Chapter 883 The Master is the Master
There is a lot of rain in spring. It may be sunny one moment and cloudy the next. The new buds of flowers and plants are shaken by the wind, and they are wet with the fragrance of growing grass and trees.
As soon as Tang Ning entered Shoukang Palace, a light rain started to fall outside.
"Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen."
The palace maids in front of the door hurriedly saluted.
"Where's the Grand Empress Dowager?"
Tang Ning's hair was a little wet, and Nian Xia took out a clean handkerchief and handed it to him.
Tang Ning wiped her forehead with a handkerchief and asked her, "How is she today?"
Empress Nianxia stood a step away, looking at the woman whose features were simple yet increasingly imposing, not daring to show the slightest disrespect. "Your Majesty, the Grand Empress Dowager woke up an hour ago and looks so energetic. She must have known what was going on in the palace, so she ordered Princess Hui and the others to come over and talk with them in the back hall."
Tang Ning glanced at her sideways and said, "I told you to keep it a secret from the Grand Empress Dowager."
Although it was a simple sentence without any ups and downs, it frightened Nian Xia so much that she broke out in a cold sweat.
She felt as if that gaze could peel the flesh off her body. Her legs weakened and she fell to her knees. "It was the Empress Dowager who insisted on asking. Madam Qin said..." She paused, wishing she could hold her head in her chest. "The Empress Dowager has reached the end of her life. If she can clear her mind, perhaps she can survive a few more days."
Tang Ning stopped wiping the water from her hands, and after a moment the wet handkerchief fell back into Nian Xia's arms: "Get up and serve me well."
"yes."
Tang Ningfengjia had already entered the hall, and Nian Xia knelt on the ground a little weakly. She felt that her back was soaked with cold sweat, and her underwear was sticking to her body. When the spring breeze mixed with rain mist blew, she couldn't help shivering because of the cold.
"Aunt Nianxia, what's wrong with you?"
Seeing her pale face, the young palace maid beside her hurried forward to support her. She said in a puzzled voice, "You are an old man who followed the Empress out of Jiyun Alley, and it was the Empress Dowager who forced you to ask about Prince Hui and the others. The Empress will certainly not punish you because of their past friendship..."
As she spoke, she thought of Aunt Huawu and Aunt Yuejian who served the Empress.
Aunt Yuejian knows everything and is very dignified, but Aunt Huawu is just a little girl, one year younger than her. I heard that she and Aunt Nianxia came from Tang Mansion in Jiyun Lane together, and before entering the palace, they both served the Queen.
Aunt Hua Wu knew nothing and looked even worse than her, but the Empress Dowager had always protected her and even found a nanny to teach her about palace affairs. The Empress Dowager was so kind and cherished the people around her, so she didn't understand what Aunt Nian Xia had to be afraid of.
"The Empress is a very gentle and kind person, and she cares for the elderly around her. The Empress Dowager is about to die, and Aunt Nianxia should beg the Empress to return to serve her..."
If she thought of Aunt Xia and the kindness of Jiyun Lane, she would definitely be able to find a path to success for herself...
Bang!
Just as the little palace maid's eyes showed a little ambition, she was suddenly slapped in the face. Before she could look up in surprise, Nian Xia slapped her back with her hand, knocking her out.
"Aunt Nianxia..."
Nian Xia's face turned cold: "Who do you think you are? How dare you curse the Grand Empress Dowager and talk about the old relationship with the Empress?"
"Come here, Su Guo is guilty of insubordination. Drag him out and give him twenty strokes of the cane. After that, send him to the criminal department."
The little palace maid suddenly widened her eyes and opened her mouth to beg for mercy, but before she could make a sound, Nian Xia blocked her mouth with a rolled-up handkerchief.
The young palace maid didn't even have the chance to say a word in her defense before she was dragged out sobbingly by two eunuchs.
The palace was extremely quiet. Nian Xia glanced at the others and said, "No matter how good-tempered the Empress is, she is still the master. The Grand Empress Dowager will not tolerate any offense. Since you are serving in Shoukang Palace, you must put away your little tricks and serve the master well. If anyone dares to be negligent or say something nonsense again, Su Guo will be the end of the matter."
"Do you understand everything?"
Everyone shuddered: "Yes, aunt."
After the people around had dispersed, Nian Xia's face turned pale as she stood in front of the hall.
She knew very well what Su Guo was thinking just now, and she had the same thought.
She and Xichun and four others were maids who were bought back to serve the Empress when she was still in the boudoir. They had shared hardships with the Empress and later served Lady Rong for a long time. The relationship between them and the Empress was always different from that of other servants in the palace.
When the Empress entered the Central Palace, Xichun and Dongmei stayed with Lady Rongguo, while she and Qiulan followed the Empress into the richest place in the world.
The Empress, out of consideration for their old friendship, always treated them very well. Even when she assigned them to take care of the Grand Empress Dowager, she never left them any less. As soon as they entered the palace, they were given the same treatment as first-class palace maids. Even the old people in the palace had to bow respectfully and call them "Aunt" when they saw them.
Over time, they began to feel as if they were half masters, and were close enough to the Empress that the Empress would always protect them no matter what mistakes they made.
Qiulan tried to climb the social ladder, neglected the Empress Dowager, and lost her respect for her master. As a result, she was beaten to death with sticks.
That day she saw Qiulan die in a pool of blood, and saw the usually gentle and kind Empress' eyes frosty, and how she took a life with just a soft voice. Only then did she suddenly understand that the master is the master and the servant is the servant, and no matter how kind and loving the master is, he cannot break the rules.
Otherwise, the only outcome is death.
Moreover, the current Queen is no longer the little girl who needed protection in Jiyun Lane.
Nian Xia took a deep breath, trying her best to suppress the gloom in her heart. She looked up and said to the person beside her, "The Queen just got caught in the rain. Go and prepare some hot water and ginger soup. In case the Queen needs to wash up later and stays in Shoukang Palace tonight, they can be brought up at any time."
"Yes, Aunt Nianxia."
…
Tang Ning didn't know what was happening outside. She entered the hall and went straight to the back hall. Before she reached the bedroom, she heard faint voices from the inner room.
Qian Qiyue seemed to be joking, and the Empress Dowager's voice was a little weak.
"You are such a naughty boy! You dare to fight with others over such a serious matter, and you are not afraid of getting hurt."
"How could they hurt me? If they hadn't tricked me into leaving the palace by saying something happened in the palace, and then used my mother and sister-in-law to threaten me, I would have whipped them in the face. How could I let them use them to threaten Aning..."
"You'd better put away that whip, or your mother will pull your ears again when you come back."
The heavy curtain was lifted, and Tang Ning stood in front of the door with a smile on his face.
Qian Qiyue turned around and was instantly surprised: "Aning!!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com