Chapter 20 Why Would She Mind?
After the palace maids walked into the courtyard with Concubine Qing Guifei's latest oral instructions, Miao Xi's miserable and desperate cries soon echoed in the palace.
Even though there was such a long distance between them, her cries were unusually clear once they reached the house.
"My queen, spare my life, my queen!"
"It's all my fault for a slip of the tongue. My majesty, please forgive me. I will... "
The crying sound suddenly turned into a dull sob, as if someone came forward and covered Miaoxi's mouth with a tactful look.
When the twenty strokes of the cane were finished, there was no more sound of Miao Xi's cries of pain outside. After a while, the palace maid who had entered the hall to report earlier walked in quickly again.
"Your Majesty, the caning has ended, and the man has fainted. Do you want..." Do you want to ask an imperial physician to come and take a look?
Even though that person deserved the punishment, she was a maid in Concubine Rougui's palace after all. If they were to fall out, there would probably be some trouble.
Zitang didn't finish her words, but Concubine Qing understood what she meant.
"It's OK as long as he's not dead," she said nonchalantly, "Carry him up, and let's go to Concubine Rougui's palace to take a look."
Zitang looked worried, but still arranged everything according to Concubine Qing's instructions.
Concubine Qing Guifei's eyes swept over Eunuch Changshun, who was standing behind the young man with his eyes lowered.
This man has served Emperor Mingze for so many years that he has become a very smart person.
Emperor Mingze must have received the news by now that someone had bullied his beloved little princess these past two days.
Both punishments today had their reasons, and since the incident had come to the attention of Emperor Mingze, Concubine Rougui had no choice but to let it go.
Besides, this time it was Concubine Rougui who was at fault, so why would she make such a big fuss about it?
Concubine Qing Guifei thought clearly.
Two sedan chairs were carried out from the Anqin Palace, and a group of people marched towards Concubine Rougui's Liuhua Palace in a mighty manner.
At Concubine Qing's signal, Eunuch Changshun hid himself under the cover of a sedan chair and stayed outside Liuhua Palace, not going in with the others.
Concubine Rou wanted the outside world to think that this trip was indeed instructed by Concubine Qing, so she would deliberately avoid suspicion and would not send anyone out to investigate.
It just happened to facilitate their plan this time.
When a few people walked into Liuhua Palace, Jiang Huaian was also there.
Concubine Rou Gui specially ordered someone to move a soft couch to him in the front hall and let him lie face down on the couch, waiting for her to vent his anger on him.
Jiang Huai'an's heart was already filled with hatred. As soon as Jiang Xingran appeared, he no longer paid attention to the surrounding scene. With red eyes, he gritted his teeth and said, "It's him! Mother, it's him who caused my son to be beaten with twenty boards by my father! Mother, please help me get revenge!!"
Jiang Xingran paused when he heard the sound, but soon returned to normal.
His eyes swept over Jiang Yingcheng vaguely.
Although this young man had helped Jiang Huai'an to expose other people's faults several times before, what she did today was obviously in his favor.
Concubine Rougui's thoughts were much more profound than Jiang Huai'an's.
Before everyone stood still to salute, she put down the teacup in her hand, walked forward to hold Concubine Qing's hand in an intimate manner, and led her to the soft chair in the middle.
Concubine Qing frowned slightly, and just as she was about to say something, she heard the young man's excited voice:
[Ahahahahahahahaha, the father-in-law finally couldn't stand the torture and gave Fourth Brother away.]
[Hahahahahahahaha, even though he only got 20 strokes of the cane, it's enough for Fourth Brother to lie in bed for many days hahaha. ]
The schadenfreude in the young man's heart was too obvious, and Concubine Qing couldn't help it. She relaxed her brows, raised the corners of her lips, and smiled as well.
Concubine Rou had been keeping an eye on Concubine Qing's expression out of the corner of her eye. When she saw that she was smiling, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that the other party didn't notice her little actions.
Although she has a powerful family to rely on, Concubine Qing's family background should not be underestimated. Moreover, Concubine Qing has no children and poses no threat to her. Saying a few good words can reduce an enemy, so why not do it?
The two of them sat down on the soft chairs.
