Chapter 30: Learning How to Serve People
After a while, Xiao Shenjing said, "Summon the deputy commander."
Before the execution edict could be performed, Xiao Shenjing asked, "Why haven't we captured Xu Yuansi yet?"
Xing Zhao immediately knelt down and touched his head to the ground.
"Your Majesty, ever since Xu Yuansi disappeared outside the capital, I have sent men to investigate along the clues in three separate groups. However, we have discovered that all of these groups have deliberately left evidence to mislead the public. I have always suspected..." He paused deliberately here, raising his eyes to look at Xiao Shenjing.
"Do you suspect there are Turkic spies in the capital?" Xiao Shenjing added for him.
Xing Zhao immediately lowered his eyes and said, "Otherwise, as a mere scholar, it would have been impossible for him not to have given himself away under such intense scrutiny from the Supervisory Office."
Behind the imperial desk, Xiao Shenjing remained silent for a long time.
He didn't tell him to get up, so Xing Zhao could only continue kneeling.
The palace was imposing, and even the sound of the candlelight was deafening, sending chills down one's spine.
It wasn't until Xiao Shenjing spoke again that he said, "In recent years, there has been internal strife in the court. Many Turks must have taken the opportunity to sneak into the capital. Since they are willing to expose themselves to rescue Xu Yuansi, we naturally cannot let go of the opportunity to hand him over."
Xiao Shenjing narrowed his eyes. "Investigate along this line and find out whoever is hiding behind it."
After days of rest and recuperation, Yunxi's injuries have mostly healed. At least she can walk without difficulty, although she still cannot run.
But she felt like her body was growing weeds, and she really didn't want to stay there any longer.
To escape this chilling palace, she needs to further improve her martial arts skills.
She really wanted to leave this awful place immediately.
So she got up very early the next day.
Ignoring the lingering pain in his leg wound, he broke off a twig and started gesturing with it in the yard.
However, the dress was inconvenient, and just as she was wondering whether to tie up the wide sleeves, Dao Er walked in from outside the door.
"Hey, Dao Er, what are you doing here?"
As if he hadn't heard that familiar tune in a long time, Dao Er was momentarily stunned.
Although Yunxi used to give him and his brother a lot of headaches, to be honest, he still admired Yunxi's personality.
They are passionate and decisive, decisive and straightforward, and not at all pretentious.
If you are her friend, you will never have to worry about being betrayed.
Since Yunxi's 'death,' no one in this world has ever spoken to him in such a tone again.
For a moment, I even felt a little nostalgic.
Dao Er clasped his hands in a fist salute to her and said, "Miss Yunxi, His Majesty requests your presence."
Upon hearing the words "Your Majesty," Yunxi frowned, not even bothering to conceal the disdain on her face.
Li Dong and the others watching were terrified.
As the bodyguards protecting Xiao Shenjing, they were trained from a young age to regard his life as their heaven. It was an instinctive obedience, and they would never dare to show the slightest disrespect.
And Yunxi in front of me dares to be so presumptuous.
When Yunxi went to see Xiao Shenjing, the palace maid who served her naturally had to go with her.
Yunxi walked for most of the day and still hadn't arrived.
In this sweltering heat, she was already impatient and asked, "Dao Er, what does Xiao Shen want me to do?"
Dao Er shook his head. "His Majesty didn't say."
Yunxi could only endure it.
When they finally arrived at the Qianqing Palace, Xiao Shenjing, who had just finished court, was changing into his court robes in his sleeping quarters.
Yunxi could only wait outside.
When he came out, Xiao Shenjing was wearing a moon-white Taoist robe.
It made his already tall and straight figure even more handsome and dashing.
Yunxi glanced at it briefly before lowering her head, not wanting to look at it again.
The two walked silently through a section of covered walkway.
"What, are you mute?" Seeing her obediently hanging her head, Xiao Shenjing glanced at her.
Yunxi looked up and smiled at him, revealing eight teeth in the smile.
A fake, perfunctory smile.
Xiao Shenjing smiled at her without much of a smile, "It seems you've learned to assess the situation."
The praise was not genuine at all.
His tone carried a hint of mockery.
Yunxi immediately stopped and said impatiently, "Yes, I have heard His Majesty's reprimand. Can we go back now?"
Xiao Shenjing is such a nuisance.
Not only did it waste her martial arts practice time early in the morning, but it also made her walk for most of the day with her still-healing leg, and she would have to lie in bed for a day or two after she got back.
This dilapidated palace is awful everywhere; I don't want to stay here even for a second.
However, while she was still recovering from her injuries, she tried her best not to provoke Xiao Shenjing.
