Suppressing her overwhelming anger, Xu Lejin quickened her pace and walked towards the direction where Yingchun was kneeling. She coldly questioned, "What are you doing? What wrong did Yingchun do? In this freezing weather, she has to kneel in the wind and be insulted by you?"
"Where are you on duty? Who is your master?"
The maid trembled slightly at the sharp and stern question.
Immediately, the young palace maid proudly puffed out her still-developing chest and looked at Xu Lejin with an air of confidence, "Reporting to Consort Xu, this servant is Huanxi, who serves Consort Ma Jia in Zhongcui Palace."
"The second young mistress of the Xu family entered the palace today and offended my mistress. My mistress punished her by making her kneel for two hours. This servant was ordered to supervise her here. This servant did not mean to bully the second young mistress of the Xu family, but the second young mistress of the Xu family was simply disobedient."
Yingchun knelt on the cold ground, a piercing chill spreading upwards from her knees.
With slightly reddened eyes, Yingchun looked at Xu Lejin and said respectfully, "Your Highness, this servant encountered Consort Ma Jia in the Imperial Garden today when I entered the palace. This servant did not offend Consort Ma Jia."
"Consort Ma punished me without distinguishing right from wrong! I am innocent!"
Xu Lejin nodded, her eyes cold and distant.
“You came from my side and were betrothed by the Emperor to the Xu family of the Imperial Household Department. You are steady and reliable, so I naturally believe that you have not offended Consort Ma Jia.”
The young palace maid, named Huanxi, pouted upon hearing this, her eyes flashing with daggers.
Her eyes darted around, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Does Consort Xu mean that my mistress wronged her? My mistress is pregnant with the emperor's child, of noble status, and will be a future imperial concubine. Even if she is wronged, so what?"
“Consort Xu, my mistress said that although you are lucky and blessed to have given birth to three imperial heirs, you are still just a concubine. The Emperor’s feelings for you are only because of the three imperial heirs, and it is just a matter of favoritism and face.”
Xu Lejin chuckled softly, glancing out of the corner of her eye at a bright yellow figure not far away.
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