The Empress and Her Servants (4)
An invisible force pushed Qin Man away, but the lightning still struck Qu Chen.
Qu Chen was already unconscious. When he was struck, he didn't make a sound. His body bounced heavily, and several patches of his skin were charred.
Upon seeing this, Qin Man couldn't bear it any longer. She clutched her chest and knelt on the ground.
Jian Tanxi was also very distressed and shed tears.
At that moment, the dining table next to Qin Man suddenly collapsed, hitting her heavily on the back.
A mechanical voice announced: "Qin Man just violated the rules. Your Highness cannot protect servants, because Your Highness is of noble birth, and only servants are entitled to protect Your Highness."
Qin Man was pinned down by a table and couldn't get up. She was in a lot of pain, but she didn't make a sound.
Jian Tanxi originally wanted to heal Qu Chen first, but then she remembered that Qin Man was the Empress, so she should save Qin Man first.
So, she laboriously lifted the table off Qin Man and then helped Qin Man up.
Qin Man's injuries were too severe, so she had to take healing pills. She took out the pills from her bag, swallowed them, and temporarily recovered her health.
Just as Jian Tanxi was about to go and treat Qu Chen, Qin Man suddenly stopped her: "Wait... a servant who is too sick to get up does not need to come and serve Your Highness."
Jian Tanxi understood Qin Man's meaning.
Qu Chen is so badly injured now that he doesn't have to be a servant anymore. It would be terrifying if he recovered; he would only be punished again and again for breaking the rules, suffering repeated serious injuries until he dies.
Qin Man must be heartbroken, but given the current situation, this is the only thing she can do.
Jian Tanxi nodded, picked up Qu Chen, and said, "Your Highness Qin, Qu Chen can no longer take care of you. I will take him to another room to rest."
"Okay, go ahead."
"However, you cannot be left unattended for the next few days."
"Why don't you take care of me? It doesn't seem like there are any rules against it..."
Suddenly, a small knife flew over and cut a wound on Qin Man's arm.
Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep. Jian Tanxi bandaged Qin Man's wound, and she was fine.
A mechanical voice announced: "Qin Man has violated the rules just now. Each lady may only command her own servants, not the servants of others."
Qin Man was somewhat troubled, but Jian Tanxi had an idea and said to Qin Man, "Your Majesty, I have a way."
Jian Tanxi activated her "reverse mind reading" ability and used it on her mistress, Xu Yunhong.
In her room, Xu Yunhong suddenly heard Jian Tanxi's inner thoughts: "Your Majesty, when I return, please order me to take care of both you and Consort Qin Man, because Qu Chen is seriously injured and unable to take care of Consort Qin Man."
Xu Yunhong was surprised because she didn't have the ability to read minds. Jian Tanxi's thoughts seemed to have suddenly appeared in her mind.
However, she was certain that it was Jian Tanxi's voice.
Soon, Jian Tanxi returned.
Xu Yunhong looked at her in confusion, and Jian Tanxi nodded to Xu Yunhong, meaning that her thoughts just now were indeed true.
Xu Yunhong then said directly, "Jian Tanxi, I order you to take care of both me and Consort Qin Man for the next few days. You must obey not only my orders but also Consort Qin's orders."
Jian Tanxi: "Yes."
The reason Jian Tanxi used the reverse mind-reading ability was that if she made the request directly to Xu Yunhong and Xu Yunhong agreed, it would be like the empress obeying the servant, and Xu Yunhong would be punished.
Now, Jian Tanxi can avoid the punishment of the rules by conveying her thoughts through her inner voice.
With Xu Yunhong's instructions, Qin Man's requests for Jian Tanxi to do things would no longer be considered against the rules.
Xu Yunhong had already finished her meal, but there was still one dish left for Jian Tanxi.
Jian Tanxi asked, "Your Highness, may I go eat?"
"Can."
Jian Tanxi carried her food to the steps by the door and sat down to eat.
She figured that servants shouldn't be allowed to eat in their master's room, so it would be safer for her to eat outside.
She remembered that she had the superpower of a strong digestive system, which allowed her to go a month without feeling hungry after eating just one meal.
So she used this superpower.
In this way, she wouldn't need to eat for the next few days, allowing her to focus more on taking care of Xu Yunhong and Qin Man.
After finishing her meal, Jian Tanxi took the food box back to the imperial kitchen and washed the bowls.
After washing the dishes, Jian Tanxi first took the magic carpet to see Qin Man. She was a little worried about Qin Man's mental state.
Upon arriving at Qin Man's room, Jian Tanxi found Qin Man half-lying on the bed, looking listless, but not particularly unwell.
Jian Tanxi comforted her, "Your Majesty, don't worry, Qu Chen will be fine. He's recuperating in another room now, which is actually a good thing for him."
Qin Man nodded: "I understand."
She understands the道理 (principles/reasons), but she is a mother.
She must have been constantly worried about her seriously injured child, but because of her status, she couldn't go to see Qu Chen.
Jian Tanxi discovered that this game was torture for everyone.
If the empress and her servants want to kill each other, the game is full of bloodshed and conflict; but if the empress and her servants have feelings for each other and do not want anything to happen to the other, the game is full of contradictions and pain.
No matter how careful the Empress was, it was difficult to prevent her servants from getting hurt. And once a servant was hurt, the Empress could not show too much concern, and was not even allowed to help the servant with any chores.
Moreover, even when injured, the servants had to continue serving the empress. If the person playing the empress was kind-hearted, this was also a form of psychological torture.
Jian Tanxi said to Qin Man, "Just now, my mistress instructed me to obey both your and her orders. From now on, you can give me any orders you like."
Qin Man nodded: "Then please take the dishes and chopsticks to the imperial kitchen to wash them for me."
