Noble Consort Ning looked down at the woman kneeling on the cobblestone ground, watching her clutch the book tightly. She glanced at Lady Tian.
Lady Tian, eager to please, stepped forward and snatched the book from Shen Si’s embrace.
“What does Lady Xie usually read? I’d like to learn as well.”
She flipped it open—it was just a tattered copy of the Book of Songs.
To further curry favor with the noble consort, she tore the book to pieces right in front of her.
Seeing this, Shen Si stood up, pushed her away forcefully, and snatched her book back.
“Do you know…” She couldn’t say it, so she bit her lip and glared at her resentfully.
“What do I know? What I know now is that you’ve gotten yourself into big trouble!”
Lady Tian’s expression darkened. After all, she was a palace consort—how could she be bullied by the mere wife of Yong’an Hou? Moreover, Xie Queshan was a man as pure as jade—how could he have married her!
She had always looked down on this woman. What right did she have to marry Xie Xiaohouye? She was driven mad with jealousy.
Seizing the opportunity to teach her a lesson, she signaled her own people to restrain Shen Si, snatched the book back, and tore it into shreds.
Shen Si could bear it no longer. Struggling violently, she broke free, rushed forward, and kicked Lady Tian squarely in the backside!
“You dare tear my book? I’ll tear you apart!”
“Lady Tian!” Her attendants were startled and hurried over to help.
Noble Consort Ning’s people immediately stepped forward to restrain Shen Si.
Lady Tian turned around, her eyes wide with fury, looking at Noble Consort Ning as if seeking guidance.
Noble Consort Ning didn’t speak, but the slight upward curve of her lips was tacit approval.
With nothing left to hold her back, Lady Tian strode over and slapped Shen Si hard across the face to vent her anger.
How dare you marry Xie Xiaohouye? How dare you take him from me? If it weren’t for the imperial decree, do you think you’d be worthy!
Shen Si stared at her as if looking at a dead person.
“You’d better not regret what you did today.”
“Hah, regret what? Heaven knows how delighted I am now. I’ve wanted to teach you a lesson for a long time, Marquess Xie’s Lady.”
Lady Tian laughed arrogantly and raised her hand to strike again.
Just as she lifted her hand—
“Stop! Lady Tian, how dare you!”
Lady Tian’s heart skipped a beat. Looking up, she saw Nanny An approaching and suddenly remembered that this woman had Tai Fei as her backer!
If it were any other Tai Fei, it might not matter, but this was Yuhua Tai Fei—His Majesty’s respected foster mother!
“Nanny An…”
She had just begun to speak when Nanny An cut her off: “Lady Tian, have you gone mad? Marquess Xie’s Lady is the wife of Yong’an Hou, a first-rank minister, and a titled Junguo Furen—the youngest woman granted an official title. Upon entering the palace, she is exempt from kneeling to anyone but His Majesty and is not to be punished. You’d better think about how you’ll explain yourself to Tai Fei later.”
She glanced at the foolish woman, then helped Shen Si up. “Madam, come with me to Kunning Palace.”
Shen Si nodded, noticing Zhi Hua following behind. She knew it was she who had gone to fetch Tai Fei.
Glaring fiercely at Lady Tian and the coldly observing Noble Consort Ning, she vowed to repay them in kind.
Shen Si left with the nanny.
Lady Tian’s legs immediately went weak. She looked at Noble Consort Ning in terror. “Sister, you must save me!”
Noble Consort Ning frowned slightly. Since they were allies, she certainly had to save her; otherwise, how could she command respect? “What are you panicking about? She offended her superior first. At most, you’ll be scolded by Tai Fei and made to kneel and apologize.”
“I’ll plead for leniency on your behalf with His Majesty.”
Only then did Lady Tian feel slightly reassured. She stopped crying. “Thank you, sister. In this palace, only your words carry weight.”
Noble Consort Ning’s expression darkened, but she remained silent.
