Listening to Chuntao's tearful account, Xie Chan struggled inwardly for a long time before finally rising and kneeling before Ming Hua.
Her voice trembled as she wept: "What Chuntao said is true. It is not that I am cowardly, still daring not to speak of Empress Dowager Lu and Xie Zhi's evil deeds at this point. The truth is that Empress Dowager Lu is ruthless and merciless—not at all the virtuous and benevolent person the world believes her to be."
"My birth mother and I come from humble origins, our very lives held in Empress Dowager Lu's hands. If I dared to speak the truth, she would surely torment us both until we wished for death…"
"There is no need to kneel like this. Rise and sit down to speak—be careful not to reopen your wounds," Ming Hua said hurriedly, signaling Qingyun and Nuanxue to help Xie Chan up and seat her properly.
She handed Xie Chan an embroidered handkerchief to wipe her tears, then took the girl's somewhat rough little hand in hers, her gaze resolute.
"If you trust me enough, Princess, to tell me the whole truth and help me expose Empress Dowager Lu's true face, I will surely see justice done for you. I will never let Empress Dowager Lu lay a hand on you and your mother!"
Xie Chan looked at the determination in Ming Hua's eyes, her heart aching with emotion. She was like one who had been adrift at sea for so long, clinging to a piece of driftwood, suddenly seeing a deity come to her rescue.
After settling back into her seat, she took the handkerchief Ming Hua offered and wiped her tears, then began to speak slowly, as if lost in memory.
"My birth mother was Empress Dowager Lu's dowry maidservant. Before entering the palace, she attended to her hair in her chambers, and later followed her into the palace as well."
"Though Empress Dowager Lu appears virtuous and kind on the surface, seeming very approachable and enjoying a reputation for benevolence, in truth she is vicious and venomous to the core. Anyone who crosses her interests, she will surely destroy."
"According to my mother, before entering the palace, Empress Dowager Lu bullied her concubine-born sisters at home. After becoming Empress and giving birth to Xie Zhi, her body was damaged and she could hardly conceive again. Fearing she might lose her position, she secretly harmed many consorts, princes, and princesses who threatened her standing. She also helped cover up many of Xie Zhi's misdeeds behind the scenes."
"That year, my birth mother was favored by the late Emperor while he was drunk. Though Empress Dowager Lu outwardly appeared magnanimous in allowing the late Emperor to grant my mother the rank of Talented Lady, behind the scenes she made endless difficulties for her and humiliated her."
"Back then, she had intended to kill the mother and take the child, which was why she allowed my birth mother to give birth to me. It was only because I turned out to be a girl that my mother escaped with her life."
"But over the years, Empress Dowager Lu has continually instructed those in the palace to mistreat and humiliate both my mother and me."
"Xie Zhi is arrogant and overbearing, looking down on everyone. She has always treated my mother and me like the lowest of maidservants, ordering us about and beating and scolding us at will. My mother has now been bedridden with illness for a long time."
"My mother's status is humble—her entire family are bondservants of the Duke of Chengguo's household, and their lives all rest in Empress Dowager Lu's hands."
"Empress Dowager Lu holds great power and is praised throughout the realm. Even His Majesty is deceived by her reputation for virtue and treats her with great respect."
"My mother and I know that our words carry little weight. These years, we have had no choice but to swallow our anger and cling to life under the tyranny of Empress Dowager Lu and her daughter…"
By the end, Xie Chan was weeping freely. She wiped the tears from her face with the handkerchief, then raised her eyes to look at Ming Hua with unwavering determination as she swore:
"Empress Dowager Lu's reputation for virtue is known to all. I know my words carry little weight and may seem like slander."
"But I dare to swear upon the lives of my mother and myself: everything I have just said is true. If there is even half a lie, may my mother and I be struck by lightning from heaven and die a miserable death!"
Chuntao knelt beside her, weeping: "This servant also dares to swear upon the lives of her entire family: everything our Princess has said is true. If there is even half a lie, may my whole family be struck by lightning from heaven and die a miserable death!"
"When Your Grace entered just now, did you not ask this servant why, when His Majesty treats the late Emperor's consorts and princesses so well, our Talented Lady and Princess still live in such a dilapidated, desolate place, with only me alone to serve them?"
