Chapter 33: A massive "unfollowing" scene at Jiang's top-tier fans...
As is customary, today should have been the day for a grand court assembly to be held outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
But the summer downpour came with tremendous force, with torrential rain accompanied by thunder and lightning, pressing down all over the land.
In this weather, it's likely that people will not be able to hear each other clearly even if they are a little far away. Therefore, the grand court meeting has been postponed to tomorrow. If any courtiers have urgent reports, they can be sent to the cabinet first.
Hanyuan Hall
Emperor Xuanpei always got up early.
Having spent years on military campaigns at the border since his youth, the constant worry had become a habit. In addition, he was extremely self-disciplined. When he was not busy with state affairs, Emperor Xuanpei had a very regular schedule and could even go to the training ground to ride horses and shoot arrows to relax his muscles.
The palace servants who served the emperor were also accustomed to getting up early to prepare.
Eunuch Chen was on his way to the tea room to oversee the palace servants preparing tea when he was stopped halfway by Fu Hai, who was still dripping with rainwater.
Upon hearing Fu Hai's report, Eunuch Chen smacked his lips and sighed somewhat speechlessly, "Tell me, what's going on here now?"
"Manager."
Fu Hai, who never let Eunuch Chen's words have a chance to be heard, replied softly, "This servant has also listened a little more, and there are indeed all sorts of things being said below."
"But most people say, they all say that Miss Azhu was determined to climb the social ladder... She used some tricks, trying to please the Emperor, but in doing so, she offended the Emperor and the Empress, and that's why..."
"fart!"
Hearing these absurd claims, Eunuch Chen couldn't help but utter a curse.
"What do you mean she's in a hurry to serve the Emperor?"
"If she's really that impatient..." |straight|straight|it would be best if she just lay down on the dragon bed by herself.
Clearly, the shrewd Eunuch Chen had already realized what was going on—
That girl is so eager to flatter him because she's overly ambitious, but the problem is, she's not aiming for the Emperor's favor!
That's where things went wrong.
Twice! Their emperor actually gave them two chances!
The bystander, Eunuch Chen, was extremely anxious.
He wished he could stick his hand into A-Zhu's head and shake it vigorously, preferably shaking all the water out of her brain—how could there be such a stubborn and inflexible idiot in this palace?
But in this world, there's no such thing as forcing a cow to drink water, and considering that Ah Zhu was truly loyal and consistent in word and deed...
As a fellow servant in the palace, seeing Ah Zhu like this, Eunuch Chen was somewhat annoyed by her lack of ambition and stupidity, but also felt a bit of empathy and understanding.
Eunuch Chen knew very well that given A-Zhu's appearance, the fact that she was being punished with the stigma of being disliked by the Emperor and Empress meant that if she could leave this world with dignity and avoid further suffering, it would be a great blessing.
Seeing that Eunuch Chen's expression shifted between light and dark, Fu Hai didn't dare to interrupt. A moment later, a palace servant from the tea room came out to report that the tea was ready.
After all, he had been unable to forget A-Zhu ever since their fleeting encounter outside the Imperial Garden. He tossed and turned at night, constantly thinking about Eunuch Chen, whom he had been longing for. Moreover, seeing the loyal A-Zhu end up in such a state, he felt a sense of sorrow for his own kind.
"Alright, as the saying goes, things don't happen more than three times, and this has only happened twice, hasn't it?"
After finding a random excuse to comfort himself, Eunuch Chen steeled himself and carried the tea into the palace.
"Your Majesty, please have some tea."
Seizing the opportunity, Eunuch Chen gently placed the teacup beside Emperor Xuanpei: "My men just came to report that Kunning Palace suddenly sent palace servants to the Yeting Palace early this morning, and also punished the teaching matrons with slaps and canes."
After he finished speaking, there was no response.
Seeing that Emperor Xuanpei remained calm and unmoved, Eunuch Chen obediently shut his mouth and quietly retreated to the side.
With his head bowed, Eunuch Chen sighed inwardly: "Miss A-Zhu, if His Majesty could be merciful, I would immediately send someone to fetch you. But... it's really not my fault. Considering our acquaintance, I've done more than enough. From now on, if you leave..."
Just as they were muttering to themselves, Eunuch Chen caught a glimpse of Emperor Xuanpei suddenly getting up and striding out of the hall.
