Chapter 126 I'll Serve Empress Zhaoyi

In Fenghe Palace.

Queen Cui was still sitting on the phoenix throne, her eyes closed, but her aura was fierce and intimidating.

Lin Zhaorong came in with a nervous mood.

"Your Majesty, does the Queen have any instructions for me?"

After a while, Empress Cui opened her eyes and looked towards Lin Zhaorong who was standing in the center of the hall. She said in a cold tone, "Kneel down."

Lin Zhaorong's scalp tingled at these two words. Since she started serving in the Eastern Palace, she had never been scolded by the Queen in such a tone.

She knelt down hurriedly and asked cautiously, "Did I do anything wrong to upset Her Majesty the Queen?"

Empress Cui stared at her quietly: "What did you do wrong? Don't you know?"

Lin Zhaorong quickly reviewed what had happened in recent days in her mind. She had been very low-key recently and had not done anything out of the ordinary.

Today, she became conspicuous, but today, she was clearly the one being bullied.

What happened that made the Queen treat her like this?

"I am stupid."

"It seems that Lin Zhaorong wants me to explain it more clearly." Queen Cui sneered and said a name, "Chun Qi."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhaorong's vision went dark and she collapsed to the ground.

Last time, she framed Concubine Pei for this matter, but she didn't find anything in Concubine Pei's palace. Instead, she found something in Yaohua Palace. Then Lin Zhaorong knew that Concubine Pei knew about it. Not only did she know about it, but she also framed Shen Baolin.

Although her plan was seen through, Lin Zhaorong was not worried at all. Her hands were not clean, and Pei Jieyu's hands were not clean either. So what was she afraid of?

But she never expected that this matter would be brought to the attention of the Queen. Wouldn't the Emperor know about it?

Empress Cui looked at her calmly, "Lin Zhaorong, do you want me to continue?"

Lin Zhaorong suddenly came to her senses. She knelt in dismay, crying tremblingly, "Empress, I was confused for a moment. I know I was wrong, and I beg for your forgiveness."

Queen Cui did not respond for a long time.

Lin Zhaorong kept kowtowing, not daring to stop for a moment.

Finally, when she was about to break her head, Queen Cui said, "That's enough."

Lin Zhaorong looked up with tears in her eyes.

Empress Cui said in a serious tone, "This time, for Yu Qi's sake, I have begged the Emperor not to demote you. This will be considered as letting this matter go. But Lin Zhaorong, remember this: there won't be a next time."

Hearing the Queen's plea for mercy and not to reduce her rank, Lin Zhaorong cried even harder. She kowtowed and said, "I know I was wrong and will never again have such thoughts."

Queen Cui was finally satisfied, and her voice gradually softened, "Get up."

Lin Zhaorong didn't dare to get up, so Zhiwu helped her sit on the sandalwood chair.

When she calmed down a bit, Empress Cui sighed, "You were foolish in this matter. You didn't expose it. If you did, your demotion would be the least of your worries, but how would Yuqi cope in the palace?"

Hearing this, Lin Zhaorong felt a surge of fear.

His biological mother was a criminal concubine, and Yu Qi would probably be laughed at for the rest of his life.

Her Yu Qi was so obedient and sensible, but he was going to be implicated by her for his entire life.

The more Lin Zhaorong thought about it, the more frightened she became. This time, she said sincerely, "I truly know I was wrong."

Queen Cui said, "I know that although you had a bad personality in the past, you have a good heart. You have done something wrong now, but it is just because of your bad thoughts. Now that you have learned your lesson, you should change your ways. Even if it is for Yuqi, don't have such bad thoughts again."

Lin Zhaorong responded in a low voice.

Originally, she was dissatisfied with Concubine Pei's promotion to Zhaoyi, and felt that she had lost all face.

But now, I don’t feel dissatisfied at all, and I’m even grateful.

Queen Cui said a few more words of instruction before letting the man go.

After Lin Zhaorong left, Fenghe Palace became quiet again.

Zhiwu brought a bowl of medicine, "My Lady, today's medicine."

The pitch-black medicinal juice came into view, and the bitter smell filled her nose. Queen Cui frowned slightly, but even though she didn't want to drink it, she still took it and drank it all.

After she finished drinking, Zhiwu touched a plate of candied fruit and said, "Go get rid of the bitter taste in your mouth, Madam."

Queen Cui glanced at it and said, "No need."

Zhiwu had no choice but to put down the fruit and chatted casually, "Your Majesty, besides handling palace affairs, you have nothing else to do every day. It's boring and hard. Lin Zhaorong's feelings have been clear for many years. Why don't you consider it?"

Queen Cui lowered her eyes and said nothing.

In the past few years, Lin Zhaorong has become more and more respectful to her, and often brings the eldest prince to pay her respects. Not to mention homework, which is sent to her for inspection almost every other day. Anyone with a discerning eye can see what Lin Zhaorong is thinking.

But she never responded.

Seeing that Queen Cui was unmoved, Zhiwu continued to persuade her, "Besides, this eldest prince is really a good child."

This time, Queen Cui spoke: "Yuqi is obedient and sensible, he is a good child."

Zhiwu asked, "Then why didn't Your Majesty fulfill Lin Zhaorong's wish? If so, Lin Zhaorong would have her worries resolved, and you would have a prince to take care of."

It's a good thing that has the best of both worlds.

Empress Cui shook her head: "No, if I raise someone else, Minghui will be jealous."

Minghui.

It was the name of the child who died young.

Originally, children born unhealthy in the palace were not given names.

But this child is different after all, he is born by the Empress.

As soon as he died, the emperor issued an edict to posthumously confer the title of crown prince on the child, giving him the name Minghui, and buried him in the prince's mausoleum.

This sentence almost made Zhiwu break down and cry. She pinched her palms hard to prevent any sound from coming out.

She knew that her queen would probably never get out of this shadow in her lifetime.

*

Two days later.

It was getting dark.

In the bedroom of Chengming Palace.

The emperor went to take a bath, while Pei Tingyue was in the bedroom directing the palace maids to pack up things.

She had been taking care of the emperor here for many days, and he was finally fully recovered. After staying here for one night, it was time for her to return to the palace.

"These winter clothes and this cloak are in the box."

"Please keep this sachet safe. I will give it to the Imperial Concubine when I get back."

"And bring over the things in the study."

“…”

Pei Tingyue directed everything in an orderly manner, and soon everything was packed up. She got on the bed and was about to separate the pillows in the middle to form the Chu River and Han River.

At this time, Liang Yao walked in, "Jieyu, someone from the Ministry of Internal Affairs wants to see you."

Pei Tingyue paused, then she remembered what Xie Chen said that day, that the Ministry of Internal Affairs would send her court robes.

"Let them in."

"yes."

After a while, several young eunuchs came in holding a mahogany tray, on which were placed the Zhaoyi's clothes, which were so dazzling that one couldn't take their eyes off them.

The leading eunuch flattered, "Would you like to try it, Concubine?"

Pei Tingyue was about to speak when a slightly hoarse voice came from behind her, "Everyone, step back."

In a flash, everyone in the bedroom had left.

Someone came up from behind and whispered in Pei Tingyue's ear, "Would you be alright if I could serve Empress Zhaoyi?"