Chapter 152 If your mouth is too idle, just pat it with the sole of your shoe.
As soon as Yi Guichun finished speaking, she seemed unable to bear the immense shock, her body went limp, and she fainted.
And the thing she had been tightly clutching slipped from her grasp as she fell to the ground.
A round, spherical object rolled out, slid a short distance on the smooth ground, and came to a stop in the brightly lit area.
It was a huge, perfectly round pearl from the East!
The moment the pearl was clearly seen, the entire venue fell silent.
The concubine who has recently received the most pearls and is the most prominent is none other than...
Consort Jin!
The narcissus at the head of the table noticed the gazes cast by the imperial concubines, but showed no alarm, seemingly unaware of the pearl tightly held in Yi Guichun's hand.
When Emperor Zhaoheng turned his gaze to her, he saw the confusion in her eyes, which gradually turned into grievance under his gaze.
"Your Majesty, I... am innocent."
Shui Xian rose and bowed in the direction of Emperor Zhao Heng.
Standing in the center of the hall, Yi Shuyao was the first to react, and retorted sarcastically, "Noble Consort Jin, no one has accused you of anything yet, why are you so eager to jump out?"
Narcissus lowered her head and said nothing, which made her look particularly wronged.
Seeing that Emperor Zhaoheng remained unmoved, as if he hadn't thought about Shui Xian at all, Yi Shuyao pulled a handkerchief and pressed it to the corner of her eye.
"My poor sister was stabbed and fell unconscious, and my maid also lost her life, but the perpetrator... how pitiful..."
Her crying was so sincere and heart-wrenching that it moved everyone who heard it.
However, Shui Xian gently reminded her, "When I was at the manor, I never saw Consort Yao and Lady Yi... have such a good relationship."
"Besides, if you really pitied her, you wouldn't have just left her lying on the ground without helping her up."
Yi Guichun was still lying on the cold floor tiles next to them, and while everyone else was frantically searching for the imperial physician, not a single person thought to help her up.
Including Yi Shuyao, who keeps saying how good their relationship is.
Oh.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Yi Shuyao's face when this flaw was suddenly pointed out.
Her relationship with her elder sister was never very good. She had tried to please Yi Guichun when she was finally accepted by the Yi family and went from being an illegitimate child to a concubine's child.
But Yi Guichun kept referring to her as an illegitimate daughter and never gave her a second glance.
Yi Shuyao was both afraid and terrified of her elder sister, and even now that she had fainted, she didn't want to go forward to help.
"Help the person up now."
It was Emperor Zhaoheng who spoke up and stabilized the chaotic situation.
He first sent the imperial physician to check on Yi Guichun, and then personally helped the pregnant Shuixian up from the ground.
"Don't kneel down so easily. You're a person with two bodies now!"
Emperor Zhaoheng looked down at Shui Xian and felt that her eyes were like autumn water, bright and beautiful, and at this moment they contained a thousand grievances.
In front of the empresses, concubines, and palace servants, Emperor Zhaoheng could not say anything, but when he released Shuixian's hand, he still very discreetly squeezed her hand lightly.
Narcissus pursed her lips slightly. She seemed very sensible and stepped aside, standing with her head down.
The accompanying imperial physician soon confirmed that Yi Guichun was not seriously injured; he had simply fainted due to excessive fright.
"Settle her in first, then investigate thoroughly..."
Emperor Zhaoheng's extremely authoritative words seemed to be a period, bringing the day's Flower Festival celebrations to a close.
The person in charge of settling Yi Guichun was Consort De, appointed by Emperor Zhaoheng. He called Shuixian aside and told her to rest well.
This seems like a sign of the emperor's thoughtfulness, after all, the narcissus beaded flower he personally adorned for her was still tucked into her hair.
In reality, anyone with discerning eyes could see that Emperor Zhaoheng was trying to prevent Shui Xian from having any impropriety.
If Yi Guichun's matter is indeed related to Shui Xian, sending her to settle Yi Guichun would only put the currently vulnerable Yi Guichun in danger.
When the concubines left the garden at the same time, they inevitably met on the path.
Consort Yun and Yi Shuyao stood at the corner. When they noticed Shuixian and Tinglu walking this way, Consort Yun and Yi Shuyao exchanged a glance and smiled at each other:
"Being identified on the spot, and not even blushing or skipping a beat—that's the kind of person who can do it..."
"Alas, I pity my sister... Consort Jin, may you rest in peace!"
As Yi Shuyao sighed softly with her head down, she glanced at Shui Xian, who was walking over, and as if she had just noticed her, she quickly curtsied and greeted her.
Both she and Consort Yun had a mischievous smile in their eyes, eager to see Narcissus's embarrassed and angry expression.
Whether or not Narcissus did it or not, anyone who was given such an implication would feel embarrassed.
Unexpectedly, Narcissus slowly stopped in front of them.
Shui Xian looked at Yi Shuyao and Yun Pin with a calm expression, sometimes wondering if they were too stupid, because they could never forget that she was the one in a high position now because of her extremely low background.
In this palace, status is everything; as for one's birth... it's not their place to look down on her.
"Consort Yun, Noble Lady Yao."
Narcissus softly called out their two names and nodded in acknowledgment.
Before the two men could even fully straighten their knees after bowing respectfully, Narcissus spoke in a slightly cold voice:
"Your mouths are so idle, just take a pat with your shoe soles."
Upon suddenly hearing such vulgar language, both Consort Yun and Yi Shuyao looked up in shock at the indifferent-looking Narcissus.
