Wen Lingrao lowered her head, her voice growing even softer.
“Your servant has no hidden meaning. Your servant simply does not understand: you are a Noble Consort, the most honorable person in the Inner Palace; why must you act so unreasonably, forcing your armed guards into the home of a meritorious official? If word of this gets out, what will people on the outside say about you, Your Highness?”
She paused, raised her head, and looked at Noble Consort Xi with an innocent expression.
“Your servant is only thinking of you. You are young and the apple of the Emperor’s eye; if your reputation were ruined because of such matters, how worthless that would be.”
Noble Consort Xi’s face turned completely black.
While these words sounded like they were for her own good, every single syllable was accusing her of being indecorous, of abusing her power to bully others, and of tarnishing the Emperor’s name.
“Wen Lingrao!” she gritted out, “What kind of thing do you think you are, daring to lecture me?”
Wen Lingrao shrank her neck and whispered, “Your servant dares not. Your servant is only speaking the truth.”
Speaking the truth?
Noble Consort Xi was trembling with rage.
She looked at Wen Lingrao’s innocent face, yet the words coming out of her mouth were sharper than a blade.
This woman was doing it on purpose!
“You—” Noble Consort Xi stepped forward, pointing a finger at Wen Lingrao, “Shut your mouth!”
Wen Lingrao shrunk backward.
“Please calm your anger, Your Highness. Your servant will say no more. Your servant is only concerned for you. You are so angry that it will harm your health. If the Empress Dowager were to find out, she would be heartbroken as well.”
Noble Consort Xi completely lost control.
She lunged forward, raised her hand, and slapped it straight across Wen Lingrao’s face.
“I will beat you to death, you slut!”
At the very moment her hand was about to land, Wen Lingrao leaned back, seemingly to dodge, but her own hand rose up.
It was not a block, but a slap.
“Snap!” *
A sharp sound echoed throughout the Imperial Study.
Noble Consort Xi spun around in place from the force of the blow, then fell to the ground with a thud.
She lay on the floor, clutching her face, unable to react for a long while.
Everyone in the Imperial Study was stunned.
Su Junyan stood up from the dragon throne, his eyes wide.
Wen Lingrao also fell to the ground, covering her face with both hands, trembling all over.
“Wuu wuu wuu… please spare me, Your Highness… Your servant did not do it on purpose… Your servant was just afraid… Your servant did not know you would resort to violence… wuu wuu wuu…”
She was crying until she was out of breath, her voice filled with terror.
Noble Consort Xi scrambled up from the ground, half of her face swollen high, five clear finger marks imprinted upon it.
She pointed at Wen Lingrao, so angry she could not even speak properly.
“You, you dare to hit me?”
Wen Lingrao huddled in a corner, shaking her head desperately.
“It was not your servant who hit you… it was you, Your Highness… You rushed over, and your servant was afraid, your servant only tried to block… your servant does not know how this happened… wuu wuu wuu…”
She raised her head, her face covered in tears, and looked at Su Junyan.
“Your Majesty, your servant truly did not mean it. Your servant was just afraid… your servant has never been hit by anyone since childhood, your servant is scared… your servant did not know you would hit me… your servant…”
As she spoke, she began to cry again, curling up into a ball.
Noble Consort Xi was so furious she wanted to rush up and hit her again, but she was held back tightly by several palace maids.
“Please calm your anger, Your Highness! Please calm your anger!”
“Let go of me! Today I must beat this slut to death!”
Su Junyan finally spoke.
“Enough!”
The entire Imperial Study fell silent instantly.
Noble Consort Xi stared at him blankly.
The atmosphere was so heavy it could drip with water.
Su Junyan’s expression was dark. He had just finished a fit of rage, and his chest was still heaving.
Noble Consort Xi knelt on the ground, her body trembling slightly, but her eyes kept darting to the side.
Wen Lingrao had tear streaks on her face, looking pitiful.
But just then, Wen Lingrao lifted her head.
She first wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief, then tucked the handkerchief into her sleeve.
Next, she stood up straight and pushed her disheveled hair back, revealing her exquisite face.
Her entire aura changed in an instant.
The weak and pitiful young daughter-in-law from a moment ago had vanished.
Noble Consort Xi was startled, and the Emperor was stunned as well.
Wen Lingrao took a step forward, looked at Noble Consort Xi, and began to speak.
“Noble Consort Xi just said that this princess is making false accusations?”
Noble Consort Xi opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but was forced into silence by the look in Wen Lingrao’s eyes.
Wen Lingrao continued, “Then I shall ask you, Your Highness, who am I?”
Noble Consort Xi was stumped.
Without waiting for an answer, Wen Lingrao stated, “I am the only daughter of the Great General of the Wei Kingdom, the daughter of the Eldest Princess, and the cousin of the current Emperor. I possess a first-rank title of honor.”
As she spoke, she took another step forward.
“My father died on the battlefield. My mother gave her life for the country. My maternal family is full of loyal martyrs. The man I married is the heir of the Changning Marquis estate.”
She took another step forward.
“And you?”
She looked at Noble Consort Xi with a faint smile on her lips, though the mirth did not reach her eyes.
“What are you?”
Noble Consort Xi’s face turned crimson.
Without waiting for her to speak, Wen Lingrao continued, “You are a concubine in the Inner Palace. To put it nicely, you are a Noble Consort. To put it bluntly, you are just a concubine.”
She said, enunciating every word, “A mere concubine, dispatching her own servants to commit crimes at the home of a first-rank noble to seize family property. Do you think there is no law? Do you think this world belongs to your family?”
Noble Consort Xi was trembling all over from her words.
Wen Lingrao watched her state and let out a laugh.
The laughter was full of mockery.
“Noble Consort Xi, I will tell you this today. Your little tricks are nothing in my eyes. That servant of yours, Eunuch Feng, is in my eyes nothing but a dog acting on its master’s power. Those things you sent men to steal, I will not give you a single one. Those accounts of you showing off your power in front of me, I have noted them down one by one.”
She said this and took another step forward, standing only a few paces away from Noble Consort Xi.
“Today, in front of the Emperor, I will state this clearly. You, Noble Consort Xi, a concubine of the Inner Palace, have indulged your servants in committing crimes and seizing the property of a court-mandated lady. This matter, whether you acknowledge it or not, you will be held accountable.”
Noble Consort Xi’s face turned pale.
She looked at the Emperor, wanting to seek help.
But the Emperor sat there, and although his expression remained dark, his gaze toward Wen Lingrao held a hint of admiration.
Noble Consort Xi’s heart sank.
Just then, Wen Lingrao suddenly changed again.
Her eyes turned red, tears swirled within them, and her lips trembled slightly.
She turned to the Emperor and dropped to her knees with a thud.
“Your Majesty,” her voice choked with sobs, “Your servant was out of line just now. Your servant was truly left with no other choice.”
The Emperor looked at her, his lips twitching slightly.
This change of face was far too fast.
Wen Lingrao wiped the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief and sobbed, “Ever since I married into the Changning Marquis estate, I have observed the virtues of a wife and never dared to overstep in the slightest. Yet Noble Consort Xi’s men rushed into my home, smashing and looting, and nearly hurt me. Your servant was frightened and sustained injuries; it is truly…”
As she spoke, she began to cry again.
The sound was not loud, but every sob was heartbreaking.
The Emperor rubbed his brow.
He realized now that this cousin was putting on a play.
But this was a play he had to go along with.
“Cousin, speak your grievances. I shall uphold justice for you.”