Between the rear annex and the front courtyard of Jiarong Hall lay an elongated garden. To the north were the servants’ quarters, while heading south and circling around the veranda led to the front courtyard.
At this moment, the garden was crowded with people.
All palace staff, whether on duty or off, had been summoned to witness the punishment.
In the center,
Two matrons were gagged and firmly pressed against the ground.
As the Court Staff came down heavily,
Dull, repetitive thuds echoed incessantly. The matrons’ faces turned purple, their eyes bulging, and they soon began gushing large mouthfuls of blood with muffled whimpers.
The spectators all wore expressions of terror, their faces as pale as gold paper.
When the sound of the staff striking flesh finally ceased, the area beneath the two matrons was a bloody, mangled mess.
The eunuch administering the punishment checked their breathing and nodded to Granny Pang, who stood with her feet splayed outward.
Granny Pang’s expression remained impassive.
“Pull out their tongues and throw them to the laundry service at the back.”
Eunuchs wielding torture tools immediately stepped forward, followed by two piercing, beast-like wails of the dying.
The older palace maids and eunuchs among the spectators appeared calm but were unconsciously trembling. The younger ones were either vomiting, crying, or fainting.
When everything settled down,
The two matrons, on the brink of death, were carried away.
Granny Pang sternly scanned the assembled palace maids and eunuchs.
“Did you all see clearly? This is the consequence of recklessly discussing masters and overstepping boundaries! Normally, I don’t care if you gossip about the Zhang family’s shortcomings or the Li family’s affairs. But when it comes to matters concerning the masters, you’d better be on your guard. Don’t carry a lantern in front of the King of Hell’s palace—seek your own doom!”
The crowd repeatedly assented.
Granny Pang paused, then admonished, “Song Zhaoxun came from our Jiarong Hall and was personally elevated to Zhaoxun by Dianxia. I don’t care what grudges you held against Song Zhaoxun in the past, but from now on, if anyone dares to speak disrespectfully of her, the fate of these two matrons will be yours! Remember this!”
The onlookers were shaken, never expecting that the once lowly menial girl had not only become a mistress but had also achieved such great fortune.
Those who had privately called Kan’er “seductress” or “hussy” over the past two days broke into a cold sweat.
Regardless of their inner thoughts, no one dared to show dissent.
Granny Pang said no more and led her retinue back to the front courtyard.
After hearing her report, Zheng Mingzhi nodded slightly.
Jin Chenghui sniffed disdainfully,
“These slaves are all stubborn until they face death. The Crown Princess is merciful to spare their lives. If it were up to me, I’d have them beaten to death and thrown into the mass graves to feed the dogs! Let them learn the meaning of nobility and baseness!”
Zheng Mingzhi showed no reaction to Jin Chenghui’s flattery. She had her reasons for sparing the two slaves’ lives.
Insolent servants overstepping their bounds, even daring to fabricate stories about the Crown Prince— regardless of the reason, to outsiders, it would seem that she, the Crown Princess, had failed to discipline the Back Palace servants properly.
Thus, if she had the two insolent slaves beaten to death, what would others think?
They might assume she was trying to cover up the truth and was cruel and merciless.
Zheng Mingzhi would never do anything that tarnished her reputation for virtue.
However, recalling the cause of today’s incident, Zheng Mingzhi couldn’t help but shift her anger onto Kan’er.
She looked at Kan’er, who stood beside Qin Zhaoxun, and spoke in a reproachful tone:
“Since you’ve become a mistress now, you should rid yourself of that spineless habit. Don’t let a few servants frighten you to tears all the time, lest you bring shame upon me and Dianxia.”
Little did they know Kan’er was deliberately behaving this way. After all, changing one’s temperament isn’t something that happens overnight.
Moreover, the Crown Prince was sharp-eyed and had investigated her background.
If she transformed too quickly, she might arouse his suspicion and be mistaken as a spy planted in the Eastern Palace by outsiders.
Zheng Mingzhi’s remark was clearly just venting anger, intending to humiliate Kan’er in front of Cao Liangyuan and the others.
It wasn’t genuinely meant to reform her character.
Nevertheless, it provided an opportunity for her future transformation.
Kan’er secretly sneered.
She rose and made a slight bow to Zheng Mingzhi, speaking softly: “Yes, your humble servant will carefully follow the Crown Princess’s instruction.”
Jin Chenghui watched the scene with amusement, never one to avoid stirring trouble.
“Song Meimei, there’s no need to be too anxious. Isn’t there a saying ‘a dog can’t change its habit of eating dirt’? Of course, I’m not calling you a dog, just making an analogy. Having been a servant for so many years, some habits are ingrained in your bones. It’s understandable if you can’t change them immediately, isn’t it? No need to be too hard on yourself.”
These words were truly offensive, not even veiled in subtlety.
Qin Zhaoxun remained expressionless as ever.
Cao Liangyuan leaned casually against her chairback, idly stirring the foam in her teacup with absent-minded motions.
No one knew what she was thinking.
This scene was exactly the same as when Kan’er first received her position in her previous life.
The difference was, back then Kan’er would be shamed to death by Jin Chenghui’s provocations every time, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to disappear into.