!!
Startled, Eunuch Chen quickly recovered and hurriedly chased after him, saying anxiously, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, where are you going? The rain outside is so heavy..."
"Go to Qianwen Pavilion."
Seeing Emperor Xuanpei leave the main hall after uttering a single sentence, Eunuch Chen's face turned pale with anxiety.
"Your Majesty, please slow down, this rain..."
At the palace gate, Eunuch Chen snatched the oil-paper umbrella from Fu Hai's hand and hurriedly stood on tiptoe to place it on Emperor Xuanpei's head.
Emperor Xuanpei took the umbrella himself, and Fuhai quickly handed another umbrella to Eunuch Chen. Soon, the group escorted Emperor Xuanpei to Qianwen Pavilion.
***
"Splash—"
Braving the torrential rain, A-Zhu hurried along the palace path, splashing water as she went.
Hearing the sounds of people chasing her from behind, A-Zhu didn't turn around, but just ran as fast as she could without saying a word.
Consort Feng couldn't stand people being indecisive and hesitant. Since she had already given directions, she didn't give A-Zhu any room to back out.
Once Azhu's escape was discovered, the situation changed.
Ah Zhu wiped the raindrops from his hand and hurried away without uttering a single complaint. It was just a bad outcome or an even worse outcome; it was all the same, no difference.
Meanwhile, Granny Xinzheku and Yindong, who were chasing after Azhu, really thought that Azhu might have gone mad from the rain.
She ran away from the Yeting Palace, disobeying the emperor's orders first, and then breaking palace rules by rushing into the palace... Even if they can't catch her now, at most they'll just be labeled as incompetent. But where can A-Zhu go?
Is she so eager to add more crimes to her name and suffer for them? Is she tired of living and in a hurry to die?
In the sudden rain and strong wind, there were not many palace servants on the long street to begin with, and seeing Ah Zhu running like this, which was unusual, no one dared to stop him.
Holding a green umbrella makes it impossible to chase after someone.
Throwing down the umbrella, all you get is a mouthful of wind and rain.
Unlike Azhu, Yindong and the others hadn't "gone mad," so they naturally didn't dare to shout loudly in the palace in a reckless manner. They could only chase after Azhu, both angry and anxious.
Braving the rain and enduring hardship, they all gritted their teeth and vowed that once they caught up with A-Zhu, they would teach her a lesson!
This chase in the rain, a game of cat and mouse, didn't end until they were not far from Chengen Palace.
"How dare you—!"
The imperial guards drew their swords directly at A-Zhu, who was charging at the imperial carriage.
A-Zhu, whose mind was only focused on getting to Hanyuan Palace, stopped in his tracks. Through the white rain curtain that seemed to connect heaven and earth, A-Zhu looked up and saw Emperor Xuanpei.
She ran there, she really ran there.
Her lips moved, but she didn't say anything. The last breath she was holding on to dissipated, and A-Zhu couldn't even stand up anymore.
"thump--"
Azhu looked at Emperor Xuanpei and knelt down directly before him.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, that looks like Miss Azhu."
It's not just a possibility, it is her.
That audacious bastard!
Emperor Xuanpei gripped the umbrella handle tightly, his gaze fixed intently on the frail figure kneeling there—
Soaked to the bone, Ah Zhu's face was deathly pale, her messy hair stuck to her face, making her look like a young slave abandoned by her master, her beautiful fur completely ruined by the rain...
Although she was in a very disheveled state, there were no marks on her face from being slapped, and running like this, she didn't look like she had been flogged.
Seeing Azhu ramming into the imperial carriage, the expressions of Xinzheku Granny and Yindong and the others who were huffing and puffing as they chased after him changed drastically.
Soon, the group of people were taken away by the imperial guards.
Ignoring everything else, they knelt down, their faces pale and trembling, kowtowing repeatedly.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me! This servant was ordered to bring the guilty slave Jiang Zhu to the Xin Zhe Ku (a place for serving in the Imperial Laundry), but she dared to disobey orders and has disturbed Your Majesty's presence..."
Leaving aside the nannies in the Imperial Laundry Department, Eunuch Chen glanced at Emperor Xuanpei's expression, then looked at Yin Dong and asked in a puzzled tone, "Miss Yin Dong, why aren't you serving the Noble Consort in Nianfu Palace? What are you doing here?"
