At her command, several rough-looking old women entered and forced the two maids down. Immediately, the entire Xiaoxiang Courtyard was filled with the maids' pitiful pleas for mercy. However, seemingly annoyed by the noise, the old women reached out and grabbed a piece of coarse cloth to gag the two maids.
Ruyi knelt on the ground, trembling with fear. She tried her best to keep her presence to herself, but Consort Zhang still called out to her, "Ruyi, where is the Prince now?"
"Here...here..." Ruyi hesitated for a moment, unable to finish her sentence.
"Where?" Consort Zhang asked loudly, almost shouting. Her heart was in turmoil and panic. She had just returned from her parents' home and heard someone say that Prince Duan frequented brothels, the kind of place where people with homosexual tendencies often went.
She didn't really want to believe it, but for some reason, a voice in her heart told her that it was true. Lately, the prince had been acting strangely, and he no longer favored even someone as beautiful as Wei Ji. She knew that Wei Ji was already the prince's woman, but the prince didn't say anything. He liked to play with excitement, so she didn't expose him. After all, she was just a singing girl.
However, what she found most unacceptable was that the prince no longer loved the beautiful lady, but loved a man. How could he, how could he! The man she had loved her whole life was her god, her everything, her spiritual, physical, and material support. How could this support have such a preference!
No, she couldn't accept it. If that were the case, she'd rather die, she'd rather die!
"The Prince and the Emperor escorted the Empress Dowager out of the city. Please don't believe those rumors. The Prince is not that kind of person. You have been married to the Prince for decades. You should know the Prince best, Consort Zhang." Ruyi finally suppressed her fear, knelt down at Consort Zhang's feet, and cried while hugging her feet.
Why did such a thing happen overnight? How could the prince have homosexual tendencies? How could such a vicious rumor spread that the prince got into a fight with someone over a male prostitute?
With such a tainted prince, how can his concubines hold their heads high, and how can princes and princesses find good marriages?
Consort Zhang kicked Ruyi away, her face as cold as frost. After kicking Ruyi away, she helped Ruyi up, touched Ruyi's face which was much younger than hers, and said, "From now on, don't call yourself a servant anymore, just call me sister."
Ruyi knelt down in a panic, "This servant dares not, Consort, this servant dares not."
Consort Zhang gave a sorrowful smile. Whether one dares or not is never up to one's control.
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