Tiao Zhu had a fiery temperament. In her previous life, when Kan’er first became a Fengyi, the senior palace maids by her side were Tiao Zhu and Hansu.
After a torrent of scolding, she didn’t even pause for breath.
The two matrons were startled by Tiao Zhu’s sudden appearance and then bombarded by her verbal assault.
They were momentarily stunned.
Then, without even noticing Tiao Zhu’s senior palace maid attire, the square-faced matron stood up ready to retort.
But as soon as she opened her mouth, before any sound could escape, she saw someone emerge from the moon gate.
Square-faced matron: “Kan… Kan’er…”
“Insolent!”
Tiao Zhu’s willow-leaf eyebrows shot up.
In two or three quick steps, she reached them and delivered two sharp slaps.
“What lowly creature are you to address a Zhaoxun by her personal name?! How dare you not pay respects when you see your mistress!”
It must be said that Tiao Zhu truly lived up to being a senior palace maid assigned by the Internal Affairs Bureau. Her sharp, ruthless demeanor instantly cowed the two matrons.
“This… this humble servant pays respects to Song Zhaoxun…”
The round-faced matron fell to her knees with a thud, stammering.
The square-faced matron, clutching her cheek, also knelt.
But she glanced at Kan’er, feeling deeply resentful.
After all, this little slut used to be just a menial maid in the Back Palace of Jiarong Hall, doing the lowest and hardest chores, not even comparable to these coarse matrons.
It was only through the Crown Princess’s favor.
Otherwise, how would she have gotten this chance to rise? She’d probably still be washing the clothes of palace maids and eunuchs.
A lowly creature who only contributed her womb, now putting on airs as a mistress before them.
Pah!
The square-faced matron secretly spat.
At the same time, she straightened her back proudly, tilted her head with a contemptuous roll of her eyes, wearing an arrogant expression that showed she looked down on everyone.
Tiao Zhu was about to erupt again.
But was stopped by her Zhaoxun’s raised hand.
Kan’er had naturally seen the disdain and contempt in the square-faced matron’s eyes and knew what she was thinking.
However, she wasn’t angered.
After all, she had been a mistress for decades in her previous life.
Her temperament had long been tempered.
If she flew into a rage at every such provocation, she would never have been able to defeat Zheng Shi and ascend to that position.
Moreover, whether it was the gossip these two matrons had been engaged in or the square-faced matron’s current attitude.
Kan’er had heard and seen far too much of such behavior in her previous life.
To put it bluntly, she was long accustomed to it.
However, having a tempered disposition didn’t mean she should turn a blind eye to others insulting her, and being accustomed didn’t mean she should allow these people to continue looking down on her.
Otherwise, they would think her easy to bully.
“Tiao Zhu, how are servants who gossip about Eastern Palace affairs and make improper remarks about the Crown Prince, Crown Princess, and the Crown Prince’s concubines usually dealt with?”
Kan’er looked at the two matrons, asking softly.
Tiao Zhu: “Replying to Mistress, according to the Great Jing Law, any palace maid or eunuch who gossips about Eastern Palace affairs, with remarks involving the Crown Prince and his wives and concubines, shall be charged with ‘contempt of imperial authority.’ For minor offenses, thirty cane strikes and permanent assignment to the Laundry Service. For severe offenses, three days in the cangue, fifty cane strikes, and exile to Nanhaizi for hard labor.”
The two matrons paled.
But Kan’er acted as if she didn’t notice, “And how is a low-ranking palace maid who speaks disrespectfully to the Crown Prince’s concubine dealt with?”
“Replying to Mistress, low-ranking palace maids and eunuchs who offend their superiors face heightened penalties: fifty slaps on the face and three months of Bell Carrying punishment. If they use abusive language such as ‘lowly slut’ or ‘seductress,’ their tongues shall be cut out, they shall be caned to death, and their bodies discarded in the mass graves!”
“Have mercy, Zhaoxun!”
The round-faced matron turned deathly pale and immediately kowtowed to the ground. “This lowly servant has a foul mouth! I’ll never dare again! I’ll slap my own mouth right now!”
As she spoke, she truly gave herself several slaps across the face.
No wonder the round-faced matron’s attitude had shifted so quickly.
Tiao Zhu’s words weren’t meant to scare them—the palace’s management of inner court servants was indeed this strict.
The round-faced matron had only dared to discuss these matters with the square-faced matron earlier because she saw no one around, knowing that usually no one passed by at this time.
