Sang Ruoshui entered Qingning Palace.
Inside
the fragrance of Jade Frost Ointnt lingered.
Through the fluttering gauze curtains, one could see the Emperor's blurry figure.
He was clad in a loose black silk robe, his hair disheveled, clearly still tornted by the strange illness.
"Your servant pays respects to the Emperor—"
Sang Ruoshui greeted, bowing gracefully through the gauze curtains.
A beauty blooming before one's eyes.
He Ying was lacking in interest, and without even a glance, he simply asked, "You said your sister is ill? How did she fall ill? Has she seen the Imperial Physician? What did the Imperial Physician say? What illness? Is it serious?"
His every sentence was about her.
Sang Ruoshui thought about her own recent illness, which he had not asked about at all.
Is this the vast difference simply for catching his eye?
She was filled with jealousy, fiercely suppressing it, while also thinking of Princess Consort Li's matter, she took the opportunity to assert, "Your Majesty, it seems my sister fell ill after hearing those ridiculous rumors, weighing heavily on her heart."
"What ridiculous rumors?"
"I dare not speak of them."
"You are forgiven."
"Your Majesty—"
Sang Ruoshui knelt down, embellishing the story of how Princess Consort Li and a group of concubines had spoken ill of Sang Yan: "... they said my sister was promiscuous and despised herself, the so-called 'husband-killer'; that my sister's scandal was exposed, plotting harm against them, they also called my sister a calamity for n, pleading for a pure side for the Emperor. Your Majesty, you must uphold justice for my sister!"
"Really?"
He Ying drew back the gauze curtain, casting a chilly gaze toward Pei Muyang, his eyes tinged with a hint of murderous intent.
With the Emperor's imperial pressure bearing down, Pei Muyang lowered his head and said, "... Your Majesty, it is indeed so."
"How dare they!"
An enraged He Ying stord out, his face reddened and still dotted with unsubsided hives.
Last night had been his worst bout of the illness.
Now was his most irritable: "What are you waiting for? Issue the order, all the concubines involved are to be sent to the Cold Palace. Any further slander will be t with death!"
"Yes."
Pei Muyang hurried to carry out the command.
He Ying turned his head, staring at Sang Ruoshui, and continued asking: "How is your sister now? Has she seen the Imperial Physician? Is it serious?"
Sang Ruoshui felt guilty, and dared not et He Ying's gaze, murmuring with lowered eyes: "My sister says she is well. She did not let the Imperial Physician examine her."
"How can she not see the Imperial Physician when she is ill? And you let her be?"
He Ying frowned deeply, dissatisfied with Sang Ruoshui's behavior.
Sang Ruoshui's heart ached from his reproach, and though tears rolled down her cheeks in grievance, she responded: "It was your servant's lack of thought, I beg the Emperor for forgiveness."
He Ying heard this but said no more, instead summoning an Imperial Physician to Yuesang Palace.
Sang Ruoshui waited until he had finished giving orders before she spoke up again: "How is your body, Your Majesty? You are also ill, and it deeply concerns ."
The beauty's tender concern.
He Ying was unmoved, his face showing indifference: "I am well. You may go back. Take good care of your sister. You are intelligent; if your sister is well, you will be well, and your Sang Family will be well."
He was temporarily unable to et with Sang Yan, fearing she might not be treated well, so he simply put everything on the table.
Sang Ruoshui had long understood this, yet still hearing it firsthand pierced her heart.
"I understand."
She forced a bright smile, respectfully bowed, and left the hall.
Outside the hall
At the foot of the stairs
Only Qu Xueli was kneeling and wailing loudly: "Your Majesty, I am wronged. Your Majesty, I am wronged."
Upon seeing this, Sang Ruoshui's previously subdued mood instantly vanished.
She could not let Princess Consort Li et with the Emperor.
"How dare you!"
Sang Ruoshui rushed down the steps, struck Princess Consort Li with a slap, wearing a triumphant smile: "Outside the Emperor's resting chambers, how dare a lowly woman like you wail and scream!"
With that, she turned to the two guards escorting the prisoner and shouted angrily: "She is nothing but an abandoned concubine now, what are you waiting for? Hurry and drag her to the Cold Palace!"
The two guards had been bribed with Princess Consort Li's jewelry to allow her a mont of outcry outside the hall.
Now, seeing Princess Consort Sang's displeasure and knowing she was the Emperor's favored concubine, they did not dare linger and imdiately dragged Princess Consort Li away.
Poor Qu Xueli was sobbing, her mouth gagged, unable to make a sound any longer.
Sang Ruoshui watched with satisfaction.
Although the victory of the situation was solely due to Sang Yan's influence.
But what of it?
Sang Yan was her best bargaining chip!
In Yuesang Palace
In a side chamber
Sang Yan lay in bed, trying to catch so sleep.
She didn't fall asleep, but she figured out how to leave the Imperial Palace.
The key was to help Sang Ruoshui conceive an heir.
As long as Sang Ruoshui got pregnant, the Sang Family would no longer think of sending her to the palace.
But how could they obtain an heir?
Even under the premise that the Emperor could not consort with won?
