CHAPTER 27: CHAPTER 27: THE CONCUBINES HELP YOU SAVE FACE

When the Qiankun Palace kept being rewound, Xie Zhixing thought maybe the Kitchen made something today that Attendant Lady Xi didn’t like.

And the Chief Palace Maid sent by Concubine Li to report the emergency only went to the Jianzhang Palace — the Empress is the mistress of the harem, and unless in special circumstances, bypassing the Empress to report directly to the Emperor is considered a breach of protocol and immature behavior; as a seasoned member of the palace, Concubine Li certainly wouldn’t make such a mistake.

"What happened to cause such recklessness?"

The rules in Jianzhang Palace are strict. The palace maid came in such haste, not only was her forehead covered in sweat, but also her steps were brisk, drawing a reprimand from Miss Dong Hua.

"Miss Dong Hua, I am a palace maid of Concubine Li in the Xianfu Palace, and I have urgent matters to report to the Empress."

She quickly recounted the events.

After listening to the situation, Dong Hua indeed couldn’t bother putting on airs and told her to wait where she was, while she hurriedly went inside to find the Empress.

The Empress is not just a figurehead managing palace affairs, if someone causes trouble in the harem, even if it’s not the Empress’s fault, she would still bear the blame for not maintaining strict control. Originally tending to her nails, the Empress felt her calm shatter upon hearing: "Someone dared to commit violence in the palace! Summon everyone involved. Dong Hua, go and inform the Emperor."

After a while, Concubine Li entered with a pale face to pay respects: "I greet the Empress."

"Stand up, why are you alone? Wasn’t the person targeting Attendant Lady Xi?"

At this, Concubine Li could only sigh helplessly.

Seeing Attendant Lady Xi skillfully parry moves with that eunuch, not losing the upper hand.

But then she saw him bite his tongue to commit suicide and became incapacitated.

"Reporting to Lady, when I saw Attendant Lady Xi, she was vomiting, from the Bamboo Grove all the way to the gates of Jianzhang Palace, she vomited along the way. I was worried the mess would offend Your Ladyship, so I asked Attendant Lady Xi to wait aside for a moment." Dong Qin curtsied and replied respectfully.

"..."

The Empress couldn’t help it: "Vomited all the way?"

"Yes, Your Ladyship, Xiao Fuzi followed behind Attendant Lady Xi, cleaning up," Dong Qin explained.

The distance from the Bamboo Grove to the Jianzhang Palace isn’t far, but it’s not close either.

If it were anyone else, the Empress would be suspicious.

But Dong Qin is a trusted confidant, and she believes she is telling the truth. From Dong Qin’s expression, it seemed Attendant Lady Xi not only vomited but did so quite severely.

The central hall fell into a brief silence.

Elsewhere, Yun Jiao was still leaning against a pillar, vomiting, while Xue Ya gently patted her back: "Mistress, how can you be so timid!"

"Not timid at all. If I were any more timid, my gallbladder might come up through my throat." Yun Jiao replied.

Upon hearing this, Xue Ya nervously kept her eyes on her mistress’s mouth, afraid that indeed something might come up, ready to catch and put it back in if necessary.

After Yun Jiao had emptied all the supper, breakfast, and bile she had, she obediently let Xue Ya wipe her mouth clean, rinsed her mouth, and then went to the main hall to see the Empress. The Empress maintained her stern expression and did not call her to rise, leaving her to kneel and respond: "Attendant Lady Xi, have you met this eunuch before?"

"Lady, I don’t know him; all I know is he claimed to serve in the Changle Palace," Yun Jiao responded.

Involving the Changle Palace meant the Chief Eunuch by the Empress Dowager’s side had to come and identify the person.

Eunuch Zhang came, took a glance, and confidently stated: "Empress, there is no such person beside the Empress Dowager, nor is he a menial eunuch of the Changle Palace; it seems he merely borrowed the name of the Changle Palace."