She gave a bitter smile: "Empress Dowager Lu has never favored our Talented Lady and Princess. In the past, she instructed and indulged her underlings to skimp on our food and clothing, housing us in a shabby little courtyard."
"Now that His Majesty has ascended the throne, the late Emperor's consorts and princesses have all moved to the North Garden."
"The North Garden is the residence of the senior consorts. The halls and courtyards are old and cramped. Empress Dowager Lu and the Third Princess, accustomed to a life of luxury, not only occupy an entire palace for themselves alone, but also secretly skim from the allowances of the consorts and princesses below them."
"Our Talented Lady and Princess come from humble origins with no maternal family to rely on. Empress Dowager Lu used the excuse that our Talented Lady needed to recuperate from illness to have us sent to this place, leaving us to fend for ourselves."
"If Your Grace looks carefully at everything in this Cooling Pavilion, you will know whether this servant speaks truth or falsehood."
"Our Talented Lady has been subjected to all manner of mistreatment and torment by Empress Dowager Lu in private over these years, and her health was already poor to begin with."
"Now that we've been moved to this place, and Empress Dowager Lu has cut off all our food and clothing, we can only survive day to day on the vegetables we grow ourselves in the courtyard. Her health is failing more and more each day."
"Now we rely entirely on our princess working day and night at her needlework, finding ways to sell it to earn some money, then going to the Imperial Medical Bureau to bribe them for medicine for our lady. It's the only thing keeping her half-alive."
By the end, Chuntao was sobbing uncontrollably. "This servant knows that Noble Consort is kind-hearted. Yesterday, in your great benevolence, you saved our princess."
"Please, Noble Consort, save our princess once more. This servant is willing to be your beast of burden for lifetimes upon lifetimes to repay this debt of gratitude!" With that, Chuntao began kowtowing repeatedly to Ming Hua.
"Rise quickly!" Ming Hua listened to the mistress and servant recount the various misdeeds of Empress Dowager Lu and her daughter. Though she had already suspected as much, hearing the victims' account firsthand still filled her delicate face with righteous indignation.
"I understand your concerns. Would you be willing to come with me before His Majesty and repeat what you've just told me, to testify against Empress Dowager Lu's actions?"
"I promise you, I will see justice done for you! I will keep you safe!"
"We are willing!" The mistress and servant exchanged tearful, joyful glances and spoke in unison.
At that moment, a deep, resonant voice carrying authority came from outside the door. "No need. I have already heard everything you said from outside the door. I will send people to investigate this matter thoroughly. If what you say is true, I will severely punish the Lu mother and daughter!"
Mid-sentence, Xie Chongyuan entered, dressed in a black dragon robe embroidered with gold and silver thread, his sword-like brows tightly furrowed, his stern countenance carrying traces of anger.
Xie Chan and Chuntao stared in astonishment at the emperor's arrival, then quickly knelt in unison to pay their respects. "Your subject daughter/This servant pays respects to Your Majesty!"
"Rise," Xie Chongyuan said in a flat tone, bidding the two kneeling figures to stand. After entering, his gaze had been fixed on the young lady who was being helped up from the small stool by Qingyun and Nuanxue.
Seeing that the young lady was safe and sound, the tightly knit brow he'd worn all the way to the North Garden finally relaxed somewhat.
He had been worried all day about the young lady's foot injury. After dismissing the morning court, he'd only briefly met with a few ministers before rushing to Yilan Hall, wanting to see if her injury had improved and to apply medicine for her once more.
Unexpectedly, when he arrived at Yilan Hall, he learned that the young lady had disregarded her foot injury entirely—barely touching her breakfast before heading to the North Garden to visit someone.
Xie Chongyuan was immediately furious at the young lady's willfulness. At this moment, looking at her, his expression carried a fair amount of irritation.
Ming Hua, however, assumed Xie Chongyuan's gloomy expression was because he'd heard of Empress Dowager Lu's misdeeds as recounted by Xie Chan and Chuntao.
She stood up, looking at Xie Chongyuan with a bright smile. "Your Majesty, why have you come here too?" At this hour, he should be in Zichen Hall handling state affairs.
"I've come to catch a disobedient young lady who's been running around," Xie Chongyuan said with a somewhat stern expression as he walked before the young lady. Seeing her still smiling brightly, completely unaware of her wrongdoing, his voice turned somewhat cold.
