Hailan was drenched with the bowl of plum blossom soup, looking utterly disheveled.
She snatched the handkerchief from Suoxin’s hand and wiped the soup off herself in a fit of rage. Gazing at Yanwan kneeling on the floor, a flash of disgust swept through her eyes.
Because everything had unfolded so rapidly earlier, she had not noticed that the Emperor had pulled Yanwan aside, assuming instead that the maid had simply dodged quickly.
When her scheme failed and she ended up losing face in front of the Emperor, Hailan could no longer conceal the hatred in her heart toward Yanwan.
Despite her fury, she had not forgotten that the Emperor was still present. Hearing Ruyi’s subtle defense of this palace maid, her eyes flickered slightly. Holding her stomach, she barked at Yanwan in a cold voice:
“Sister values you, but who would have thought you would prove so ungrateful? Doing your duties so carelessly in front of the Emperor, how can you serve at Sister’s side? Sister, I think it would be better to transfer her back to the Four Execution Chambers and replace her with a capable servant.”
Ruyi’s expression darkened slightly, and disappointment flashed in her eyes as she looked at Hailan. Only then did she realize what Hailan was truly trying to accomplish.
Watching Suoxin wipe the soup off the table—where a plum blossom from the bowl was pitifully stuck to the surface—an anger gradually rose within Ruyi’s heart.
She had stated multiple times that Ling Yanche had saved her life, and how could she not repay that debt?
Yet Hailan had deliberately made such an outburst in front of the Emperor, proving that she had not taken Ruyi’s words to heart at all. Knowing full well that Ruyi would not agree, Hailan had intentionally tried to force her hand before the Emperor.
The corners of Ruyi’s mouth turned downward. Looking at the overbearing Hailan, she only felt that the woman had changed. The timid yet submissive Hailan of the past no longer existed.
Ruyi sighed in her heart. Living in this cruel imperial palace, few could maintain their principles as she did. She had not expected that even Hailan would succumb to the temptation and be changed by the court.
Yanwan lowered her eyes, kneeling obediently on the ground without offering a defense.
She was not worried that Ruyi would actually replace her; the meaning behind Ruyi’s earlier words had already made that clear.
Ruyi and Ling Yanche shared a bond that “transcended the affection between men and women,” so how could she easily replace Ling Yanche’s cousin?
It was merely a spilled bowl of soup—a matter that could be made as big or as small as one wished.
Hailan waited for a long while without hearing Ruyi speak. She hurriedly turned to look at Ruyi, only to see her cold, stern expression. Though unspoken, the look in Ruyi’s eyes was filled with disapproval.
“Sister, this servant was careless in her duties, so naturally she ought to be punished…”
Hailan panicked, but it was improper to explain herself in front of the Emperor, so she could only look at Ruyi helplessly.
The hall was dead silent. Suoxin and Li Yu stood to the side, looking at Yanwan with concern. Anyone with eyes could see that Noble Lady Hai harbored a deep prejudice against Yanwan.
Seeing Ruyi like this, the Emperor found it somewhat strange. He had not expected Ruyi to defend this palace maid to such an extent, which was truly peculiar.
Soon, the Emperor recalled his earlier suspicion. Looking at Yanwan’s figure, a complex light flashed in his eyes.
Could it be that this girl was truly someone Ruyi intended to recommend to him?
The Emperor raised his hand and slammed his spoon back into the porcelain bowl with a crisp *clack*.
The noise startled everyone. Forgetting everything else, Ruyi and Hailan quickly stood up upon seeing the Emperor’s anger.
Ruyi’s eyes swept over the kneeling Yanwan. Opening her red lips, she bit the bullet and pleaded for mercy:
“Your Majesty, Yanwan has always been careful in her work; this must have been an honest mistake. I beg Your Majesty for forgiveness. Hailan, I shall apologize to you on Yanwan’s behalf. Do not hold it against her. Let Suoxin find one of my outfits for you to change into first.”
Sister must be angry with her. Hailan shook her head anxiously. “Sister, please do not do this. It is merely a small matter; I shall speak no more of it.”
The Emperor was in no mood to watch their sisterly affection and declared impatiently in a cold tone:
“Why should you apologize to her, Ruyi? I always thought Noble Lady Hai was timid and frail due to her background and gave her much pity, but who would have thought she is actually a two-faced snake!”
As soon as these words were uttered, Ruyi parted her red lips slightly, looking at the Emperor in shock. Hailan was already so terrified that she clutched her stomach and knelt at the Emperor’s feet to defend herself. Terrified that Ruyi would misunderstand, she could no longer filter her words in her anxiety.
“Why does Your Majesty say such things about me? I do not know what I have done wrong. If Your Majesty wishes to protect this palace maid, there is no need to speak of me in this way.”
Upon hearing this, the Emperor’s temper flared instantly. Although he had intended to make a scene on purpose, Hailan’s words were simply too harsh!
