It was the first time for the palace maids behind to see that their cold-faced emperor also had such a gentle side. It was not that the emperor was not gentle, but that his gentleness was only given to his empress - Qingyao.
At night, the Emperor could only hold Qingyaochun in his arms and sleep with a feeling of grievance. The next day, Qingyao woke up after a full sleep. She was too lazy to have a good sleep. Qingyao was in a much better mood and had breakfast with Dongzhu's service.
Qingyao did not forget to take revenge on the Prime Minister's family. A month later, Qingyao found the first opportunity - the imperial examination.
She was well aware of the importance of the imperial examination in selecting talents for the court, and she also knew that the Prime Minister's Office would certainly intervene for personal gain.
Qingyao secretly investigates all movements of the Prime Minister's Mansion related to this imperial examination.
It was discovered that the Prime Minister had bribed the examiners to allow his nephew to rank top in the imperial examination.
Qingyao remained calm and continued to collect evidence, waiting for the best opportunity.
Finally, on the day when the imperial examination results were announced, Qingyao exposed the conspiracy of the Prime Minister's Mansion in front of the Emperor.
The emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. After a series of interrogations, the crimes of the Prime Minister's Mansion were exposed one by one.
The prime minister was demoted two levels, his property was confiscated, and his family members were also implicated. Qingyao felt a little relieved when she saw the miserable state of the prime minister's residence.
"Zhiyi, the Prime Minister's wife wants to see you, do you want to see her?" Dongxue walked hurriedly into the yard and asked softly to Qingyao who was concentrating on trimming the flowers in the yard.
Qingyao, now dressed in a light blue dress, looked graceful. Holding a pair of delicate scissors, she carefully trimmed the branches, as if the entire world was filled with only these beautiful flowers. Upon hearing Dongxue's report, Qingyao raised her head slightly, her lips curled up slightly, and she said softly, "Yes, of course not." However, her hands didn't stop moving, continuing their pruning work methodically.
Seeing this, Dongxue bowed respectfully, then turned and left the courtyard to invite the Prime Minister's wife in. Soon, the Prime Minister's wife arrived, led by a palace maid. The moment she entered, she immediately caught sight of Qingyao, who was completely absorbed in the flowers before her, seemingly unaware of her presence.
The Prime Minister's wife was furious. The family had suffered such a devastating tragedy, and yet Qingyao, the daughter of the family, hadn't offered any assistance. Instead, she was leisurely fiddling with flowers and plants! She quickly stepped forward, approaching Qingyao and angrily scolding her, "You unfilial daughter! Your family has been ravaged by such a tragedy, and instead of helping, you're here lazing about. How can you be worthy of your family? How can you be worthy of your parents, the people who gave birth to you?"
After hearing this, Qingyao slowly raised her head and looked at her mother calmly. After just a brief glance, she lowered her head again, as if nothing had happened, and continued to focus on the work in her hands.
At that moment, Dong Zhu, standing nearby, flashed forward like a gust of wind. She raised her hand and, without hesitation, slapped the Prime Minister's wife's well-maintained, delicately made-up face. The resounding sound of the slap instantly shattered the tranquility of the courtyard.
Then, Dong Zhu's face turned cold, and he said sternly, "Madam, you are so arrogant! How dare you be so presumptuous! Come, arrest this daring lunatic! He has committed the crime of treason and must be severely punished according to palace rules. Drag him away and give him thirty lashes!"
Before he finished speaking, two burly eunuchs came out and walked quickly to the Prime Minister's wife. Without saying anything, they lifted up her arms and walked straight to the center of the courtyard as if they were dragging a weightless object.
Arriving in the courtyard, one of the eunuchs shouted, "Execute!" Following this command, another eunuch, holding a thick wooden board high in the air, brought it down heavily. The dull thud of the board hitting flesh was incessant, and each strike was accompanied by the Prime Minister's wife's shrill screams and pleas for mercy.
Yet, Qingyao sat there expressionlessly, oblivious to everything that was happening before her eyes. No matter how the Prime Minister's wife yelled and cursed, she remained unmoved. The eunuchs, however, dutifully obeyed their orders, mercilessly wielding their clubs, one blow after another, each increasingly harsh.
Finally, after thirty strokes of the cane, the Prime Minister's wife's voice gradually faded, until it finally disappeared completely. The only sounds in the entire courtyard were heavy breathing and the occasional rustling of leaves in the breeze.
Qingyao tilted her head slightly and glanced at the Prime Minister's wife, who lay motionless on the ground. Her clothes were disheveled, her hair was scattered and stuck to her cheeks, and her face, once as beautiful as a flower, had turned pale as paper, without a trace of blood.
At Qingyao's signal, a eunuch hurried forward and carefully placed his hand under the Prime Minister's wife's nose to check if she was still breathing. After a moment, the eunuch stood up, walked quickly to Qingyao, bowed respectfully, and then whispered, "Your Majesty, this bitch still has a breath. What do you think? Do you want to continue the torture?"
After hearing this, Qingyao raised her hand slightly, her movements graceful and calm. The eunuchs, like well-trained soldiers, quickly retreated a few steps and stood in neat rows around the area, quietly waiting.
Qingyao gently lowered the delicate pair of scissors. A nearby maid, quick-witted and quick-handed, stepped forward, taking the scissors with the utmost deference before cautiously stepping aside. Meanwhile, supported by her personal maid, Dongzhu, Qingyao gracefully approached the Prime Minister's wife. She crouched slightly, extended her delicate hand, and gently lifted the wife's chin. "It's okay if you don't understand the hierarchy. I'll send someone to teach you. Remember, I'm the mother of a nation, of unparalleled dignity; you're merely a member of a courtier's family. You should be respectful and respectful when you see me. Do you understand?" With that, she casually patted the wife's cheek and stood up.
Seeing this, Dongzhu hurried forward, took out a snow-white silk handkerchief, and gently wiped Qingyao's hands.
Although the Prime Minister's wife was filled with resentment, she didn't dare show it at all. She just glared at Qingyao fiercely. When she saw Qingyao raise her arm again, she was frightened and her face turned pale. Her whole body trembled and she nodded hurriedly in response, "I know, I know, I understand."
Upon hearing this, Qingyao couldn't help but sneer. A hint of contempt played on the corner of her mouth. She said slowly, "If I had known this would happen, why did I do it in the first place? If I had understood these rules earlier, I wouldn't have to endure this pain!" After she finished speaking, she was carefully supported by Dongzhu and sat down gracefully on the carved sandalwood chair that the palace maid had just presented. Then she asked leisurely, "Tell me, why did you come to see me today?"
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