Jun Wuyuan frowned unhappily.
What on earth was that old hag up to now? She had just recovered from her illness and couldn't even stay still to rest!
Ling Shan caught a glimpse of the real anger and complaint in Jun Wuyuan's heart, and a glint flashed in her eyes.
Wasn't this the good show she had been waiting for?
"Your Majesty?"
Liang Jiusi, who had been waiting outside the hall for a long time without a reply, was feeling miserable. He summoned up his courage and called out again.
[Keep urging! Don't they know I'm with Shan Shan? What important business could that old hag possibly have? A bunch of blind fools!]
Ling Shan: "..."
"Get out!"
The more Jun Wuyuan thought about it, the angrier he got. He had already been full of pent - up anger and frustration because of Ling Shan's unknown pulse condition, and was just looking for a place to vent.
Who would have thought that someone from the Yao Tai Jin Feng would come?
Wasn't this just asking for a scolding?
Liang Jiusi thought to himself: Just as I expected.
At this moment, how could His Majesty have the time or the mood to deal with others?
Moreover, it was someone from the Yao Tai Jin Feng. How unlucky!
Zhi Ju's face turned deathly pale. Startled by the emperor's cold shout, she knelt down with a thud and her body began to tremble.
Get out?
Where should she go?
Before coming, the Empress Dowager had repeatedly instructed that she must invite Consort Zhao to the Yao Tai Jin Feng today.
If she couldn't even manage to request an audience, how could she talk about inviting anyone back?
Zhi Ju didn't even need to think to know what would happen to her when she returned.
In order to survive, she shouted out before Liang Jiusi could drive her away:
"Your Majesty, Consort Zhao. This slave is guilty. The Empress Dowager has just recovered from her illness and is concerned about Your Majesty and the Consort. Please show mercy, Your Majesty, and allow this slave to convey the Empress Dowager's oral edict."
Liang Jiusi felt a chill down his back: It's over!
Thinking of His Majesty's dark face, he couldn't help but glare angrily at the audacious little maid kneeling in front of him.
Sure enough, the next moment.
Jun Wuyuan's face darkened. As soon as he opened the door, his gloomy eyes first landed on Liang Jiusi.
Liang Jiusi's heart skipped a beat. He was so miserable.
He really hadn't expected this.
It was just a little bit, just a tiny bit!
And this little girl had managed to shout out first!
If he had known earlier, he shouldn't have been so polite to the dog beside the Empress Dowager!
He had miscalculated. Now he had to bear His Majesty's thunderous anger!
This damned maid!
"Raise your head."
Zhi Ju had lost all color in her face. She had been forced to take a risky move just now in a moment of desperation.
But after really getting the emperor's attention, she only then realized that her back was ice - cold, and her whole body felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar.
Her teeth chattering slightly, Zhi Ju raised her head, showing a bloodless face. Her eyes were fixed on the hem of the dragon robe, not daring to look directly at the emperor's face.
"You're quite bold and loyal."
Jun Wuyuan's eyes were full of cold hostility. The killing intent, so thick that he didn't even bother to hide it, shot out like sharp cold rays towards the pale - faced maid.
Zhi Ju was immediately so frightened that she prostrated herself on the ground again, her voice trembling:
"Forgive this slave, Your Majesty. Please calm your anger. This slave... this slave was ordered by the Empress Dowager to invite Consort Zhao. This slave..."
"What do you think you are?"
And what was that old hag?
For some reason, in the midst of extreme fear, Zhi Ju still had the presence of mind to ponder the emperor's tone...
It seemed that he wasn't just scolding her.
She was just a little maid. How could she possibly be worthy of the emperor's notice?
The one who wasn't "anything" might be...
A flash of panic and a hint of malicious pleasure crossed Zhi Ju's eyes. She lowered her body even more.
"Come, drag this maid out and give her..."
Jun Wuyuan originally wanted to say "beat to death with sticks" as he usually did, but for some reason, the words changed on his lips, and he said instead:
"Drag her out and give her thirty strokes of the rod!"
Zhi Ju's lips turned pale and trembled, but she didn't dare to make a sound.
Just the crime of being disrespectful in the presence of the emperor was enough to cost her life, but in the end, she was only going to be beaten with a rod.
Even though thirty strokes of the rod would probably leave a woman either dead or seriously injured, there was still a glimmer of hope for her to survive, wasn't there?
Inside the room, Ling Shan's eyes were fixed on the sunlight shining through the window lattice, motionless for a long time.
Her face was calm, looking perfectly normal, but only she knew.
At this moment, her heart was far from calm.
[Kill less, do more good deeds. May the heavens bless my Shan Shan with good fortune, longevity, and peace.]
It was as if a light yet heavy feather had fallen on the lake of her heart, creating ripples that lingered for a long time.
Ling Shan closed her eyes, and her thick and long eyelashes fluttered slightly.
---
At the Yao Tai Jin Feng.
Ling Shan still left the palace. With Xiaoman, whom Jun Wuyuan had reluctantly agreed to let accompany her after much persuasion, and Banchun, she came to see the Empress Dowager.
"This slave pays respects to Consort Zhao. May the Consort be in good health."
One after another, the voices of salutation rang out. As soon as Ling Shan reached the palace gate, she was welcomed in by Nanny Dou, who was still injured.
As soon as she entered the inner palace, a strong smell of medicine that had not yet dissipated assailed her nostrils.
Ling Shan frowned and didn't hesitate to take out a silk handkerchief to cover her nose and block the smell.
Nanny Dou's face stiffened.
Seeing this, she felt that the wound on her back was hurting even more. She secretly resented Ling Shan in her heart.
The Empress Dowager was wearing a headband. Her figure seemed much thinner, and the flesh on both sides of her cheeks had shrunk.
Her already mean - looking face now seemed even more sinister.
"This subject pays respects to the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager be in good health."
Hearing the delicate and youthful voice, the Empress Dowager opened her closed eyes but didn't immediately tell Ling Shan to rise.
Instead, she fixed her cloudy but menacing eyes on Ling Shan, the sharp coldness in them filled with a chilling killing intent.
Ling Shan didn't seem to care. After waiting for a moment, she stood up straight, smiling.
"The Empress Dowager looks in excellent spirits today. It seems that you've truly recovered. This subject and His Majesty can finally rest easy."
The Empress Dowager's eyes turned cold: "The emperor and Consort Zhao are so considerate. Offer a seat."
Ling Shan smiled gracefully and thanked the Empress Dowager. She sat on the embroidered stool not far from the couch, looking extremely well - behaved.
But the Empress Dowager caught a glimpse of the rebelliousness and fearlessness hidden deep in those lively and clear almond - shaped eyes.
"Nanny Dou, take the others and withdraw. I have something private to tell Consort Zhao."
Nanny Dou curtsied and withdrew, but Banchun and Xiaoman remained motionless.
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager lifted her eyelids slightly and gave them a half - smiling look before her eyes landed on Ling Shan.
"Consort Zhao?"
Ling Shan smiled and said, "You two may withdraw. It's fine. The Empress Dowager has always been kind to the younger generation. Maybe she has something nice for me."
Banchun and Xiaoman hesitated for a moment and then quickly curtsied and withdrew.
"Consort Zhao has really managed to get two loyal dogs. You've grown capable."
One of the maids, if she wasn't mistaken, was a senior maid in the emperor's presence.
That ungrateful Jun Wuyuan was really generous.
The Empress Dowager sneered disdainfully.
"This subject's humble tricks are not worthy of the Empress Dowager's description of 'raising dogs'."
Ling Shan curled her lips and implied: "This dog, though, can bite."