Narcissus: "I am a considerate woman. I will allow you to kneel here and slap each other ten times. In this way, I will not hold your verbal overstepping against you."
Slap each other ten times!
Still on this busy garden path!
Both Consort Yun and Yi Shuyao had a look of disbelief in their eyes.
Yunpin's face immediately showed an indescribable grievance. She seemed to have been beaten. She covered her face with a brocade handkerchief and spoke with full grievance.
"Consort Jin... what exactly have I done wrong that warrants Your Highness's anger?"
Narcissus slowly swept her face as she feigned pitifulness, then looked at Yi Shuyao beside her, wanting to see what she had to say.
Yi Shuyao met her gaze and said innocently, "Did what I said earlier offend Your Highness? Your Highness misunderstood; I wasn't discussing Your Highness..."
She had already discussed it with Consort Yun, and no matter what they said, they could not mention Consort Jin's name.
In order to deal with the current situation, Yi Shuyao felt that she had minimized the risks.
Looking at Yi Shuyao, who was trying to argue with her, Shui Xian sometimes felt that Yi Shuyao was quite naive. It could only be said that although Madam Yi did not tolerate her and her mother in the Yi family, she did not treat them too harshly.
Therefore, Yi Shuyao was even more naive than she had imagined.
"This isn't a discussion about me... Consort Yao, are you accusing me of framing you?!"
Narcissus had a cold expression and spoke in a low voice, but it still attracted the attention of the concubines passing by.
At this moment, both Consort Yun and Noble Lady Yao finally realized what was happening.
Their answers were neither yes nor no.
Narcissus summoned Shu'er, "Look at those two, kneeling here and slapping each other."
Those who hold power do not need to reason with those in lower positions.
Shu'er: "Yes, Your Majesty."
Narcissus, too lazy to look at Yi Shuyao and Consort Yun's pale faces, took Tinglu's hand and walked towards Lanxiang Pavilion.
Behind me, I heard a series of slaps.
——
Consort De arranged for Yi Guichun to stay in a medium-sized courtyard in Wanfang Garden—Fusang Pavilion.
Inside the Fusang Pavilion, Emperor Zhaoheng sat by the couch, his face a mixture of emotions as he looked at the unconscious Yi Guichun lying on the couch.
I hadn't seen her for several months, and she looked much more haggard; she had become very thin.
Perhaps due to the neglect of the Imperial Household Department while she was recuperating at Changxin Palace, she was wearing an old dress today.
Beneath the apricot-colored cloak was a light blue spring outfit, which Emperor Zhaoheng initially found vaguely familiar.
Later, he remembered that this was the dress Yi Guichun wore when she was promoted to the rank of concubine, to thank him for the promotion, and when they had dinner together.
Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze slowly swept over the light blue spring dress, then he turned around with an expressionless face and said to Feng Shunxiang beside him:
"Why do I hear someone crying faintly outside?"
"Your Majesty."
Feng Shunxiang bowed respectfully and reported, "It is Consort Yun and Noble Lady Yao. They are kneeling outside Fusang Pavilion, requesting an audience with His Majesty."
"His Majesty previously ordered that no one should come to disturb them, so this servant had someone persuade the two masters to go back, but they still stayed outside Fusang Pavilion."
"Your Majesty, shall we summon him?"
Emperor Zhaoheng shook his head directly. Just as Feng Shunxiang was about to go out to issue the decree, Emperor Zhaoheng suddenly called him back.
"etc."
Looking at the unconscious Yi Guichun, he suddenly remembered his relationship with Yi Shuyao.
Emperor Zhaoheng did not care about the relationship between his legitimate sister and his half-sister. It can be said that Yi Shuyao's previous behavior and Shui Xian's mention of their ordinary relationship had not left a mark on his mind.
At this moment, all he could think about was that Yi Xingyao had just earned military merit and had not yet returned in triumph.
His two younger sisters, one was unconscious and the other was crying and pleading outside.
"Let them in...but make sure they keep quiet."
"yes."
Not long after, Feng Shunxiang brought two people in.
As soon as they entered the inner chamber of Fusang Pavilion, Emperor Zhaoheng raised his hand to dismiss their formalities before they could even greet him.
Emperor Zhaoheng immediately noticed the bright red handprints on the two men's cheeks. He didn't show it on his face, but the rise and fall of his chest revealed that he had sighed deeply.
"Let's talk outside."
After speaking, Emperor Zhaoheng got up from the bedside first, lifted the curtain, and led Yi Shuyao and Consort Yun to the outer room.
Thick curtains separated the inner room from the outer room. Emperor Zhaoheng sat down in the seat of honor at the head of the table. He picked up the tea that the maid had prepared in advance, and then spoke in a deep voice.
"Tell me, what happened?"
Consort Yun and Yi Shuyao told the Emperor what had happened on the garden path, one after the other.
Consort Yun has always been charming, while Yi Shuyao had been quiet for a while in order to imitate the late Emperor's Consort Wen, and later dressed up brightly under the Empress's guidance.
Two such beautiful women, with tears streaming down their faces, wept before Emperor Zhaoheng, but he remained unmoved.
After listening, he placed the teacup in his hand on the table next to him.
The bottom of the teacup struck the table, producing a crisp sound that resonated like thunder in the hearts of Consort Yun and Yi Shuyao.
Thump.
Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was low and deep, but what he said was a show of protection for Narcissus.
"Consort Jin has never been a harsh person. Haven't you considered whether the problem lies with yourselves?"
The two looked up in surprise. When had the emperor, who was always fair and cautious, become so biased towards that lowly servant girl?
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