In a remote rockery in the palace, a crisp sound of a slap echoed.
"Your Highness, calm your anger. This humble maid is guilty!"
A delicate-looking maid knelt down on the sharp gravel with a thud. Her pale face showed a hint of fear and uneasiness.
"What a great opportunity! With that stupid Xu woman taking the blame in front, how could you still mess things up?"
Hidden in the gloomy rockery, a cold female voice rang out, filled with intense anger.
"You can't even deal with a weak woman who can't even bind a chicken. You're nothing but useless trash!"
The maid's body trembled slightly. She prostrated herself on the ground, seemingly oblivious to the pain in her knees. Her voice quivered as she said,
"It's this maid's incompetence. Please, Your Highness, calm your anger. Next time..."
"Idiot!"
A cold rebuke came from above. The maid's body trembled imperceptibly.
"Do you think you haven't died fast enough? Or do you think the three clans of the Xu family are too lonely on their way to the underworld and you can't wait to accompany them?"
"This maid is stupid! This maid deserves to die! Please, Your Highness, calm your anger and forgive this maid just this once!"
"This maid knows her mistake. May Your Highness show mercy and enlighten this maid. What should we do next?"
The woman in the darkness narrowed her eyes coldly. Her tone was filled with a sense of frustrated fury.
"The tyrant is already suspicious. Send a message to everyone to keep quiet recently. Don't stick your necks out and cause trouble. If you lose your lives then, it'll be your own fault!"
"Yes, this maid understands."
"Also, send a message to... those in Jiangzhou to stop their actions and clean up the mess as soon as possible. Leave no trace behind. Then move to Liangzhou..."
Cuckoo - Cuckoo -
The gravel in the rockery rolled quietly twice. After a burst of bird calls, everything returned to calm.
---
The Queen Mother was ill this time!
The cold and high fever in the scorching summer added a sense of unbearable unease and restlessness.
The physical pain, along with the helplessness and anger from a series of setbacks, made the Queen Mother's temper even more irritable.
The maids serving in the Yaotai Jinfeng, especially Zhiju, were having a really hard time!
Not to mention the delicate and noble concubines like the Imperial Concubine Shu.
Although it sounds good to serve the sick, in fact, the concubines don't really need to take care of the patient personally.
Firstly, the concubines come from noble families. They've been served since childhood and are not used to serving others.
Secondly, even if they could serve, the elder would not be willing.
Compared to the maids she's used to, the Queen Mother obviously doesn't want clumsy concubines to serve her.
Especially after symbolically accepting the tea, water, and medicine brought by a few concubines, she couldn't help but...
She couldn't help but overturn things several times. After that, all the concubines who came to the Yaotai Jinfeng to serve the sick were sent to copy Buddhist scriptures!
Unfortunately, the Queen Mother was seriously and repeatedly ill. She didn't get better for a long time. So these concubines had to copy scriptures from morning till night!
They were all precious ladies. How could they endure such torture?
After copying once or twice, their fair and slender wrists would be swollen, red, and extremely painful.
After two or three days, not only did the other concubines complain, but even the Imperial Concubine Shu couldn't stand it and started to grumble about the Queen Mother.
The last time they served the sick, the Queen Mother wasn't like this.
Why did she become like a shrew in such a short time?
If it was because of the recent series of failures, but the things had already happened. Angry outbursts from incompetence couldn't solve any problems, could they?
The private complaints among the concubines were increasing. The Imperial Concubine Shu always felt that if things continued like this...
The Queen Mother had experienced a lot of ups and downs. How could she be so hard to describe?
The Imperial Concubine Shu felt uneasy in her heart. She always felt that the Ning family's bet on this political stance might be wrong...
"Sister Imperial Concubine Shu, the Queen Mother is so irritable during her illness. It might not be conducive to her recovery. Sister, what do you think we concubines should do to serve the sick?"
"Yes, it's a small thing for us concubines to copy scriptures. The big thing is that the Queen Mother hasn't recovered yet. Sister Imperial Concubine Shu, why don't you go and ask the Queen Mother for some advice? We really care about the Queen Mother's well-being!"
"Please, Sister Imperial Concubine Shu, have mercy on us sisters. If the Queen Mother doesn't get better soon, we sisters and you won't be able to get away with it, right?
Sister is the Queen Mother's favorite. You should care more about the Queen Mother. With you around, we sisters will have a backbone!"
"..."
The Imperial Concubine Shu listened to the flattering voices around her. There was a hint of embarrassment and self - deprecation on her face, but she was even more angry in her heart.
These bitches sounded nice, but in fact, weren't they just trying to coax her to take risks in front of the Queen Mother?
The Queen Mother might give her some face, but that was when she was healthy and everything was going smoothly.
Now, the sick Queen Mother was suspicious and irritable. Why should she go and look for trouble?
Looking at these equally pale and haggard faces, she couldn't help but think of Ling Shan, who was enjoying herself in the Jiuzhou Qingyan.
The difference between people was so great.
They, these noble ladies from aristocratic families, were tortured beyond recognition while serving the sick, while that woman, who was just a humble maid, was full of favor.
Such a strong contrast, how could they not mind and not be jealous?
At first, the Imperial Concubine Shu didn't agree immediately. It was only after the concubines promised her some benefits that she walked into the inner palace with an air of sisterly affection.
Unexpectedly, the Queen Mother seemed to be in a great mood today. As soon as she saw the Imperial Concubine Shu, she smiled kindly.
"Yin'er, come here and let Aijia have a look."
The Imperial Concubine Shu was puzzled in her heart, but on her face, she appropriately showed a look of overjoyed surprise. She let the Queen Mother hold her hands as if they were very intimate.
"You must be exhausted from serving the sick these days. Look at how thin your little face has become. Aijia is much better today. Later, take some bird's nest and other tonics back and replenish your body well. Come and talk to Aijia another day."
"Yin'er isn't tired. As long as Yin'er can see the Queen Mother recover, Yin'er will only be happy. It's Yin'er's fortune to be able to accompany the Queen Mother."
"Good child. You've suffered."
The Queen Mother's tone was gentle. She patted the Imperial Concubine Shu's hand with a smile.
She was talking about things from the birthday banquet to these days. The Imperial Concubine Shu's eyes immediately turned red.
"Queen Mother..."
"Good child. Aijia remembers all the grievances you've suffered. Aijia won't forget..."
The imperial doctor in the Yaotai Jinfeng finally let out a sigh of relief, but Doctor Chang in the Jiuzhou Qingyan was extremely worried.
There was only one reason. Early in the morning, the Noble Consort Zhao, who was the apple of the Emperor's eye, suddenly fainted.
It not only scared Jun Wuyuan but also Doctor Chang.
Carrying his medicine box and sweating profusely, Doctor Chang rushed over. As soon as he felt the patient's pulse, he was stunned.
This pulse...
Doctor Chang couldn't help but frown slightly.
Strange!
It was the first time in his life that he had felt such a strange pulse, especially with those deep eyes staring at him "menacingly" on one side...