Such occurrences were actually quite common in the palace.
After all, rules were one thing, but the masters couldn’t possibly have people watching the servants beneath them every moment.
The emperor was far away.
While servants didn’t dare to gossip about their masters openly, they could still secretly enjoy some drama, couldn’t they?
As long as they weren’t discovered.
With this mindset, the two matrons had dared to gather and speak ambiguously as they did.
They never expected that someone would pass by at this hour today, when usually no one ever did!
Though the square-faced matron was afraid, she looked down on Kan’er from the bottom of her heart and didn’t believe she had any ability to deal with them.
Everyone knew this little wretch was timid.
Moreover, Granny Pang disliked her.
If Granny Pang disliked her, that meant the Crown Princess disliked her too.
Thinking this, the square-faced matron stiffened her neck and said, “If Song Zhaoxun wishes to punish us servants, she must present evidence. We merely exchanged a few harmless words while on duty. For Song Zhaoxun to place such a serious accusation on our heads is nothing less than bullying!”
Kan’er: “You want evidence?”
“Of course.”
The square-faced matron lifted her nose arrogantly.
Kan’er smiled.
Like a pink peony quietly blooming in the morning light, delicate and enchanting without a hint of aggression.
Yet, for some reason, the square-faced matron felt an uncontrollable shiver run through her body.
.
In Jiarong Hall.
Zheng Mingzhi had just finished her morning meal and returned to her inner chamber to freshen up when a second-rank palace maid entered from outside.
“Reporting to the Crown Princess, Song Zhaoxun has brought two menial matrons, saying she wishes to seek your judgment.”
“Judgment for what?”
“It seems the two matrons overstepped their bounds, recklessly discussing Dianxia and the women of the inner residence, showing disrespect to imperial authority.”
The second-rank maid’s voice grew softer and softer.
Combined with the fact that it was Kan’er who came seeking judgment, Zheng Mingzhi guessed what had happened almost immediately.
Her face darkened as she stood and walked out.
Outside.
Kan’er and Tiao Zhu stood in the main hall.
The two matrons knelt on the steps outside the room.
Jin Chenghui entered from the courtyard, her gaze sweeping over the two matrons before settling on Kan’er, who stood with her head lowered.
“What’s happening so early in the morning? Could these two servants have offended our Song Zhaoxun?”
Qin Zhaoxun entered right after.
Her cool expression revealed no emotion.
“Sister Jin, Sister Qin.”
Kan’er turned slightly toward them and performed a slight bow to Qin Zhaoxun, who held the same rank but had seniority over her.
This was actually Kan’er’s first formal meeting with them as a woman of the Eastern Palace since her rebirth.
Unlike her previous appearance as a tea-serving maid when Zheng Mingzhi first assigned her to serve Jin Chenghui and the others.
Today Kan’er wore a goose-yellow summer jacket embroidered with magnolia branches, paired with a sea-and-sky rosy skirt featuring magpies holding pear blossoms.
Her hair was styled in a side bun.
Pearl-inlaid gold hairpins adorned both sides, while the bun was decorated with a gold filigree hairpiece inlaid with white jade and two small sections of goose-yellow hair ribbons.
She appeared both charming and elegant.
Paired with that striking face and her proper, well-mannered conduct, she exuded an innocent charm tinged with sensuality.
It inevitably brought to mind a winding stream murmuring through empty mountains, a rainbow arching over fresh lotus blossoms after a rain-cleared sky.
Jin Chenghui could no longer maintain her smile.
A flicker of jealousy and discontent passed through her eyes.
Qin Zhaoxun pressed her lips together in silence.
At that moment, Zheng Mingzhi emerged.
Jin and Qin quickly composed themselves and glided forward with practiced ease to pay respects to their mistress.
Kan’er followed behind Qin Zhaoxun.
She similarly bowed respectfully to Zheng Mingzhi.
Zheng Mingzhi ignored them.
With an icy expression, she glanced at the two servants outside and asked Kan’er, “Tell me what happened.”
Kan’er concisely recounted the incident she encountered on her way to pay respects.
Naturally, she was selective in her telling.
For instance, she omitted the square-faced matron’s comment about her being “unable to keep her virtue” or the gossip about the young eunuch in her courtyard.
Though these were also grounds for the matron’s offense, mentioning them might provoke unnecessary speculation among those present.
Such as suggestions that her womb would soon become redundant.
Kan’er wisely left those parts out.