What was originally a simple task has not only been botched, but now it's even been accused of disturbing the imperial procession... Yin Dong feels like tearing A Zhu apart.
The raindrops stung her face with their coldness, but Yin Dong tried to keep a straight face.
"The Imperial Concubine once heard Qingwen mention an interesting story about her connection with Miss Azhu in the Yeting Palace. Out of curiosity, she wanted to invite Miss Azhu over for a chat... but unexpectedly, Miss Azhu suddenly ran away with her head down."
"I was afraid that something might happen to Miss A-Zhu in her haste, so in my panic, I rashly chased after her..."
Emperor Xuanpei ignored everyone else.
Looking at A-Zhu, who was shivering and trembling in the rain, he said, "You have violated palace rules and offended the Emperor. How many heads do you have?"
A-Zhu, who was so weak she could be blown away by the wind, was dizzy from the rain and felt lightheaded. She looked at Emperor Xuanpei and said pitifully, "...one."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Chen lowered his head and bit his lip hard to suppress his laughter.
Emperor Xuanpei pursed his lips, tightened his grip on the umbrella handle, and scolded her again: "You scoundrel, so eloquent and audacious!"
"Chen Delu, take her back and teach her some manners."
Upon being called upon, Eunuch Chen hurriedly nodded and replied, "Yes."
No one expected that A-Zhu would be taken away by the Emperor.
But what would the nanny and Yin Dong from the Xin Zhe Ku dare to say, or stop Emperor Xuan Pei?
Even if they had the guts, none of them would dare.
They quickly knelt on both sides of the long street to respectfully see off the emperor.
Summer clothes are already thin, and Ah Zhu had been soaked to the bone in the rain. When she stood up, her clothes clung tightly to her body, showing off her curves.
Eunuch Chen avoided eye contact, and was about to order someone to fetch his clothes when a black robe was thrown at his head—a long, dark robe with cloud patterns embroidered with gold and silver threads faintly visible at the hem.
"Your Majesty..." Eunuch Chen's hand trembled upon seeing the style of the clothes. "This...this is still raining, you..."
"Go to Qianwen Pavilion."
"......yes."
Ah Zhu, wrapped in her clothes, didn't really feel anything at the moment.
She couldn't hear what the young man beside her was saying. As she walked along with him, it felt like she was walking on clouds, soft and light.
"Miss Azhu!"
After walking a few steps, upon hearing Fu Hai's voice, Eunuch Chen turned around and saw that the man had closed his eyes and was falling straight to the ground.
"brush--"
Something flashed by, and Eunuch Chen instinctively reached out to catch it, only to grasp a green umbrella... Hmm?
Looking up, Emperor Xuanpei had already walked over and picked the person up in his arms.
"Return to Hanyuan Hall."
***
"You insatiable, lowly servant!"
"She's only interested in getting into bed..."
"Ungrateful."
【"......"
So much had happened in such a short time that A-Zhu couldn't keep up. It was as if she had been pushed to the edge of a cliff, and gusts of wind were about to blow her into an abyss.
Until she knelt before Emperor Xuanpei again—she was taken away.
Having been pulled back from the edge of the cliff, the sense of impending doom no longer consumed A-Zhu's mind; other senses and emotions followed suit, rushing in.
Ah Zhu has never been very narrow-minded; her mind is neither smaller than a sesame seed nor much larger than a needle tip.
Empress Wang's slap shattered not only A-Zhu's dream, but also the "unwavering loyalty" nurtured over decades in the inner palace. Not only was A-Zhu discarded like trash, but he was also trampled underfoot and crushed into a pile of mud!
The more courageous A-Zhu was back then, terrified yet determined to persevere in Hanyuan Hall, the more hatred she now harbors.
She was so angry in her dreams that tears streamed down her face.
The soaking wet Ah Zhu was placed on the couch. Just as Emperor Xuanpei was about to get up, he saw the tears streaming down her face.
Looking at the tears on A-Zhu's face, even though this was the most emotional moment, Emperor Xuanpei's eyes turned indifferent again, even revealing a hint of coldness.
If A-Zhu were like any other woman who would serve the emperor in bed, Emperor Xuanpei would have been more generous in favor of her because of her beauty.
But Ah Zhu made a fatal mistake: just when she had already whetted Emperor Xuanpei's appetite, she suddenly lowered her head and reverted to her usual self.
