The guard who delivered the message knelt on the ground, too afraid to move. The air seemed to freeze, and sweat poured down his forehead. The room fell into an endless silence.
Xie Qianzhong held the small piece of paper, twisting it meaningfully, his eyes flickering.
"Heh." After a long while, a cold snort interrupted the boundless cold, yet it also pulled people into a chilling, icy abyss.
The guards lowered their heads even further, not daring to raise them.
Knowing that the little palace maid had already spread the news, Song Tangxue was no longer anxious. She calmly copied the Buddhist scriptures, ignoring the old woman's provocations.
As for Li Zhaoxian's childish behavior, she pretended not to see it, since it wouldn't affect her anyway, and these Buddhist scriptures wouldn't be left behind in the end.
Enraged by her unrepentant attitude, Empress Cheng threw the Buddhist prayer beads to the ground. The beads shattered upon impact, rolling and scattering in all directions.
The clanging and clattering sounds echoed inside the room.
In an instant, the serving maids and eunuchs knelt on the ground, their shoulders trembling as they bowed their heads to the ground, trying to minimize their presence.
"Useless!" Enraged, the Empress lifted the incense burner on the table and smashed it on the old woman's head. The old woman covered her forehead and knelt down, not daring to cry out for justice.
If she can't hold onto Song Tangxue, it means she can't hold onto the astonishing wealth in Song Tangxue's hands. How can she feel at ease?
If Song Tangxue breaks off the engagement and marries another prince, those scheming and malicious women will be overjoyed.
Empress Cheng tightened her grip on the sandalwood armrest and narrowed her eyes slightly, determined not to let them succeed.
No matter how furious the Empress was, Song Tangxue seemed completely unaffected. A maidservant brought food and sighed, "Miss Song, the Empress is angry today, so please bear with us for now."
Song Tangxue put down her pen, let out a long sigh of relief, and comforted her, "It's okay, just don't get involved yourself."
The young palace maid didn't want to stay long, so she put down the food box, gave a few instructions, and then left.
The Empress is now staring intently at the palace, waiting for the moment when the woman yields so she can take the opportunity to teach her a lesson and vent her anger.
Unfortunately, Song Tangxue's identity was special, so she couldn't be hit or scolded. She was also stubborn and wouldn't let go.
The Empress was so angry that she smashed many things over the past few days.
Lifting the food box, as expected, it contained leftovers, and today it even smelled sour. Song Tangxue covered her mouth and nose and swallowed the urge to vomit.
Putting down the lid of the food container to cover the pungent smell, Song Tangxue went to the window for some fresh air.
"Crunch."
Hearing the sound, Song Tangxue turned around and saw a small, white wildcat crouching on the wooden window. It was thin and bony from hunger and was tilting its head to look at the food box on her table.
Song Tangxue felt a little soft-hearted and didn't give the spoiled food to the kitten, but instead took the bowl of white rice over.
The kitten watched her approach cautiously, but didn't leave. It stood tense, watching her get closer, its wet eyes fixed on her.
Song Tangxue tentatively placed the bowl in front of the kitten, pushed the rim of the bowl forward a little with her fingertips, and then took a step back herself.
The kitten relaxed its tense back and began to wolf down its food. Song Tangxue felt pity for it and quietly took a step forward.
She placed her finger on the kitten's forehead, feeling the warm, fluffy touch. The kitten no longer resisted her, and even took the time to brush her off while eating, nuzzling her slightly with its head raised.
Song Tangxue chuckled and stroked the kitten's fur absentmindedly.
Are you a stray kitten?
The kitten was probably very hungry; it ate a whole bowl of white rice, leaving its belly round and full.
As Song Tangxue stroked her, she turned over, revealing her round belly. Song Tangxue then poked her soft, white belly with her fingertip.
Suddenly, the kitten began to convulse, fell out of the window, and lay sprawled on the ground, twitching uncontrollably, its limbs sliding as it struggled to stand up.
Song Tangxue reached out and carefully picked it up, wrapping it in the cushion. The kitten continued to struggle, but its small strength couldn't break free from Song Tangxue's grasp.
Soon the kitten was foaming at the mouth. Song Tangxue tried to get the kitten to vomit up its food, but after struggling a few times in her arms, the kitten stopped moving altogether.
Her small body was still warm, but no longer soft; it stiffened and gradually grew cold in Song Tangxue's arms.
Song Tangxue was at a loss. A few grains of white rice were still outside the bowl. Looking at them, Song Tangxue felt a tightness in her throat and her body went cold, just like the kitten.
She didn't mean to harm the kitten; it trusted her so much that it showed her its little belly the first time they met.
The kitten nestled motionless in her arms, its fur disheveled, its mouth agape as if it couldn't breathe, and its eyes closed in pain.
Looking at the food box, Song Tangxue's body gradually grew cold. If she really ate this bowl of white rice, it would be Song Tangxue who died.
Empress Cheng is truly ruthless; if she can't have something, she'll destroy it!
At that moment, Song Tangxue's eyes turned bloodshot, filled with regret for her powerlessness.
No, it wasn't necessarily Empress Cheng. The palace was full of intrigue and backstabbing, and the young palace maid spread the news that she had been imprisoned.
If he were to die in the Empress's palace, Empress Cheng would not be able to clear her name. Perhaps someone was using him to get rid of Empress Cheng.
She's locked up here and knows nothing.
Song Tangxue's heart slowly calmed down. She still needed to grow up as soon as possible and not be a pawn to be manipulated by others!
When the palace maid arrived later, Song Tangxue handed her the kitten and a silver hairpin from her hair, saying, "Find a place to bury this little guy."
The young palace maid accepted the hairpin and also took the cat.
Song Tangxue wouldn't touch the food box no matter what; her fingers were a little weak from not eating for so long.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the corner of the wall. Song Tangxue perked up and drew a small dagger from her waist, holding it in her hand.
"Miss Song, I am a palace maid serving Consort Lin. We have met before." The figure wrapped in black robes removed her hood, revealing herself to be Consort Lin's personal maid.
Song Tangxue felt relieved and quietly put the dagger away again. The palace maid leaned against the corner of the wall and talked to her.
It was an unintentional act by Empress Cheng. The palace was located in a remote area and rarely visited, which made it convenient for transmitting information.
The palace maid handed in two bags of pastries wrapped in paper: "The food in the Empress's palace is not safe. These were brought to me by Her Majesty. Miss Song, you can rest assured. They are enough to last you two days if you hide them away."
"In the next couple of days, Her Majesty will definitely find a way to bring Miss Song out." The maid was kind-hearted and gently comforted her, "There's no need to pay attention to that person in the Empress's palace; she's just been provoked."
"Having done such a foolish thing, the Imperial Concubine will surely seize the opportunity to make trouble for her."
"Her Majesty is currently enjoying great favor and has come to fetch Miss Song whenever she has the chance. Miss Song, please be very careful these next few days. If anything happens, write a note and leave it under this window. I will come over every day."
Song Tangxue nodded with relief: "I will, Your Majesty, please rest assured."
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