Zhishu was still faster. She brought some water and said anxiously, "My lady, put your hand in!"
"Um."
Lan Shuang's tears kept rolling around, and she looked extremely pitiful. "Your Majesty, my hand hurts."
She was already fair-skinned and hadn't seen the sun for years, so her hands were as white as jade. After being burned, the redness was even more obvious. The burns were obviously not serious, but they looked shocking.
Nangong Yi carefully grasped her wrist and said, "It's okay, it will be fine in a while."
He put Lan Shuang's hand into the water, and the cool water flowed over the back of her hand, and Lan Shuang felt a little more comfortable.
She looked at Dou Li, seeming a little dissatisfied, but because Nangong Yi was present, she didn't want to say anything.
How could Zhishu bear to see his master suffer such an injustice?
She suddenly pointed at Dou Li and asked, "Did you do this on purpose?"
Dou Li was horrified. "No, how could I dare to do that? Don't slander me!"
"I'm slandering you? It's obvious that you have something to hide!"
Zhishu lifted her skirt and knelt down, "I beg Your Majesty to investigate."
Nangong Yi's expression turned cold, "What's going on?"
Lan Shuang called out hesitantly, "Zhishu..."
Zhishu's eyes reddened as she spoke, "Your Majesty, you've always been quite tolerant of Dou Li because he was appointed by His Majesty, but what about him? He keeps getting in the way again and again!"
She turned to Nangong Yi and cried, "Your Majesty, you don't know this, but this isn't the first time Dou Li has hurt the Empress. Before, he mistakenly gave her hot water instead of warm water when washing her face, and she almost burned her hand. Then he gave her the wrong medicine, and she felt sick all day after taking it..."
"I don't know what grudge he has against Your Majesty. Your Majesty, for Your Majesty's sake, has not bothered with him. But now he has dared to do these little tricks in front of Your Majesty. I am really fed up and can't help but speak out. I beg Your Majesty to help Your Majesty!"
After saying this, Zhishu kowtowed heavily.
Nangong Yi turned to look at Dou Li, his eyes filled with shock and anger, "Is what she said true?"
Dou Li shuddered, "No, Your Majesty, how dare I..."
"Why wouldn't you dare? All the palace maids in Hanyu Palace witnessed these things, but they were afraid to speak out because of your tyranny. If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, just ask two people and you'll find out."
Nangong Yi didn't say anything. He looked at Lan Shuang. Lan Shuang pursed her lips and lowered her eyes.
This attitude is obviously a tacit agreement.
Nangong Yi was furious and turned to Su Ming, shouting, "Go and call everyone from Hanyu Palace to me!"
"yes."
Su Ming turned around and left. Soon the palace maids from Hanyu Palace were kneeling on the ground in the hall.
Nangong Yi randomly picked two palace maids and eunuchs serving in the palace and asked them about it. They hesitated for a moment and said that it was true.
Dou Li's face turned pale instantly, but he still had a glimmer of hope in his heart, because he knew that His Majesty did not really favor the Imperial Concubine, otherwise he would not have asked him to keep an eye on the Imperial Concubine's movements all the time. Even if these were true, His Majesty would probably just give her a slight punishment.
So until this moment, he didn't think it was a big deal.
But unexpectedly, Nangong Yi suddenly overturned the chessboard, and the black and white pieces fell to the ground with a crackling sound, scattering everywhere.
A few more of them hit Dou Li's face. Dou Li felt pain, but did not dare to show his anger. "Your Majesty, calm down!"
Lan Shuang took her hand out of the water, wiped it with a handkerchief, pulled Nangong Yi's sleeve and whispered, "Your Majesty, don't be angry. I'm fine."
Although her hands didn't have blisters, they were still red, which made Nangong Yi upset.
"Even after all this, you're still okay? You still want to plead for him?"
Nangong Yi looked at her with dismay.
Lan Shuang smiled slightly, but a hint of loneliness flashed in her eyes. "Dou Li is your Majesty's man. If I ruined the relationship between your Majesty and his servant because of me, I would feel uneasy. Besides, Dou Li didn't do it on purpose."
"You can say it wasn't intentional once or twice, but how can you say it wasn't intentional three or four times?" Zhishu said indignantly, "Your Majesty, you are too soft-hearted that you let a slave ride on your head."
These words seemed to be directed at Lan Shuang, but Nangong Yi felt his face burning.
He used Lan Shuang as a shield, but she was his concubine and his woman after all. Dou Li's move was tantamount to slapping himself in the face.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and Nangong Yi's face turned completely cold.
"Someone, drag Dou Li out—"
"Your Majesty, please don't!" Lan Shuang looked up at him and whispered, "If Your Majesty insists on punishing him, then let him serve in another place. Your Majesty can just point me to another one. Dou Lixu was confused for a moment. Just teach him a lesson and let him reflect on his mistakes."
Nangong Yi was silent for a moment. Dou Li was surprised and delighted when he heard this. He kowtowed to Lan Shuang repeatedly, "Your Majesty's kindness, I will never forget it!"
"Your Majesty—" Lan Shuang grabbed Nangong Yi's sleeve and shook it.
Nangong Yi lowered his eyes and looked at her. Seeing the pleading in her eyes, he softened his heart and finally relented, "Forget it, I'll do as you say."
"Get out of here—"
Nangong Yi kicked Dou Li again. Dou Li fell to the ground and then got up to express his gratitude. He did not dare to stay any longer and quickly retreated.
Su Ming looked at him and shook his head. What an ignorant guy.
Your Majesty's woman, how can it be your turn to bully her without Your Majesty's order?
"Your Majesty, please calm down and don't let these little things affect your mood." Lan Shuang patted Nangong Yi's shoulder.
Nangong Yi was puzzled, "Aren't you angry?"
Lan Shuang asked Zhishu to get up. Zhishu was very tactful and took his people away. Only Lan Shuang and Nangong Yi were left in the hall.
Lan Shuang pulled Nangong Yi to sit down and sighed, "Your Majesty knows that I have a heart disease and am naturally weak. That's why my family has always advised me not to get angry, not to argue with others, and to relax."
"Sometimes I also feel it's unfair. They are so irritating, why can't I just let it go?"
She glanced at Nangong Yi and smiled sadly, "Until one time, a servant in my room stole my favorite hairpin. I was so furious that I suffered a heart attack and almost died. That period was worse than death. When I woke up, I thought, why did I bother with it? If I lost my life for this, it would be too unfair."
"Since then, I no longer experience extreme joy or sorrow. I've learned not to take things to heart, and my life has indeed become much better. So I don't care, and I don't want Your Majesty to care. If you do, it will hurt your body, which will not only be more than the gain, but I will also feel bad."
She looked at Nangong Yi intently, making him lose his composure and unable to speak.
A taut string in my heart was suddenly plucked, causing waves of echoes.
Nangong Yi stretched out his hand uncontrollably and touched Lan Shuang's hair. Seeing Lan Shuang's surprised look, he realized what he had done, but he did not feel any regret.
He sighed silently in his heart, telling himself that he just felt pity for her and had no other intentions.
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