Chapter 14: Extremely Paranoid

The atmosphere was so depressing that Jiang Yingli's first reaction was to kneel down and admit her mistake.

"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong!"

However, just as she bent her knees, Xiao Chenglan turned around, grabbed her wrist and lifted her up, pulling her whole body to his chest.

Xiao Chenglan lowered his head, looking at her with his long, dark eyes. There was a shadow in his eyes, and his voice was deep and cold.

"Jiang Yingli, I killed someone today. I killed someone in front of you."

"Your Majesty..." Jiang Yingli opened her mouth, looked at the unusual Xiao Chenglan, whispered two words and couldn't say anything else.

"Are you afraid of me?" Xiao Chenglan's knuckles gently stroked her cheek. "But this isn't the first time I've killed someone. Before I took this position, my hands were already stained with countless blood. You just don't know it. If you start to fear me today, it's already too late."

Jiang Yingli suddenly felt that Xiao Chenglan's low mood wasn't due to anger. But she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

However, she seemed to understand what to say to make him feel better.

So she shook her head, and her clear eyes, black and white, looked at Xiao Chenglan steadily.

"No, I am afraid, but I am not afraid of Your Majesty. I am just afraid of death."

Xiao Chenglan, who had just exuded a murderous aura, was stunned for a moment, and the gloom in his eyes slowly faded away, like ice and snow melting.

"Really? Then why did you look at me like that just now?"

Very defensive, as if ready to run away from him at any moment.

He can't stand it.

When she looked at him like that, even just for a moment, he felt his heart ache.

Jiang Yingli felt like she was almost suffocating in Xiao Chenglan's increasingly tight embrace. She stretched her neck and replied:

"Because I'm almost scared to death. I messed up my job, and I don't know how Your Majesty is going to punish me. I'm so scared that I want to run back to Prince Su's Mansion and hide. That way, when Your Majesty comes to the mansion to drag me away for punishment, he can remember our old friendship and forgive me."

When Xiao Chenglan heard her words, his eyes trembled and he felt as if his heart was trembling as well.

She didn't say she ran back home to hide, she said she ran back to Prince Su's Mansion.

ah......

A smile gradually appeared in the depths of Xiao Chenglan's eyes.

He kissed Jiang Yingli's forehead lovingly, "How could I bear to punish you?"

Jiang Yingli's eyes suddenly widened. "But, I messed up the job Your Majesty gave me. I allowed Su Xiuyi and Lu Cairen to run amok, forcing Your Majesty to take charge of the situation despite his busy schedule. Your Majesty, are you really not angry and won't punish me?"

"I was going to come over anyway. Lu Cairen relied on Su Xiuyi's influence, and Su Xiuyi relied on the Su family's influence. If I didn't come, you would be bullied and become a punching bag."

Jiang Yingli buried her face in Xiao Chenglan's chest and snorted softly, "I'm not angry. No matter what they say about me, I can't get angry. I only want to complete the task given by His Majesty and not make any mistakes."

Xiao Chenglan chuckled, curled his knuckles, lifted Jiang Yingli's face, made her look at him, and slowly opened his mouth:

"That's good. You don't need to be sad about what others say. I am the only one who can move your heart, right?"

Jiang Yingli nodded obediently and rubbed her chin against Xiao Chenglan's knuckles. She didn't think Xiao Chenglan's words were particularly paranoid at all.

The smile in Xiao Chenglan's eyes deepened. He spoke softly, praising, "You've done a great job today. If it weren't for those two idiots...those two people messing things up, the newcomers would have listened to your instructions. You'll do an excellent job on this mission."

Jiang Yingli was not punished but was praised by Xiao Chenglan, which made her happy.

After half a month of hard work, there are results.

"Alright, I still have to meet with the ministers, so I won't talk to you here anymore. Please stay here for a while and then go back to Zhaohua Palace. You don't have to go to the Queen Mother's place."

Jiang Yingli was puzzled. "Why didn't I go to the Queen Mother? I haven't seen her for half a month. The Queen Mother will be dissatisfied with me."

