Chapter 20: Rescue

"Yes, I feel wronged." Yun Zhao, having made up her mind, looked up at him. "You knew full well that I was your classmate at the Imperial College, that my grandfather was the Crown Prince's tutor, and that the Yun family is a family of loyal and valiant men! You knew full well that I was framed this time! Yet you detained me in the palace and tortured me... Why?"

[You forced me to say that! Don't get angry if you can!]

Xiao Jin raised his eyebrows slightly: "You dare to say it?"

"Yes! I dare to speak frankly! You can kill me or chop me up, it's all up to you!" She stiffened her neck, looking like she had given up.

[Anyway... you don't dare to really kill me! ]

"Because of your favor, you've become arrogant!" Xiao Jin stepped closer, his gaze piercing. "Are you so sure I won't touch you? I have my reasons for keeping you. Do you still want to protect the Yun family?"

[Incompetent Emperor… Is this an explanation?] Yun Zhao’s mind raced, and he nodded like a chick pecking at rice: “Of course I do!”

"Then serve me obediently!" Xiao Jin's voice was low and full of unquestionable pressure. "When I feel at ease one day, it is not impossible for Duke Yun to resume his post."

Yun Zhao said reluctantly: "...Yes."

"What? You don't want to?" He caught a glimpse of resistance in her eyes.

"I dare not." She lowered her eyes.

[I'm so sleepy...I just want to shut up and sleep! ]

Xiao Jin glanced at the hourglass and said, "There's still an hour until the morning court session. If you disturb my peaceful sleep again, I will punish you severely!"

Yun Zhao fell silent and retracted the cushion.

The inner room fell silent. However, Xiao Jin could no longer sleep. In the darkness, the girl's words, "fellow students at the Imperial College" and "a family full of loyal heroes," echoed repeatedly, stirring his heart.

When the time came, he walked out of the inner room.

Under the dim candlelight, Yun Zhao was sleeping in a completely ungraceful manner on the cushion, with a trace of glistening water on the corner of his mouth.

"Tsk, so sloppy." Xiao Jin frowned in disgust, but his gaze lingered on her swollen knee for a moment, "You're relying on that little bit of friendship, and you really know how to control me."

Zhang Fuan quietly entered and saw the emperor standing before his desk, his eyes cast down at the sleeping Yun Zhao. Startled, he treaded even more cautiously, "Your Majesty, it's three o'clock. I will assist you in changing your clothes."

Xiao Jin hummed, his eyes fixed on her, "Be quiet. Don't make any noise."

Zhang Fuan understood and followed him into the inner hall. While serving, he whispered, "Miss Yun has been pampered for so long. I'm afraid her body can't handle this kind of hardship..."

"From now on, she will serve me alone, and other chores will be taken care of by others." Xiao Jin spread his arms, his voice calm but unyielding. "Move her to a side hall of Yanying Palace and serve me closely."

Zhang Fuan was startled. "Your Majesty... Yanying Palace is a key location for government affairs. Miss Yun's sudden presence here might make her a target of public criticism. Wu Lingyi is the Empress Dowager's spy, so I'm afraid..."

"If she can't even withstand this little storm," Xiao Jin fastened the jade belt, his eyes sharp as a knife, "is she still worthy of the surname Yun?"

Zhang Fuan understood instantly and bowed, saying, "I understand. Your Majesty wants to...train her to become a useful person. I will take care of her privately."

He wore a black dragon robe, displaying the majesty of an emperor. Xiao Jin finally adjusted his sleeves, his eyes sharp, "Let's go and see how 'my people' are preparing."

"Your Majesty, don't worry," Zhang Fuan followed closely behind, his voice very low, "Everything is ready, and we will definitely not miss the morning court."

The palace door closed gently, isolating the sleeping Yun Zhao from the gradually brightening sky.

Yun Zhao was awakened by the crying outside the door.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes and pushed the door open. In the corridor outside the Zichen Palace, several young eunuchs were surrounding a thin palace maid, pushing, insulting, and beating her!

"Stop!" The clear shout was like an ice bead hitting the ground, freezing the chaos in an instant.

Several eunuchs turned around in shock, staring in disbelief at the figure emerging from the Purple Palace. Wasn't His Majesty attending court? Who was this woman?!

The leading eunuch squinted his eyes, his face full of disdain: "Where did you come from? Mind your own business!"

