her mistress had been unreasonable, breaking the zither without showing any remorse.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Even the pce''s most skilled zither craftsman said the instrument couldn''t be repaired.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Weren''t you there that day?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Noble Lady Liu grew irritated at the question: "I only struck it once. That pile of wood she brought back was clearly destroyed by her own hands before she med it on me. She was in such a hurry to destroy the zither – there must be something suspicious about it."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The maid dared not ask further and supported her mistress as they walked toward Yueyue Pavilion.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She had thought her mistress was foolish for always stirring up trouble with her mouth, yet she was clever enough to manipte the Emperor''s mood to get Concubine Cheng reprimanded.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Perhaps everyone has two sides to them?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Those who could enter the pce weren''t really fools at all.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Perhaps stupidity was just their protective coloring.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After Tang Shiliang delivered the Emperor''s reprimand to Concubine Cheng at Yueyue Pavilion, he noticed that her face also bore injuries.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
This Noble Lady Liu was outrageous – she hadn''t told the truth!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
It wasn''t Concubine Cheng who had ordered people to beat her; they had clearly fought each other!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Concubine Cheng''s eyes were filled with tears, looking utterly wronged, her voice trembling: "His Majesty''s teachings are right. In the future, I will certainly follow the Imperial Noble Consort''s example, conduct myself with restraint, and avoid conflicts with anyone."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
If Tang Shiliang were a normal man, he might have felt sorry for Concubine Cheng and spoken some "fair words" on her behalf to the Emperor.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
But unfortunately, he wasn''t a man.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
So whether Concubine Cheng cried like a wilting flower or bore her grievances silently, he felt nothing.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He certainly wouldn''t rify things to the Emperor.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The Emperor hadn''t asked, so why should he volunteer to offend Noble Lady Liu?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
His godfather had said there was no need to keep mentioning people the Emperor didn''t care about.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"It''s wonderful that Concubine Cheng thinks this way."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Tang Shiliang wore a fake smile: "Then this servant shall take his leave."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Pah!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She deliberately spat at Tang Shiliang''s disappearing figure, saying hatefully: "They''re all discriminating servants, the Imperial Noble Consort''s dogs."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Concubine Cheng stood up from the ground, her knees aching: "I underestimated Noble Lady Liu. She''s even better than me at ying the game of striking first with false usations."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She hadn''t gone toin to the Emperor because she didn''t want to involve Jiang Xinyue and affect her image as a weak, innocent rabbit in the Emperor''s eyes.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Noble Lady Liu hadpletely bypassed Jiang Xinyue, not mentioning her at all, and directed the conflict straight at her, making her take the me for the beating.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Malice spread through Concubine Cheng''s eyes: "Just wait and see, I won''t let her off so easily."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The rules in the temporary pce weren''t as strict as in the main pce. When Lady Ruan brought Jiang Xinyan to ChuangChun Pavilion to seek an audience, they were quickly led inside by Shuang Jiang.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Xi Que had exerted herself too much the day before, both beating someone and mming doors. Her leg wound had started bleeding again, and after Yan the Imperial Physician rebandaged it, she had to rest in bed.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
But her spirit lived on, bing the idol of all servants in Hexi Pce.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
As Xiao Xiangzi put it: she was their role model.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
For their mistress, she disregarded life and death, considering the mistress''s mood above all else. For their mistress, she would shed blood and sacrifice her life.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Everyone should learn from her.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Last night, she had fought while injured, but neither pping Noble Lady Liu nor mming the door in the Emperor''s face had been hindered by her injured leg.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After Jiang Xinyue checked on Xi Que, she came to the main hall where Lady Ruan and Jiang Xinyan bowed together: "Greetings to the Imperial Noble Consort."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Mother, Sister, there''s no need for such formality."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Xinyue personally helped Lady Ruan up and looked with satisfaction at Jiang Xinyan, who had grown much taller: "Very good, you''ve grown taller. You''re a youngdy now."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Xinyan smiled shyly: "Sister has grown taller too. I still haven''t caught up to you!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Since entering the pce, Jiang Xinyue had indeed grown quite tall, with a statuesque figure and curves in all the right ces. She had shed her girlish immaturity and fully embodied the enchanting beauty of a favored imperial consort.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0