Chapter 3: The screams of a pig being slaughtered

Changhe followed behind Zhao Mingzhu and observed her quietly. Then he was surprised to see her get into the carriage quietly.

He thought the other party would make a fuss. Last night, His Highness did not stay overnight during his wedding, and today he let her into the palace alone. How could Zhao Mingzhu not throw a tantrum because she was not valued?

People who used to be able to see through things at a glance are now able to hide themselves.

This was simply too unusual, and Changhe became even more wary of Zhao Mingzhu.

Zhao Mingzhu, who was drowsy in the carriage, had no idea what was happening. She couldn't stop yawning, and then began to count the items on her dowry and betrothal gifts list to wake herself up.

Gold, silver, pearls, jade, antiques, house deeds, villas... and those fifteen mountains.

Who understands the happiness of a rich woman?

Zhao Mingzhu couldn't suppress a smile on her lips, and she couldn't help but chuckle. The laughter was heard by Changhe who was following her on horseback.

Changhe couldn't help but frown. Zhao Mingzhu was laughing so happily for no reason. She must have thought of a new trick to murder their master.

He must be on guard against the other party.

After crossing Zhuque Street, the towering palace gate appeared in front of them. Zhao Mingzhu felt the carriage stop, so she lifted the curtain and got off.

"Princess, please." Changhe said standing aside.

Zhao Mingzhu's eyes swept across the other person's expressionless face. How come after just a moment, this person seemed to become a little indifferent?

But Zhao Mingzhu was very open-minded. She thought about her original self who had tried to marry into the Eastern Palace by drugging others and failed, and was not liked by others. It was just human nature.

What's more, she sighed softly.

I'm afraid I'll be scolded soon.

Zhao Mingzhu walked towards the palace gate. When she met the elders today, she knew that she had done so many bad things that she would be scolded.

Zhao Mingzhu was lighting a candle for herself in her mind when suddenly a young woman stopped in front of her.

"Zhao Mingzhu, you've really let a toad like you eat the swan's flesh. God is truly blind."

Zhao Mingzhu, who was called a toad, stopped and asked in confusion: "Who are you?"

With such a sad tone, could she be the heroine?

After hearing this, Gu Yu's eyes were full of this person's brain being broken, she said impatiently:

"Stop pretending, don't be so proud. Even if you marry my brother, I won't recognize you as my sister-in-law!"

After hearing this, Zhao Mingzhu understood that this girl was Gu Qingheng's sister. What was her name?

Anyway, she was already prepared to be drowned in spit today.

"All right."

Gu Yu was ready to listen to the other party's arrogant words, but she suddenly accepted it obediently, which made her feel powerless as if she had punched cotton.

"Do you think that if you act innocent and obedient, the Empress Dowager will let you go?"

Gu Yu felt that the other party was pretending to be good in order to avoid being held accountable by the Queen Mother.

Gu Yu sneered, Zhao Mingzhu's calculations were wrong, and he hugged his chest with a look of anticipation in his eyes:

"Zhao Mingzhu, the Empress Dowager has been up all night waiting to see you. Why don't you hurry up and go see her with me?"

When Zhao Mingzhu heard this, it automatically translated into the old queen sharpening her knife and waiting to deal with her.

Zhao Mingzhu said nothing, but just lit another candle for herself.

Soon the group arrived at Shoukang Palace. When the palace servant announced it, the laughter and joy in the palace suddenly stopped.

Zhao Mingzhu knew that if she stuck her head out, she would be in danger of being stabbed, and if she hid her head, she would also be in danger of being stabbed, so she walked in with a determined look.

Then he knelt down heavily and kowtowed loudly:

"My granddaughter-in-law greets the Imperial Grandmother. May she be blessed with good health and happiness."

Although the empress dowager sitting on the high platform had a head full of silver hair, she was in high spirits despite living a life of luxury, and her gaze at Zhao Mingzhu below contained a hint of fierceness.

