CHAPTER 80: CHAPTER 80: MIND YOUR LANGUAGE

She pulled off the quilt on her body and struggled to get out of bed, "Father, I want to see Mother."

Emperor Yongning pressed down her leg that was about to get out of bed, "Bao’er, look what time it is now?"

Jun Ning glanced outside; it looked quite dark. However, she couldn’t distinguish the time just by the sky. She asked, "What time is it now?"

Emperor Yongning patted Jun Ning’s head, "It’s already midnight, your mother should be asleep by now. Shall we talk about it tomorrow?"

Jun Ning thought for a moment, this indeed wasn’t the time to disturb her mother. She suppressed the urge to see Qiong Hua and nodded, agreeing to discuss it with Emperor Yongning tomorrow.

But then she asked, "When can Mother leave the Cold Palace?"

"Take a look." Emperor Yongning placed the prepared Imperial Decree by Xiao Lizi in front of Jun Ning.

Jun Ning opened the yellow Imperial Decree, and asked wonderingly, "Father, is this the decree to release Mother from the Cold Palace?"

"Mm." Emperor Yongning responded with a sound and continued, "After court tomorrow, I will personally take you and the decree to bring your mother out of the Cold Palace. Are you satisfied?"

Jun Ning looked at the decree in her hand with joy, "Satisfied."

"Since you’re satisfied, shall we have a meal?"

As the father and daughter spoke, the food had already arrived. Xiao Lizi led people to set the meal, and Emperor Yongning personally helped Jun Ning put on her shoes and carried her to the round table laid with food.

Jun Ning immediately spotted a chicken leg and took it to eat.

Emperor Yongning intervened to stop her, "Bao’er, you didn’t eat dinner. It’s not good to eat something so greasy now; shall we have some porridge first?"

...

Cold Palace.

Qiong Hua was not asleep at this time; her life wasn’t going well.

Just after nightfall, Consort Zhao, for some unknown reason, suddenly came to the Cold Palace and specifically named to see her.

Qiong Hua was originally with a few clear-minded people in the Cold Palace planting vegetables. They were preparing to finish planting the last bit of vegetables before getting something to eat, but the appearance of Consort Zhao interrupted them.

The vegetables Qiong Hua planted now, and the ones she had planted earlier, which were almost mature and ready to eat, were all destroyed by Consort Zhao and her entourages, not leaving her a single bit. No matter how Qiong Hua and those still sane in the Cold Palace, who helped her, tried to stop them, it was useless.

As women, they had a natural physical disadvantage compared to men. They simply couldn’t stop the eunuchs whom Consort Zhao brought to cause trouble.

In grief, she sought out Consort Zhao to reason with her, "Consort Zhao, why did you destroy the vegetables I worked hard to grow? Did I provoke you, or did they offend you?"

"Slap..." A sound.

As soon as Qiong Hua finished speaking, she was slapped hard by Consort Zhao.

Qiong Hua was knocked to the ground by the blow.

"Wretched girl, is this how you speak to me?" Consort Zhao looked down on Qiong Hua and said.

Qiong Hua covered her slapped face, tears welling in her eyes. She pressed her lips together, staying silent.

Consort Zhao did not let her off because of her silence. She crouched in front of her, grabbed her jaw harshly, and said, "Wretched girl, it’s fine if you’re wretched, but your bastard child is wretched too."

Qiong Hua couldn’t stand hearing this; she could be insulted, but not her child.

"Consort Zhao, please mind your language."

"Ha, mind my language? My cousin was permanently confined in Jiaofang Palace by that little bastard you bore, and you still ask me to mind my language?"