In the Main Hall of Yonghe Palace, the sound of objects being smashed was harsh and fierce, forming an extreme contrast with the sounds of indulgence coming from the side room of the Side Hall.
"Empress, please calm your anger!"
Throughout the entire Main Hall, palace maids and eunuchs knelt on the floor, each of them trembling, wishing they could bury their heads in the ground.
"Calm my anger, calm my anger! Besides telling this Palace to calm its anger, what else can you do?!"
Zhang Wanyin, having lost all reason, kicked the broken porcelain shards on the floor toward the palace maids and eunuchs, shouting uncontrollably, "A bunch of useless trash!"
In the entire Main Hall, apart from Zhang Wanyin's heavy, rhythmic breathing, there was not a sound, yet this silence made all the palace servants feel terrified, as if they were sitting on pins and needles.
She looked at the people in the Main Hall and laughed with a sinister expression, asking in a low voice, "Are you all very happy to see this Palace lose face? Are you all clapping and cheering in your hearts?"
Everyone prostrated on the ground, shaking their heads, their hearts gripped by immense fear.
"Heh... I tell you all! The Emperor's interest in other women is merely a passing fancy! The bond between this Palace and the Emperor is something no one in this world can compare to!!"
The crowd lowered their bodies even further, trying their best to minimize their presence.
After arranging for Nanny Wang, Chun Xu returned to report. When she reached the outside of the hall, her footsteps involuntarily slowed down; she only dared to enter once the fire of the person inside had dissipated somewhat.
"Reporting to the Empress, Nanny has already applied the medicine and has been settled."
Zhang Wanyin looked at her with a sinister gaze, a ball of fire suppressed in the depths of her eyes, and asked, "Has the Emperor left the side room yet?"
If the Emperor had left, she would definitely have to have a good talk with Zhang Wanrou. What exactly did she mean by this?!
Chun Xu's hands, pressed against her lower abdomen, trembled slightly, and her body lowered involuntarily.
"Re—reporting to the Empress, the Emperor, he, he has not left..."
"He hasn't left yet?" Zhang Wanyin was so angry her face turned green. "It's just a minor injury, is it worth the Emperor staying with her for so long?!"
Chun Xu did not speak, only trying her best to lower her body.
Zhang Wanyin felt that Chun Xu's attitude was off. "Chun Xu, are you hiding something from this Palace?"
Chun Xu's heart was in her throat, but as Zhang Wanyin's footsteps drew closer, her endurance gradually collapsed.
She hurriedly kowtowed, her voice trembling as she replied, "The, the Emperor is favoring Consort Zhang..."
At the word "Consort," her voice was almost too weak to be heard.
Zhang Wanyin froze, her eyes filled with shock. "What did you say? The Emperor favored Zhang Wanrou again? And it's... during the day?!"
"This, how is this possible? The Emperor has always been steady, never obsessed with carnal desires, and would never delay state affairs for such things!"
"How could he... how could he today..."
Zhang Wanyin was almost dumbfounded, unable to believe her own ears.
The Main Hall was deathly silent; one could even hear a needle drop!
After a long silence, just as everyone thought the Noble Consort had accepted the matter and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a whip suddenly cracked through the air in the Main Hall.
"Snap!"
"Snap!"
...
"Useless trash!"
"Useless trash!!"
"Bitch!!"
...
The sound of the whip cracking in the air, accompanied by streaks of blood where skin had been torn and the sounds of suppressed groans, created a hellish, terrifying scene in the Main Hall.
After half an incense stick of time, once everyone in the hall had two bloody welts on them, Zhang Wanyin's anger finally subsided a little.
Chun Xu seemed to have anticipated that Zhang Wanyin would go mad and had hidden in a corner, so she only received one lash on her arm.
Not until the whip, wrapped in gold and silver threads, fell to the ground did she, who had been tense all over, slowly let out a breath. Before the beads of sweat could even drip, she heard a voice from above again, scaring her into holding her breath once more!
"Go, reveal this matter to the Empress and the Empress Dowager!"
Chun Xu received the order, kowtowed heavily, and then quickly exited the Main Hall.
The entire Main Hall of Yonghe Palace was filled with a faint scent of blood.
Zhang Wanyin sat on the Noble Consort's couch, drinking tea, and frowned upon smelling the blood. Looking down, a thin anger rose in her eyes again: "Looking like your parents died! Who are you showing that to? To this Palace?!"
"If you can't even take two lashes, why does this Palace keep you?"
"Get out!"
The crowd, as if granted amnesty, retreated one after another.
In the east side room, the palace maids and eunuchs who were on rotation saw their companions return covered in injuries, and their expressions instantly turned ugly.
"The Noble Consort is angry again?"
The young palace maid who had received two lashes nodded, unable to help but burst into tears.
"Sigh!" An older palace maid patted the young girl's shoulder and comforted her, "We servants are born with the fate of being beaten and scolded. Lan Cui, be strong. Once you make it past twenty-five, you can leave the palace!"
The young girl sniffled and nodded, "Elder Sister, although the Noble Consort's anger has dissipated quite a bit, you must still be careful when you go to serve her!"
While these people went to serve in low spirits, on the other side, Qing Ning walked over from the direction of the side room.
The people in the Main Hall did not look very pleased when they saw Qing Ning. Ultimately, they were beaten because they were implicated by Consort Zhang!
Qing Ning felt their hostility. In the past, she would have avoided them immediately, but now, she had to bite the bullet and approach them.
A palace maid next to Lan Cui saw her walking over and coldly mocked, "Oh, isn't this the personal palace maid by Consort Zhang's side? What brings you here? Are you here to see us covered in wounds so you can go report the good news to the Consort?"
Qing Ning stepped forward and gave a dry laugh, "Elder Sister, you have misunderstood. Qing Ning would not dare!"
She pointed to her own red and swollen cheek and said, "Elder Sister, look, Younger Sister is no better off than you!"
The palace maid gave a cold snort, clearly not accepting her words.
Qing Ning's expression stiffened, and she took a medicine bottle from her bosom. "Elder Sister, this is the ointment the Consort bestowed upon me. She said it is excellent for external wounds. Please take it and use it!"
Lan Cui looked at the ointment, a hint of longing appearing in her eyes, but the palace maid beside her was more experienced and pushed Qing Ning's hand away.
"Forget it! Younger Sister is a favorite by the Consort's side, and the Consort has the Emperor's great favor. We wouldn't dare snatch the ointment from your hands! Otherwise, if the Consort is displeased later and complains to the Emperor, we servants might not even be able to keep our lives!"
"Between a minor injury and our lives, we can still weigh the importance!"
Qing Ning wanted to say something more, but the palace maid pulled Lan Cui into the room and closed the door directly.
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