Chapter 9 Chapter 9 (Revision) Boldness
Qingzan walked into the pavilion under the emperor's gaze. Although she tried to control herself, her unnaturally slow steps made the light words "kneeling as punishment" become an obvious sign of the torture she had suffered.
She struggled to stand within arm's length of the emperor.
Xiao Fang felt a little annoyed for no reason.
If she had really complained to him and asked him to make the decision as others did, he might have thought that she was just an ordinary woman who took advantage of the situation.
She didn't think of complaining to him, but he looked up to her for her tact.
But now, he felt that maybe that was not entirely true.
I couldn't help but think of what she would look like if she expressed her grievances in a gentle tone.
As for the reason why she was punished, I can guess it a little.
If she had not deceived the emperor first, he would not have exposed and warned her in this way.
Xu Delu was just wondering how far he should retreat when he heard the emperor suddenly say, "You are becoming more and more skilled at your duties now."
Realizing that these words were spoken to him, he was stunned for a moment.
But he quickly changed his mind and apologized: "I was confused. Miss Qingzan was injured in the leg. I should never have let anyone stand and wait for you."
The threatening gaze moved away.
Xu Delu finally relaxed, but he couldn't help but complain in his heart. How could he dare to let a servant sit and wait for the emperor's arrival? Even a proper master in the palace, not one with high status or favor, would not receive such treatment.
Qing Zan said at this time: "Don't blame Eunuch Xu."
The emperor snorted and laughed.
It seemed like he was laughing at her for being so proactive in speaking up for others.
Qingzan lowered her eyes.
Of course, she understood the hidden bait in his words: if she couldn't live well in Fengzao Palace, she could move to another place.
Having lived in the Marquis's Mansion for more than ten years and relying on others for support, she has never been a stubborn person who is difficult to enlighten.
But she couldn't respond, so how could she speak?
"Actually, you don't have to endure these hardships." The emperor tapped his hands slowly on the stone table, looking casual.
Xu Delu knew that this was the most common action His Majesty would take when he had something in mind.
Use power to coerce and words to lure.
Your Majesty has said so much, leaving no room for people to play dumb or be vague.
Qingzan's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly stepped back and saluted: "The Empress is my master, and the Duan family has protected me for over ten years. I shall repay them with gratitude and will not have any second thoughts."
"Oh, being a slave, is that a favor?" The emperor said lightly, "Or—"
"You are rejecting me." Without any force, it was enough to announce that his patience had run out.
Refuse to enter the Tai Chi Hall, or refuse to change your identity.
Of course Qingzan wanted to refuse!
But……
At this moment, the usual etiquette changed to a kowtow.
When the slender neck that seemed to be easily broken no longer had any pretentious stubbornness and was completely subdued, Qing Zan Han Yan's brows looked at something unknown and her eyes became slightly unfocused.
"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your kindness. However, I know that apart from my beauty, I have no other outstanding qualities. In the past, when the Marquis's Mansion hosted a banquet, I also encountered a frivolous scoundrel. He promised me the position of concubine, but it was just to trick me into submission. To avoid such troubles, I rarely left the old lady's Qinghong Courtyard, which was how I was able to survive. But Your Majesty is the emperor, the Son of Heaven. If the emperor has his will, there is probably no place in the world where I can hide my shortcomings. I only beg Your Majesty—"
She raised her unpainted face. Although she did not look timid at the moment, she had a unique sense of righteousness and determination in resisting to the end.
Those who love may feel love and pity, while those who hate may feel ridicule and disgust.
"I only beg Your Majesty, if you ever become tired of me, could you please allow me to leave the palace and return to the fields to farm, or even start a small business..."
"presumptuous."
She was interrupted by the emperor before she could finish her last sentence.
He spoke each word with emphasis: "Pointing fingers at the mulberry tree and cursing at the locust tree."
The remaining words of Qingzan were swallowed in the heart of her throat, and replaced by a sound: "I dare not."
There was a breeze blowing in the pavilion, moving lightly and silently between the two of them.
Qingzan saw the emperor suddenly stand up and stand in front of her, his robes solemn and his figure tall and majestic.
Just as she was about to kneel deeper and lower, she saw the man squatting in front of her, reaching her level, squinting his eyes and staring at her without blinking.
Qingzan felt that his eyes could peel away flesh and see through her bones, leaving no trace of her private life.
He turned his head slightly and asked softly, "What are you looking at, Your Majesty?"
The emperor's voice was cold and gentle. "Look, how many heads do you have?"
Qingzan shuddered and bit her lip: "I am a mortal with only one head."
The man then ordered, "Get up."
The emperor had also risen. Disillusioned, he clasped his hands behind his back, and curled his lips in a mocking tone, "You're just relying on the fact that I won't punish you."
Qing Zan stood up as she was told, and hugged the large veil in her arms again. She lowered her head obediently and said again: "I dare not."
But she vaguely felt that she had made the right bet.
The emperor is in a high position and would certainly not be ashamed to force others. How could he accept her submission in such a tragic and self-sacrificing manner?