Not far away, a palace eunuch wrapped a broom in suede and swept lightly along the dragon-patterned imperial road.
Some cicadas that had escaped the net were already chirping noisily behind tree branches.
"Have you heard of the Yeting?" Xiao Shenjing stared at Yun Xi and asked slowly.
He didn't miss Yunxi's subtle expressions.
Last night he thought about it carefully. Yunxi's personality was inherently unruly and difficult to tame, and going head-to-head with her would only be a waste of time.
There are many other ways to get her to obey.
He could give her some incentives first, such as letting her vent her anger this time.
Over time, she would gradually soften her attitude and become obedient.
"Who are you going to punish?" Yunxi immediately looked at him warily.
Xiao Shenjing stared at her and chuckled softly: "Who else do you think it could be?"
Yunxi's first reaction was that this person was going to punish her again, and she frowned deeply when she thought of the Zhaoyu prison incident.
"You know this person too?" Before she could speak, Xiao Shenjing reminded her, "We finally caught him, but I didn't expect him to be so bold as to try to escape!"
Brother Xu!
Xiao Shenjing stared at Yun Xi's pupils, which trembled for a moment, and his good mood was instantly ruined.
Thinking about that filthy foreign race again!
She always had the ability to make him angry.
He narrowed his eyes, suppressing the shadows at the corners, and slowly asked, "Tell me, how should I deal with this kind of person?"
His voice became unusually cold and indifferent.
Yunxi was speechless.
She assumed that since there had been no news for so long, her brother Xu must have already escaped.
But now he's been caught?
Thinking of the cruel methods of the imperial edict, she couldn't imagine any of them falling on her brother Xu.
She felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, and instinctively reached for her waist.
Her sword used to hang there.
Xiao Shenjing's gaze slowly moved downwards following her movements.
He immediately realized she was looking for her broken sword.
She even wanted to hit him.
He had originally wanted her to punish the jailer herself, but now it seemed she was just an ungrateful bastard.
Xiao Shenjing chuckled without a hint of a smile, his expression growing colder and his tone increasingly harmless. "Yunxi, tell me, should I skin him alive or boil him in oil?" He chuckled lightly, devoid of any genuine amusement. "How about turning him into a human pig?"
"Xiao Shenjing, you tyrant!" Yunxi stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
The palace maids and eunuchs behind him looked shocked.
How dare someone utter such words in front of His Majesty?
Are you really not afraid of having your family raided and your clan wiped out?
Seeing her clench her fist, Xiao Shenjing's expression turned cold. "What, you want to kill me again?"
He was like a hunter, leisurely enjoying her reaction.
They regarded her struggle as the most delicious food in the world.
Yunxi pursed her lips tightly.
"Unfortunately, you won't have that chance." Xiao Shenjing glanced down at her, his half-closed eyes concealing his chilling malice.
Yunxi knew that saying anything at this point would be useless.
Seeing her distraught appearance, Xiao Shenjing's jaw tightened like a sharp line.
Yunxi followed behind him.
She thought there would always be a way.
She caused Xu Yuansi to suffer undeserved hardships, and she should be the one to end all this bitterness.
She clenched her fist and made up her mind.
The heavy gates of the Imperial Palace were slowly pushed open.
Yunxi felt as if her heart was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand.
She stared at the door, barely daring to breathe.
Xiao Shenjing was very tall.
Yunxi stood beside him, only reaching his shoulder.
He was positioned high above her, so he could easily see her expression.
Seeing her anxious and worried, Xiao Shenjing's mockery grew stronger.
Until someone brought the prisoner up.
In that instant, Xiao Shenjing saw Yun Xi suddenly open her eyes wide and turn her head to look at him in disbelief.
He had already looked away, turned around, and walked towards the chairs placed under the eaves.
"How could it be him?" Yunxi chased after him.
Xiao Shenjing ignored him completely.
"Xiao Shenjing!" Yunxi could hardly believe it; it wasn't Xu Yuansi's surprise that made her so incredulous. She lifted her skirt and chased after him. "Has he always been the person you've been talking about?"
"So, who do you think it is?" He walked forward without turning his head.
He was asking her a question, but he didn't even look at her.
They clearly already knew the answer.
Hearing the mocking voice, Yunxi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Xiao Shenjing did not give her more time to relax.
He had barely settled into his chair when he uttered two words.
"Execute them!"
The man kneeling in the middle of the courtyard suddenly let out a sobbing sound.
Yunxi looked at him, and a mix of emotions welled up inside her.
Although she was delirious from the high fever that night in the prison, she still remembered the man who dared to take liberties with her.
