Chapter 40 How dare they provoke her?!

The next day, the sky cleared, the snow melted into water, and dripped from the eaves.

Qingli wore a simple dress with a light blue cloak trimmed with rabbit fur over it. Supported by Granny Huaying, she quietly left Jingsi Palace through the back door.

Granny Hua Ying was wearing a light pink cotton-padded dress. At first glance, the color and pattern seemed the same as those of the palace maids, but upon closer inspection, some differences could be seen. They were walking along a secluded path, and the servants walked hurriedly with their heads down, without incident.

As the crouching beast on the ridge of Yingcui Palace became clearer, Qingli suddenly stopped at the corner of the palace road when she bumped into a eunuch. Her hood fell halfway down and got caught on a hairpin in her hair, revealing her full face. The eunuch Beishun instinctively bent down, but he suddenly stood up halfway down.

Bei Shun has been suppressed and ostracized these days. Last month, he was sent to the Cold Palace, where he was left with nothing but cold food and a cold stove. He also had to be on guard against the Cold Concubine going crazy. He didn't even have a drop of oil or fat. If he didn't find a way to get out soon, he would go crazy along with her.

I went to appease those people, but instead they came out insulting me indirectly. I was just getting angry when they asked, "Where are you from?"

Granny Hua Ying stepped forward, took out a purse from her sleeve, and pushed it over. Bei Shun dismissively waved it away, as if it were filthy. He patted his sleeves left and right and snorted coldly, "Don't you even open your eyes and look at this bright blue sky? How could I allow you to do such a despicable thing?"

Hua Ying's expression remained unchanged. She picked up the purse from beside his feet, placed it in her palm, and her flattering manner faded. She said, "Miss was bored in the palace and was just taking a stroll."

Upon hearing this, Bei Shun, having somewhat toned down her arrogance, asked, "Miss? Which family's Miss?"

"Received the imperial decree to enter the palace to select a playmate for the princess."

Which princess?

Hua Ying, the old nanny, was caught off guard. It was taboo in the palace to interfere with one's master. If trouble was caused and a fight broke out, it would be a serious crime.

Seeing this, Bei Shun's momentum surged even higher, and he was about to step forward and reprimand her when Qing Li, who was standing behind him, reached out her wrist and gently pulled Hua Ying's nanny to her side. Her eyes were cold and indifferent, but they made Bei Shun's heart skip a beat.

"My lord, although I didn't get the title of the princess's playmate, I still feel uneasy in the palace. I wandered around casually, without offending the empress, and everything I did was in accordance with the rules. So where did I go wrong? And..."

At the moment of pause, a layer of sweat instantly broke out on Bei Shun's back.

"Please tell me where you are on duty and what your responsibilities are."

Qingli was already impatient and had been suppressing her temper, thinking that she could resolve the issue peacefully and benefit both sides. However, she didn't realize that if she backed down, he would think she was easy to bully. Since that was the case, she decided to put the matter out in the open.

Look at the fine stitches on the lining of the cuffs; this is hardly the kind of servant who fawns over a nobleman!

"How dare you!" The words sounded soft, but they stung Bei Shun's heart like needles. His face turned purple, and he felt a pang of fear. He said in a high-pitched voice, "Your name... is not something you can ask about."

"You are arrogant and domineering, utterly incompetent and immoral...you..."

Hua Ying's heart skipped a beat. This person was trying to ruin the young lady's reputation by relying on his power!

"ah!"

A sharp, painful scream rang out as a broadsword, scabbard and all, struck Bei Shun in the back of the knee, causing him to kneel heavily before Qing Li. Only then did she see a group of imperial guards looking from the other end of the palace path.

The leader was still Meng Qingshan, with whom he had parted on bad terms yesterday; he had lost his broadsword from his waist.

Qingli lowered her eyelashes and glanced at the broadsword lying on the ground. The animal hide on the hilt was dark, exuding a majestic and fierce aura. The pommel was carved with bat patterns, and a black obsidian was inlaid in the center. Under the light, the oval stripes inside were clearly visible, and the reflected colorful halo made her subconsciously squint.

