Chapter 166 Tong Jia Feels Frustrated, Wu Ya Suffers
Inside the main hall, the air was still and you could hear a pin drop.
Jiang Nan sat high on the phoenix throne, her gaze calmly sweeping across the area below.
After waiting for a long time, she subtly twitched her lips and suddenly spoke again.
"Zhao is triumphant."
"Your servant is here."
Zhao Deyi immediately bowed and replied.
"Send someone out to take a look."
Jiang Nan's tone was flat and indifferent.
"Look at the Emperor... Has he arrived yet? If he has, tell him that I and all my sisters have been waiting for him for a long time."
"Yes, sir."
Zhao Deyi understood immediately.
He immediately gestured to a young eunuch beside him, who quickly and silently left the hall.
Upon hearing this, Tongjia suddenly looked up, her swollen face and tearful eyes filled with disbelief.
The Empress actually dared to take the initiative to inquire whether the Emperor had come.
Isn't she afraid at all that her cousin, the emperor, will find out?
In a short while, the little eunuch returned and whispered a few words in Zhao Deyi's ear.
Zhao Deyi stepped forward again and reported clearly.
"Your Majesty, this servant has had someone check carefully. Outside the palace gates... it is completely quiet, and no imperial procession has been seen."
After hearing this, Jiang Nan simply hummed in response, her voice revealing neither disappointment nor satisfaction.
She slowly rose from her throne, her tone regaining the dignity befitting an empress.
"Since His Majesty is too busy with state affairs to come here, let's end today's audience here."
"Your Majesty, I will obey your decree."
Led by Niohuru, Tongjia and all the concubines rose and bowed in unison.
Jiang Nan said no more, took Chunlan's hand, turned around, and walked straight towards the back hall.
As soon as the Empress left, the suffocating pressure in the palace suddenly eased.
Niohuru glanced mockingly at Tongjia across from her, then got up and left.
The concubines exchanged lingering fearful glances.
They didn't even look at Tongjia, let alone dare to greet her.
They all lowered their heads, quickened their pace, and filed out as if a ferocious beast was chasing them.
In the blink of an eye, the huge main hall was soon left with only Madam Tongjia and her nanny who dared to step forward at this moment.
"Princess! Let's go back too."
The old woman hurriedly stepped forward to help her up.
Tongjia suddenly shook off her hand.
She stared venomously in the direction Jiang Nan had left, her teeth grinding together.
"Guarjia Jiangnan... I swear to the heavens that you will repay this humiliation a hundredfold!"
She spoke slowly and deliberately, her voice hoarse.
It was as if she was trying to bolster her courage, or perhaps to appear less weak and vulnerable in front of the old woman.
Seeing her so reckless, the old woman was terrified and quickly lowered her voice to advise her.
"Oh my little darling, please keep your voice down! The walls have ears! Let's go back to Chengqian Palace and discuss this further!"
Tongjia got up, no longer refusing the nanny's help, and quickly left.
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The atmosphere inside the Chengqian Palace sleeping quarters was somber and oppressive.
The old woman was carefully applying medicine to Tongjia's swollen cheeks with cotton swabs soaked in medicinal oil.
The medicated oil stung the wound, and Tongjia hissed in pain.
She abruptly pushed away the old woman's hand, her chest heaving violently, unable to contain the pent-up humiliation and anger she had been holding back.
"Granny! I can't take it anymore! If I don't get this out, I'll suffocate!"
Her eyes burned with the flames of revenge, and her voice was somewhat muffled due to the swelling and pain in her cheeks.
"Li Guiping, go immediately to the Qianqing Palace and report to the Emperor. Tell him... tell him that the Empress slapped me without cause, and I am too badly injured to get up. Let my cousin come and see how vicious this virtuous Empress really is behind the scenes."
The old woman was so frightened that her hand trembled and she almost dropped the medicine bottle. She quickly lowered her voice and advised him.
"Oh dear Princess, you mustn't! Calm down! Think about it, if the Emperor really comes, what will you say? That the Empress hit you because of the term 'cousin-in-law'? But that term is indeed against the rules in the main hall of Kunning Palace!"
Seeing the distorted expression on Tongjia's face, she spoke earnestly and patiently.
"Furthermore, the Empress's words in the hall just now completely blocked your path. She slipped, she apologized, and even made you... you admit that you fell on your own. If you go to the Emperor now and change your story, saying that the Empress did it on purpose, wouldn't that confirm your crime of slandering the Empress and spreading rumors? Wouldn't that just give the Empress an excuse to punish you again?"