Yun Zhao didn't even look at them. He walked straight forward, helped up the little palace maid who was beaten with a swollen nose and a trembling face, took her hand and turned away.

"Stop! Who allowed you to leave?!" A stern voice came from behind.

Yun Zhao paused and slowly turned around. The morning light outlined her straight back. Her voice was not loud, but every word was clear, carrying the natural pressure of a lady from an aristocratic family:

"I'm Yun Zhao. My father is Duke Yun, and my brother is General Yun Zheng, the Northern Border Guard. Saving an innocent, bullied little girl," she said, her eyes sweeping over the eunuchs whose expressions instantly changed. "Why not?"

The air was dead silent.

Duke Yun’s Mansion, two hundred thousand cavalrymen from the northern border!

These words were like a heavy hammer, and no one dared to say a word, even the eunuch with triangular eyes shrank his neck.

Yun Zhao ignored her and quickly left, holding the little palace maid's hand. When they returned to their original residence, they found the bed empty.

Cao Suzhu, who lived with her, leaned against the door frame and said sourly, "Oh, isn't this Miss Yun who has climbed up the social ladder? Congratulations, the side hall of Yanying Palace is your new residence. Our small temple can't accommodate it."

"Yanying Palace?" Yun Zhao frowned. "How could I not know?"

"Why are you pretending to be confused?" Cao Suzhu sneered, jealousy almost overflowing from her eyes. "She stayed in Zichen Palace last night, and today she's moved to Yanying Palace, where the emperor governs, to serve him closely. Who doesn't know about this 'favor'?"

Yun Zhao raised his eyebrows and retorted in a matter-of-fact tone: "How can I serve His Majesty if I don't stay overnight in the bedchamber? If you have the ability, just go to the Purple Palace and stay overnight." This sentence made Cao Suzhu's face turn pale and she was speechless.

The little palace maid beside her was so frightened that she dared not breathe.

Yun Zhao then turned to her, his tone softening: "What's your name? Which palace are you from?"

"I am... my servant Xiaotao, from the Imperial Food Bureau... I was just transferred here yesterday to learn how to serve tea to Sister Wu..." Xiaotao's voice was as thin as a mosquito.

Yun Zhao understood that this was the young palace maid who took over her job.

"Let's go, I'll take you back."

"Thank you...thank you, sister!" Xiao Tao burst into tears of gratitude, and looked worriedly at the bleeding corner of Yun Zhao's mouth, "But sister, you offended those people for me today..."

"It's okay." Yun Zhao's tone was calm, but it contained a sense of strength. "Let's go."

The tea room at the Shangshi Bureau was filled with the aroma of tea. Wu Lingyu was concentrating on cooking when she heard the noise. Without even looking up, she coldly scolded, "Where the hell have you been?! Can you learn to serve tea in a couple of days? The one in front of you has left, and you dare to slack off? Are you trying to tire me out?"

Xiao Tao shuddered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know I was wrong! I won't do it again! Please calm down, Sister Wu..."

Yun Zhao stepped forward, standing in front of Xiao Tao, and looked directly at Wu Lingyu: "She was bullied. You didn't protect your people, but you blame her first?"

Wu Lingyu then raised her eyes, her sharp gaze sweeping across Yun Zhao before finally settling on her brand new palace dress. A cold smile curled her lips, "Oh, don't think you'll be able to rise to prominence just by moving. The waters of Yanying Palace are deep, and your 'good days' have only just begun."

Yun Zhao met her gaze without flinching or avoiding it, instead giving her a faint smile: "Thank you for your advice, sister. In this deep palace, it's rare to hear a few words of truth."

Wu Lingyu snorted coldly, no longer looking at her, and threw a small porcelain bottle at Xiao Tao's arms. "How can you cry so much? Your face is so swollen, are you trying to offend His Majesty? Go and apply medicine! If you don't clean up the newly arrived tribute tea before dark, forget about dinner!"

Xiao Tao was as if she had been pardoned. She clutched the medicine bottle tightly and said, "Yes! I'll go right away!"

Wu Lingyu's gaze fell back on the boiling teapot, and the curling steam blurred her cold and hard profile.

Yun Zhao gave her a deep look, then turned and left. The words, "The good days have just begun," and the crisp sound of the porcelain vase crashing down, like a warning bell, echoed silently in the shadow cast by the magnificent eaves of Yanying Hall.