Xiao Man lowered her head and cautiously said, "Replying to His Majesty, during the al earlier, the Queen Consort drank so liquor. She has since gone to sleep, and this servant has been calling out for ages but couldn’t wake her up!"
Helan Qi heard this, let out a cold snort, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Because he didn’t say ’Rise’ or ’You may stand,’ all of the palace servants had no choice but to remain kneeling on the ground, not daring to rise without permission.
Perhaps being suppressed by Jiya for too long had warped Helan Qi’s personality. It was likely out of an urge to regain the twenty-plus years of lost dignity that he treated both servants and officials with extre harshness. For instance, at this mont, since he hadn’t granted permission to stand, no one inside the palace, not even if they knelt until death, dared to rise. If anyone dared to stand on their own, they would face a fate worse than death — a life in utter misery!
The next day, as noon approached, Zhao Gui finally awoke. The aftermath of her drunkenness was a splitting headache. She rubbed the center of her brow, opened her eyes, and noticed that not a single person was inside the sleeping hall.
"Xiao Man! Dong’er!"
She called out while getting up. Xiao Man, who was outside the sleeping hall, heard her cries. Though anxious, she dared not stand and rely responded while still kneeling.
Zhao Gui slid her feet into her shoes and walked out, only to see a floor full of kneeling people. Shocked, she asked, "What is going on here?"
Xiao Man, already so dizzy from kneeling that she was on the verge of collapse, weakly raised her head upon hearing Zhao Gui’s inquiry and replied feebly, "Queen Consort, His Majesty ca by last night. Because you went to sleep without waiting for him, he flew into a rage. I’m not sure if he will bla you for it!"
Zhao Gui was startled and exclaid, "It was so late — why would His Majesty co?"
After asking, she suddenly realized the reason for Helan Qi’s middle-of-the-night visit. It must have been soone egging him on to co — the person who sched to lure him must surely be the one aiming to make things difficult for her! A scheming individual intent on causing her downfall!
Zhao Gui clenched her fist as a shadow of foreboding blanketed her face. Although she longed for wealth and honor, and dread of ascending to the heights of power, she had never sought to harm others, nor intended to trample over them to rise. However, continuing on this passive path was undoubtedly unsustainable. If she didn’t fight back, if she kept resigning herself to fate, then her inevitable end would be to be ground down and destroyed.
She must retaliate. Since Concubine Xue is so determined to oppose her, then she would simply have to take an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth!
...
Cai Wei reached the ng Slaves’ Royal City around noon. With a secret plan in motion, she directed Brother Ying to survey the terrain from the sky and led the White-furred Tiger along deserted mountain paths. Finally, she arrived at the royal city right at noon.
In the outskirts, she stored the White-furred Tiger into the space and then entered it herself as well.
After running for a full night and half the day, her chest was swollen with unbearable pain. Once inside the space, she squeezed out twenty thousand thick streams of breast milk, which she took as her lunch and drank.
She then took a hot spring bath, changed clothes, and rode the horse she had brought from her parents’ house out of the space, speeding toward the royal city.
Upon entering the royal city, she first went to find Du Yongqi. Sure enough, as the Sun Hu brothers had said, the glass from Lingbei had piled up like a mountain, overflowing the capacity of the four large warehouses.
Cai Wei gathered up the glass and bid farewell to Du Yongqi before heading to the comrcial street to find Zhao Yun.
The comrcial street was much livelier than during her last visit. Bustling with activity, it was crowded everywhere. When she found Zhao Yun, he was tallying accounts with an abacus. Seeing Cai Wei, Zhao Yun greeted her joyfully and said, "Miss, you’ve finally arrived. It’s been nearly a year — where have you been? How is it that you’re only showing up now?"
Cai Wei answered, "I was caught up in so matters. I’ve only just managed to free myself to co here. The glass here has already piled up into a mountain. If I didn’t co to collect them soon, it might’ve caused widespread panic!"
"Indeed! Everyone’s been saying that since you haven’t co for so long, perhaps you no longer want the glass from here!"
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