Who else in the palace could wear such a golden dragon robe but the Emperor? Only then did Shen Mingshu realize that the Emperor had overheard her words. She was immediately flustered and knelt down hastily, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I spoke without thinking and did not know that Your Majesty was present. That is why I spoke so recklessly..."
"If I weren't here, would you be able to speak so arrogantly to Consort Ming?"
Jiang Wang scoffed lightly, stepped forward and glanced at Shen Mingzhuang, who had already stood up. "Why has Your Majesty come here?"
"If I hadn't come, I wouldn't have known that there was such a formidable woman in the palace, daring to defy her superiors and sow discord. I wonder if she was just as arrogant and domineering in her own residence?"
Looking at Jiang Wang's expression, Shen Mingzhuang didn't believe he really didn't know. Given Jiang Wang's affection for her, his spies must have already told him about her affairs at the Shen residence, which was why he brought her to the palace ahead of time.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but smile, a hint of warmth spreading across her face, and she said in a drawn-out, coquettish voice, "Your Majesty!"
She knew that Jiang Wang couldn't stand seeing her suffer any injustice. If she didn't speak up, Shen Mingshu probably wouldn't be able to leave Hehuan Palace alive today.
Even if Shen Mingshu deserved to die, she shouldn't have died in the Hehuan Palace. At this moment, she was the Empress Dowager's person, while she was Jiang Wang's person. If she were to put Jiang Wang in a passive position for the sake of an unimportant Shen Mingshu, she felt it wouldn't be worth it.
"Since my beloved concubine has spoken, I will spare her life. However, even if Sizhui escapes punishment, she will not escape punishment. Miss Shen, you have committed insubordination and spoken out of turn. You shall be given twenty strokes of the cane and sent back to Cixi Palace."
It was only twenty strokes of the cane. Since Jiang Wang had said so, he certainly wouldn't kill the person, so she didn't stop him anymore. This also served as a warning to the Empress Dowager that it was best not to act recklessly.
Hearing the wails coming from behind the artificial rockery screen, Shen Mingrong and the others couldn't help but gasp. It seemed that the Third Miss's marriage would be even more difficult in the future. Every word of the Emperor's reprimand could ruin Shen Mingshu's marriage prospects.
Shen Ming'e was even more astonished, her face full of disbelief. Seeing this, Shen Mingxi dared not step forward to risk trouble, but she could not ignore the Empress Dowager's words. She knelt on the ground and said, "Your Highness Consort Ming, the Empress Dowager asked us to convey a message that Consort Ming in the palace has a noble status and is above the Empress. The Empress Dowager is now ill and requests Your Highness to come and attend to her."
Jiang Wang's face darkened, and he was about to speak when Shen Mingzhuang squeezed his palm. She shook her head, turned to Shen Mingxi and said, "Go and tell the Empress Dowager that I'll pack up and head over."
Seeing this, Shen Mingrong and Shen Ming'e decided not to stay any longer and got up to say goodbye.
Clearly, it remains to be seen whether the Empress Dowager is truly ill. When they left Cining Palace, she was sitting on her high seat, looking energetic and showing no signs of illness whatsoever.
Once everyone in the hall had left, Shen Mingzhuang stepped forward, put his arm around Jiang Wang's arm, and smiled with his small face upturned, saying, "Don't be like that. Anyway, I didn't lose any weight just because they said a few words."
Seeing that Jiang Wang still had a sullen face, she laughed even more happily, shaking his arm and saying, "I know you're doing this because you care about me, but the Empress Dowager is an elder after all. If I don't go, it will put you in a position of being unfilial, and the Empress Dowager will definitely use this to attack you. Don't worry, I have my own way."
Looking at the cunning in her eyes, Jiang Wang felt a tingling sensation in his heart, and then smiled and agreed, "If you are upset in Cining Palace, just come back. I have my own way of dealing with her."
Shen Mingzhuang nodded and made his assurances repeatedly.
Jiang Wang took a deep breath and pulled her into his arms, feeling a little melancholy. If his mother were still alive, she might be able to protect this girl for him, but now he had almost no one he could rely on in the harem. If something happened to her, he probably wouldn't be able to find out immediately even in the front hall.
Thinking about these things, he felt a little upset. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. He fiddled with the jade ring on his thumb, lost in thought.
Inside Cixi Palace, Zhao Shi hadn't left yet. Seeing Shen Mingxi return with Shen Mingrong and Shen Ming'e, she was somewhat surprised. "Where's Ming Shu?"
Shen Mingxi looked grim, and the other two weren't much better off.
After all, no one expected to see the Emperor in the Hehuan Palace today, and the Emperor even punished Shen Mingshu, the third sister who came from the same household as the ninth sister.
Although Shen Mingshu deserved her punishment, everyone still felt a sense of unease, as if their fates were intertwined. Shen Ming'e, on the other hand, felt a sense of relief, secretly glad that the Emperor hadn't overheard her words.
Such a thing could not be concealed. Shen Mingxi stepped forward and explained what had happened. Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's expression changed drastically.
"He beat my people without warning. Who will dare to pass on messages to the palaces next time?!" With that, he stood up and ordered the imperial carriage to move to the Hehuan Palace.
Song Jingxi, who was drowning her sorrows in wine at Fengqi Palace, also received this news.
Seeing her like this, the personal maid remembered the Empress Dowager's instructions and boldly stepped forward to advise her: "Your Highness, if you continue like this, you will only make your loved ones suffer and your enemies rejoice. The Empress Dowager's hopes are all placed on Your Highness. If Your Highness stays at home, wouldn't that benefit that person in the Hehuan Palace?"
Upon hearing this, Song Jingxi sneered. In the past, when had she not tried to curry favor with him? Had Jiang Wang ever even glanced at her? No, not only had he not looked at her, but he had also trampled her into the mud!
Thinking of those times she had been pleasured, her fingernails dug into her palms.
No matter what she does, she can't win Jiang Wang's favor, so why bother making things difficult for herself? If the Empress Dowager wants to fight Jiang Wang, let her go by herself, just don't drag her into it.
Hehuan Hall.
Shen Mingzhuang had just finished tidying up and was about to go to Cixi Palace when he heard that the Empress Dowager had arrived. He was taken aback. Could the Empress Dowager's sudden visit to Hehuan Palace be for Shen Mingshu?
Insubordination is a capital offense, but it only warrants twenty strokes of the cane. Even if the censor wanted to impeach her, he wouldn't be able to find a problem. The Empress Dowager's haste must be because she has heard about the whole story. How could she not know that the reason she came to teach Shen Mingshu a lesson is untenable?
Without alerting Jiang Wang, she went directly to greet the Empress Dowager and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, I was unaware of your arrival and have failed to greet you properly."
Looking at the face in front of her, Yin Rong felt it was extremely hypocritical and disgusting!
She gave a soft hum and sat down in the main seat.
When she saw the furnishings and layout of the hall, her expression changed!
When she saw the pair of red-glazed plum vases, her temples throbbed. At the beginning of the year, on her birthday, she wanted to display a few pairs of plum vases in the palace. Shuangxi came to tell her that the red-glazed plum vases from the Imperial Household Department had been missing for a long time and that she would probably have to check the furnishings of each palace to find out where they were. So it was delayed again and again, but now they were prominently displayed in the Hehuan Palace.
Unless she's senile, how could she not guess that this good emperor wants to save all the good things for the Hehuan Palace!
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