When she looked away and glanced indifferently at the eunuch in front of her, she had lost her superior position and was already panicked. She stepped aside and walked past the Imperial Guards with Granny Hua Ying, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

Granny Hua Ying left with trepidation, but when she saw the slight upturn of her young mistress's lips, her heart calmed down.

Yes, with a general in the palace, what do they have to fear? She's just being overly cautious.

But did Miss already know that the General would be passing by here? That shouldn't be the case; they were arguing just two days ago. Granny Hua Ying's heart pounded. She peeked out from time to time until she saw the back gate of Yingcui Palace. A thought suddenly struck her: Could it be that Miss has completely figured out the General's thoughts?! But she immediately felt that she was being ridiculous.

Meng Qingshan turned around and stared at the figure that swayed like a willow branch, feeling puzzled and depressed. What did she mean by that?

Just ignore it!

What is it that she cares about so much, that an old scholar is worth her protecting so much?

He's done so much, yet she's never seemed so distressed by it.

A struggle sound came from not far away. Meng Qingshan turned his head coldly and saw that his brothers from the Imperial Guard had already gone over and picked up Bei Shun, who was slumped on the ground, and held him in front of him. He took the sword and raised the blade with his fingertips.

Meng Qingshan's sword was no ordinary piece of paper; the blood-stained blade emitted a low hum, and its terrifying aura had long since terrified Bei Shun.

Most of the Imperial Guards below were from prominent families in the capital. They were arrogant and proud by nature. After being under Meng Qingshan's command for some time, they had done some things to rid the people of evil, such as killing and arson. Their bandit-like nature was restless and ready to run wild. If it weren't for Meng Qingshan's suppression, who knows what they might have done.

The Imperial Guards all knew that Meng Qingshan had a cousin he cared about, who had helped him deal with some of his underhanded schemes. Now, seeing the arrogant eunuch trembling with fear, they burst into laughter.

"What, you don't know who she is!"

Bei Shun felt a warmth on his neck and stammered, "Yes... I received the imperial decree to enter the palace to select a playmate for the princess."

Bei Shun's spine had long since collapsed. He didn't hear which family's young lady it was, and she didn't say either!

"You dare to provoke her without even knowing who she is." Meng Qingshan lightly shook the blade, slightly lowered his body, and said calmly, "You deserve to die for provoking her."

Just as Bei Shun was about to cry for help, a rag was stuffed into his mouth. He was dragged to the artificial hill and a barrage of punches and kicks rained down on him. He closed his eyes and fainted. When he regained consciousness, he was horrified to find that his head was still there. He crawled back to the Cold Palace on all fours, trembling as he thought that he would never dare to underestimate the young ladies who entered the palace again.

Qingli had no other thoughts. The back gate of Yingcui Palace faced a medicinal garden, which was covered with mats woven from withered grass. The melted snow on the mats seeped in and soaked the area. There was a warm pavilion next to it, and Qingli stepped inside.

Jiang Yue learned that the Daoist nuns of Changming Nunnery would have a conversation with Yingcui Palace for an hour, and then leave the palace before noon. Consort Mu would personally see them off. This was a rare opportunity for Consort Mu to leave Yingcui Palace, so she waited here. Just in case, Qing Li sent Jiang Yue to watch the front gate.

She looked up at the sun, which had climbed to the top of the branches, casting dappled light and shadow.

Inside Yingcui Palace, Consort Mu, dressed in a light-colored palace gown and without any gold or jade ornaments on her head, looked at Qingxin below her with a plain face and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Master."

Qingxin was quite old and had nothing to worry about in the nunnery. She was calm and had few affairs, so her face was extremely serene and she spoke softly, "There are young nuns watching over you day and night, so Your Highness can rest assured."

Having said her piece, Consort Mu remained silent after giving her instructions. She then inquired about the daily life at Changming Nunnery, asking, "How is the nunnery after this heavy snowfall?"

