When Mi Shan arrived at Qingxin Garden, Sister Xue was being driven away by a group of eunuchs.

"Hurry up, this is what you can take! Give it to me, you're the daughter of a disgraced official, demoted to slavery, from now on you're only fit to serve your master in the palace!"

"This belongs to our master!"

"Take a few clothes and come with us, don't dawdle!"

"Give it back to me!" Xia Ranxue's face was ashen. "This is what I brought into the palace!"

It was a jade bracelet left to her by her mother.

She didn't wear it because she was afraid of damaging it.

The maid rushed forward to grab it, but was slapped away by the eunuch.

"That belongs to our family too. Once you enter this palace, nothing belongs to you anymore. Even you are part of the palace!"

"Yeah?"

Suddenly, a cold voice sounded from behind.

Mi Shan stared at them with a cold look in her eyes, her luxurious clothes and imposing presence making her stunningly beautiful.

When the eunuch saw her arrive, he was so frightened that he knelt down.

"Greetings, Consort Mi Hui!"

"Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

"Shan'er." Xia Ranxue was pushed to the ground by them, her eyes slightly red and swollen.

"Sister Xue," Mi Shan felt a pang of pain in her heart and quickly stepped forward to help her up from the ground. "The ground is cold, get up quickly."

"You bunch of lackeys! How dare you be so disrespectful to her!"

"Ah, Your Highness, please spare me! This servant was unaware of the relationship between Your Highness and Miss Xia, which is why I acted so offensively."

"This servant knows his mistake!"

They knelt down and begged for mercy.

Mi Shan's anger was hard to extinguish.

"Shut up! Drag him out and beat him severely!"

"Spare us, Your Majesty—" The eunuchs' pitiful cries were dragged away.

Mi Shan's face turned cold just now. She took a deep breath, held Xue Jie's hands tightly, and looked at her haggard appearance. Her eyes also reddened.

"I'm sorry, Sister Xue, Shan'er is late."

"It's not your fault, Shan'er. At a time like this, only you would come to me." Xia Ranxue choked back tears and squeezed her hand tightly.

Feeling the warmth transmitted between each other's palms,

I feel that no matter how cold it is or how much hardship I face, as long as I can grasp this sliver of warmth, that is good.

“I have already heard that you spoke up for my father in the previous dynasty. If it weren’t for you, my entire Xia family would probably be beheaded.”

"Don't say that, Sister Xue. This is all I can do for you." Mi Shan's eyes were red.

"Why are you so nice to me?" Xia Ranxue hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "I felt a sense of closeness and affinity with you the first time we met."

But at that time, I thought we would at most be better friends than most people.

"I never imagined that I would end up in such a predicament, linked to treason, and yet you, Shan'er, have stood up for the Xia family..."

"Because you deserve it!"

There's no other reason than that you deserve it.

Mi Shan stared intently at her, "Do you still remember that inconspicuous little girl from three years ago, who was harassed by the owner of Jinxiufang for taking counterfeit silver?"

After Mi Shan finished speaking, Xia Ranxue was stunned, her eyes suddenly filled with surprise and astonishment, and a look of sudden realization appeared on her snow-white face.

"It's you!"

"That small, thin girl, is that you?"

Mi Shan blushed and nodded.

She hadn't fully grown up yet at that time.

He was very thin, with dry and yellow hair, which was caused by malnutrition from doing heavy work in the Mi family for many years.

Later, the family held several banquets, and when the relatives saw her, they secretly mocked the Mi family for making things too difficult for a young girl.

Seeing that the child had lost his mother, they bullied him like this, leaving the child malnourished.

Therefore, when Cousin Qiao first saw her, his eyes were filled with sympathy, and he paid extra attention to her.

"Sister Xue, at that time, I never dared to imagine that a woman as noble and pure as the moon in the sky as you would extend a helping hand to me."

"It was from that moment that I vowed that I would repay you in the future if I had the chance."

"Girls can also be kind and beautiful. I firmly believe that if I can get to know you, we will definitely become the best friends in the world."

"Shan'er. So that's how it is..." Xia Ranxue covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling with tiny glimmers of light.

She didn't expect it either.

It was just an unintentional act of kindness at the time.

It actually saved a soul that felt inferior.

Years later, he mustered the courage to approach her and bestow upon her unprecedented favors.

"Sister Xue, I have so much to say, but I've come to ask you a question."

"Go ahead and ask."

"You want to continue being the emperor's concubine, staying in this palace as a lowly mistress to be served."

Or does she want to escape this identity and become an ordinary palace maid?

If you simply say you don't want to live a life of hardship serving others, I will propose it to the Emperor.

We're sisters, and I can't bear to see you suffer because of this.

The Emperor will agree.

Xia Ranxue lowered her eyes upon hearing this, seemingly lost in thought.

The maid standing nearby couldn't wait any longer, her eyes shining: "My lady, what are you still thinking about? You must stay in the palace as a concubine!"

"The torture chamber is unbearable for humans! If anyone should go, let me go! You mustn't go and suffer that kind of torment!"

"No."

However, after pondering for a moment, Xia Ranxue raised her head and uttered the word with a firm gaze.

"This is my only chance."

Mi Shan understood her persistence.

Qiao Yunsheng, you are fortunate to have a woman who trusts you so much, who is so determined to be with you, and who has staked everything on you.

She went from being a pampered young lady to living a life of luxury and serving as a servant.

You must not let her down, for she is such a blessing.

"Sister Xue, have you thought it through?"

"Well, I am the daughter of a disgraced official, and I shouldn't trouble you further to plead with His Majesty on my behalf. Even if His Majesty agrees, with the Empress's cunning, she will surely sense the difference in our relationship."

My family members have all been reduced to slaves, and we have lost all support in the palace.

Being a concubine makes one more vulnerable to targeting from those around them, and life won't be easy.

On the one hand,

I don't want to become a burden to Mi Shan.

On the other hand, it is also so that they can gradually get closer to their loved ones.

"There's another reason, which you already know."

"As long as I can be with him forever in the future, I will gladly endure all this suffering."

After Xia Ranxue finished speaking, her eyes remained firm.

Mi Shan nodded, deeply moved: "Alright, I respect your choice. Then let me see you off for a while."

Slowly let go of her hand.

Mi Shan looked down as Xia Ranxue picked up the scattered bundles from the ground.

Pick up the items one by one and put them back.

The young maid sobbed as she helped him tidy up.

Sending Sister Xue to the torture chamber, the dark lighting and messy environment were daunting.

Everyone exuded a lifeless aura.