Ming Hua's heart skipped a beat at his words. Her face flushed slightly with guilt as she remembered that before leaving last night, Xie Chongyuan had reminded her several times to stay off her feet and rest quietly in Yilan Hall for the next few days.
The young lady looked guilty, offering an awkward smile as she explained, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. Last night, Huahua applied the medicine you gave me, and my foot doesn't hurt anymore…"
Xie Chongyuan stepped forward and directly scooped the young lady up into his arms. Suppressing the anger in his heart, he said in a low voice, "This is truly reckless! Come back with me first to apply medicine. I will send people to properly settle them."
With that, Xie Chongyuan carried the young lady out of Qingliang Hall. Along the way, he suppressed his anger and remained silent, carrying Ming Hua onto the Imperial Carriage waiting outside the hall.
Ming Hua watched Xie Chongyuan's cold face the entire way. He didn't speak a single word to her even after they were seated in the Imperial Carriage, only giving a low order to head to Yilan Hall.
She turned to try to talk to him, but he kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, pretending not to see her. She knew he was truly angry—angry that she hadn't listened and properly rested her injury.
Ming Hua knew how busy Xie Chongyuan was with state affairs, and that she'd caused him worry by not listening and taking care of herself.
Her watery, apricot-shaped eyes gazed at Xie Chongyuan's cold profile. Then, taking the initiative to make amends, she reached out and tugged at his sleeve embroidered with coiled dragon patterns, speaking softly in a coaxing manner, "Your Majesty…"
Xie Chongyuan heard the young lady's soft, sweet voice, and his stern expression softened somewhat.
But thinking of how the young lady was always so willful and reckless, never cherishing her own body, and how even gentle persuasion didn't work on her, he steeled his heart, kept his gaze forward, and ignored her overture, wanting to teach her a lesson.
Ming Hua saw that Xie Chongyuan still wore a cold expression and refused to acknowledge her. She sighed inwardly, her delicate face showing some distress.
An emperor's anger was truly so hard to soothe…
She pouted, her little face looking aggrieved as she tugged at Xie Chongyuan's sleeve again. Her pitiful, tearful voice carried a hint of reproach. "Is Your Majesty angry with Huahua and planning to ignore her forever?"
Hearing the young lady's pitiful and wronged voice, Xie Chongyuan's heart immediately softened, and he hurried to explain.
"I was worried about Huahua, angry that Huahua doesn't take better care of herself, angry that Huahua is disobedient and didn't stay properly in Yilan Hall to recover from her injury. That's why I was so upset. How could I bear to ignore Huahua?"
He thought his cold demeanor just now had hurt the young lady's feelings, so he quickly turned to lower his head and comfort her. But to his surprise, there was not a trace of sadness on her face—instead, her delicate little face wore a lively, mischievous smile, infuriatingly so!
Seeing that Xie Chongyuan was speaking to her again, a hint of triumphant glee flashed through Ming Hua's dark, apricot-shaped eyes.
Ever since that time with her monthly cycle, when Xie Chongyuan had stayed up all night caring for her, and then yesterday when he had been so gentle and attentive, personally applying medicine for her, she now understood the emperor's indulgence and affection toward her. She would no longer be frightened by his stern face and fierce demeanor.
Moreover, for some reason, she was now so certain that Xie Chongyuan would not be angry with her, nor would he ignore her.
Her brows curved like crescent moons as she turned sideways, both hands tugging at Xie Chongyuan's sleeve, her voice sweet and coaxing as she pleaded, "That's good then. Your Majesty, don't be angry with Huahua anymore, alright?"
"Huahua knows she worried Your Majesty today. From now on, Huahua will be obedient and stay in Yilan Hall until her foot injury is fully healed before coming out!"
Xie Chongyuan looked at the slyly smiling young lady and knew he had fallen for her ploy of playing the victim. His face showed a mix of exasperation and helplessness. He never imagined that he, who had been undefeated on the battlefield for all these years, would now fall for a young lady's trick of feigning injury.
When one cares deeply, judgment is clouded. He supposed he was now far too concerned about this little beauty before him.
He let out a soft sigh and, looking at the young lady who was putting on such a show of being good, said with feigned irritation, "But from the looks of it, Huahua doesn't seem like the type to obediently listen!"