Now Kan’er still felt embarrassed, but it was merely this body’s instinctive reaction – her mind remained perfectly calm.
Kan’er actually felt grateful that some of this body’s instinctive reactions were beyond her control.
After all, emotional responses like blushing from shame or paling from fright that directly manifest physically are usually difficult to fake without being detected.
“Thank you for your advice, Sister Jin.”
Kan’er said with an embarrassed blush.
Jin Chenghui was amused by her flustered appearance and was about to wave her hand pretending magnanimity when she heard Kan’er say softly:
“But… Sister Jin, perhaps you shouldn’t speak like that in the future. It’s rather dirty. Of course, I’m not saying you’re dirty! It’s just that these words are truly vulgar. I don’t mind hearing them, but I’m afraid if Sister Jin gets accustomed to such language, you might accidentally slip and say them in front of Dianxia someday, which wouldn’t be good.”
As these words fell, the hall fell into an eerie silence.
Qin Zhaoxun looked surprised.
Cao Liangyuan paused her stirring motions, her gaze toward Kan’er flashing with profound meaning.
When Jin Chenghui processed this, her pretty face flushed crimson.
Dirty?
She actually said she was dirty??
This lowborn wretch from servant origins, how dare she!
“Song Zhaoxun, how dare you!”
Jin Chenghui slapped the tea table with a sharp “crack”.
Kan’er cooperatively shrunk her neck.
“Sister Jin, there’s no need for such anger.”
Cao Liangyuan set down her teacup.
Cutting off Jin Chenghui before she could speak again.
“I actually think Song Zhaoxun makes a valid point. You are, after all, from an official family background, having entered the Eastern Palace through selection. Now speaking such crude and filthy words openly truly compromises your dignity and status. If this were to reach Dianxia’s ears, could you bear the responsibility for such impropriety?”
Jin Chenghui couldn’t bear it.
Even before Kan’er’s promotion, among the three concubines in the Back Palace, the Crown Prince visited Jin Chenghui’s quarters the least.
She was already extremely anxious about this.
Wracking her brains constantly to lure the Crown Prince to her chambers.
Unfortunately, her wishes never came true.
If the Crown Prince were to learn that she spoke of feces so freely, she could forget about him ever visiting her quarters!
Jin Chenghui fumed, speaking with poorly concealed irritation:
“I offered her advice out of kindness, and not only did she refuse to accept it, she even accused me of being filthy! She shows no respect for her superior Sister Cao, yet dares to criticize me instead—what kind of logic is that?”
Cao Liangyuan wasn’t angered by the retort.
After all, Jin Chenghui was nothing but a brainless fool.
“Song Zhaoxun said she didn’t think you were filthy—she found your language improper and was reminding you to be cautious. You misunderstood and are now turning the tables. If anyone should question the logic here, it ought to be Song Zhaoxun, don’t you think?”
Jin Chenghui: “You!”
“Enough, stop arguing!”
Zheng Mingzhi’s voice was icy enough to freeze the air.
Cao Liangyuan smiled silently and said no more.
Jin Chenghui pouted, her face full of grievance.
“Crown Princess, you see how Sister Cao…”
The rest of her words were swallowed under Zheng Mingzhi’s glare.
At twenty years old, a year older than Zheng Mingzhi herself, she had the nerve to put on such a childish, coquettish act in front of her.
Zheng Mingzhi couldn’t bear to watch!
“I’ve always known you to be careless in speech and action, but now you’re spouting vulgar village talk as if it were clever. Do you truly find it amusing?”
Though she hated to admit it.
That woman Song had made a valid point earlier.
As the mistress of the household, managing the inner quarters was her responsibility, which included disciplining the behavior of concubines like Cao Liangyuan.
If she allowed Jin Chenghui to continue this unrestrained behavior.
And word reached the Crown Prince or outsiders, her ability to manage the household would be called into question.
Zheng Mingzhi would never permit such a thing!
“Jin Chenghui, for your loose tongue and reckless remarks, you are to copy ‘Admonitions for Women’ ten times. Bring it to me for inspection once you’re done.”
“Crown Princess!” Jin Chenghui was incredulous.
“Do you object?”
Of course she did!
Jin Chenghui widened her eyes.
Thinking to herself that she had only mocked this Song Kan’er a few times, merely uttering a common vulgar phrase in passing.
How could that warrant punishment?!
She refused to accept it!
But these thoughts remained locked in Jin Chenghui’s mind.
Such were the rules.
The Crown Princess was the legitimate royal daughter-in-law, wed by decree of Yuan Longdi, the rightful wife of Great Jing’s Crown Prince.
To disrespect her was to defy the imperial authority.
To challenge the dignity of the royal family.
Jin Chenghui wasn’t foolish enough to go that far.
Zheng Mingzhi couldn’t be bothered with her further.
She took the opportunity to lecture them briefly on themes like “the women of the inner quarters should live in harmony and prioritize serving Dianxia,” then dismissed Kan’er and the others.
Kan’er and the other three departed Jiarong Hall in order of rank.
They hadn’t gone far.
When Jin Chenghui suddenly turned to face Kan’er.
Her disgust was plain on her face, her tone venomous.
“Plague bearer!”
“All that fat, so ugly—looking at you makes me sick!”