"Don't worry, I'll ask Fulin to tell you..." Xiao Chenglan tapped Jiang Yingli's eyebrows, "Just say that Concubine Jia was punished by me to kneel in Baohua Palace."

Jiang Yingli blinked and suddenly understood.

Today, Lu Cairen was beaten to death and Su Xiuyi was put under house arrest. Isn't it her responsibility that such a big thing happened?

If I go to pay my respects to the Queen Mother now, she will definitely hold me accountable.

Jiang Yingli's eyes sparkled: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

When Xiao Chenglan walked out of the side hall, the noise from the main hall had stopped.

Su Xiuyi had been taken back and locked up, and the other concubines who were kneeling on the ground were silent.

"Everyone get up." Xiao Chenglan put his hands behind his back and walked out of the hall.

As he walked, he said calmly, "Today you should all take this as a warning and remember what happened to Lu Cairen. Anyone who tries to stir up trouble will not have a good end."

The concubines who had just woken up all said cautiously in unison:

"I will remember your teachings."

"Song Xiuyuan, take them to the Wanshou Palace to pay respects to the Queen Mother."

Song Wanyan paused when Xiao Chenglan called out her name, feeling a little unhappy.

She hated the Xue family the most. It was good enough that she could go and pay a visit. Why did she have to lead the team?

"Song Xiuyuan." Xiao Chenglan repeated, his tone not loud but full of oppression.

"Yes, I obey your command." Song Wanyan had no choice but to agree quickly, and glanced at Xiao Chenglan with secret dissatisfaction.

After Xiao Chenglan left, she stood up, flicked her sleeves, stretched out her red nail-dyed fingertips, and pointed at the concubines who were in a mess because of what had just happened.

"Everyone, stand in front of me. Arrange your seats according to your previous positions, in two rows. Hurry up, hurry up!"

Song Wanyan had no patience at all, and her yelling made the concubines run around like headless flies.

It was only the second day since they entered the palace, and they hadn't recognized everyone yet, so they had no idea who the concubines were before and after them.

The more chaotic it gets, the more people shout, and the more they shout, the more chaotic it becomes.

I give in, what a bunch of idiots! Song Wanyan secretly complained, then openly rolled her eyes.

After a quarter of an hour, the small team was finally assembled, with Song Wanyan walking in the front.

As soon as everyone reached the outer door of Baohua Hall, they smelled the bloody odor coming from the wind.

The moment they walked out of the palace, the scene before them made the concubines, who had just recovered, gasp.

There was a bloodstain on the bluestone brick, starting from the punishment bench and extending to the distance. Seven or eight palace maids and eunuchs knelt on both sides of the bloodstain with basins of water and handkerchiefs, scrubbing them.

On the empty torture bench, the undried blood was still dripping down, and was then splashed with a basin of clean water, diluting it into a light pink.

Even Song Wanyan, who had a flamboyant personality, couldn't help but frown and cover her mouth.

When getting up in the morning to dress, the concubines would look forward to meeting the Queen Mother, as this meant they could sleep with her at night.

But when the concubines saw this scene, their anticipation was replaced by fear.

His Majesty, whom I saw from afar during the selection, was clearly a gentleman as noble as jade and as dignified as a jade tablet, but he was also so ruthless and cruel.

Song Wanyan led her people to the Wanshou Palace. The empress dowager, dressed in an elegant dark green palace dress, sat in the main seat with graceful posture.

However, there was a deep suppressed anger in her calm eyes.

The emperor actually punished Su Xiuyi on the second day after the newcomer entered the palace. This is outrageous!

The seven great families are a community of shared interests. Now that there is no girl from the Xue family among the newcomers, Su Qingrong represents the great family.

He is an emperor without any foundation. He dares to offend the Su family. That is a slap in the face of an important official of an aristocratic family!

It's really the opposite!

That ostentatious fool Lu Cairen brought it upon herself, but Su Xiuyi was only trying to teach the concubines a lesson, so why was she accused of usurpation?

Concubine Jia is not worthy of standing in front of the new concubine and giving her a lecture, so how could she be considered overstepping her bounds!

Since the emperor punished Su Xiuyi for a mere concubine, don't blame her for giving her a hard time.