"Please spare my life, Your Highness, I will never dare to do it again." Then the others thought of it too, but Fu Yao stood there in disbelief. Baihe pulled her down to kneel down.
"How is this possible? How could she be a concubine!" Fuyao muttered to herself in disbelief as she knelt down.
"I did tell them, but they didn't believe me. They even wanted to kill me too. It was she who said it." Wanyi said, pointing at Fuyao, just like a student who loves to tattle.
"Sister Zhaofei, her name is Fuyao, and she is in charge," Wanyi whispered. Because Wanyi had her head down, she didn't see Zhaofei giving her a look of disappointment and anger. She thought to herself that it was unbelievable that a concubine had been bullied to this extent.
"Fu Yao, do you know your crime?" Consort Zhao looked at Fu Yao sternly, her imposing aura stunning everyone present.
"This servant, this servant..." Bai He and Fu Yao were so frightened that they could barely speak.
"Fu Yao..." A voice suddenly came from afar, drawing everyone's attention.
"This servant greets Consort Zhao, and wishes Consort Zhao good health!" Deputy Steward Granny Yi and Steward Granny Chang walked over.
"Your Highness, I wonder what these maids have done to offend you?" Granny Chang tugged at Granny Yi beside her, afraid that she might say something wrong and push the matter to an irreversible point.
"I would also like to ask, where is Granny Chang? These servants are incredibly audacious, actually trying to intercept and kill the imperial concubines," Consort Zhao said expressionlessly, which made Granny Yi tremble in fright.
"How could that be? Fuyao is the purest and kindest of all. She must have been led astray by someone." Granny Yi knew that if they were investigated today, they would all be implicated.
"Your Highness, Consort Zhao, I only intended to give Furong some guidance. I did not mean to offend the Consort. I know I was wrong. Your Highness, please forgive me this time!"
When Fu Yao saw that it was Granny Yi and the others, and had recovered a little time, she realized the consequences immediately and quickly changed her address.
"Is that guidance? You even dared to threaten to kill me! I am a concubine personally appointed by the Emperor, and you dare to question the Emperor's decree. Can you bear the responsibility?" Wanyi was not going to let her off easily.
"This servant dares not, Your Highness, please spare my life! Your Highness, please spare my life! Ugh!"
Fuyao and the others cried and kept kowtowing. Granny Yi felt sorry for Fuyao, but she was being held down by Granny Chang. Meanwhile, Furong, who was kneeling to the side, felt extremely happy.
"Consort Suo Zhuolun, what do you think we should do with these servants?" Consort Zhao thought to herself, since it was Consort Wan who almost lost her life, it would be better to let Consort Suo Zhuolun vent her anger.
"Um, Consort Zhao, I'm terrified! Please help me!"
She has no right to deal with these palace maids, but punishing them by making them kneel is acceptable, but it would only be a minor punishment. It would be better to leave it to Consort Zhao, who is in the midst of the struggle for the throne and would surely handle it impartially.
"Very well, let's do this! These maids have committed insubordination and violated palace rules, but considering this is their first offense, let them be punished with fifty strokes of the cane!" Fifty strokes of the cane would almost kill them; even if they didn't die, they would be crippled.
"Your Highness, how can she bear fifty strokes of the cane! Please, Your Highness, have mercy on me, considering my diligence and service!"
Granny Yi had no children of her own, and she watched Fuyao grow up as if she were her own daughter. How could she possibly stand by and watch her die or become crippled?
“Granny…” Fu Yao suddenly realized why she hadn’t listened to her aunt and ruined her own future. If she were alive, she would never be the one to stand out again and would obediently listen to her aunt.
"Consort Suo Zhuolun, I have a favor to ask, may I ask for your permission?" Furong suddenly asked Wanyi cautiously.
"Speak!" From now on, she's one of our own, and Wanyi always dotes on her people.
"Can I plead for them?" Although they treated her badly, Granny Chang had been kind to her! So it was just to repay a favor.
"Why? They're trying to take your life!" Wanyi roughly guessed why, but she disagreed.
"I've been learning to serve others from Granny Chang since I was six years old. Granny Yi has also been very good to me. Fuyao is just jealous of me and won't do anything outrageous. She just wants to scare me." Before Fuyao came, Granny Yi was indeed very good to her. But after Fuyao stirred things up, her attitude became worse and worse. She still had to get along with them. If things got too bad and Granny Yi wanted to get back at her, Granny Chang would always have something she couldn't protect.
"Yes, yes, yes, I was just trying to scare Sister Furong. I've always done the same thing. I wouldn't even dare kill an ant, let alone a human!" Fuyao nodded hurriedly when she heard that Furong was willing to plead for her.
"Sister Zhaofei—" Wanyi called out to Zhaofei gently with a look of reluctance.
"Consort Suo Zhuolun, so kind, you'll get yourself killed sooner or later." Consort Zhao looked at Wanyi as if she were a fool. She thought to herself, Consort Suo Zhuolun usually seems quite shrewd, what's wrong with her today? Has she been possessed by a ghost?
"I don't mean to plead for them, but they're getting vaccinated against smallpox tomorrow, and it's not good for them to be bleeding now. I'm afraid the Empress Dowager might not like it, so it's better to be discreet." Wanyi cleverly didn't directly ask for them to be exempted from punishment, but instead used Yu Hui's method.
"Alright, if you're not going to pursue it, then forget it. But without rules, there's no order. Five strokes of the cane a day! Keep it up until you get thirty strokes, plus a six-month penalty." That way, it hurts, but no blood is drawn.
"Hurry up and thank them!" Youbai said to the stunned group.
"This servant thanks Consort Zhao and Consort Zhuolun for their mercy!" several voices said in unison.
"Sister Zhaofei, may I ask you a favor?" Wanyi asked with a smile.
"Does Sister Suo Zhuolun have any other important matters to attend to?" Consort Zhao had originally dismissed them, as she still had many things to take care of!
"May I have her serve me?"
Wanyi pointed to Furong kneeling to the side. When Furong heard Wanyi's words, she was startled and excitedly prayed that Consort Zhao would agree.
"What is your name?" Consort Zhao asked the lotus below.
"This servant is Furong!"
"Alright, Youbai, make a note of it. You can serve Consort Suo Zhuolun from the side!" Consort Zhao didn't care about such a small matter, after all, it was just a matter of a word.
"Yes, Your Highness, I thank you. I will certainly serve Concubine Suo Zhuolun well," Furong said excitedly.
"Is there anything else, Sister Suo Zhuolun?" It's better to ask all at once than to cause trouble later.
"That's all." Wanyi thought to herself, "Is she troublesome?"
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