Those who have made contributions should be rewarded, and those who have made mistakes should naturally be punished.
Looking at this petite and delicate-looking palace maid, Shi Lan felt a pang of sadness and unconsciously uttered her name, "Yuan Yun."
When Yuan Yun heard Shi Lan call her name, her eyes lit up instantly. She quickly broke free from the maid who was supporting her and bowed down, saying, "This servant Yuan Yun greets Your Excellency."
Shi Lan looked down at Yuan Yun, who was bowing her head respectfully to the ground and not daring to raise it for a long time. She felt a little helpless but also a little interested in her.
This Yuan Yun is really something. The beating she received a couple of days ago would have left an ordinary person bedridden for days, but she was fine. She ran off to Yan Ye Forest, which is far from Yingxia Palace, and even managed to jump up and injure Duan Yang.
The debt of gratitude for saving one's life is immense no matter where you look. Shi Lan was saved by her in front of everyone, so there's really no way to cause her trouble in the short term. For now, the only option is to put her aside and wait for things to calm down before making any further plans.
"Get up."
Shi Lan's voice was as gentle and soft as ever, but a hint of gratitude was subtly revealed in her words.
"Thank you, Noble Lady," Yuan Yun noticed the unusual tone in Shi Lan's voice, and the joy on her face vanished in an instant. She kowtowed again before getting up from the ground.
Shi Lan looked at her face and body, which were covered in dust, and turned to instruct the palace maid beside her, "Go and help her tidy up and change into a suitable dress."
The palace maid obeyed and led her away.
Shi Lan pulled her cloak tighter, silently sighing at Yuan Yun's incredible luck, her heart no longer filled with any desire to travel.
Back at Linquan Palace, Rong helped her change her clothes, carefully observed Shi Lan's expression, and carefully chose her words, asking, "What does Your Highness intend to do with that palace maid?"
Shi Lan removed the hairpin from her hair and looked at Rong, who seemed a little uneasy, through the bronze mirror. "I haven't decided yet. What do you think we should do, Rong?"
Rong lowered her head and pondered for a moment, feeling that her position was somewhat unstable. This palace maid, who was indebted to her, was her biggest rival in the struggle for favor. So she raised her head and suggested, "I think it would be enough to reward her with some money."
Shi Lan slightly curled the corners of her lips, a half-smile playing on her lips, "What if she doesn't want the money?"
Rong was taken aback. In her opinion, it was only right for a slave to save his master, and rewarding him with some money was already enough. How could he make any more demands?
Shi Lan tossed the gold hairpin on the dressing table, stood up, and said, "Go ask her what she wants. If it's not too much, you can be the organizer."
Rong looked up and saw Shi Lan slumped on the couch. Knowing that she was a little tired, he quickly helped her to rest before turning around and walking towards the side hall.
The soft footsteps faded away. Shi Lan opened her slightly closed eyes, stared at the curtains for a while, and then slowly closed them again, falling asleep.
In the evening, King Zhao learned of this after court and was furious. He immediately ordered Duan Yang to be moved to the Cold Palace and wrote a letter to be sent to the State of Jiang, questioning him for failing to properly educate his daughter, not only plotting to harm the royal offspring but also intending to kill the concubines in the palace.
When Shi Lan woke up and heard Rong report this matter, she hurriedly ordered her to invite Prince Zhao over.
Even if Duan Yang is not good enough, she is still a princess of a country. If she is deposed and confined to the cold palace because of her, King Jiang will blame Duan Yang for being unworthy, but he will also push the blame onto Shi Lan. She doesn't care much about the misfortune of the Shi family; she cares about Ji Lang.
Ji Lang was proud, unrestrained, and arrogant. His arrogant personality meant he didn't have many friends in the court. In addition, his reluctance to return to the Ji family caused his elders to be extremely dissatisfied with him.
If King Jiang were to take his anger out on Ji Lang because of this, wouldn't that be a sin on her part?
As night fell, King Zhao entered Linquan Palace, his body radiating a chill.