This person is vengeful.
Even if you can't apply at the time, there will always be another opportunity.
No matter what happens, she will never commit suicide.
What does losing one's virginity matter when it comes to life?
Seeing Sun Bin's pitiful state, with tears streaming down his face, I was terrified.
Yunxi showed no sympathy whatsoever.
The consequences of Xiao Shenjing not coming that night are self-evident.
If Sun Bin had bullied another woman instead of her, and that woman's reputation had been ruined and her body violated, she most likely wouldn't have survived.
This kind of person definitely deserves to be punished!
Yunxi never expected that punishing a mere yamen runner would require the intervention of Xing Zhao, the deputy commander of the Supervisory Bureau.
Upon seeing him, the lingering memories made Yunxi freeze violently.
Xiao Shenjing glanced lightly at her hand gripping the armrest.
"Xiao Shenjing," Yunxi blurted out, "why did you send the executioner to carry out the execution?"
"Afraid?" Xiao Shenjing finally looked at her properly.
"What am I afraid of?" Yunxi retorted, "Isn't punishing a jailer like this a bit too much of a fuss?"
Xiao Shenjing said, "So you'd better take a closer look."
Yunxi
When the imperial edict slowly unfolded the leather bag, revealing rows of sharp instruments of torture, Yunxi couldn't help but frown.
When the executioner chopped off Li Bin's arm, she stared at the splattered blood and became extremely uneasy. "Xiao Shenjing, how exactly do you intend to punish him?"
Have you ever seen a human pig?
"How could you be so violent and cruel?" Yunxi asked in disbelief.
If someone makes a mistake, they should be punished according to the law, but the punishment of being turned into a human pig is too horrifying.
"Yunxi, then you need to see this clearly to me even more," Xiao Shenjing stared at her. "If you dare to run away from me again, your fate will not be any better than this."
"What do you want me to do here? There are so many palace eunuchs serving you in the entire palace." Yunxi said, then suddenly exclaimed in shock, "You...you don't mean to make me your concubine, do you?"
Yunxi said that on purpose.
Even though she knew it was impossible, she would never take the risk.
Because she knew that if she spoke up, Xiao Shenjing would definitely mock her arrogantly.
This time, Xiao Shenjing merely glanced at her from head to toe, then sneered, "You should first learn how to serve people properly."
Seeing that Xiao Shenjing was not fooled, Yunxi was about to say a few more provocative words when she heard Xiao Shenjing say to Eunuch Fu behind him, "Hand her over to Aunt Jiang and teach her a good lesson."
So what if he's rebellious?
Like taming a wild, fiery horse, he had plenty of patience.
One day she will bow her head, becoming as gentle and tender as other women, and making him her heaven.
Upon hearing Xiao Shenjing's words, Yunxi showed no displeasure whatsoever.
They even breathed a huge sigh of relief.
As long as you're not a concubine, it's fine. At least palace maids are unsupervised and can always find a chance to escape.
No, she also has to take Onion with her.
Seeing that she turned around and was about to leave without saying a word, without the slightest hesitation.
I knew in my heart that she was up to something again.
How could he possibly let her have her way?
"If she dares to disobey or disappear, immediately throw Onion into the imperial prison and turn her into a human pig." Xiao Shenjing didn't even glance at her, and walked past her with a flick of his sleeve.
Yunxi gritted her teeth, regretting once again why she had been so blind as to provoke Xiao Shenjing, that madman.
A few days ago, Yunxi entered the palace. Because it was late at night and Xiao Shenjing had kept quiet, none of the palace maids and eunuchs on duty that night dared to say a word. Only a few concubines with powerful maternal clans knew a thing or two.
Later, Yunxi was sent to a remote palace, and everyone thought she would never have a chance to rise again, so no one paid attention to her anymore.
But who would have thought that in less than ten days, she would have managed to get His Majesty to summon her again.
One stone stirs up a thousand waves; the long-silent palace is like a calm sea with turbulent undercurrents.
The concubines, who were originally living peacefully, used all sorts of methods to find out about Yunxi's background.
Consort Xue waved her round fan and put a grape into her mouth.
Upon hearing the palace maid's report, he wore an expression of schadenfreude.
"Your Highness, aren't you worried?" the palace maid asked with some concern.
"The one I'm most worried about should be the one in Chengqian Palace, after all, her wedding is in a few months," Consort Xue said, spitting out a grape seed.
"If you ask me, His Majesty still favors you the most." The palace maid was a shrewd person, and she immediately changed the subject, saying, "Who doesn't know that His Majesty bestowed a moon-shaped dress made of twelve kinds of blue silk on you? No one else got one."
