"Don't be afraid. Think about why the person you're protecting asked you to do this instead of letting her own people do it. Why are you risking your life to protect her?"
The young palace maid stopped pleading, her eyes darting away, avoiding Consort Lan's gaze: "This servant didn't protect anyone, this servant truly doesn't know what's going on,"
"You're quite the talker." Consort Lan said this while still smiling, but her usual cheerful laughter was now filled with seriousness and murderous intent: "Then let's use torture."
Her tone wasn't harsh, but Han Daying felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her heart.
She originally intended to target the Empress Dowager, but then she realized that Sang Ruo was practically untouchable, making it easier to act here than with the Empress Dowager. That's why she chose to take this step instead.
But if she were to say she was leaving now, it would seem too deliberate. She gripped the chair frantically, her other hand clutching the handkerchief tightly, her gaze fixed on the little palace maid.
It's not that she has no leverage; it's just that the little palace maid's glance at her earlier frightened her, which is why she's so flustered right now.
Her attention was entirely focused on the little palace maid, so she was unaware that Sang Jiang, Sang Ruo, and Consort Lan had already locked their gazes on her.
So they saw her panic, and the three of them exchanged glances and came to the same conclusion about what had happened.
As soon as she finished speaking, three old women came up, one of whom was carrying a tray with rows of silver needles that gleamed coldly.
Sang Jiang raised an eyebrow. Was this some kind of trick used by Rong Momo?
But what happened next was something she dared not even imagine.
Two old women stepped forward and held the young palace maid down on either side, while another old woman squatted down, put the tray aside, and reached out to take off the young palace maid's shoes.
The little palace maid struggled and cried out, "Your Majesty, spare me! I really don't know what happened! Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty... Waaah..."
Before she could finish her sentence, a sock was stuffed into her mouth, leaving her with only muffled "ooh" sounds.
The socks she was talking about were the ones that the old woman had just taken off her feet, and the old woman was now reaching out to grab her dangling feet.
She sobbed softly, her eyes filled with terror and panic.
Consort Lan didn't even glance at her before calmly picking up a cup of tea and drinking it.
Sang Jiang's perception of Consort Lan changed as she looked at her. She had always thought that Consort Lan was the kind of person who was carefree and easygoing, but she never expected that she had this side to her.
"Woo!" A powerful woof brought Sang Jiang back to her senses. When she looked at the little palace maid, the silver needle in the old woman's hand was already stained with drops of blood.
The little palace maid's thumb was slowly bleeding, and she couldn't even scream.
She shook her head and looked at Consort Lan with despair, struggling to resist, but the two maids held her down tightly.
Seeing this scene, even Sang Jiang couldn't help but frown, and some of the other concubines had already looked away.
The old woman showed no mercy and plunged the needle into the young maid's index finger with swift and precise movements.
The index finger is connected to the heart, and the foot is even more sensitive than the hand. The little palace maid was in so much pain that she almost fainted. Before she could react, her middle finger, little finger, and the big toe of her other foot...
Her eyes started rolling back, but the excruciating pain prevented her from fainting.
It wasn't until the old woman plunged the needle into her big toe again that she began to sob again: "Waaah, waaah."
She nodded while making "woo-woo" sounds.
Consort Lan put down her teacup and nodded: "Let her go."
The old woman stopped what she was doing and pulled the sock out of her mouth. She closed her eyes with a sigh of relief, took several deep breaths, and then spoke: "I confess, the person who ordered me was..."
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