"Could it be...could it be that I, the princess, was just beaten by her for nothing? And I can't even say anything?"
Tongjia was so frustrated that she trembled all over.
The old woman sighed heavily, her wrinkles deepening.
"Princess, a moment of patience will calm everything. The Empress is now very powerful, and in the end, it was you who gave her the first reason to speak out. To be blunt, with such a commotion, how could the Emperor not know anything about it? Yet the Emperor hasn't shown up, not even a single eunuch has come to inquire... Don't you understand what this means?"
She leaned closer and lowered her voice considerably.
"The Emperor is caught in the middle of this matter, and he can't take sides. It's best to just... not see it. If you go and complain now, you're forcing the Emperor to take a stand, which is putting him in a difficult position. How can the Emperor feel comfortable about that?"
Upon hearing this, Lady Tongjia was struck dumb, sitting there in a daze, her face turning deathly pale.
The old woman's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over her head, bringing her back to her senses from her angry frenzy.
Yes, cousin... he probably already knew.
But he didn't come; he chose to avoid it.
This means that, at least in this matter, her cousin doesn't intend to protect her.
"Princess, there's plenty of time in the future..."
Seeing her pale and dejected expression, the nanny comforted her with heartache.
"You are still young, and you are the Emperor's own cousin. No one can compare to your affection. For now, just bear with this and take good care of your health. There will be a time when you can hold your head high in the future."
Just then, the door to the sleeping quarters was gently pushed open.
Uya walked in lightly, her head bowed, holding a cup of freshly brewed hot tea in both hands.
She gently placed the teacup on the small table next to Tongjia and said softly.
"Princess, please have some tea."
Tongjia was immersed in immense humiliation and helplessness. Without even looking, she reached out to serve tea.
The moment her fingers touched the cup, the scalding heat made her recoil.
All the anger in my heart suddenly erupted.
Without thinking, she grabbed the teacup and splashed it on Uya's face.
He then smashed the empty teacup at her.
"You blind, lowly maid, are you trying to scald me to death? What are you up to by bringing such scalding hot tea?"
Tongjia cursed angrily, her voice sharp with emotion.
The scalding hot tea splashed all over Uya's face and head, and tea leaves stuck to her hair and clothes.
Although the teacup wasn't hit, it fell to the ground and shattered.
Although Wuya was so shocked that she trembled all over, she forced herself not to cry out and immediately knelt down on the ground.
His voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
"This servant deserves to die! Please punish me severely, Your Highness!"
Seeing this, the nanny knew that the princess was venting all her anger towards the empress on this unfortunate palace maid.
She quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, trying to let the matter drop.
"Alright, Uya, you're being too careless! Get out of here right now! The princess is in a bad mood, and you're just blind!"
Normally, Lady Tongjia would have readily agreed.
But at this moment, the pent-up frustration in her heart burned like a toxic fire against her reason.
Uya's confession and pleading for forgiveness did not appease her anger; on the contrary, it seemed more like a silent provocation.
"Step back?"
Tongjia sneered, her eyes fixed on Wuya, who was kneeling on the ground.
"You can't even handle such a small matter. What use is a piece of trash like you in Chengqian Palace? Today you dared to serve boiling tea to your master, would you dare to poison me tomorrow?"
The more she talked, the more reasonable she felt, and the violent anger in her chest desperately needed an outlet.
She turned her head sharply and shouted at Li Guiping, who had been standing with his hands at his sides.
"Li Guiping, go and fetch me a whip. If we don't teach this unruly maid a lesson today, how will Chengqian Palace maintain its decorum?"
Li Guiping was startled and quickly glanced up at Wuya, who was kneeling on the ground.
A hint of pity flashed in his eyes.
But he dared not hesitate for a moment and immediately bowed in response.
"Yes, Your Majesty! This servant will go and fetch it right away."
After saying that, he quickly left the bedchamber.
In an instant, only Tongjia's heavy breathing and the nanny's helpless sigh remained in the hall.
And Uya, kneeling on the ground.
Her humble demeanor concealed an overwhelming sense of helplessness and fear.
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I don't know whether the Tongjia clan were good people in history.
But as the emperor's cousin, would she look down on Jiang Nan's family background?
Will she spoil him/her?
Could he lose his temper and become irrational due to the humiliation he suffered?
Would he hit someone to vent his anger?
Given her status, what difference would it make if a palace maid hit her? Would she even care?
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