noffsinger Chapter 28 A Show of Force
Chapter 28 A Show of Force
When Shen Li was a child, she often went to the palace with her grandfather, Grand Tutor Shen, to play with the princes and princesses. However, as girls grow up, it is not convenient for them to always show their faces in public, so the number of times they went to the palace gradually decreased.
This was her first time entering the palace after her marriage, but she was more familiar with this towering and majestic place than in awe of it.
The old woman led Shen Li into Anhua Palace and told her to wait outside the main hall while she went in to announce her arrival.
"Miss, this Imperial Concubine is arrogant and reckless. You must be very careful in dealing with her. A small act of impatience could ruin a great plan," Ying'er whispered to Shen Li.
Shen Li could tell that her voice was trembling; she was quite frightened.
"Don't worry." Shen Li casually tossed out two words, standing there looking respectful but actually quite relaxed.
Ying'er was unsure of herself and wanted to say something more when the old nanny came out and said expressionlessly, "Madam Gu, the Imperial Concubine is taking a nap. Please wait here for a moment."
Ying'er's heart skipped a beat when she heard this. This imperial concubine was indeed up to no good; she was trying to intimidate her before they even met.
"May I ask how long Her Highness usually takes a nap?" Shen Li asked.
"That's hard to say. Her Highness is tired from serving you, and it's common for her to sleep until noon." The old woman didn't even look at her and said, "It's still early, Madam, just wait here."
Ying'er felt a chill in her heart. They would probably have to stand here for more than an hour. Although it wasn't cold during the day in autumn, the wind was strong, and standing there for an hour or two was no fun.
After the old woman finished speaking, she turned and left.
Shen Li also turned around at the same time. She said to Ying'er, "Since it's still early, let's go to Wanshou Palace to express our gratitude. I haven't thanked the Empress Dowager in person for the calligraphy she gave me the other day."
Ying'er didn't react for a moment. Leaving now would be disrespectful to the Imperial Concubine. Regardless of whether the reason for leaving was plausible, it was a signal for a direct confrontation.
What happened to reassuring her? This shows no sign of swallowing her anger.
The old woman hadn't expected Shen Li to dare leave on the spot. When she turned around, her voice was filled with anger: "Madam Gu, the Imperial Concubine ordered you to wait here. Are you disobeying orders?"
"Disobeying orders?" Shen Li raised an eyebrow, asking in confusion, "Didn't the nanny say that the Imperial Concubine was resting? How did she give the order? Did she appear in a dream?"
“This…” The old woman’s face turned pale and then red.
"No need to trouble yourself, Granny. I don't think the Empress Dowager will keep me for lunch. I'll be right back and won't delay your report." Shen Li smiled, appearing very understanding.
The reminder made the old woman even more uncertain.
The Empress Dowager has always disliked the Consort's extravagance and waste. If Shen Li had made a veiled criticism in the past, things might have taken a turn for the worse.
"This..." She was already hesitating whether to go back and ask the Empress for advice.
At this moment, another palace maid ran out and said to Shen Li, "Madam Gu, the Imperial Concubine has woken up and summons you in."
A hint of amusement crept into Shen Li's smiling eyes; she had woken up just in time.
In her previous life, for the sake of the so-called greater good, she was unwilling to make a big fuss and affect the Crown Prince and Empress, so she stood there for nearly two hours.
She was already standing inside the palace after only a few words.
Consort Zheng truly lived up to her reputation as a favored concubine. Even at nearly forty, she remained radiant and dazzling. The jewels adorning her head were merely an embellishment to her face; the charm and poise between her brows were unmatched by ordinary women.
But at this moment, Consort Zheng was suppressing her anger. She was furious that the Crown Prince had been exonerated and wanted to bully Shen Li to vent her anger, but this little girl dared to slap her in the face.
Outrageous!
"This humble woman greets Your Highness, the Noble Consort." Shen Li bowed respectfully.
"Madam Gu painted my portrait, why didn't you bring anything with you?" Consort Zheng's languid voice rang out.
"This humble woman dares not bring anything from outside the palace into the palace at will. Please, Your Majesty, prepare paper, brushes, and paint for this humble woman." Shen Li was not foolish enough to hand over any leverage to others.
Consort Zheng narrowed her eyes, chatted with Shen Li for a few more minutes, and found that Shen Li's words were so watertight that she couldn't find a reason to punish her for a while.
But I'm also unwilling to let her go.
"I've already arranged for your bedchamber, Madam Gu, please go and rest for now. Oh, by the way, the osmanthus cakes made in the kitchen today were quite good, take some back and try them." Consort Zheng gave her personal maid, Su Mei, a look.
Su Mei immediately understood and carried the plate downstairs.
Ying'er stepped forward to take it, but Su Mei's hand suddenly trembled, and the plate fell to the ground before Ying'er could touch it.
Ying'er's face turned pale. She had already reached out her hand, knowing it was a setup but unable to explain herself.
"You clumsy girl, you've ruined my mistress's good intentions," Su Mei scolded.
"This servant knows her mistake." Ying'er immediately knelt down and kowtowed twice to Consort Zheng before saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, this servant hasn't even touched that plate yet..."
"Then it was my people who wronged you?" Consort Zheng's tone rose, her voice dangerous.
"This servant dares not." Ying'er could only hope that Shen Li would save her.
Shen Li did not disappoint her and immediately said, "Your Majesty, this girl must have panicked when she saw your unparalleled beauty. Please forgive her this time. I will definitely discipline her properly when I get back."
"Madam Gu certainly knows how to talk. Then spare her the death penalty and have her dragged away and given thirty strokes of the cane." Consort Zheng smiled charmingly. She always liked to be praised for her beauty, but she would not show mercy because of it.
"Your Majesty, please reconsider! Thirty strokes of the cane would be enough to kill this girl." Shen Li said anxiously, her face turning pale.
Seeing the worry and panic in Shen Li's eyes, Consort Zheng felt a great deal of anger dissipate. She immediately waved her hand and said, "What are you standing there for? Drag her away and beat her!"
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty..." Ying'er was dragged away in a panic.
This scene was meant to make an example of someone, and soon Ying'er's screams of pain after being beaten echoed through the hall. Just from the sound, it was clear that the attack was extremely ruthless.
"Madam Gu, please have some tea. Try some of my finest pre-Qingming Longjing tea." Consort Zheng was secretly delighted to see Shen Li's restless state.
She had investigated and found that the girl was a maid from the Eastern Palace. This beating not only dampened Shen Li's arrogance but also indirectly affected the Eastern Palace.
Kill two birds with one stone.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Shen Li sipped her tea absentmindedly.
In Consort Zheng's eyes, she was quite frightened, but little did she know that Shen Li had known she would use this trick all along—the same fake fall, the same osmanthus cake.
In her previous life, she was worried that Lianqiao, who was following her, might be tricked. She reached out to catch the osmanthus cake herself. Although it fell, she was not punished for breaking something, so the two of them escaped unscathed.
Ying'er's screams drifted in intermittently. Shen Li thought to herself, "The tea from the palace is truly the best."