“I am tired, let us return.” She boarded her privately made Qibao Bulian, inlaid with gemstones and equipped with armrests, a symbol of considerable prestige.
This had even drawn censure from imperial censors for resembling the imperial carriage, yet it was personally bestowed by His Majesty.
Kunning Palace.
Shen Si was about to perform a formal greeting when Tai Fei stopped her.
“Lady Tian is truly audacious, how dare she strike you!”
“Go and summon His Majesty for me. Let us see if he can uphold justice for you today. If not, I will take matters into my own hands. This lawlessness is intolerable!”
The golden bell beside Nanny An promptly went to summon him.
Shen Si threw herself into Tai Fei’s embrace, weeping with grievance. “It is because of my lowly status and insignificant words that I have brought shame upon you, Your Highness.”
“Lowly status? Is Lady Tian the Emperor himself? And Noble Consort Ning actually harbors such resentment, scheming to trouble you at every turn. Does she truly think I am dead?”
Tai Fei had always been gentle as water, but today she was genuinely enraged.
Seeing the red marks on Shen Si’s face, her complexion changed with anger.
Shen Si wiped her tears, attempting to soothe Tai Fei’s fury. “Your Highness, rest assured, His Majesty will uphold justice for me.”
“He can easily deal with Lady Tian, but Noble Consort Ning may not be so simple. I know all too well that over these years of his favor, this Noble Consort Ning possesses considerable skill and grace, to the extent that even her humble Ning family has risen to become a prominent and illustrious household in the capital.”
Tai Fei feared that the present Shen Si could no longer evoke the same heartache in His Majesty as before.
Thus, today she had to make a scene.
Shen Si felt that Noble Consort Ning might not be as favored as imagined. “Your Highness, His Majesty is just and impartial.”
“Speak less of his virtues. Everyone knows how partial he has been to that woman these past three years, surpassing even his treatment of you in the past.”
Tai Fei took a bowl of medicine handed by a maid and was about to drink it.
Shen Si quickly stopped her. “Your Highness, what are you doing? What medicine is this?”
Nanny An sighed and said, “Medicine that weakens the body and chills the stomach. Tai Fei intends to feign illness to make His Majesty vent his anger for you.”
Shen Si had the medicine taken away and grasped Tai Fei’s hand, saying, “Your Highness, His Majesty still cares for me, no less than he does for Noble Consort Ning.”
“Truly?” Tai Fei stared at her. The Emperor is quite enduring in his affections; even after this girl has been married for three years, he still remembers her.
But then, their Sisi is so beautiful and well-behaved, what man could forget her?
The imperial physician arrived, providing ointment for her face and knees.
Seeing the bruises on her knees, Tai Fei’s eyes reddened, her heart aching even more. “When you were with the Emperor before, you never suffered such hardships.”
“I have always said that in this world, only the Emperor can ensure you are not wronged. Yet you…”
“His Majesty has arrived!” Liu Cha’en’s voice sounded from outside.
Shen Si looked up and saw the figure in bright yellow entering the room. He had not even changed out of his court robe, arriving in such haste.
“How is Tai Fei?” Gu Lingyun hurried over, his expression somewhat cold.
But upon seeing Shen Si with tears in her eyes, the clear slap mark on her face, and her knees worsened, the man frowned slightly and went to sit down. “Who struck you?”
Tai Fei was satisfied with his attitude and slapped the table. “Is the Emperor not all-seeing and all-hearing? Do you not yet know who has bullied your sister?”
After listening to the eunuch’s report, Liu Cha’en entered and recounted the incident.
“Lady Xie, is there anything omitted?” After finishing, he looked at Lady Xie.
Shen Si shook her head. It was clear, as if he had witnessed it himself.
“Emperor, Sisi was bullied in your rear palace.” Tai Fei’s face was flushed with suppressed anger, waiting for his decision.
Shen Si looked at him with pleading eyes, tugging at his Dragon Robe to explain: “I didn’t disregard the rules, I did nothing wrong.”