The cold pierced through her whole body. Dongfang Yi felt as if she were in an ice cellar.
Strange memories kept flooding into her mind. Dongfang Yi's head ached as if it were splitting, but she could only endure the pain and be forced to accept them.
She was in the Palace of Gathered Elegance, which was extremely desolate. The willow branches in front were laden with snow, on the verge of collapsing. She wasn't officially deposed as the empress or sent to the Cold Palace, but her situation was little better.
Dongfang Yi curled her lips, a look of helplessness and sarcasm on her face. It was so cold. The palace dress she was wearing was very thin, so she hugged herself tightly.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a large wooden tub not far away. The tub was full of water, and she could feel its bone - chilling cold even from a distance. Dongfang Yi was puzzled. She didn't know what she was supposed to do squatting beside it. Just then, a maid walked in.
The maid swaggered in as if no one else was around, with a pile of clothes in her arms, which seemed to be dirty laundry. She dumped them all into the wooden tub and then looked at Dongfang Yi, sneering disdainfully, "Your Majesty the Empress, would you please wash these clothes today? This servant has been doing needlework all day and is extremely tired. If you don't wash them clean... you know the consequences."
Dongfang Yi was squatting there, shivering all over. She stared at the maid intently.
She wondered what kind of person the original empress was that she, the dignified empress, had ended up in such a situation that even a low - level maid dared to bully her.
Seeing that Dongfang Yi didn't move, the maid got angry. Her willow - leaf eyebrows shot up high. "I'm talking to you! What? Are you daring to ignore me? Do you still think you're the empress who rules the harem? Let me tell you, you're nothing now! Asking you to wash my clothes is already being kind to you! Don't provoke me, or don't blame me for being rude!"
Dongfang Yi's eyes were cold and aloof.
The maid felt that Dongfang Yi was acting strangely today. It wasn't like her usual self. She was about to scold her a few more times when Dongfang Yi suddenly raised her eyes.
Her clear eyes were filled with a chilling coldness. Just being stared at by her, the maid felt an endless wave of coldness wash over her. It took her a while to regain her composure. Her face turned slightly red with shame, and she shouted angrily, "How dare you look at me like that? Who gave you the audacity!"
She quickly walked towards Dongfang Yi and lifted her right foot to kick her. Dongfang Yi had been exhausted these days and was in a weak state. The maid's kick was quite forceful. It might cause serious injuries.
But the maid didn't expect that the usually submissive Dongfang Yi would move now, and even faster. She flipped up and slapped the maid before the maid could react.
The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the vast Palace of Gathered Elegance. Dongfang Yi curled her lips coldly.
The little maid was stunned. It took her a long time to come to her senses. She shouted angrily, "How dare you hit me!"
"I'm hitting you, you slut," Dongfang Yi retracted her hand and said calmly.
She was the empress, the mother of the nation, the woman who was supposed to set an example for the world. As long as she hadn't been deposed or sent to the Cold Palace, she was the most noble woman in the harem. She would not tolerate any disrespect and would fight back!
Since she had traveled through time, how could she endure even the slightest bit of humiliation!
The little maid was actually a coward despite her bravado. She couldn't believe that the once - timid empress would fight back and call her a slut. She must be pretending. The little maid continued with a cold face, "You're being presumptuous! Don't forget your current situation! How dare you hit me? Do you believe that I'll report this to Her Highness and make your life a living hell!"
After saying that, the little maid seemed to calm down a bit. Then she said, "However, if you kneel down and kowtow to me now, maybe I'll consider not telling Her Highness."
Dongfang Yi listened and got angry.
She was angry at the original owner's cowardice and incompetence. She had allowed herself to be bullied by a servant for so long.
Thinking of this, Dongfang Yi increased the strength in her hand and slapped the little maid with all her might. She slapped her on both sides of the face, more than a dozen times before she stopped. The little maid's lips were bleeding, the red blood extremely eye - catching.
"Who is being presumptuous?" Dongfang Yi shook her painful hand and slowly sat down on a small stool. "Disrespecting the hierarchy."
"You are the one being presumptuous, in my opinion," a deep voice came from the door. Dongfang Yi looked over and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
What a grand entourage.
She squinted and saw a man in a golden robe walking slowly towards her. The robe was embroidered with clawed dragons, extremely luxurious. She looked up and met a pair of deep, piercing eyes.
Dongfang Yi didn't lose her composure. She shook out her sleeves and curtsied, her voice as gentle as the summer night breeze. "Your humble servant welcomes Your Majesty."
Perhaps finding it a bit interesting, Helian Qi didn't get angry. "It seems that the empress has had a good time during her confinement. She even has the leisure to punish the maid."
"Your humble servant has been bullied too much these days, and can't help but feel resentful," Dongfang Yi said in a low, calm voice. "I really can't bear it anymore. It's snowing heavily outside, but I have to wash the clothes of the maids in my own palace in the freezing cold. I've had chilblains for days. My body is covered with wounds. If I didn't fight back, I might never see Your Majesty again."
Her voice was cold and detached, full of grievances.
The emperor came in at this moment, which obviously meant that he had been watching outside for a while. If she hadn't fought back, would she have been forced to wash the maid's clothes again?
And now he was pretending not to know anything. It was really disgusting.
The little maid was obviously quite experienced in the palace. Seeing Helian Qi coming, she crawled in a hurry to his feet. "Your Majesty, this servant really didn't do anything! It's just that Her Majesty has been confined for too long and is so angry that she takes it out on this servant. How dare this servant be disrespectful to Her Majesty!"
The angrier Dongfang Yi listened, the more she couldn't hold back. She blurted out, "If you have the guts, say it again! May God bear witness!"
As soon as the words came out, Dongfang Yi realized her impropriety. She was the dignified empress. How could she say such words...
But Helian Qi trembled slightly. He looked at Dongfang Yi with a strange look in his eyes. This empress seemed different from before.
"Your Majesty, your humble servant has been by your side since reaching marriageable age. Although I don't dare to expect undying love, as a woman, I also hope to grow old with Your Majesty. But now, as the eldest legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion, I've been humiliated in my own palace. I'm really aggrieved. It's also a disgrace to my family and the royal family!" Saying this, Dongfang Yi's knees went weak, and she knelt down.
The implication was very obvious.
I'm the eldest legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion. My family has great power. Now you, the emperor, are watching me being humiliated without stopping it. Are you trying to lose the support of the Prime Minister's Mansion?
It's said that a day of husband - and - wife relationship brings a hundred days of kindness. I've been the empress for so long. You should at least show me some affection, right?
Helian Qi almost couldn't hold back his laughter.
He didn't know that such a delicate woman could have such a sharp - tongued side.
He waved his hand and shouted, "Come here. Drag this servant out and behead her."
As soon as the words were out, everyone present sensed something was wrong. It seemed that the empress...
Without hesitation, the guards quickly stepped forward and grabbed the little maid. The little maid's face turned as white as a sheet. She never expected that the emperor would side with the empress!