Emperor Xuanpei was about to win the heart of his beloved, but he remained calm and even somewhat disappointed.
He looked at A-Zhu with considerable boredom:
In just a few days, she completely lost her drive. She gave in today... In a few more days, she will become just like anyone else in this palace.
For Emperor Xuanpei, Azhu was more like an unexpected delight outside the established rules.
All the excitement, joy, embarrassment, and impulsiveness that had arisen from this unexpected little surprise had now become utterly tasteless.
Emperor Xuanpei did not reach out to wipe away the tears from Azhu's eyes.
Just as he was about to instruct Chen Delu to settle Azhu, Azhu, who was gritting her teeth in her dream, suddenly opened her eyes.
"Your Majesty... Thank you, Your Majesty."
Emperor Xuanpei, who had already stood up, said indifferently upon hearing this, "The imperial physician will be here shortly."
Originally caught up in her emotions, Ah Zhu suddenly panicked when she saw Emperor Xuan Pei's calm and somewhat indifferent demeanor—if she were to be driven out like this, forget about any resentment or revenge, it was hard to say whether she would even have a future.
"Your Majesty."
At this moment, Azhu no longer cared about her fear of the emperor.
She gripped her sleeve tightly, forcing out a fawning smile.
"His Majesty's grace is boundless."
"This servant has nothing of value and nothing to repay Your Majesty with, but I only wish to serve you by Your Majesty's side from now on..."
Well, the last bit of feeling that Emperor Xuanpei had left was completely destroyed by Azhu himself.
Emperor Xuanpei frowned, his voice growing colder.
"If you get caught in the rain, just relax and take care of yourself."
She messed up, she messed up again.
With only this one thought in her mind, tears welled up in A-Zhu's eyes in a panic.
She now knew what fate awaited her; if Emperor Xuanpei drove her out, she would have nowhere to go.
She doesn't want to be kicked out. Yes, she has to stay... What else does she have? What else can she offer?
"Your Majesty!"
Emperor Xuanpei, who was showing signs of impatience, turned around one last time and saw Azhu with tears in her eyes, looking flustered and trembling as she untied the sash of her dress.
The feeling of pearls turning into fish eyes in front of you is already extremely irritating, but Ah Zhu still wants to continue to degrade you until you have no hope left!
Emperor Xuanpei, enraged to the point of laughter, let out a cold laugh and abruptly turned around.
He returned to the bedside and grabbed Ah Zhu's dress, which was about to slip down her neckline, with one hand.
"Jiang Zhu!"
"Do you think I can't live without you?"
The shadows fell over her again, and she was stunned by Ah Zhu, who was grabbing her collar and about to lift her up. She looked at the furious Emperor Xuanpei and couldn't say a word.
Looking at the quail-like Azhu, Emperor Xuanpei warned, "My patience has its limits."
After saying this, Emperor Xuanpei released his grip, threw Azhu onto the couch, and turned to leave.
She couldn't leave, she couldn't leave. She couldn't let the emperor leave like this. The emperor was truly tired of her. If he left, everything would be over.
The green dress was suddenly thrown onto the couch, and A-Zhu scrambled over and knelt before Emperor Xuanpei.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this servant is foolish and ignorant, this servant knows her mistake..."
Her long, black hair was disheveled, partially covering her snow-white skin.
A-Zhu, seemingly made of water, was covered in water stains from crying. She stretched out her pale arms, her slender fingers tightly gripping Emperor Xuanpei's robes, and looked up, sobbing incoherently as she pleaded, "Your Majesty, this servant truly knows her mistake..."
Emperor Xuanpei gave Azhu a deep look, then expressionlessly shook off her hand.
When there's nothing left to lose, A-Zhu can become very bold. She got up without a care and threw herself into Emperor Xuanpei's arms.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please don't abandon me, Your Majesty..."
Amidst Azhu's pitiful cries and pleas, Emperor Xuanpei pinched her face with his thumb and forefinger and lifted it up—
Just as he was about to speak, Emperor Xuanpei met Azhu's eyes.
From those tear-filled eyes, he could clearly see that besides panic and fear, there was also anger and hatred that had been hidden so well and so deeply, all of which had been forced out.
Given Ah Zhu's vindictive nature and tendency to kill a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of her own, how could she possibly be a kind and magnanimous person?
