Yunrou covered her stinging cheek, looking at Nianyao with eyes full of disbelief.
With so many people around her, how dare Nianyao still hit her?
Nianyao took a step forward, meeting Yunrou’s gaze directly.
“Since the Empress Dowager has not issued any verbal decree, it means I am still the head palace maid of Shouning Palace. You have repeatedly overstepped your bounds, disobeyed orders, and even dared to injure others.”
As she spoke, Nianyao felt a faint, lingering pain in her neck. She shifted her gaze to Yunrou’s long nails and spotted a trace of red at the tips.
She raised her head. “Why shouldn’t I strike you?”
Yunrou opened her mouth but found herself unable to argue!
Even though the Empress Dowager now despised her and had sent her to the Buddhist hall, it was true that her title as a first-rank palace maid had not been stripped away.
She had also overheard earlier that no one was allowed to touch Nianyao’s old room—it was now locked up.
Nianyao raised her hand, and Yunrou instinctively flinched back.
Even Nianyao froze for a moment, looking at Yunrou with a complicated expression.
She had only intended to straighten her own clothes.
Even Yunrou felt somewhat embarrassed by her reaction, her face flushing red all the way down to her neck.
But Yunrou refused to back down. She had come here with such a grand display—if she were scared off by Nianyao’s few words, wouldn’t that be…
Then, Yunrou’s eyes shifted, landing on the rather short palace maid beside her.
“Your sister is the Empress Dowager’s top personal maid. Aside from Mama An, the Empress Dowager trusts her the most.”
Hearing Yunrou’s flattering words, the young palace maid unconsciously straightened her back.
“But if we let Nianyao trample over our dignity now, she’ll be trampling over your sister’s dignity too. We absolutely cannot let her get away with this!”
The young maid’s ears flushed red from the instigation, but with so many sisters she usually got along with watching her…
She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and charged forward, intending to push Nianyao down, pin her to the ground, and tear her clothes.
But before she could act, a sharp yet authoritative voice rang out.
“The Crown Prince is here. What are you all doing?”
Nianyao had originally been prepared to deal with this naive young maid, but hearing that voice, her mind grew instantly flustered. She didn’t even notice the young maid charging at her until it was too late.
Pushed back several steps, she barely managed to grab onto something to keep from falling.
Nianyao squeezed her hand, thinking this wall felt strangely soft.
But the next moment, her hair stood on end.
“What are you doing to me?”
Nianyao lowered her head and only then realized she had been bold enough to grab the Crown Prince’s wrist directly!
Nianyao hurriedly released her grip, took two steps back, and knelt on the ground.
“This maid greets Your Highness. It was an emergency just now—I truly did not mean to.”
Her eyes reddened with panic, completely devoid of the courage she had shown moments ago when facing five or six people alone.
Nianyao hadn’t forgotten the rumor she had heard earlier—about a maid who tried to climb into the Crown Prince’s bed but had her hand chopped off before even touching the hem of his robe.
Nianyao felt the hand she had just used to grasp Pei Jinyan go empty and cold, as if it might cease to exist at any moment.
But Pei Jinyan lowered his lashes, gazing thoughtfully at his own wrist.
The spot where the woman had touched him was burning hot.
The faint, delicate fragrance emanating from her seemed to madly invade his senses.
After Pei Jinyan came to his senses, he frowned.
He glanced at Nianyao, who was trembling like a quail with her head bowed low.
Seeing that Nianyao had likely earned the Crown Prince’s displeasure, Yunrou felt a flicker of delight in her eyes.
She walked forward with an affected manner, pitching her voice as she greeted Pei Jinyan.
“This humble servant, Rou’er, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
After offering her greeting, she glanced at Nianyao, who was kneeling nearby with a deathly pale face.
“This maid has offended you and truly deserves death, but I beg Your Highness to spare her life for my sake, and for the sake of Shouning Palace.”
Blocked from his view, Pei Jinyan was in no mood for pleasantries. He looked at Yunrou, whose face was flushed and whose eyes darted about.
“Who are you? That I should consider your face?”
Pei Jinyan had no desire to engage further and withdrew his gaze.
“Take this one to the Punishment Bureau. The rest shall each receive twenty strokes.”
He gave the order and called out, “Li Fuquan, take them all away now. I will personally explain to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager later.”
Upon hearing that she was to receive twenty strokes, Yunrou’s face turned pale.
This punishment was no light matter; if administered too severely, it could cripple her legs.
But…
Yunrou glanced sideways at Nianyao, who seemed on the verge of collapsing yet still knelt firmly on the ground, biting her lips. She looked as fragile and delicate as a butterfly with broken wings.
A surge of satisfaction washed over Yunrou’s heart.
She could later ask the executioners to go a little easier on her—it would only mean lying in bed for a dozen or so days.
But Nianyao had been personally ordered by the Crown Prince to be sent to the Punishment Bureau. She likely wouldn’t return alive.
Yunrou looked at Nianyao’s face, filled with terror yet still breathtakingly beautiful.
She couldn’t help but feel a sense of vindication.
Nianyao bit her lower lip so hard that the taste of blood filled her mouth.
She couldn’t stop trembling.
With that single sentence from the Crown Prince, her fate had been sealed.
The Punishment Bureau, after all?
Nianyao laughed bitterly in her heart. It seemed that what was meant to come could never be escaped.
She slowly closed her eyes, tears streaming down like beads and falling onto the bluestone floor.
The sound of guards rushing forward echoed in her ears. One of them acted roughly, attempting to pull Nianyao up from the ground.
Like a kite with its string cut, Nianyao was effortlessly pulled to her feet. Yet the pain in her arm, as if gripped by an iron clamp, filled her heart with boundless sorrow.
Her heart slowly sank as she accepted this outcome.
But the next moment, Li Fuquan scolded,
“Fool! Who said it was this young lady?”
Nianyao’s overwhelming emotions froze in place. Her already bruised lips trembled slightly as she looked up in disbelief.
In Pei Jinyan’s eyes, what met him was a gaze as innocent and pure as a fawn’s.
It held a hint of timidity, soft and almost unbelievable.
Only now, her face was dirty and stained with tears.
It made one want to wipe it away roughly, yet in the most tender way, to stop her tears and fears.
Thus, even Pei Jinyan, who had not intended to speak earlier, spoke up unexpectedly.
“I meant this one.”
He pointed a finger at the young palace maid who had nearly pushed Nianyao to the ground moments before.