"I think so too,"

The Empress sighed: "Before clarifying the eunuch’s identity, Attendant Lady Xi couldn’t provide a clear explanation, troubling the Empress Dowager."

They were investigating the case, and no one told Yun Jiao to rise, yet they had to fling over unnecessary blame, weighing it on her.

Xue Ya, beside her, was too anxious to intervene.

This was not even her mistress’s fault; not only was she blameless, but she also suffered greatly! Yet, a little Attendant Lady without any family background in Jianzhang Palace couldn’t count as a person; if the Empress wanted to privately reprimand her to establish rules, her mistress could only endure obediently. Her mistress has always been gentle and mild; she’s afraid she’ll be bullied to death.

"The Emperor arrives!"

Just then, Ying Lu’s voice sounded from outside the hall.

...

Xue Ya thought a lot but still got one thing wrong.

Yun Jiao is not someone who doesn’t fight back. In her past life in the hospital, she suffered so much hardship, unable to experience great joys or sorrows due to her illness, nor could she excessively express anger, so at first glance, she might appear very Buddhist, indifferent to disputes with others, but that’s not really the case.

"Wuwu...",

When the Empress rose to welcome the Emperor, she only saw Attendant Lady Xi, who had been silently kneeling on the lower end, now softly sobbing.

She cried pathetically, with large tears slowly sliding down her face.

After all, it took two rewinds for these tears to be squeezed out, rendering them especially precious.

When Xie Zhixing walked in, he saw Yun Jiao maintaining her posture of salutation, with a pale face.

Seeing this, he was secretly delighted.

Fairy being wronged is a perfect opportunity for me to reasonably gain favor!

No surprise, the Empress is as petty as she was when I first met her back then!

He stepped forward, reaching out to help her up. When his effort failed, he asked softly: "Is it that your legs are numb, and you can’t get up?"

"Your Majesty, just now Attendant Lady Xi was frightened and couldn’t stop vomiting; perhaps she temporarily lacks the strength," the Empress chimed in, first distancing herself, assuming such a minor Attendant Lady wouldn’t dare to contradict her...

However, Yun Jiao dared to!

"The Empress didn’t call me to rise; I’m afraid to get up without her order," Yun Jiao said, looking pitiably upwards.

She was already beautiful, and when she was tearful, it prompted even more pity...

If it weren’t for repeating the same movement three times, including a moment when she sniffed harshly, even Xie Zhixing would feel some sympathy for her.

Yun Jiao had to rewind three times to adjust to what she felt was the perfect angle, with three parts innocence, three parts resilience, three parts aloofness, and one part of vulnerability and grievance revealed only in front of the Emperor.

Most importantly, there were only tears, not a sniffle.

Seeing this, the Empress was almost driven to a faint by rage.

Originally, when she saw the Emperor arrive, not calling her to rise first and instead helping Yun Jiao, she already felt very uncomfortable. How bold of Attendant Lady Xi to dare play pathetic in front of the Emperor, daring to take advantage of the situation. Shame on the eunuch who must have been sent; how useless not to have eliminated her! Such useless people!

"Empress,"

Xie Zhixing frowned, looking at the Empress: "Wasn’t it Attendant Lady Xi who was attacked? Why have her kneel?"

"Responding to Your Majesty, because the matter involved the Changle Palace, I was afraid a villain from there might pose a risk to the Empress Dowager, thus a bit anxious and forgot to call Attendant Lady Xi to rise," the Empress smiled at Yun Jiao: "Attendant Lady Xi, do get up and rest first, you’ve suffered."

The Empress thought she was being very considerate to Attendant Lady Xi for the Emperor’s sake.

However, she underestimated Attendant Lady Xi.

"Thank you, Empress,"

Yun Jiao whimpered: "But my legs are numb, I trouble Your Majesty to assist me."

The Empress began to feel why that eunuch didn’t just break this wretch’s legs.

"Ying Lu."

Xie Zhixing, wanting to give the Empress some face, signaled Ying Lu to help her.

Yet, before Ying Lu could move, time rewound again to two seconds prior.