She was the Queen Mother, second only to the emperor, so she naturally didn't need to mock him openly or indirectly. Instead, she said directly and sternly:

"Zhao Mingzhu, you are so bold! Do you admit your guilt?"

"My granddaughter-in-law knows her crime." Zhao Mingzhu replied with her head down.

The old queen smiled lightly at this, but her face was covered with frost.

"I thought you had the emperor's support, so you were truly fearless."

When the old empress dowager mentioned this matter, she became furious. The person in front of her used shameless tricks to get the position of Crown Princess.

If the emperor hadn't married them before she returned to the palace, how could such a woman marry Heng'er? She was the first to disagree!

The most infuriating thing is that now that the matter is done, in order to maintain the reputation of the royal family, she can only watch her grandson accept it.

But Heng'er could swallow this, but she couldn't.

"Someone come."

The old empress dowager said in a deep voice, and soon a palace maid brought a sandalwood board four fingers wide.

"Since you admit your mistake, how can we learn from it if we don't punish it? Do you have any objection to my awarding you thirty strokes of the cane?"

Zhao Mingzhu stared at the thick and heavy wooden board with her eyes wide open. She had prepared herself to be scolded before coming here, but she had never thought about being beaten.

Seeing that she didn't answer, two burly maids spontaneously stood on both sides of her. The meaning was very clear: she couldn't escape today.

Zhao Mingzhu: “…”

Forget it, she gritted her teeth, closed her eyes and stretched out her hand: "Granddaughter-in-law accepts the punishment."

Just take the beating. The old queen mother wouldn't beat her to death on the spot, so she'd just bear with it.

Gu Yu, who was standing next to the empress dowager, raised her eyebrows. She thought that if Zhao Mingzhu was going to be beaten today, she would be held down and beaten, but she didn't expect that she would obediently stretch out her hand, and even the emperor didn't come out to help.

Gu Yu touched his chin. Is this guy really that idiot Zhao Mingzhu?

Zhao Mingzhu silently prayed in her heart that God had bestowed upon her a great mission... The next second, the board fell, and her whole face twisted instantly.

She vaguely thought that she was finally living the life in the novel, but the author was Yu Hua.

This hurts so fucking much!

As soon as the board came down, her palm immediately turned red, which showed that the palace maid had not let her off at all.

"Please be patient, Princess. I will try to finish the remaining 29 boards quickly." The palace servant said with a smile.

Then, before Zhao Mingzhu could react, he attacked instantly, and screams like a pig being slaughtered were heard in Shoukang Palace.

All the birds in the trees were scared away.

This howl was so miserable that the old queen on the high platform twitched her mouth. Gu Yu even scratched his ears and said directly:

"Zhao Mingzhu, what are you yelling about? It's killing me."

Zhao Mingzhu originally wanted to endure it, but she couldn't bear the pain at all.

She blew on her palm and said, "Princess, come and get hit by a stick, and you'll know what I'm yelling about."

Gu Yu's eyes rolled up, and she said that the well-behaved Zhao Mingzhu before was fake, and that the other party was not the type to accept things submissively.

Gu Yu looked at the Empress Dowager's expression and then added fuel to the fire:

"There's nothing we can do about it. You'll be punished even if you scream your throat out today. Even Father's pleas for mercy won't be of any use."

Sure enough, the next moment the empress dowager remembered that the emperor had often protected those in front of him in the past, which was why he allowed her to be so lawless, and her anger rose again.

"What are you dawdling for? Are you going to fight until dinner time?"

The Queen Mother gave the order, and the palace maids were on high alert, holding the board high up. When they saw it was about to fall, someone outside announced that the Crown Prince was coming.

Zhao Mingzhu held her wrist and felt relieved. She suddenly felt that facing Gu Qingheng was not so uncomfortable anymore.

Gu Qingheng walked slowly closer, without looking at Zhao Mingzhu, and said softly:

"Grandson pays his respects to the Imperial Grandmother."

The old empress dowager showed her kindness towards this grandson:

"Heng'er is here, please take a seat."