He had originally intended to leave some leeway, but now he looked at the weeping Hailan kneeling at his feet with disgust, speaking even more mercilessly.
“Hmph! You harbor dark intentions yourself, so do not drag others down with you. This plum blossom soup was carefully prepared by Noble Consort Xian. If Noble Lady Hai did not wish to drink it, you could have said so directly. There was no need to deliberately overturn the bowl and frame Noble Consort Xian’s maid. Do you think I failed to see through your disgusting tricks?”
As the Emperor, it seemed that harsh words were a necessary skill. He had originally intended to reprimand Hailan briefly, but his anger had now been thoroughly ignited.
Hailan was directly defined by his words as a villain with sinister motives, and a dark-minded malicious person who had deliberately framed and dragged down Noble Consort Xian.
Hailan’s face turned deathly pale as she knelt on the ground holding her stomach. In an instant, she had been turned into a villain. She had merely wanted to dismiss a low-ranking palace maid, yet it had become an intentional attempt to cause trouble for Noble Consort Xian.
How could she ever hurt her Sister? Her Sister would surely not believe it!
Just as Yanwan had been aggrieved and unable to talk back, the Emperor’s words carried absolute authority. Once he passed judgment on someone, who would dare to contradict him?
After speaking, the Emperor glanced out of the corner of his eye toward Yanwan. He saw her stealing a glance at him, her beautiful eyes filled with admiration, sparkling as if bright with little stars.
He did not even need to look closely at that expression to read her thoughts at a glance.
Suppressing the smile that was about to curl his lips, the anger in the Emperor’s heart vanished in an instant.
Yanwan truly had not expected the Emperor to say such a thing. Even as the framed party, she had not noticed these details, so how could the Emperor know?
No one in the hall had expected that a single bowl of soup would evolve into discord between Noble Lady Hai and Noble Consort Xian.
Ruyi was equally astonished, but she believed in her beloved youth. Since he had spoken thus, it had to be the truth. Looking at the kneeling Hailan with pity, she asked in confusion:
“Hailan, why must you do this? If you did not like this soup, you simply had not to drink it. Why involve the innocent? I believed that we shared years of sisterly affection, but it seems I was merely being self-indulgent.”
Hailan was completely stunned. Seeing her Sister’s disappointment in her, how could she bear it? She hurriedly explained:
“Sister, I did not! We have known each other for years; do you still not trust my affection for you? It was this maid who slipped…”
Hailan was indeed acting entirely out of consideration for Ruyi, but how could Ruyi believe her words?
In her heart, she only trusted her beloved youth!
“Enough. Noble Lady Hai harbors impure intentions, and her pregnancy is far along. Return to your palace and stay there. You are forbidden from setting foot in Yikun Palace before giving birth. Li Yu, go and escort Noble Lady Hai back.”
The Emperor was impatient to hear Hailan’s tearful pleas and dismissed her directly. With the phrase “impure intentions” cast upon her, even if she gave birth to a prince, an impure person could no longer be granted the title of Concubine or Consort.
A smile flashed in Li Yu’s eyes. He directed the young eunuchs to hoist the disheveled Hailan up from the floor, half-escorting and half-forcing her back to Yanxi Palace.
Yanwan breathed a sigh of relief. It was impossible for her not to be afraid; after all, this was a feudal society, and Hailan was a master.
Fortunately, this Noble Lady Hai had ended up lifting a stone only to drop it on her own feet.
Noticing her subtle gloating, the Emperor frowned slightly. However, she had indeed suffered an unwarranted disaster today entirely because of Hailan’s ill intent. Thinking of this, the Emperor simply ignored her disrespect.
“Rise. You were merely caught in the crossfire.”
“I thank Your Majesty for your sharp discernment.”
After obediently giving thanks, Yanwan stood up swiftly and retreated to Suoxin’s side. Seeing that she had escaped danger, Suoxin secretly reached out and squeezed her hand.
It was a rare occasion for the Emperor to play the hero saving a damsel in distress in the palace, and his mind was currently surging with excitement. Seeing the gratitude in the beauty’s eyes gave him an immense sense of accomplishment.
However, turning around, he saw Ruyi looking utterly crestfallen, her dark brown robe emphasizing her pale face even more. The Emperor’s heart instantly softened.
Evidently, there had been some exaggeration in his harsh reprimand of Hailan just now.
Ruyi had always been close with Hailan, so learning suddenly that Hailan harbored ill intentions must have made her deeply grieved.
A rare trace of guilt rose in the Emperor’s heart. However, as the ruler of a nation whose words carried absolute authority, having already passed judgment on Hailan, he had no choice but to cement the matter.
“Ruyi, while you were in the Cold Palace, you braided three hundred twenty-six knots and embroidered one hundred twelve handkerchiefs. I personally inspected every single item before sending them out of the palace to be sold. It was precisely because of those handkerchiefs that I knew you had not lost hope and were still waiting for me to rescue you from the Cold Palace.”