"Everything is fine. With the protection of the Goddess, everything goes smoothly." This was a lighthearted remark, not a compliment. Back then, Qingming Nunnery was just a small temple in the mountains. It was only because the Goddess sent incense money every year that it gained its current reputation.

Women from prominent families in Kyoto also come to Changming Temple to pray for blessings.

Consort Mu smiled faintly. She might have had some help at first, but she also had her own agenda. She had her own methods to calm her mind, and she was also highly skilled in medicine, specializing in women's diseases. She also had some divination skills. She had all the tricks up her sleeve. It was only a matter of time before the nunnery became famous.

Knowing that Consort Mu had no interest in such matters, Qingxin changed the subject, saying, "I wonder how Your Highness's herb cultivation is going."

"Heavy snow is pressing down."

"The medicinal seedlings I gave you are all easy to grow. It's okay if they wither and turn yellow a little; they will be fine next spring."

Consort Mu had no interest in these things.

He casually mentioned something of interest, saying, "Before I came here, I consulted the oracle and it was predicted that my long-standing troubles would be like the first clearing after a snowfall, with the frozen layer gradually melting away, and the day when my wishes would come true has arrived."

Upon hearing this, even the faint gentleness on Consort Mu's face vanished. Her expression turned solemn, and she stared intently at Qingxin. The winter sunlight in Consort Mu's eyes brought no warmth whatsoever. "Master, words are not to be spoken lightly!"

This matter was of utmost importance to Consort Mu, and there was no room for jokes or flattery.

"I obtained this information through divination, and I will speak frankly and without reservation, simply to tell Your Majesty."

In the early years, Consort Mu harbored such thoughts and would occasionally ask Qingxin to make divinations, but each time the results were that the divination did not reveal anything. Later, she felt that it was meaningless and this was indeed the first time she had heard Qingxin say such a thing.

Consort Mu's sharp, scrutinizing gaze swept over Qingxin's face. Two breaths later, she turned her gaze away. The doors and windows of Yingcui Palace were tightly shut, and there was not a sound outside. It was as desolate as an empty palace.

After a long pause, he finally said, "That's good then."

After sitting quietly for half an hour, Yu Jue glanced at the water clock and whispered, "Your Majesty, the time has come."

The heavy palace doors were pulled open, letting in dazzling sunlight that illuminated the churning dust inside.

Consort Mu was about to instruct Yu Jue to escort Qingxin out of the palace.

She rose lightly, straightened her Taoist robe, and said, "Thank you for seeing me off, Your Highness."

Yu Jue frowned. She had felt from the beginning that the old Taoist nun was talking nonsense. She knew what the Empress was worried about, but she still used this matter to put on airs. She had just taken a step forward to persuade her when she heard the Taoist nun say, "We will meet again next year."

Consort Mu nodded slightly, and Yu Jue quickly entered the inner room, took a light blue cloak with gray squirrel fur lining, and draped it over the Empress.

Consort Mu lifted her foot and walked ahead.

The doors of the British Palace opened one after another, emitting a series of muffled sounds.

Jiang Yue watched from afar and seemed to see the crowd leaving through the main gate. She hurriedly called to the maid beside her, stuffed a considerable amount of silver into her hand, and urged, "Hurry up and go to the back gate to report that Her Majesty has come to the main gate."

The young palace maid inwardly scorned those who resorted to such tricks to stay in the palace, but for the sake of the money, she ran as fast as she could. When she reached the outside of the warm pavilion, she gasped, "Your Highness entered through the main gate."

A slender, long hand immediately lifted the curtain, revealing a slightly surprised face inside. Her features were exquisite, and her figure graceful, making the young palace maids sigh with admiration, as if she were a hidden gem among the princess's playmates.

Qingli was in a panic, quickly searching her mind for a way out of Yingcui Palace.

Just as she finished thinking and took a step, she heard whispers not far away. Through the gap in the curtain, she saw a person approaching gracefully. The person's movements were calm and elegant, and the person's figure was slender and graceful. The large cloak on the person's body could not hide the person's graceful and noble demeanor. In particular, there was a sense of familiarity in the person's eyes and brows.

Qingli then realized that this was Consort Mu.