Chapter 27 Good Things

The slap caught Shen Qingru off guard. When the burning pain attacked her cheek, she stretched out her hands with weak hands.

"Your Majesty." Shen Qingru's eyes widened, and when she looked at Concubine Xiang Guipin, her eyes were full of disbelief.

"Why did the queen hit me?" Shen Qingru really didn't understand.

She had known before that Concubine Xiang Guipin was difficult to serve, so she always kept her distance for fear of provoking her.

But no matter how courageous Concubine Xiang was, she shouldn't have done this. The Emperor had just left, and she couldn't wait to slap her in the face.

Shen Qingru covered her cheeks with her hands. The pain under her palms came in waves and her cheeks became hot.

Therefore, she couldn't help but look at Xiang Guipin with resentment.

"How dare you look at me like that?" After the slap fell, Xiang Guipin felt a little regretful.

Shen Ronghua is favored now, and His Majesty has come to Changqiu Palace several times to look for her. If I took action right after His Majesty left, it would be too much of an insult to His Majesty.

However, this slight regret disappeared completely when he saw Shen Qingru's face.

"Who do you think you are!" Concubine Xiang raised her chin and looked at Shen Qingru with disdain.

"I'm afraid you have forgotten how you begged me when you first entered the palace."

"Now, you are relying on your favor and dare to show off in front of me."

Xiang Guipin's words were powerful and the courtyard was quiet, and all the palace maids and servants heard them.

Shen Qingru couldn't hold back her anger. She stood there with her face covered, her body somewhat shaky.

A higher position can crush a person to death.

What's more, Concubine Xiang was the head of the Changqiu Palace, while she herself was only a Ronghua from the fourth rank. No matter how unreasonable Concubine Xiang was, she could only endure it.

"Your Highness." The servants were all watching. Shen Qingru, with her face slapped, lowered her head and walked forward, her voice softening: "It is my fault today. I have offended Your Highness. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

As Shen Qingru spoke, he bowed his head and knelt down to salute.

Her delicate figure, dressed in a light blue palace dress, looks gentle and elegant. When she lowered her head, a tiny part of her neck was revealed, looking delicate and innocent.

Shen Qingru was extremely beautiful at this time, and it was impossible to take your eyes off her.

However, in the eyes of His Majesty, this look was just cute and adorable, but in the eyes of Concubine Xiang, it was a blatant show-off.

"Bitch!" She looked at Shen Qingru's face with jealousy.

She instantly thought of the day when the Emperor gave her the bronze mirror.

She was so humiliated in front of His Majesty that she didn't even dare to go out for several days after that day.

Looking at Shen Qingru's appearance now, he felt like settling all the new and old grudges together and wished he could tear Shen Qingru to pieces alive.

"You have repeatedly disobeyed me." Xiang Guipin didn't even need to find an excuse. She convicted Shen Qingru with just a few words.

"I will punish you to kneel here for an hour today to see if you can still distinguish between superiors and inferiors from now on!"

"Your Majesty." Xiang Guipin was obviously being unreasonable and Fengchun immediately knelt down and kowtowed to beg for mercy: "Your Majesty, please spare our young master."

When His Majesty came yesterday, the young lady also did not sleep the whole night. If she kneels for another hour, she may not be able to hold on.

Fengchun kowtowed with a loud clacking sound, but Shen Qingru reached out and pulled her back: "Your Majesty is right."

Shen Qingru's knees softened and she knelt down directly: "It's my fault. Your Majesty is of noble status. I deserve to be punished for making Your Majesty angry."

She knelt on the bluestone slab with her back straight.

Xiang Guipin's eyes moved back and forth on that face for two circles, and then she held the palace maid's arm and said lightly: "The sun is strong today, and Chen Ronghua is delicate and precious. Don't kneel down and suddenly faint."

“Go and bring this palace’s chaise longue here. This palace wants to personally watch over Shen Ronghua here.”

The news that Shen Qingru was punished to kneel spread immediately.

Shen Fu had just woken up, and when she heard the news, her brows subconsciously frowned: "You said Xiang Guipin punished Shen Qingru?"

Zi Su looked at her girl and felt a little strange.

Obviously, the girl obeyed Shen Ronghua's every word, but when they were alone, she couldn't stop the disgust in her eyes.

Zi Su sometimes even felt that the girl was not as obedient to Chen Ronghua as she appeared to be, but she couldn't understand why the girl was willing to be his substitute, even...even agreeing to serve His Majesty on behalf of Chen Ronghua.

When the girl came back early in the morning, her cheeks were flushed, her body was covered with scars, and even her legs were shaking when she walked.

When Zi Su thought of this, her heart beat rapidly and she quickly shook her head: "Yes, I heard that he has been kneeling for more than half an hour."

Shen Fu blinked and reached out to touch the ambiguous marks on her neck: “Good thing.”

Just when I was about to fall asleep, someone brought me a pillow.

She pulled back the quilt and went downstairs.

After replacing Shen Qingru so many times, the Emperor should have noticed it.

******

The news from Changqiu Palace spread like wildfire. In less than half an hour, the news that Concubine Xiang Gui had punished Chen Ronghua to kneel down was widely spread.

At the gate of the Qianqing Palace, Lin An waved his hand to send away the young eunuch beside him, and pondered silently for a while.

A trivial matter like Shen Ronghua being punished to kneel would never be reported to the Palace of Heavenly Purity on ordinary days.

It's just that His Majesty has been visiting Chen Ronghua quite frequently during this period, and if you count carefully, it's been three or four times.

There are many concubines in the palace, and the favors in these three or four times may seem not much, but it is enough not to be complained about. What's more...when His Majesty left Changqiu Palace early this morning, he looked very satisfied.

Lin An thought about the pros and cons and had a rough idea in his mind. He picked up the tray and walked over to change the teacup: "Your Highness."

Xiao Yu took it without even raising his head.

Lin An raised the teacup with both hands, but said hesitantly: "I have something to say, but I don't know whether I should say it or not."

Xiao Yu then raised his head. He had just finished his morning court session and there was a hint of irritation between his brows. Seeing Lin An's hesitant look, his brows subconsciously frowned: "What's the matter! Tell me."

"This slave deserves death!" Lin An immediately knelt down, knocking his head loudly: "There's news from Changqiu Palace that Shen Ronghua somehow offended Xiang Guipin and is kneeling there as punishment."

"Kneel as punishment?" The emperor raised his eyebrows and put down the hand holding the memorial.

He raised his hand and pinched his eyebrows, then leaned back towards the dragon chair.

Having just come out of Changqiu Palace, he was naturally impressed by Shen Ronghua. Besides, Shen Ronghua was indeed lovable last night.

Innocent and timid, she fell into his arms as if she had no bones. Originally he had lost interest, but he was hooked again and again for no reason.

She was already trembling when she got off him last night. If she kneels for another hour, I'm afraid she'll lose her legs.

"Tsk..." The emperor tapped his hands on the dragon table. He felt unhappy and even forgot the unpleasantness of waking up early in the morning.

If nothing else, Shen Ronghua is indeed pleasing at night.

Seeing His Majesty's appearance, Lin An instantly understood what was going on. He bowed his head and kowtowed hard, saying with a smile: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will be right there."

"No." The hand stroking the jade ring stopped, and His Majesty stood up: "I will go in person."