Repaying evil with kindness—is this the heart of a Buddha or a saint?
joke!
It is said that it is easy to deceive others, but difficult to deceive oneself.
But Ah Zhu is a twisted person who deceives himself when he is extremely helpless.
She resented everyone who had ill intentions towards her.
She resented her birth mother for making her take the place of Miss Jiang to avert disaster, but powerless to do anything about it, she didn't voice her resentment. She even lied to herself, saying that she did it voluntarily to repay the debt of being born.
She actually envied and was jealous of the noble ladies in the palace.
But she dared not confront this jealousy.
She used high-sounding and beautiful excuses to wrap up her jealousy layer by layer, deceiving herself into believing that she was being loyal and repaying a debt of gratitude.
She resented Empress Wang... and by extension, Emperor Xuanpei, who had ruined her peaceful "dream".
From beginning to end, A-Zhu never felt the slightest attraction to Emperor Xuanpei.
She preferred the gentle and handsome young men in the stories, rather than the tall, imposing, and cold-faced Emperor Xuanpei.
At this moment, A-Zhu, who was pleading for Emperor Xuanpei's mercy, was actually filled with rage—hypocrisy! He clearly wanted her all along, yet he insisted that she abandon all dignity and beg him desperately.
Emperor Xuanpei suddenly seized on Azhu's little tail.
Despite her hypocrisy and duplicity, beneath a sharp, piercing exterior concealed by a soft, beautiful fur, Ah Zhu excited Emperor Xuanpei more than ever before.
He looked into A-Zhu's eyes, his scalp tingling and his heart pounding, so excited that he even had the illusion of palpitations.
"Your Majesty, this servant truly knows her mistake."
As Ah Zhu said this, anger was evident in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, we beg your mercy..."
Listen to this ridiculously soft plea; her eyes are filled with disgust.
Emperor Xuanpei laughed.
He laughed so hard his hand trembled as he pinched Ah Zhu.
Seeing Emperor Xuanpei laugh, Azhu felt that he was mocking and ridiculing her, which made her even angrier.
But the angrier she became, the more pitiful she looked, and the softer her voice grew: "Your Majesty..."
Emperor Xuanpei lowered his head and kissed—no, bit—that small mouth that was saying things it didn't mean, but was babbling sweet nothings.
The taste of blood jolted Ah Zhu in pain. She instinctively tried to bite back, but was instead picked up and carried horizontally.
A-Zhu, who was soaked in the rain, was a little feverish, while Emperor Xuanpei was even hotter. The two burning bodies were close together, and even their breaths seemed to be filled with scorching heat.
Ah Zhu, whose head was spinning, could feel the pain.
My head hurts, my arms hurt, my waist hurts from being grabbed, my legs hurt, my buttocks hurt, even my stomach hurts...
The more it hurt, the tighter A-Zhu held on, as if she was desperately trying to draw everything from the person holding her to fill her body.
"Beep—!"
["Congratulations, dear host, you have achieved the accomplishment of 'betraying your former master and transcending social classes.'"]
"Congratulations on stepping onto a larger and more magnificent stage. Please shine your light to the fullest."
[As the sage said, "Food and sex are human nature." You are now receiving an achievement gift pack: "A bewitching beauty brings disaster—Magpies tremble in pairs, jade dew brings abundant joy." Please claim it promptly.]
"Wishing you all the best and continued success in your career."
Am I about to have another stroke of bad luck?
Amidst a familiar, piercing noise, Ah Zhu vaguely regained consciousness for a moment—every time this sound rang out in the past, nothing good had ever happened.
But she's already in this state, how much worse can she get?
"A-Zhu..."
She regained consciousness only for a moment, her mind feeling like it had been stuffed with a lump of paste again. Ah Zhu heard someone calling her name... It was as if some sticky, cool, creepy threads were calling to her while quietly binding her up layer by layer.
This unfounded speculation sent a chill down A-Zhu's spine.
She barely opened her eyes, rested her chin on Emperor Xuanpei's shoulder, and softly exhaled a breath of warm air, swaying as she looked at the bright yellow dragon-patterned brocade canopy... It was a dragon bed, not a spider's web.
Oh, she probably got a fever from being in the rain and started to hallucinate.
......
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Author's Note: *pat pat* [heart][heart][heart]
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