A hint of smugness flashed in Consort Xue's eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
She knew perfectly well why His Majesty bestowed rewards upon others; it was simply a matter of balancing the political situation.
But when she thought of His Majesty's handsome appearance, Consort Xue felt her heart pounding.
She rested her cheeks on her hands, recalling how close His Majesty had been that day, so close that she could smell the ambergris on him.
Thinking back to that scene, wasn't His Majesty about to kiss her?
The thought of His Majesty's lips touching her face made Consort Xue's cheeks burn, and she dared not think about it any further.
She held a round fan in front of her.
After her initial guilty conscience subsided, she was also eager to see what the woman looked like.
Is it beautiful in yourself?
Yunxi was new to the palace and had no connections, so she was unaware of the turbulent events unfolding within the palace.
Having been sent by Xiao Shenjing to be a palace maid, she followed behind the other palace maids without any clue.
Aunt Jiang naturally knew that Yunxi was different from ordinary palace maids.
Arranging it too far away won't work, and arranging it too close to home won't work either.
"What are you good at?" Aunt Jiang asked.
Yunxi shook her head.
"Those who sew, those who wash, and those who work by lamplight."
Before Aunt Jiang could finish speaking, Yunxi interrupted her.
"He's bad at needlework and cooking, clumsy and not suited for delicate work, but he does have a lot of strength."
Aunt Jiang.
In the end, the only option was to arrange for her to grow vegetables and tend to the flowers and plants in the inner garden.
Yunxi was very satisfied with this job, as long as she could avoid the women Xiao Shenjing kept.
"Now that you are in charge of the gardens and parks, you must be able to identify the names and colors of all fruits, vegetables, flowers and trees, and carefully cultivate and water them. If you are lazy and neglect your duties and cause the flowers and trees to wither and die, you will be beaten to death."
"A human life isn't even worth a flower or a blade of grass?" Yunxi stared at Aunt Jiang in shock.
Seeing her rudeness, the old woman standing nearby scolded her, "How dare you speak to Aunt Jiang like that?"
"I'm sorry, I'll be more careful." Yunxi realized what was happening and lowered her eyes, behaving herself honestly.
As a result, she wanted to be honest, but Granny Zhou, who was speaking, didn't give her the chance.
“The twelfth clause of the third volume of ‘The Book of Admonitions for Women’ clearly states that ‘when palace maids answer questions, they should refer to themselves as lowly.’” The old woman grabbed Yunxi’s collar, exposing her collarbone, and said, “Your skin and flesh belong to your mistress, yet you think your tongue can rule the house?”
Yunxi pitied her for being an old woman and refrained from retaliating.
Then Zhou Mama spoke again.
"Any palace maid who misbehaves will be punished by the supervisor with caning, ringing a bell, or being brandished with a ruler, in three degrees, as a warning to others." Granny Zhou, however, had already drawn her ebony ruler, the silver-wrapped end of which was engraved with the words "Be Patient and Curbless," and said, "Since you can't speak properly, keeping your tongue is just a nuisance. From this moment on, ring the bell for three days, and every watch, chant 'This servant deserves to die' three hundred times."
"May I ask, Granny, what is a bell?" Yunxi let her grab her collar, lowered her eyes, and asked humbly.
She thought, "A moment of patience will bring peace."
After all, she still wanted to escape the palace safely, but she didn't expect that what Granny Zhou said next would be so outrageous.
"Listen carefully!" Granny Zhou suddenly grabbed Yunxi's chin. "A bell engraved with 'Eternal Slave' hangs from her mouth, a ten-pound copper bell hangs from her wrist, and small copper bells are chained to her feet, making a ringing sound with every step. The ringing must be more synchronized than the sound of the water on the Jade Belt Bridge. Last month, Lady Wang misheard the sound." Granny Zhou suddenly laughed. "She's still soaking in the well at the bottom of the North Third Palace." This guilty maid must walk around the Eastern Six Palaces, singing "This servant deserves to die" at each palace gate she passes. Granny Zhou's voice was like a dull knife scraping bone. "There are twenty-seven thresholds at Cining Palace. If you don't sing it three hundred times, this delicate skin of yours will have to walk barefoot on the broken porcelain path for three nights. If you still can't do it, then the bell's clapper will have to be replaced with an awl, and you'll have to carry the bell for seven nights."
“If you faint before dawn, you will be given ginseng soup to keep you alive. The rules in the palace have always been to die…slowly enough.” Granny Zhou slowly released Yunxi, her expression grim. “That’s what you call the rules.”
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