Tiao Zhu cooperated perfectly by remaining silent.
Zheng Mingzhi’s face darkened as if dripping water, her sharp gaze piercing the two matrons outside.
“Bring them in!”
The round-faced matron trembled with fear.
But she remembered what the square-faced matron had said earlier – this wild pheasant Zhaoxun had no proof of their conversation.
So this time she didn’t rush to beg for mercy.
The square-faced matron struggled to suppress her fear of Zheng Mingzhi.
She immediately began crying injustice.
“Dianxia, please see clearly! We servants are wronged! We did speak while on duty, but we only discussed matters related to our work! The mistresses are golden and jade noble – even if we had the courage of bears and leopards, we wouldn’t dare gossip about our masters!”
Emboldened, the round-faced matron tremblingly echoed, “Please investigate thoroughly, Dianxia, and uphold justice for us servants!”
Jin Chenghui and Qin Zhaoxun had already taken their usual seats, sipping tea while enjoying the spectacle.
Zheng Mingzhi grew increasingly impatient.
Her irritation stemmed not only from having to deal with this nuisance first thing in the morning, but more so because Kan’er was the one who caused the trouble!
Because it happened in the Back Palace under her management!
Presumptuous discussion about the Crown Prince and his concubines, insubordination toward superiors, contempt for imperial authority – none of these charges could be overlooked.
If the Crown Prince learned of this,
He would surely think her too lenient as Crown Princess!
That damned little hussy was truly troublesome.
Causing problems right after arriving in the Back Palace!
Zheng Mingzhi ignored the two matrons.
She looked gently at Kan’er, though her eyes remained cold.
“Though I am Crown Princess, I cannot punish servants in the Eastern Palace without evidence. You claim they presumptuously discussed Dianxia and the women of the Back Palace, and insulted you. Besides your personal maid, is there anyone else who can verify your account?”
Kan’er looked astonished.
The square-faced matron’s eyes flashed with triumph.
Kan’er used a tear-wiping gesture to conceal the curve of her lips. When she looked up again, her face had paled, filled with urgency and grievance.
“Besides Tiao Zhu, I have no other witnesses. But everything I said is true – they truly committed acts of disrespect, I heard them clearly with my own ears. Especially this one – she was the most arrogant of all. Those presumptuous speculations about which quarters Dianxia would visit, saying I wasn’t even fit to hold Sister Cao’s shoes, all those vulgar insults came from her mouth!”
With this, Kan’er pointed directly at one of the two matrons.
The pale finger pointed in a certain direction.
At the round-faced matron.
The square-faced matron’s body stiffened slightly.
A sense of foreboding rose in her heart.
Sure enough.
Before she could figure out what the other party was up to, the person beside her let out a piercing scream.
“It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!”
The round-faced matron trembled like a sieve, her voice nearly a shriek.
“It was her, it was her, Song Zhaoxun! She was the one who said those things, don’t you remember?! She said you weren’t fit to carry Cao Liangyuan’s shoes! She said Dianxia didn’t fancy you, called you a slut who couldn’t keep her legs closed—it was all her!”
To put it plainly, she was just a lowly servant.
Not even a proper stewardess.
She rarely got to see her masters on normal days, and being able to hold out in front of the Crown Princess until now was already her limit!
Zheng Mingzhi’s face was icy.
Jin Chenghui and Qin Zhaoxun exchanged a glance, both seeing an indescribable meaning in each other’s eyes.
Cao Liangyuan, who had just arrived at the doorway, curled her lips as she watched the two matrons, a flash of ruthlessness vanishing from her eyes.
“Zhao Shuxia!”
Unaware of the shifting atmosphere in the room, the square-faced matron screamed the round-faced matron’s name and lunged at her.
She yelled about tearing Zhao’s mouth open.
Zhao’s face was scratched, and she instinctively fought back, insisting that those words had indeed been spoken by the square-faced matron.
By the time the servants of Jiarong Hall separated them, the room had fallen into dead silence.
The square-faced matron stiffly turned her head.
There she saw Song Zhaoxun—the one she despised the most—looking as if she had been badly frightened, her jade-like face tear-streaked, her beautiful eyes red-rimmed.
Fragile as a delicate flower unable to withstand any storm, pitiable and touching, evoking compassion in all who saw her.
But at that moment, she lowered her head to wipe her tears and glanced over as if by chance.
And so, the square-faced matron saw it.
Her indifferent, calm eyes, and the slight arch of her brow.