Perhaps it was due to the late autumn, each day growing colder than the last. Light, gauzy silks were no longer commonly worn in the palace, even in December. Laying had changed into a brocade gown, dark blue with swirling cloud patterns. Though not the finest, the color was one that would please the Emperor.
Laying, accompanied by her two maids, Apricot and Peach, headed toward the Dowager Empress’s Huici Palace. They had also accompanied her there the previous day.
The long palace walls seemed endless.
As they neared the Huici Palace, from a distance they saw Consort Xian leading several minor consorts approaching from the same direction.
As merely a Noble Lady, Laying naturally had to bow: “This concubine greets Consort Xian.”
She curtsied, but Consort Xian merely raised her eyebrows, scrutinizing her without telling her to rise. Laying noticed that the women behind Consort Xian covered their mouths with handkerchiefs, their expressions betraying amusement.
Even Lady Zhou laughed aloud.
“My, who do we have here? It’s actually Noble Lady Shen. After seducing the Emperor, you rush to Huici Palace to flatter the Dowager. Truly a lowborn wretch.” Although beautiful and seemingly dignified, Consort Xian’s nature was far from noble.
Even ordinary palace women would not utter such vulgar words.
But someone even more shameless than her followed suit. Lady Zhou chimed in: “Indeed, as Consort Xian says. Yet there are those who don’t know their place, thinking they can win favor with their fox-like seductive looks. In this palace, anyone with a shred of decorum would never behave so improperly.”
She finished smugly staring at Shen Laying.
Laying raised her head with a smile, her tone calm: “Isn’t there supposed to be decorum in the palace?”
Lady Zhou didn’t catch on immediately, but noticing others glancing at her, she suddenly realized Noble Lady Shen was mocking her. After all, her rank was lower than Shen’s, and despite that, she hadn’t even offered a proper greeting.
Still smirking mockingly, she said: “We are all modest women, waiting properly for the Emperor’s summons. We certainly wouldn’t stoop to such flattery.”
Laying’s legs had gone numb from kneeling too long, but she still maintained proper decorum: “A woman’s duty is to regard her husband as her heaven. As long as my lord is pleased, this concubine is naturally willing to do anything.”
She certainly didn’t back down verbally.
Apricot and Peach, kneeling behind their mistress, couldn’t understand her intentions. Consort Xian and the others were clearly looking for trouble. Their mistress still remained so composed, fearing they might suffer today.
Hearing this, Consort Xian flew into a rage and slapped Laying directly across the face.
“Slap!” Laying fell to the ground.
“Your Ladyship…” Apricot and Peach rushed forward to support Shen Laying.
Laying still refused to back down, lifting her head defiantly: “May I ask why Consort Xian has punished this concubine? Do you believe my previous words were wrong?”
Consort Xian hadn’t expected Shen Laying to confront her like this, fueling her hatred even more.
“You shameless flirt, only draining the Emperor’s vitality. I wouldn’t be teaching you a lesson today if you didn’t need to learn palace decorum. Lady Zhou, go and strike her.”
Consort Xian deliberately humiliated Shen Laying by ordering Lady Zhou to punish her.
Didn’t Shen Laying just look down on Lady Zhou? Now Zhou would get her revenge.
Hearing this, Lady Zhou became even more emboldened, raising her eyebrows triumphantly.
She sneered: “Noble Lady Shen, one mustn’t provoke the anger of the masses.”
“Slap.” Another slap landed.
“Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship… Consort Xian, please spare our mistress. She’s newly entered the palace and doesn’t understand the palace rules. Please, have mercy…” Apricot supported Shen Laying while Peach knelt before Consort Xian, kowtowing desperately.
Consort Xian laughed coldly: “It seems not only is Noble Lady Shen ignorant, but her maid is equally clueless. Separate them. Colorful Banner, go and discipline these two servants.”
Colorful Banner, Consort Xian’s senior maid, immediately slapped them without hesitation. Having been by Consort Xian’s side for long, she naturally shared her mistress’s domineering nature.
“Lady Zhou, continue disciplining her,” Consort Xian ordered bluntly.
“Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship…” Before they could strike again, red spots suddenly appeared all over Shen Laying’s face and arms. Combined with the two slaps she’d already received, her cheeks were severely swollen.
Apricot turned around, crying loudly: “Consort Xian, Lady Zhou, even if our mistress has erred, surely you cannot treat her this way…” Her sobs grew louder.
The consorts following Consort Xian also felt alarmed at Shen Laying’s sudden condition.
Perhaps the commotion had grown too loud. Dowager Empress’s maid, Matron Gui, approached with several attendants.
Seeing Matron Gui from afar, Apricot and Peach kowtowed even more desperately before Consort Xian, their voices growing louder.
