A short while later, a eunuch brought in a wooden board covered with nails from outside.
Chu Yan stared in horror at the nail board. She hadn't expected that her mother-in-law, who usually kept to herself, would be more ruthless than anyone else when she did act.
If she were to kneel on such a board of nails, her knees would probably be ruined.
"Mother, I did nothing wrong! You can't punish me like this! You have no idea what the Prince did with Chu Yun outside! I won't kneel! I refuse to kneel!"
Chu Yan resisted fiercely.
But Consort Zhang ignored her explanation and directly signaled her men to step forward and hold Chu Yan down.
Che Yi, who was standing to the side, had already been unable to bear it when Consort Zhang blamed Chu Yan. Now that he saw Consort Zhang about to use such cruel punishment on Chu Yan, he naturally stood in front of Chu Yan immediately.
"You audacious lowly servant! How dare you obstruct me? Are you plotting a rebellion?"
Consort Zhang watched as Che Yi pushed her people to the ground and angrily cursed.
Che Yi didn't say anything, but simply spread his arms wide, protecting Chu Yan behind him, as if he wouldn't let anyone get close.
Chu Yan's eyes welled up with tears. She knew that Che Yi's actions had undoubtedly offended Consort Zhang, but it was also to protect herself.
Consort Zhang wouldn't listen to her explanation at all, and since she was her mother-in-law, she was bound to suffer a great loss today.
She just couldn't understand why Consort Zhang, who had always been indifferent to worldly affairs, would suddenly become like this.
"Mother, I have no choice. If you make me kneel on this board of nails for no reason, my legs will definitely be ruined. Please forgive me for not being able to listen to you!"
Chu Yan thought for a moment, and although she was afraid, she still spoke frankly and contradicted Consort Zhang.
Now that she has broken ties with Prince Xiao, she cannot stand idly by if Consort Zhang tries to torment her, especially since she is dealing with her in an unreasonable manner.
"Good, very good! I never expected that Princess Xiao would dare to talk back to her mother-in-law. Your Chu family has really raised a good daughter!"
"Guards, drag this wretched maid away and beat her to death! Then make the princess kneel on the board of nails!"
Consort Zhang's cold eyes flashed sharply. After she gave the order, several more guards entered and surrounded Chu Yan and the others.
"Mother, this is the palace. Aren't you afraid Father will find out?"
Chu Yan felt a sudden sense of fear when she saw so many guards enter.
Che Yi suffered internal injuries a few days ago from fighting with Xiao Wang's men. Now there are so many more people around. Can he hold on?
"This is my palace, and you are my daughter-in-law. Now you are talking back to your mother-in-law. Even if the Emperor were here, he wouldn't say anything to me!"
Consort Zhang said this with a straight face.
She called Chu Yan here today intending to teach her a lesson and give her a warning.
After all, she was her mother-in-law, and if her daughter disobeyed her in the slightest, she could be labeled as unfilial.
Over the years, I haven't interfered with the affairs of the Xiao Prince's Mansion. I thought that Chu Yan, who was once completely devoted to the Xiao Prince, would be foolish enough to be used by him, so I didn't take it to heart.
But Yoon-ah actually told her that this Chu Yan had caused chaos in the Xiao Prince's mansion, and even caused the Xiao Prince to be impeached and scolded by the Emperor.
She had to personally intervene and take charge of Chu Yan.
"Mother, you..."
Chu Yan looked anxiously at Consort Zhang. Could it be that they really couldn't escape today?
"Your Highness, don't worry, I will protect you. These guards are no match for me."
Just then, Che Yi's comforting voice reached Chu Yan's ears.
When they fought against Xiao Wang's men before, those were all powerful secret guards with considerable martial arts skills and internal strength. But the guards in Consort Zhang's palace now looked like ordinary guards.
He could easily handle Chu Yan and the less skilled maids, but they were no match for him.
Chu Yan looked at Che Yi in surprise. Before she could react, she saw Che Yi deftly shield her behind him and then attack the guards.
Before long, Che Yi had knocked all the guards in Consort Zhang's palace to the ground.
"How dare you! Who are you?"
Consort Zhang looked at Che Yi in horror as her men were beaten and lying on the ground.
She was just a tall, thin maid, so why was she so skilled in kung fu that she defeated so many guards in her palace?
Who sent this maidservant to Chu Yan's side?
"Let's go."
Che Yi ignored Zhang Pin's words and instead turned to Chu Yan and said something.
"Um."
Chu Yan nodded.
Now that they have offended Consort Zhang, even if they stay here, they will only be waiting for her to send more people to deal with them.
“Mother, you are being unreasonable today, so I will take my leave.”
Chu Yan said something to Consort Zhang again, and then quickly left Consort Zhang's palace with Che Yi.
Consort Zhang was naturally unwilling to let them off so easily. She was so angry that she trembled all over and shouted at Chu Yan and the others' backs with a ferocious expression: "You stop right there!"
"Guards! Seize them immediately! They have disrespected me! Quickly summon the First-Class Imperial Guards from the inner palace; tell them I have been attacked!"
Upon hearing Consort Zhang's words, Chu Yan and the others naturally ran even faster.
However, Consort Zhang's men were quick to act, and soon caught up with Chu Yan after she ran away.
What happened there?
At this moment, in the Imperial Garden, the Empress's palanquin was passing by and saw Chu Yan and Che Yi running, as well as the eunuchs, maids and guards chasing after them not far away.
"That seems to be someone from Consort Zhang's palace."
A palace maid followed the Empress's gaze and looked in that direction.
"Consort Zhang? Hasn't she been keeping to herself and refusing to see outsiders for years?"
The Empress lowered her eyes in deep thought.
Then, thinking about some recent events involving Prince Xiao, she began to have some doubts.
"Let's go take a look."
The Empress decided to go and see what Consort Zhang's people were doing.
So the Empress's palanquin headed in that direction, and just happened to block Chu Yan and Che Yi's path.
When Chu Yan saw the magnificent sedan chair and looked up to see the Empress inside, she immediately knelt down with Che Yi.
"Get up, Princess Xiao. What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?"
The Empress looked at the disheveled Chu Yan and asked in confusion.
She knew that Chu Yan was a close friend of Su Liluo, so she naturally showed her more care.
"Your Majesty, it was Consort Zhang who wanted to punish me by making me kneel on a board of nails for no reason, so I ran away."
Chu Yan confessed honestly.
Since Consort Zhang treated her this way, she didn't need to say anything nice about her; she should just tell the truth.
"You said Consort Zhang made you kneel on a board of nails?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress was surprised.
In her memory, Consort Zhang was once a very timid palace maid in her palace. She was fortunate enough to be favored by the emperor and became pregnant with his child, which led to her becoming a concubine.
She has always kept a low profile and behaved herself in the palace all these years, but now she actually makes her daughter-in-law kneel on a board of nails?
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