Zhang Wanrou’s eyes filled with grievance, and she looked at him pitifully, "Your Majesty..."
Xiao Wenyi stared into those eyes brimming with tears, a complex emotion flashing in the depths of his gaze. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he finally sighed, "It was the Noble Consort who hit you, causing you to fall, right?"
A flash of surprise crossed her face, but her expression quickly turned to fear and nervousness.
She held out her two injured hands and shook her head repeatedly, "No, no! No one hit your subject! Your Majesty, you have misunderstood! It really was just me accidentally falling!"
He hummed, "If no one hit you, then where did that red slap mark on your face come from?"
She was startled and subconsciously touched the side of her face that had been struck, panic and helplessness appearing in her eyes, "Your Majesty, I, I..."
Seeing her timid appearance, Xiao Wenyi was at a loss and ordered toward the outside, "Go call the Noble Consort here!"
Sanxi, who was waiting on the side, heard this and hurriedly replied, "Yes! Your Majesty!"
At that time, Zhang Wanyin learned that the Emperor had gone to the East Side Hall side room to visit Zhang Wanrou again, and she was so angry that she smashed another set of tea sets!
"Bitch! What right does she have?!"
Having only received favor for one night, what right did she have to make the Emperor so concerned? Just because she fell, the Emperor put aside state affairs to return to her; what kind of temptation does she actually have?
Seeing her trembling with anger, Nanny Wang hurriedly stepped forward to persuade her, "Noble Consort, please do not be angry! The Emperor is just looking for something fresh. How could that Consort Zhang compare to your status in the Emperor's heart?"
"Besides, she is just a chess piece. Once she gives birth to the child, she will be gone; what capital will she have left to compare with you?"
Hearing this, the sinister look on Zhang Wanyin's face faded slightly.
"Noble Consort!" Chun Xu entered from outside, her expression ugly, "Sanxi has arrived and said that the Emperor summons you to the side room for an audience!"
Upon hearing this, the anger Zhang Wanyin had been suppressing rose again, "What does the Emperor mean by this? Is he going to question this palace for Zhang Wanrou?!"
Several palace maids lowered their heads one after another, not daring to even breathe loudly.
On the other side, Zhang Wanrou stood obediently at the lower position of Xiao Wenyi, her head lowered. The smile and relaxation seen when he arrived were gone, and her expression was even worse than that of a frightened rabbit.
Qing Ning brewed a cup of tea and brought it over. Just as she was about to withdraw, she heard the person in the high position suddenly speak, "What is going on with your Consort's face and hands?"
Qing Ning was so frightened that her breathing stalled, and she hurriedly knelt on the ground, "Re, replying to Your Majesty..."
Cheng Fang, who was standing nearby, reminded her, "Answer truthfully. If you dare to deceive the Emperor, you should know what the consequences are!"
Once these words were spoken, Qing Ning completely panicked, stammering and unable to say a single word.
Seeing this, Zhang Wanrou immediately knelt beside Qing Ning to protect her, crying, "Your Majesty, if you have any questions, just ask your subject! Qing Ning is just a small palace maid; she can do nothing and knows nothing! Can you please stop scaring her?"
Xiao Wenyi was almost angered to the point of laughter! This girl, could she really cry like this for a palace maid?
Besides, he didn't say he was going to do anything to that palace maid, did he? Wasn't it Cheng Fang who scared her?
Looking at the young girl below, tears welled up in her large eyes, rolling down drop by drop. She looked just like a begonia after the rain, holding pearls ready to fall—both delicate and charming. It made one's heart soften at the sight, wishing to immediately pull her into one's arms and protect her carefully.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. It is all your subject's fault. If you want to blame someone, blame your subject!"
Seeing that he was still keeping a straight face, Zhang Wanrou could only kowtow while crying. Soon, a burning pain came from her forehead.
She knew that her previous wound had reopened!
But only by doing this could she make the man above feel pity for her, and only then would he become increasingly dissatisfied with Zhang Wanyin.
"Yatou!"
Sure enough, the man on the Noble Consort's couch saw the blood seeping through the gauze on her head and could no longer hold his composure. With one stride, he pulled her, who was kowtowing on the ground, into his arms.
Zhang Wanrou naturally would not let this good opportunity slip by. She leaned against his chest, blinking her eyes as if about to cry, "It, it hurts..."
Xiao Wenyi knew she was afraid of pain, so he was truly both angry and helpless at her behavior. The white gauze was stained with a patch of blood, making her face, which already lacked color, look even more delicate.
"Summon the Imperial Physician!"
Cheng Fang hurriedly sent a look to Cheng Qi, and Cheng Qi immediately trotted out.
At this moment, Cheng Fang saw that Zhang Wanyin had arrived, so he stepped forward to remind him, "Your Majesty, the Noble Consort has arrived!"
Xiao Wenyi's expression turned cold, "Tell her to come in!"
Soon, Zhang Wanyin arrived gracefully. All her previous resentment and sinister looks vanished as if they had never existed, "Your subject greets Your Majesty!"
Before Zhang Wanyin could finish her greeting, she heard Xiao Wenyi speak coldly, "Noble Consort, tell me, what is going on with Consort Zhang's injury?"
Zhang Wanyin was startled, then smiled unnaturally, "Your Majesty, what do you mean by this? Younger Sister just accidentally fell, so she got some abrasions."
"If you don't believe me, why don't you ask her yourself?"
Seeing her gaze fall on her, Zhang Wanrou hurriedly got up from Xiao Wenyi, like a frightened little bird, "Yes, yes, yes, Elder Sister is right. It was just your subject accidentally falling. Your Majesty, please do not misunderstand Elder Sister!"
Xiao Wenyi saw her so nervous that she had nowhere to put her hands, and his heart sank again. He then pulled her back into his arms.
Feeling her body tense up from fear, he became even more dissatisfied with Zhang Wanyin.
With such a lively personality, she was scared like this in front of Zhang Wanyin; how much did she fear her own Elder Sister?
His slender, fair fingers brushed across Zhang Wanrou's flushed cheeks, and he asked in a tone that was neither light nor heavy, "So, you are saying that she can get a slap mark on her face from a fall?"
Zhang Wanyin almost failed to control the expression on her face, and a trace of jealousy flashed in her eyes, but she quickly hid it, "Your Majesty, Younger Sister's skin is perhaps delicate, so..."
"Presumptuous!"
The Son of Heaven's anger unleashed an invisible aura that instantly spread, scaring everyone into kneeling on the ground and kowtowing.
Including Zhang Wanyin.
"Your Majesty!"
Zhang Wanrou was also shocked by the aura, and after reacting, she immediately wanted to kneel, but was held tightly in the man's arms and could not move.
She looked up at him. His handsome face was full of cold severity, and those eyes that seemed to be able to pierce through a person's heart were awe-inspiring.
He stared at Zhang Wanyin with displeasure, his face showing faint impatience, "Noble Consort, do you know what the crime of deceiving the Emperor is?"
An unforgivable, heinous crime!
Zhang Wanyin looked up in shock, her eyes filled with disbelief.
What does the Emperor mean by this?
Is he going to pin such a big charge on her just for a Zhang Wanrou?
Could it be that the time she risked her life to save him back then was not worth as much as a young and beautiful woman?
A flash of severity crossed Xiao Wenyi's brows, and he scolded, "Confess the truth immediately!"
Zhang Wanyin was stunned. Before she could react, she suddenly saw Zhang Wanrou break free from the man's arms and kneel at his feet.
"It was Nanny Wang!"
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