Consort Xian, furious: “Colorful Banner, gag these two servants. I won’t have them spreading lies.”
Matron Gui, accompanied by several palace maids from Huici Palace, approached and respectfully kowtowed to the assembled consorts.
“Humble servant greets Consort Xian and all noble ladies. The Dowager Empress has summoned Noble Lady Shen to play chess. As she has not arrived, humble servant came to check.”
In just a few words, Matron Gui clarified the situation regarding Shen Laying.
“Your Ladyship…” Shen Laying suddenly fainted. Apricot cried out in alarm.
The scene immediately became chaotic. Matron Gui didn’t inquire about Shen Laying’s supposed offenses from Consort Xian—such questions were beyond a servant’s place—but quickly ordered Shen Laying’s transfer to the Dowager Empress’s Huici Palace.
“Since the Dowager Empress has sent humble servant to find Noble Lady Shen, even if she were a corpse, humble servant must carry her to Huici Palace.” Her tone remained calm.
Consort Xian naturally wouldn’t allow Shen Laying to explain herself freely. She quickly followed, though somewhat apprehensive. Still, she believed as a consort, disciplining a minor noble lady was perfectly justified.
Shen Laying was carried into the Dowager Empress’s Huici Palace.
Seeing her condition, the Dowager Empress was startled. Both sides of her previously fair face were swollen, clear handprints still visible. Other body parts showed red spots.
Without asking further, before Consort Xian could explain, the Dowager Empress shot her a sharp glance. No matter how domineering, Consort Xian still feared the Dowager Empress and immediately fell silent.
Soon after, Imperial Physician Wan arrived from the Imperial Medical Bureau. Elderly and experienced, he and Imperial Physician Xu had long served the Dowager Empress, who usually summoned these two.
Today, it happened to be Imperial Physician Wan.
Hearing of Noble Lady Shen’s injuries, he carefully took her pulse, looking somewhat troubled afterward.
The Dowager Empress glanced at Consort Xian coldly: “Speak freely. With this old woman here, are you afraid someone will retaliate against you?”
“Humble servant dares not. The facial injuries seem to be from physical strikes, nothing serious. However, these red spots cover her hands and neck. I suspect they also cover her body. Boldly guessing, Noble Lady Shen’s condition likely resulted from flower pollen. Years ago, exotic flowers were popular, and people often ground them into pollen. Contact with it would cause symptoms like Noble Lady Shen’s. However, these exotic flowers were banned during the previous Emperor’s reign.”
The Dowager Empress regarded the kneeling attendants with a gentle smile. Suddenly, Consort Xian thought of the Emperor. As mother and son, the Dowager Empress and Emperor naturally resembled each other.
“His Majesty approaches…” The Emperor had heard of the incident after court and arrived without delay.
The Huici Palace was unusually quiet.
“Your son greets Mother.”
“Your humble concubines greet the Emperor.” Everyone kowtowed.
The Emperor didn’t ask them to rise, instead turning toward the Dowager Empress with a warm smile: “I heard something happened here. I hope it hasn’t disturbed Mother’s rest?”
The Dowager Empress’s smile now differed from before, her eyes showing warmth.
“Report to the Dowager Empress, Noble Lady Shen has awakened.”
Laying stirred groggily, somewhat confused about why she was lying here.
Emperor Jing entered the inner chamber, seeing the once beautiful woman now looking quite alarming.
“What happened?” He showed no disdain, instead supporting her.
Laying didn’t exaggerate, merely flatly recounting the incident. However, she remained unaware of the cause of her red rashes. Suddenly realizing the Emperor had seen her in this state, she gasped.
“Don’t look at me. Not now. Wait until I recover. I look so ugly now.”
Seeing her acting so girlishly, Emperor Jing smiled, patting her through the covers.
“Rest first.”
Consort Xian and others knelt outside, growing increasingly anxious as the Emperor remained in the inner chamber for a long time.
Seeing the Emperor appear, she raised her head with obvious grievance, resembling a weeping beauty. From time to time, she cast glances at the Emperor, her expression somewhat coquettish.
“Consort Xian, Noble Lady Shen claims she did nothing wrong, yet you punished her. Is this true?” He played with the chess pieces on the table, while the Dowager Empress remained silent like a meditating monk.
Consort Xian secretly cursed the “harlot” in her heart while pretending to be aggrieved: “Your Majesty, Noble Lady Shen is lying. I disciplined her for her insolent remarks. All the sisters present witnessed it. They must testify on my behalf. Otherwise, I am grievously wronged.” She burst into bitter tears.
Though crying, she didn’t wail loudly, instead resembling a weeping willow, occasionally glancing at the Emperor with seductive charm.
However, the Emperor remained unmoved, merely uttering an “Oh.”
Seeing Consort Xian like this, the other ladies also chimed in, supporting her account.
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