Shi Lan was dressed in a lilac-colored men's robe, her waist-length hair loosely tied in a bun. When King Zhao walked up to her, she pushed her hands out and solemnly performed a male greeting to him.
King Zhao was slightly surprised. His large hand, which was about to help her up, paused. He looked at Shi Lan, who had a proud and refined demeanor, with bright eyes. "What is the meaning of your actions, my beloved consort?"
Shi Lan bowed slightly, her head drooping, her fair face tense, and her cherry-red lips parted slightly, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."
King Zhao chuckled at her words, but seeing her extremely serious expression, he could only reply, "What is it you wish to say?"
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Shi Lan bowed, straightened her slender waist, and said solemnly, "I believe that Your Majesty's decision to banish Duan Yang to the Cold Palace is inappropriate."
King Zhao was still smiling, but as soon as Shi Lan finished speaking, his face became taut as if covered in frost. “How is it inappropriate, my beloved concubine… Your family was almost stabbed to death by her. I have already done more than enough by banishing her to the cold palace.”
Shi Lan abandoned her previous demeanor and reached out her delicate fingers to tug at Zhao Wang's sleeve. "I know Your Majesty's love for me. But Duan Yang is, after all, a princess. She has only been here for a year and has already been sent to the Cold Palace. Once this gets out, although everyone knows that Your Majesty cannot be blamed, it is inevitable that King Jiang will feel disgusted."
King Zhao frowned and remained silent.
In his view, Jiang Guoshi was weak and had no right to be dissatisfied.
"Your Majesty..." Upon seeing this, Shi Lan stepped forward, tugged at his sleeve, and swayed back and forth coquettishly.
King Zhao was so charmed by her shaking that he had no choice but to change his mind and say, "Alright, then demote her to a concubine and confine her in Youling Palace for three months. She will be punished by copying one hundred sacrificial texts to pray for the Queen's well-being. Are you satisfied now?"
Shi Lan chuckled and nestled into King Zhao's arms, nodding charmingly, and said, "What does this have to do with me? It's just that Your Majesty is wise and cherishes the concubines in the palace."
King Zhao chuckled helplessly, raised his head and tapped Shi Lan's pert nose, then embraced her and led her onto the bed.
The next day, the news of Duan Yang spread like wildfire throughout the palace. When it was heard that Shi Lan had disregarded past grievances and pleaded softly to transfer Duan Yang from the Cold Palace to the Youling Palace for confinement, the palace was in an uproar. Even the ministers in the court praised Shi Lan for her benevolence and magnanimity.
It takes immense courage to forgive an enemy who intends to harm you.
After that day, the kind and magnanimous Shi Lan officially came into the view of the important officials of the court.
As autumn turned to winter, the weather grew increasingly cold, and Shi Lan stayed in Linquan Palace every day, refusing to go out.
The charcoal fire inside the hall burned bright red every day, but Shi Lan's limbs remained icy cold, and her body was as lukewarm as warm jade, unlike the fiery heat of others.
After finishing his court affairs each day, King Zhao would come here like a puppy following the scent of meat. He would put his arm around Shi Lan's slender waist, caress her small hand, and recline on the couch, either reading or reviewing silk scrolls that he urgently needed the next day.
Time flies, it feels like New Year's Day arrived in the blink of an eye.
After the grand court assembly that day, King Zhao rushed in from outside, beaming with joy. Shi Lan saw that his face was flushed and his eyes were glazed, and knew that he had drunk quite a bit in the hall.
Shi Lan helped him sit up on the edge of the couch, wiping the sweat rolling down his forehead while ordering someone to bring him the hangover remedy she had prepared earlier.
A series of light footsteps approached from afar, and a soft, charming voice rang in her ears, "Your Majesty, please have some wine."
Shi Lan turned her head and immediately saw Yuan Yun, whose eyes were full of charm and as clear as spring water, glancing sideways at the drunken King Zhao.
Shi Lan subconsciously glanced at Rong beside her, and only when she saw Rong frowning and looking at Yuan Yun with dissatisfaction did her heart relax a little.
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