It's not to say that Sang Yan hadn't thought of a thod—artificial insemination.
However, dical conditions in ancient tis certainly couldn't et the necessary standards.
But during a woman's ovulation period, if they could obtain the Emperor's... and sohow get it into the woman's body, there was a chance it could succeed.
Just like the news stories that say a woman beca mysteriously pregnant while swimming in a swimming pool.
It showed that in this vast world, nothing was impossible.
As long as the Emperor himself was willing to cooperate.
But given the Emperor's proud and domineering personality, the probability of his cooperation was very low.
Sang Yan felt it might be possible to pressure the Empress Dowager to intervene.
Perhaps after presenting this idea, she could retire successfully.
"Miss, Miss—"
Lost in her thoughts, Qiuzhi's voice broke through.
Sang Yan ca back to her senses and looked up, eting Qiuzhi's anxious eyes. She asked, puzzled, "What's the matter?"
"The Imperial Physician has arrived."
There were two Imperial Physicians.
One old, one plump.
Upon entering, they said they were ordered by the Emperor to treat her and asked her to extend her arm.
Sang Yan was confused: "I'm perfectly fine. I'm not sick. Why would the Emperor send you to treat ?"
Could it be an excuse to examine her body?
Did he want her to bear his child?
As she entertained these conspiratorial thoughts—
The older Imperial Physician explained the reason: "It was Princess Consort Sang who said Miss was ill. It's because of her that the Emperor commanded us to co here."
Sang Yan: "..."
It was that Sang Ruoshui again!
Why did she ntion her illness when visiting the Emperor?
Could it be that the Emperor didn't see her, so she used her na instead?
"Please extend your arm—"
The old Imperial Physician arranged his instrunts and spread a clean handkerchief: "Miss, please don't make this difficult for us. After our examination, we still need to report back to the Emperor."
Sang Yan: "..."
In the end, she was too kind-hearted to make things difficult for them, so she extended her arm.
While being examined, a commotion arose outside.
Qiuzhi went out to see and soon ca back, pointing outside the palace, alard, "There are many concubines outside, all kneeling down. Miss, you should take a look—"
Sang Yan didn't fully understand the situation, but after the Imperial Physicians finished their examination, she got out of bed to take a look.
And then she saw the space outside the palace filled with kneeling figures—one, two, three, four concubines.
The leading concubine wore a goose-yellow palace dress, her fair and beautiful face radiating with a pearl-like luster.
"Miss Sang, I am Xie Jinhua. I beg you for your magnanimity to spare Princess Consort Li and the others. Although they disrespected and offended you with their words, their cris do not warrant this punishnt."
"What do you an? What are you talking about?"
Sang Yan couldn't understand her words.
However, she vaguely guessed it must be sothing the Emperor had done.
"Stand up first."
She disliked seeing people kneel.
Xie Jinhua and the others did not rise.
Seeing this, Sang Yan sighed, "Stand up, please. Explain clearly what happened, and then I can address your request."
Upon hearing this, Xie Jinhua and the others began to rise—
"Stay kneeling. Why get up? Aren't you betting on my sister's soft heart?"
It was Sang Ruoshui who had arrived.
She sat arrogantly on the palanquin, looking down as if viewing a group of ants.
When Sang Yan saw her, she asked, "What exactly happened?"
Sang Ruoshui instructed the Palace Attendants to lower the palanquin and began explaining as she stepped down, "Princess Consort Li and the others criticized your husband-killing fate. The Emperor simply administered a minor punishnt as a major warning."
"Miss Sang, although Princess Consort Li and the others spoke disrespectfully, being sent to the Cold Palace is too pitiful."
Xie Jinhua knelt closer to Sang Yan, pleading earnestly, "Please extend your rcy and persuade the Emperor to retract his decree. We would be imnsely grateful and never forget your kindness."
"Enough!"
Sang Ruoshui glared at Xie Jinhua, warning her, "Jinpin, you are quite loyal to Princess Consort Li! But don't forget, by speaking for Princess Consort Li, you're opposing the Emperor, questioning his decision! Your brother in Jizhou is currently detested by the Emperor for slaughtering tens of thousands of prisoners! Do you wish to doom your brother?"
Xie Jinhua, concerned about her brother, showed a flicker of worry, but then resolutely said, "Princess Consort Sang, the cris of Princess Consort Li and the others aren't so grave!"
The other concubines also chid in, "Please, Princess Consort Sang, Miss Sang, show us rcy."
"Idiots!"
Sang Ruoshui, unable to scare them off, commanded the Palace Attendants, "What are you looking at? Disperse them! Just looking at them is irritating!"
The Palace Attendants, hearing her order, dared not forcefully remove anyone, only whispering, "Ladies, please don't make it hard for us. You should go back. The Emperor has said, anyone who slanders Miss Sang deserves death..."
Sang Ruoshui, hearing this, spoke high and mighty, "Did you hear that? Even the Palace Attendants know this, and yet you shalessly co begging my sister to intercede for you."
"That's enough! Stop!"
Sang Yan, having understood the situation, intervened, "I know what to do now."
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