Chapter 126 Palace Punishment: The One-Foot Red Riding Hood

After dealing with Wang Deyong, Jiang Nan turned her gaze to the palace servants kneeling on the ground and continued speaking, her voice steady.

Which one is Qingzhu?

When Qingzhu saw her master being slapped and Steward Wang being dragged to the Department of Punishments, he was shocked to see that he was left with a whole corpse.

They were terrified out of their wits.

She crawled out on her knees, kowtowing as she spoke, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"This servant, Qingzhu, wishes Consort Jin good health."

Jiang Nan had heard from the palace servants of Yanxi Palace that she had also played a part in spreading the rumors, and they spoke with certainty.

"Are you the personal maid of Consort Wanliuha?"

Green Bamboo lay prostrate on the ground, trembling as it replied.

"It is a servant."

Jiang Nan nodded and continued to ask her questions.

"Tell me, was what that head eunuch said just now true or false?"

Qingzhu didn't dare to hesitate for a moment and answered immediately.

"This servant would not dare to lie; it is all true."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan revealed a hint of sarcasm.

"What a sensible and good servant."

Her tone shifted slightly, becoming more condescending.

"Seeing how obedient you are, if you can get Consort Nara to forgive you, I will spare your life."

Qingzhu felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly kowtowed in agreement.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

She immediately crawled to her knees before Nara, kowtowing repeatedly and pleading earnestly.

"My lady, my life is worthless. I was just following orders. I beg you, my concubine, to spare my lowly life. From now on, I will follow your lead and serve you like a beast of burden."

Nara was unsure about Jiang Nan's actions.

Is Jiang Nan asking her to accept it willingly, or does she need to refuse outright?

Nara subconsciously looked at Jiang Nan.

Jiang Nan's eyes held a hint of meaning and amusement, as if he were observing her reaction.

Nara quickly calculated in her mind and instantly understood.

Is Your Highness planning to plant a spy by her side?

This Qingzhu was already terrified. Even if she accepted it, she would still be someone Consort Jin could control with a single word.

However, she thought again, was she, a mere concubine, overthinking things? Perhaps Her Majesty was just having a whim?

She had no intention of harboring any ill will towards the Empress, and dared not have any such intention.

It wouldn't hurt to take the girl in front of her, especially since she really needs someone to serve her right now.

Even a slave girl is a pitiful person in the end.

After thinking it through, Nara spoke, her tone weary and submissive.

"Get up. Since Her Majesty has spoken, and Jiqing is injured, you will serve me personally from now on."

Upon hearing this, Qingzhu felt a huge weight lifted from her heart.

He knelt down and kowtowed again, grateful that he had escaped with his life.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I will do my best."

Jiang Nan withdrew her probing gaze, satisfied with Nara's intelligence and tact.

It was indeed a spur-of-the-moment arrangement.

Jiang Nan can do whatever she wants; a concubine is not worth testing.

If they dare to jump out, just suppress them.

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Jiang Nan then turned to look at Wan Liuha, whose cheeks were red and swollen and who looked disheveled, and gave her instructions.

"Zhao Deyi, you can stop now."

Zhao responded with satisfaction.

"Yes, sir."

He stopped and breathed a sigh of relief. The fight had been going on for quite a while, and he was afraid that Wan Liuha would be killed by him.

Looking at Wan Liuha's miserable appearance, Jiang Nan asked, her tone calm but full of pressure.

"Wanliuha, you are the Emperor's concubine. What do you have to say in your defense? I can listen."

Wanliuhashi spat fiercely at the ground, his saliva mixed with blood.

She raised her head, staring at Jiang Nan with resentment, her voice low and tinged with madness.

"Guarjia, you have nothing to be proud of. You're just lucky. I don't think I'm any worse than you. You only got to your current rank of Consort because the Emperor favored you. If you were a concubine, I could kill you as easily as crushing an ant."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Deyi immediately rebuked him, wondering if he had hit him too lightly.

"How dare you! You're about to die and you still have the nerve to talk big."

Jiang Nan waved her hand, stopping Zhao Deyi.

Upon hearing Wanliuha's words, she showed no anger whatsoever; instead, a glimmer of light appeared in her eyes.

That eagerness was almost overflowing from his eyes.

She smacked her lips lightly, making a clicking sound, her tone carrying a playful sarcasm.

"Crush an ant? The way you put it makes me a little uncomfortable."

She tilted her head slightly, scrutinizing Wan Liuha with a critical look in her eyes.

"Are you trying to provoke me? Do you think that by saying this, I will become angry and, in order to prove that I didn't rely on luck, and to see what you're capable of to crush me, I'll simply punish you, or even... let you go?"

Wanliuhashi was caught off guard by what he thought, and then, with his neck stiffened, he forced a hoarse voice.

"Guarjia clan! Think whatever you want. I am now in your hands. Do with me as you please."

Jiang Nan chuckled, immediately finding it boring.

"Indeed. I don't think this is some clever way to provoke you. Fine, I'm too lazy to guess what you're thinking."

Her gaze swept over Wan Liuha's forced composure, her tone carrying an even deeper chill.

"Just because you dared to insult me ​​to my face, and because of your fearless spirit, I have decided—not to kill you."

A fleeting glimmer of unbelievable hope flashed in Wan Liuha's eyes.

Jiang Nan took in her reaction and couldn't help but chuckle, her tone slightly teasing.

"Don't worry, my word is law. If I say I won't kill you, then I won't."

She turned to Zhao Deyi, speaking casually as if discussing something ordinary.

"Zhao Deyi, do you know that there is a form of punishment in the palace called 'One Zhang Red'?"

Zhao hesitated for a moment, then bowed and replied cautiously.

"Your Majesty, this servant is ignorant. There is no record of a punishment called 'one zhang red' in the palace laws and regulations."

A mischievous glint flashed in Jiang Nan's eyes as she casually remarked.

"It didn't exist before, but it will exist from today onwards. Let's give this first time to the commendable Consort Wanliuha to have a taste."

Zhao Deyi bowed and asked for instructions.

"Your Majesty, please enlighten us: how shall this 'ten-foot red' punishment be carried out?"

Jiang Nan looked at Wan Liuha's panicked expression due to the unknown and slowly spoke.

"Go and find me a hard wooden board, two inches thick and five feet long. Use this board to beat the victim hard from the waist down, without counting, until the bones and tendons are broken, the skin is torn, and the flesh is a bloody mess. After the punishment, the blood that flows out will run down the legs and spread on the ground, staining an area of ​​one zhang in radius red. Only then will the punishment be complete. I call it 'One Zhang Red,' isn't that quite elegant?"

With each sentence Jiang Nan spoke, Wan Liuha's face grew paler, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

She murmured softly.

"One zhang of red... one zhang of red..."

Finally, she looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with despair and fear, and screamed.

"Guarjia clan! You are so vicious, you will surely be punished by heaven. I am waiting in the underworld to see how you will be punished."

Zhao Deyi bowed and asked for instructions.

"Your Majesty, should we gag her?"

Jiang Nan waved her hand, her tone calm and tolerant.

"No need. Let her say a few more words since she's about to die. Go and fetch the wooden board. I want to see for myself whether her stubbornness is as hard as her mouth."

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Look at your book reviews, many of you say this book is mindless and full of flaws, why aren't there any comments or reviews criticizing it?