"yes."
Jian Tanxi took the food box and headed towards the imperial kitchen.
Suddenly, two iron hammers appeared and struck Jian Tanxi and Qin Man heavily on the head.
Qin Man had already stood up, covering her head, and stood there stunned.
Jian Tanxi was also puzzled and asked, "Why did you hit us?"
A mechanical voice announced: "Qin Man was detected to need to use the toilet, but she wanted to find the chamber pot herself, which violates the principle that 'the Empress cannot work.' Servant Jian Tanxi was also punished for failing to notice the Empress's need to use the toilet in time."
Jian Tanxi and Qin Man were both stunned.
It turned out that Qin Man wanted to go to the toilet, but she didn't expect that she couldn't even go to the toilet by herself.
So Jian Tanxi had no choice but to quickly bring over the chamber pot so that Qin Man could use the toilet.
Qin Man was a little embarrassed, but Jian Tanxi said, "Your Highness, someone of your status should have someone serving you even when you go to the toilet. You don't need to be embarrassed."
Qin Man had no choice but to use the restroom next to Jian Tanxi, and then Jian Tanxi helped her tidy up her clothes.
Next, Jian Tanxi washed her hands and then applied ointment to the wound on Qin Man's forehead.
After applying the medicine to Qin Man, Jian Tanxi applied the medicine to herself.
Fortunately, these ladies' rooms all had some liniments and bandages for sprains and bruises. If they suffered minor injuries, they didn't need healing pills; they only needed to apply the medicine.
To prevent a repeat of the previous situation, Jian Tanxi said to Qin Man, "Your Majesty, I will come to see you often every day. If you have any needs, such as wanting to eat or needing to use the toilet, just tell me directly. Please don't hold it in."
Qin Man nodded.
She felt quite guilty about causing Jian Tanxi to be punished earlier, but she couldn't show it.
Qin Man felt that if life continued like this, she would definitely go crazy, because she couldn't reconcile her own mindset.
She couldn't feel at ease acting like an ancient noblewoman, nor could she truly treat her friends as servants.
Thankfully, it's only ten days. I hope time passes quickly.
After Jian Tanxi finished washing the dishes for Qin Man, she returned to Xu Yunhong's place.
Xu Yunhong didn't give any instructions for the time being, and Jian Tanxi took a short rest.
After a while, a mechanical voice sounded: "As the mistresses of the palace, the ladies must bathe every day. If it weren't for physical inconvenience, servants would need to prepare bathwater for the ladies every day."
Upon hearing this, Jian Tanxi said, "Then this servant will prepare bathwater for Your Highness."
Xu Yunhong said, "It's okay, I don't want to wash..."
At that moment, Xu Yunhong's head was suddenly controlled by an invisible force and slammed heavily against the wall.
Then, a mechanical voice sounded: "As an empress, enjoyment is essential. Refusing to enjoy is not in the style of an empress. Xu Yunhong will be punished once."
Xu Yunhong: "..."
Xu Yunhong never expected that she couldn't even refuse to take a bath.
However, taking a bath is also good.
Jian Tanxi quickly went to boil water.
She had to prepare bathwater for both ladies at the same time, and neither could be late.
Fortunately, she remembered that she had a prop—a boiling teapot, which could boil water immediately after pouring it in.
Using this prop, she quickly heated up Xu Yunhong's bathwater.
Then, she had Xu Yunhong take a bath in a wooden tub, and then ride a magic carpet to Qin Man's palace to heat bathwater for Qin Man.
After the fire was lit, Jian Tanxi rode the magic carpet and flew back and forth, serving the two ladies while they bathed.
Although the rules were not explicitly stated, she felt that the Empress should not be allowed to bathe herself and should be served by servants.
As long as she does her job well, the system can't punish her.
On the other side, Professor Pan had also prepared bathwater for his wife, Ouyang Ling.
After preparing the bathing supplies, he said to Ouyang Ling, "Your Majesty, please take a bath. This servant is a man, so I will not serve you here."
Ouyang Ling nodded: "Okay, you can go out now."
At that moment, Ouyang Ling and Professor Pan were both struck by the large iron hammer.
A mechanical voice rang out in mid-air: "As a lady, you must be served by servants when you bathe. Ouyang Ling refused to be served by servants, which is not behaving like a lady, and is punished once. Pan Xian, as a servant, did not serve the lady when she bathed, which is considered cheating and dishonesty, and is punished once."
Professor Pan hesitated, "This... if I serve the Empress a bath, wouldn't that violate the ancient principle of strict separation between men and women?"
Mechanical voice: "That's right."
"So, I'll be punished regardless of whether I serve the Empress a bath or not?"
"That's right."
Professor Pan and Ouyang Ling were both speechless.
Professor Pan said, "Since I've already been punished once for the bathing issue, I can't be punished a second time. My lady will bathe by herself today."
With that, Professor Pan walked out.
As expected, the system did not punish him a second time, and both Ouyang Ling and Professor Pan breathed a sigh of relief.
Their bodies have returned to the level of ordinary people; that hammer blow just now really hurt them.
Professor Pan felt like he was about to faint and didn't know if he had suffered a brain hemorrhage.
He had to take a healing pill to restore his health. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to fulfill his duties as a servant in the following days.
He found that the game was indeed very difficult to play.
If any male player enters the game, they must become a servant. Since the empress is definitely female, it's easy to inadvertently violate the principle of gender segregation.
It's really easy to kill someone in this game.
He had been very careful, but he hadn't expected that the Empress's bathing would be mandatory.
In other words, he will be punished at least once in the next few days.
Fortunately, he still had some healing and health pills on hand. As long as he tries not to make any other mistakes, he should be able to get through this.
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