Concubine Rou Gui said softly, "Yu Shi, why did you come here with this group of people today?"
She called Concubine Qing Guifei affectionately by her given name. Her demeanor and movements were very gentle. However, from the fact that she never even glanced at Lan Zhaorong and the others, it was not difficult to tell that she was not someone who was easy to get along with.
Concubine Qing Gui also sneered in her heart.
In the past, they both addressed each other by their nicknames, and she thought it was a symbol of their good relationship. But now it seems that it was just her wishful thinking.
Cheng Yunmeng finally waited for the moment when Concubine Rou turned around, but the other party had already started chatting with Concubine Qing. She did not dare to interrupt, so she could only stand there awkwardly, carefully waiting for the right opportunity.
Jiang Huaian wanted to howl, but Concubine Rou Gui gave him a cold look and he immediately stopped talking.
A maid came forward and served hot tea to Concubine Qing. Concubine Qing picked up the teacup and took a sip slowly. Then she smiled and said, "Today, a maid went to Lan Zhaorong's courtyard to invite someone in my name, and Lan Zhaorong brought the maid to my palace to pay a visit."
Concubine Rou Gui's eyebrows twitched, and she knew that the truth had been exposed, but she quickly adjusted her expression.
"I did send someone to Lan Zhaorong's courtyard today to invite my sister to Liuhua Palace for a talk. If Yu Shi was talking about someone I sent, I think it was because I always mentioned my sister's name in my daily life that she blurted it out."
Concubine Qing smiled and said, "Sister, I can understand that. But she might have been so frightened that she forgot to tell the truth. When she wanted to tell it, the maids in your palace had already..."
She did not elaborate on the rest of the words. She just waved to Zitang, and someone carried the unconscious Miaoxi in and threw her to the side of the hall.
Concubine Rou Gui's breathing stagnated, and she felt a surge of anger in her heart.
Although Miao Xi was only a small maid in her palace, she represented the reputation of Liuhua Palace when she went out on missions. Now, she was beaten to death and thrown into the corner like a pile of rotten mud...
Concubine Rou felt as if her face had been slapped, and it was burning.
But she was used to hiding her emotions: "This man can even confuse his own master. He deserves a lesson."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the three people still standing in front of him: "How come I haven't seen you perform the salute even after entering the palace for such a long time?"
The intention of anger was too obvious. Lan Zhaorong shrank back and hurriedly took the two children to complete the etiquette.
Concubine Rou Gui said "hmm" in a long tone, and fiddled with her slender white fingers nonchalantly: "It's okay for the two little princes, but Lan Zhaorong disregarded the etiquette of the palace and violated it knowingly. Slap her in the face."
This sudden change made Lan Zhaorong unable to react for a moment. She just stared blankly at the palace maid who slowly walked forward under the instructions of Concubine Rou Gui.
Seeing this, Jiang Huaian, who had been quiet for a while, no longer cared about the pain caused by the beating. He raised his upper body from the couch and looked in the direction of Jiang Xingran with a slightly evil look on his face.
"Hahahahahaha, Jiang Xingran, all the suffering your mother endured today was caused by you!"
Who told you not to directly admit the crime yesterday? If you had admitted it earlier, wouldn't this happen today?
Jiang Huaian's face was filled with hatred. Concubine Rou Gui looked at her good-for-nothing son and had to suppress the impatience in her eyes.
Emperor Mingze seldom lingered in the harem, and she only had this one son, so her hope of becoming the heir could only fall on him. Even if she disliked him, she had to endure it.
Concubine Rou turned her head and looked at Concubine Qing beside her, and she regained her previous gentle demeanor: "Huai'an was punished by His Majesty yesterday because of a misunderstanding when he went out to play, but His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince who was present did not defend Huai'an at all."
"When a child at home is bullied outside, the mother wants to vent her anger on behalf of the child. Yu Shi, this is understandable, right?"
She seemed to be certain that Concubine Qing would definitely stand on her side and cover up for her.
Seeing that the other party was unwilling to even hide his intention of revenge, Concubine Qing raised her lips slightly and replied gently, "Sister, of course, I won't mind."
How could she mind?
As long as you——
Able to withstand your majesty's anger.