In Xiao Fang's eyes, even the lampshade of this woman seemed to be a deliberate protection to prevent him from getting too close.
Before tonight, he had never been treated so coldly.
"I think you are too bold." The emperor said the most stern words, but still smiled slightly.
Nearby, the candle without its shade was being extinguished by the night wind, making his expression look gloomy and unclear, making people even more terrified by the deep and unfathomable power of heaven.
Qingzan didn't dare to answer, and even dared not move her toes cautiously. During the silent stalemate, the atmosphere between the two became weird.
Qingzan raised her eyes uncertainly, then lowered them again.
The emperor was still looking at her.
Compared to that rainy night, his gaze lacked the budding ambiguity and desire between a man and a woman, and instead had more of the innate superiority of a supreme being.
Qingzan was suddenly confused about his thoughts. Had she made the right bet, or had he seen through her intentions? Or had he simply lost interest in her temporarily because she had spoiled his fun?
It was unknown how long it had been, but due to limited vision, Qingzan could only see that the person in front of him seemed to have turned around and walked towards the low steps of the octagonal pavilion, where he stopped for a while and seemed to be leaving.
On the side, Xu Delu was already frightened to the point of paleness and utterly terrified, always paying close attention to the emperor's movements.
In my heart, I admire Qingzan, but at the same time I can't help but blame her... this girl!
As soon as the emperor took a step out, he hurriedly chased after him, floating behind the emperor like a paper lantern, his footsteps becoming lighter and lighter, as if he wished the emperor would just pretend he didn't exist.
The emperor walked halfway but suddenly stopped.
Xu Delu looked in the direction he was looking and saw a ball of light floating not far away.
It could be vaguely seen that several people holding lanterns and carrying something together had just come out of Fengzao Palace.
Seeing the emperor staring at that spot and not moving forward, he immediately understood. Considering that there was someone else in the pavilion behind him, he asked for instructions just to be on the safe side: "Your Majesty?"
Xiao Fang nodded slightly.
After receiving the order, Xu Delu immediately stepped forward, walked in front of those people and stopped them.
The leader saw that it was him and hurriedly stopped, saying respectfully and flatteringly, "Eunuch Xu."
Xu Delu could see clearly at this time that these people were carrying a stretcher with someone lying on it, and a white cloth covering the top.
"What's going on? Tell us everything quickly." Xu Delu asked the leader.
The man frowned and looked embarrassed.
I don't know if I was afraid or I couldn't bear to bring it up. But facing the eunuch in front of the emperor, I finally told the truth: "This maid knocked over the Empress's jade, and a huge crack appeared on it. The Empress was furious, so she had her mouth gagged and was beaten with a stick eighty times. Now, her lower body is broken, and the servants were about to send her to the palace..."
Hearing the sentence of eighty lashes, Xu Delu was horrified: "Is he still breathing?"
"Alive, but..."
One of the people carrying the stretcher lifted the white cloth to show Xu Delu.
He was alive, but he was disabled, so naturally he could no longer work in Fengzao Palace. The Empress asked them to get rid of him quickly.
However, this incident cannot be completely blamed on the maid. I heard that she subconsciously tried to avoid the cup thrown by the Empress, and that's why...
After just one glance, Xu Delu turned his head away: "Oh, cover it."
This bloody mess must not offend the Holy Chariot!
As soon as this thought came to his mind, he subconsciously looked to see if the emperor had seen it, and saw the man in brocade robes walking towards him on the dark path.
The pavilion behind the emperor seemed empty at this moment, with no one in it.
I don’t know if it’s because it was completely dark and I couldn’t see clearly.
The emperor did not get too close and stood about ten feet away.
The eunuchs raised their lanterns and shone them into the dark passage, only to be startled to see a figure in a dragon robe. They all knelt in fear and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, your servants are here to see you!"
They fell to the ground in panic, their lanterns tumbling to the ground, emitting a flickering, uncontrolled light.
Xiao Fang glanced at the weak palace maid and lowered his eyes slightly: "Why is it so?"
Just as he was about to wave his hand to ask everyone to leave, he suddenly felt something.
He looked back.
At this moment, the lantern that fell to the ground seemed to understand the power and influence, and happened to slightly illuminate the direction of the pavilion.
Behind the pavilion pillar, the slender waist that had been trying hard to hide just now slowly leaned out.
What Xiao Fang saw when he narrowed his eyes was the woman covering her face with one hand in spite of the pain. She looked at the stretcher for a long time with sorrow and pity, as if a fox was mourning the death of a rabbit.
Suddenly, the two of them exchanged glances, and the quiet center of the lake began to ripple due to the wind.
The emperor had never known his eyesight was so good. Even from such a distance, he could still take in her every emotion and gesture. He even saw a full, round, and translucent teardrop brimming over her eyelashes, and saw it was so unbearable that it almost flowed down her face, but was forced back.
My throat tightened.
The woman in the pavilion quickly turned her face away and hid herself again.
Now I feel scared.
I don’t know if this is why the emperor changed his mind.
The kneeling eunuchs heard a cold and sharp instruction: "Find someone to give her proper medical treatment. Then go back and tell the Queen that the Summer Solstice Festival is approaching and that no more torture or bloodshed should be allowed in the palace. Tell her to..."
