In the Yuhua Palace, even the night breeze carried a refreshing sense of freedom.
Strolling among the lush willows, one felt as if enveloped by the entire starry sky, which put one in a light - hearted mood.
However, on the shaded path, the maid Xueliu carefully supported the limping Wang Chengbi back to the Chunshan Ke Wang Courtyard.
The Virtuous Concubine had been rejected once again and suffered another humiliation. The force with which she was pinching her own hand at the moment revealed her seething anger.
Xueliu dared not voice her resentment. An inexplicable sense of unease welled up in her heart.
Judging from the Virtuous Concubine's personality and behavior, she would never let tonight's incident pass so easily.
Especially when the Virtuous Concubine had been kneeling just now, and that beautiful Chief Maid Ling Shan had even kindly sent a lantern. In the Virtuous Concubine's eyes, this was simply a great humiliation.
The Virtuous Concubine would definitely not let Chief Maid Ling Shan off!
She had done such things so many times that she was quite experienced.
In the past, Sister Cuiliu and another maid had borne the brunt, so Xueliu didn't have to face these things directly. But now, only she was left.
Xueliu knew very well that tonight would be the beginning of a turbulent storm.
The Yuhua Palace would probably never be peaceful again.
Thud!
Sure enough, as soon as they entered the Chunshan Ke Wang Courtyard, Xueliu was slapped to the ground by the Virtuous Concubine.
Caught off guard, Xueliu was knocked down and accidentally knocked over the tea tray on the table. Her vision went black.
However, Xueliu didn't dare to let out a single cry of pain. She endured the pain in her elbow and immediately knelt up straight to apologize:
"Your Ladyship, please calm down. Your humble servant is of lowly status and not worth your anger. As long as Your Ladyship is happy, your servant is willing to sacrifice her life. Please take care of your precious body."
"Take care?!"
Wang Chengbi's face was twisted with hatred as she gritted her teeth and said, "That bitch Ling Shan dared to scheme against this palace like this. After seducing His Majesty away with her pretentious act, she even had the nerve to laugh at this palace."
Her cold voice, as if she couldn't wait to tear someone to pieces, slithered into Xueliu's ears like a poisonous snake.
"She's just a lowly maid who dares to bewitch the lord. A mere ant, overestimating herself, even dares to compete with the bright moon. This palace will make her know what it's like to fall into the mire and wish she were dead."
Xueliu prostrated herself on the ground, not daring to move at all. She prayed in her heart: Please, please don't ask her to do those things...
"Xueliu, crawl over here."
It was over.
The first thought that flashed through Xueliu's mind was that she was doomed. How could the Virtuous Concubine let her off?
Just like Sister Cuiliu and the other maid, even though they had been loyal servants of the Virtuous Concubine since childhood.
In the eyes of the noble Virtuous Concubine, they were just pawns that could be discarded at any time.
But why?
Xueliu didn't have any great ambitions. She didn't want to do evil with blood on her hands and then be treated like a stepping - stone and lose her life.
"This palace has a task for you. If you do it well, this palace will surely reward you, and your family outside the palace will also be taken care of. If you fail..."
The smiling yet cold threat sounded. Xueliu concealed her thoughts and quickly knelt down respectfully and said:
"Your Ladyship, please rest assured. Your servant will do her best to relieve your Ladyship's worries and will surely not disappoint you."
"Good. This palace wants you..."
The cold and venomous voice was lowered and slowly spread in the silent night. The thick darkness covered all the sins.
—
On the first day she arrived at the palace, Ling Shan had a good sleep.
As for Jun Wuyuan, he didn't return to the palace all night. When Ling Shan woke up the next day, she heard that the candles in the front hall had been lit all night, and the ministers didn't leave until before dawn.
After learning this, Ling Shan washed up and then went to the small kitchen to prepare nourishing food.
Her cooking skills were not very good, at least not as good as the imperial chefs', but she was ingenious and came up with many different dishes.
Most importantly, she knew Jun Wuyuan's taste like the back of her hand.
She was confident that no one in the world knew Jun Wuyuan better than she did.
After nearly half an hour of hard work, Ling Shan carried a delicious and stomach - nourishing breakfast to the front hall.
Judging from last night's situation, something extraordinary must have happened in the court.
Taking a bold guess, it might even be related to the Queen Mother's faction.
If it was really related to the Queen Mother's faction, then she had to speed up her plan to deal with the Virtuous Concubine.
Only in this way could she solve the problem once and for all.
Otherwise, with the power of the Queen Mother's faction, if the court was peaceful, the Virtuous Concubine might get away with even the greatest mistakes.
Ling Shan didn't like it when she made an effort and the Virtuous Concubine still lived a glamorous life. That simply wouldn't do.
Liang Jiusi in the front hall's eyes lit up when he saw Ling Shan's figure. He quickly waved his whisk and welcomed her.
"Miss Ling Shan is here? His Majesty has just finished his work. You're really considerate, miss. His Majesty is hungry and waiting."
"Thank you, eunuch. I've also prepared breakfast for you all. I'll serve His Majesty here."
Liang Jiusi had stayed up all night, and his old body was really worn out.
After greeting Ling Shan, he went to the servants' quarters for breakfast.
As the most trusted servant in front of the emperor, Liang Jiusi was naturally qualified to have a separate room. The young eunuch had already set the meals on the table.
What Liang Jiusi didn't expect was that besides the food, there was actually a medicine pack to relieve fatigue.
Liang Jiusi held it in his hand and felt a complex mix of emotions.
Thanks to Miss Ling Shan's thoughtfulness. He had even guarded against and excluded her behind her back before.
He really deserved a beating.
Completely unaware of this, Ling Shan carried the food box in and approached very quietly.
Jun Wuyuan seemed very tired. He was reclining in the armchair with his eyes closed, resting.
Ling Shan held her breath and accidentally heard the news about last night's big event.
Sure enough, as she had expected, the Queen Mother's faction was too powerful and had caused trouble in the court.
It seemed that Jun Wuyuan had prepared a lot secretly.
This made her feel more at ease.
"Shanshan?"
A look of worry appeared in Ling Shan's eyes. She put down the food box, stepped closer, and softly replied:
"Your Majesty, it's me."
Jun Wuyuan didn't open his eyes. First, a fresh and rich fragrance wafted into his nose, which just right dispelled the tiredness from his body.
"A newly - prepared spice?" Jun Wuyuan's lips curled up.
[It's only been one night since we last saw each other, and she even specially prepared a soothing incense to see me. Tut (proud)]
Ling Shan: "..."
"Yes."
Ling Shan stood behind Jun Wuyuan. She raised her fair hand and gently massaged his shoulders.
"Does Your Majesty like it?"
"Not bad."
Jun Wuyuan gave a faint grunt, as if he didn't really care.
But the curve of his lips and the smug look in his heart all proved his strong liking.
"I'm glad Your Majesty likes it."
After only massaging for a short while, Jun Wuyuan reached out and pulled her.
Ling Shan let out a startled cry, and the next moment she was sitting on the emperor's lap.
"Accompany me to the banquet tonight. There will be many people, so don't run around, Shanshan."
Ling Shan's ears turned red with shyness as she leaned against Jun Wuyuan's embrace and nodded obediently.