In the candlelight, Nanny Zhang saw the palm print on Qiao Yuange's face. The warm face that had finally turned pale instantly. She turned around in a bad mood, put her hands behind her back, and said to Nanny Zhang in a condescending manner: "Nanny Zhang, Qiao Yuange is the Queen Mother's favorite, but you beat her like this? It seems that you have punished the servants a lot."
Aunt Zhang quickly bowed her head and said respectfully, "Qiao Yuange ruined Concubine Shu's handkerchief. This old servant is also..."
Madam Xi chuckled and whispered into Madam Zhang's ear, "Is that an explanation? Save it for later as an opera tune."
Nanny Zhang's face turned pale instantly, she pursed her lips and shrank to the side.
"I am a reasonable person. Qiao Yuange saved the emperor today and is a great benefactor of the royal family. How can a mere handkerchief be more important than the emperor's life? How could you treat a benefactor of the royal family like this? You are not old enough in the palace. You know the rules of the palace. What should you do?"
When did Qiao Yuange save the emperor? How could Qiao Yuange be able to take advantage of such a good thing?
Madam Zhang's face turned pale in an instant, she knelt on the ground, stretched out her hand and slapped herself twice in the face: "I deserve to die, I didn't recognize the great man! Please forgive me, Miss Qiao!"
Before Qiao Yuange could speak, Nanny Xi waved her hand and said, "Forget it. Marry Li tomorrow and get out of the palace!"
"But the salary of a servant..."
Aunt Zhang was trembling with fear, and she didn't know where she got the courage from, but she actually asked this question.
"Salary? If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten. I've been in the palace for a long time. I haven't learned anything else, but I've become more and more shameless. You want a salary after hurting the emperor's benefactor? I'll fine you three taels of salary, and then go to Auntie in charge of punishment to get thirty strokes of the board. Have a safe trip!"
After saying this, Nanny turned to Qiao Yuange and smiled, returning to her previous gentleness: "Miss Qiao, please."
Qiao Yuange, supported by two maids, walked through the crowd's puzzled, questioning, and even jealous and resentful gazes.
She stopped in front of Jianhong, her beautiful eyes twinkled, and she leaned close to her ear, opening her thin lips slightly: "Jianhong, remember what you said!"
Jianhong stood there, shivering all over. She took a breath, but just looked ahead. Her palms were full of sweat and she said nothing.
She suppressed the anger in her eyes, and watched with confusion and unwillingness as Qiao Yuange was taken away with great fanfare.
Why? Why on earth?!
The rain was pouring down, hitting the eaves, and the sound was poured into my ears without reservation.
Qiao Yuange followed behind Nanny Xi, turning left and right. She looked around carefully, and when no one was paying attention, she reached out and pinched her thigh.
Hiss... It hurts so much, this is real, this is not a dream?
She hid under the umbrella and looked around, only to find that the entire palace was like a giant beast with its mouth open, waiting for a mayfly like her to fall into its trap.
Nanny took her to a huge and luxurious palace with the three characters of Yangxin Palace written on it. The lights were bright inside, and in the main hall, there was a golden nanmu table with a dragon and pearls, and two chairs with red fox fur cushions on them, on which sat a white-haired old woman.
The old woman was wearing a brown brocade robe embroidered with peonies and a head full of golden hair accessories, looking dignified and elegant.
She held the teacup in her hand, blew on it gently, and took a sip.
Qiao Yuange stood behind Nanny Xi, looking at the woman carefully. The woman was in her sixties, with a head full of white hair, but she was very well maintained. There were some wrinkles on her face, but her skin was frighteningly white.
“Kneel down!”
Auntie Xi gritted her teeth and scolded in a low voice.
Qiao Yuange quickly imitated Nanny Xi and bowed to the woman in front of him.
The woman reached out to put down the teacup, raised her eyes and glanced at Qiao Yuange. She saw that the girl was thin, but had fair skin and delicate features. She was a real beauty.
"Do you know why I asked you to come here?" The Queen Mother's voice was cold and serious, with full of energy.
"I don't know." How could Qiao Yuange not know? Wasn't she the emperor's benefactor?
"I heard that you rescued the emperor today?"
The Queen Mother's tone was uncertain, and the crackling sound of the candlelight was particularly obvious in this magnificent palace.
"I just saved the emperor while washing clothes." Qiao Yuange answered truthfully. Although she was careless in her daily life, she was in the palace after all. If she disagreed with someone, she would be beheaded. She had to survive in the cracks, so it was better to be honest.
The Queen Mother chuckled: "She is indeed a sharp-tongued person, just like your eldest aunt...but why is such a smart girl being ostracized everywhere in the laundry department?"
Qiao Yuange didn't say anything, but Nanny Xi took over the conversation and said, "Empress Dowager, Nanny Zhang, who excluded Miss Qiao, has been driven out of the palace by me."
The Queen Mother nodded, picked up the teacup, licked the tea from the lid, smelled it, but did not put it into her mouth.
"For the sake of your eldest aunt, you don't need to work in the laundry department. From tomorrow on, I will send you to the emperor and ask you to serve him well." The empress dowager waved her hand, signaling Qiao Yuange to hurry up and leave.
But Qiao Yuange really didn't know which aunt the empress dowager referred to as "eldest aunt".
She searched through her original body's memories. Her aunt was from a minor official's family in the capital. She had an older sister, but when she was a child, she was sent to the palace to be a maid.
Before he could react to what was happening, Nanny Xi pulled Qiao Yuange's hand and led her out of the main hall.
As soon as she walked out of the door, Nanny Xi turned around and chuckled, saying, "Young lady, you must be a smart girl. Do you understand what the Queen Mother meant?"
Qiao Yuange shook her head. Although she was smart and wise, the Queen Mother's words were confusing and she really didn't understand.
"The Emperor has a bad temper and is always looking for death. The Empress Dowager is already 18 years old and can't stand this kind of torture. If the Emperor has any complaints, please report it to the Empress Dowager truthfully, Miss Qiao."
So she was a spy for the emperor? This was not an easy job, but if she disobeyed the order, she could go back to the laundry department, but she was afraid that the queen mother would be angry and make her head move away, which would be troublesome.
Seeing that there was no way out, Qiao Yuange made up his mind and nodded in agreement.
"I will definitely do it."
Nanny Xi burst into laughter immediately and patted Qiao Yuange on the shoulder: "Miss Qiao is indeed very smart, just like your aunt."
"Auntie, you always mention my aunt. Who is she?" There was really no such person in Qiao Yuange's memory.
Nanny Xi's face changed, as if she didn't expect Qiao Yuange to be unaware of this.
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