"Proceed with caution."
Several eunuchs hurriedly obeyed the order and carried the bloody man away.
The emperor ignored the woman who was still hiding behind the pavilion pillar and walked away.
Xu Delu knew that the emperor's move was more of a vent to Miss Qingzan, and he felt a little unsure. He asked, "What should Your Majesty do about Miss Qingzan? How about I go and persuade her?"
Now that the person has been found, the two parted on bad terms.
The emperor cast a cold glance at her and said, "Do you think I'm short of women?"
Xu Delu immediately understood and said hurriedly, "Of course you don't need it."
Xiao Fang: "Well, what's the rush?"
In Fengzao Palace.
The Queen suffered a series of blows tonight, and her mood was already at its lowest point. She couldn't concentrate on reading and had no appetite for food.
First, the emperor left without staying in the bedroom and seemed to have given her some warnings. Then, Yang got the qualification to host the Dragon Boat Festival banquet, and this matter was even finalized without her knowledge. Then, her jade material was destroyed by such a blind man!
"Your Majesty," Jin Yu saw that she was upset and was about to say something when she heard the eunuch come into the hall to report that he met the emperor on the way to the palace to send someone to the palace.
"And then, what did His Majesty say?"
Although the empress was a little suspicious and wondered why the emperor did not return to Taiji Hall but instead stayed near Fengzao Palace, she did not take it too seriously.
"Your Majesty said..."
The eunuch took a deep breath and reported the words word for word, but he did not dare to imitate the emperor's stern tone.
Even so, the Queen's face changed in shock. What did His Majesty mean? What did he mean by not shedding blood? What did he mean by being prudent? Could it be that if she punished someone again, he would not take her to the sacrifice?
The emperor was offering sacrifices, but she, the queen, didn't want to go with him. So who else could she want to go with him?
Moreover, as the queen mother, she doesn't even have the qualifications to punish a palace maid who has committed a crime?
The queen felt she could hardly breathe.
If this were to get out, wouldn't everyone in the palace laugh at her...
With a sullen face, she drove the man out, adjusted her phoenix crown, and then, clutching the arm of the maidservant beside her, asked, "Jinyu, what do you think His Majesty meant?"
Jin Yu pondered carefully, "Perhaps, perhaps it's true that blood shouldn't be seen before a sacrifice. Your Majesty is just kindly reminding you to be more careful. If the Queen Mother finds out, wouldn't that give you something to blame?"
The Queen calmed herself down a bit, then frowned hesitantly, "Is that really the case?"
Jin Yu lowered her voice and said, "We just need to be careful and restrained these days. You are His Majesty's first wife. It's no big deal to punish a palace maid. Don't think too much about it."
Yes, she is just an ordinary palace maid, is there any need to make a fuss about it?
The queen regained some of her composure and said, "Well said, go down."
*
Qingzan still saw the arm dangling limply from the stretcher. The moment she saw it, she couldn't help but think of Fu Cui, the little palace maid with a red and swollen forehead, who was still full of energy and shared palace anecdotes with her.
It may not be just floating green.
But she was inexplicably and without much hesitation, and raised a pitiful face to the emperor who looked back at her.
She didn't know whether she was sad for this palace maid, or for herself over the past ten years, as well as for tonight.
I used to feel unfair about why I was a slave.
But in front of the emperor, no matter whether it was Miss Duan who had been domineering since childhood, or the queen who was the mother of the country and had unlimited glory, they were all just like ants on the edge of a knife who could not resist, obeying orders and being controlled by others, no different from slaves.
Qingzan suddenly realized very clearly that now was no longer the time when she was in the Marquis' Mansion.
Her fingertips trembled slightly as she leaned against the pillar. She tried to wake up and returned to the basement.
Although the Duan family is no longer the sole authority in the palace, and power is no longer naturally shared by the empress, the emperor's protection still comes at a price she cannot afford.
It can shelter people from wind and rain, but it can also keep people out of the sun.
Even the queen is like this. If she really obeys him and his feelings for her cool could nothing happen to her?
So it was only for a moment, Qingzan was only shaken for that moment.
At this hour, there was no one else in the room. Only a bottle of fine medicine was placed on the wooden table in front of her bed.
Without having to think, I knew who gave the order.
Qingzan sat down beside the bed, rolled up her trouser legs under her palace dress to check the injuries, and at the same time she couldn't help wondering. The two people living in the same room were palace maids responsible for sweeping and cleaning. They were always the first to go out and the last to come back. They might not have returned yet, but it should not be Suoying's turn to be on duty in the warehouse today, so where did she go?
She did not touch the bottle of golden wound medicine, but instead took out another bottle of medicated oil she had prepared. She had just started rubbing it and before her hand touched the wound, the door opened.
Seeing her in the room, Suoying walked in quickly: "Sister Qingzan, you're back. I just heard that you were punished. Are you hurt? Are you okay?"
Qingzan shook her head, but her eyes were fixed on her muddy shoes.
"Tell me the truth, where have you been?"
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