coobybook Chapter 153 Backtalk ②
Chapter 153 Backtalk ②
Zeng Huan is worthy of being the champion of the palace fight last time. With just a few words, she scared the arrogant Mei Ruo into being speechless. After all, she is still too young.
Zeng Huan suppressed the hatred in her heart and waved to Yong Qi. Seeing this, Yong Qi hurriedly walked up to Zeng Huan and saluted, "Grandmother?"
Zeng Huan caressed Yongqi's head. This pitiful child had been plotted against since in the womb. Fortunately, Hailan hadn't consumed much cinnabar, so she survived. After finally escaping, someone slipped an appetite-stimulating drug into her food. Since then, not only had lines appeared on Hailan's belly, but she had also become incredibly gluttonous, resulting in an enormous fetus and a near-miss of two lives.
Yongqi was only five years old when Hailan was confined. He had done nothing wrong and was clearly a smart prince, but unfortunately, due to his mother's influence, he completely fell out of favor. Hailan made careless choices in her friendships and entrusted Yongqi to Ruyi. Unfortunately, Ruyi's heart and eyes were filled with only Hongli, and Yongqi suffered countless cold stares from her.
Wanyin is a good person, but her status is a bit humble.
Zeng Huan cast aside her fierce gaze, bent down and stroked Yongqi's face, her eyes full of love as she said, "Good boy, tell the Empress Dowager what you want to do in such a hurry to leave?"
Yongqi pursed his lips, looked back at Wanyin, and when he saw Wanyin nod, he told the truth.
Yongqi: "Grandmother, I saw a flower on the roof and wanted to pick it for you. Mother and Concubine Chun have been away from Zhongcui Palace for the past few days. The Imperial Tutor said that the Emperor is completely overwhelmed by the affairs of Junggar. I know there's an aunt named Duan Shu in Junggar. In my heart, she's a heroine who's no less heroic than any man. Ling Han bloomed alone, and if that flower could survive in such a harsh environment, I think she could too."
"Good boy." Zeng Huan smiled gently.
Everyone in the palace is cold-blooded. It's rare that someone still remembers her kindness and is willing to say a few good words for her.
After learning the reason why Yongqi was beaten, Zeng Huan became even angrier. This undoubtedly made her suspect that Meiruo was deliberately targeting her Duanshu.
Zeng Huan gritted her teeth and suppressed the hatred surging in her heart. She met Mei Ruo's gaze and said with resentment, "Concubine Ying's words were disrespectful. I will punish you by making you kneel here for two full hours."
"What?" Meiruo looked up in disbelief.
A Bao begged for mercy, "Her Majesty Queen, please spare me. My young lady is pregnant and can't stand this kind of torture. Please let her go this time."
Po kowtowed.
Zeng Huan remained unmoved and sneered, "I only made her kneel for two hours because she's pregnant. What's wrong? My words don't carry weight?"
Wanyin's heart tightened. She hadn't expected Zeng Huan to punish Meiruo for them. Putting aside the fact that Meiruo was supported by the forty-nine Mongolian tribes, she was pregnant with the emperor's child. If anything went wrong, it would damage the harmony between the Qing and Mongolian peoples, and she and Yongqi would become the culprits. Furthermore, Hongli wasn't as close to Yongqi as Yuyan and her son. Her death wouldn't matter, but she didn't want Yongqi to be harmed.
Wan Yin knelt down and begged, "Empress Dowager, please calm down. Concubine Ying is indeed extremely rebellious and outspoken. Please, Empress Dowager, forgive her this time for the sake of her pregnancy with the Emperor."
Meiruo froze in place, feeling a chill run down her spine. Although Wanyin had pleaded for her, she felt no gratitude at all and even felt she was deliberately framing her. Meiruo lunged at Wanyin, lashing out at her, her shrill voice practically breaking. "It's all because of you bitches! If you hadn't been so blind and bumped into me, would I have offended the Queen Mother? Bitch, vixen... You don't need to be so kind as to plead for me, bitch..."
Meiruo kept calling her a bitch and a slut, completely lacking the aura of a noblewoman. Wanyin, fearing she might injure her unborn child, had to shield her with her hands. To protect Wanyin, Yongqi threw himself on her back, wanting to take the beating for her. This whole mess was his fault. He had already caused Wanyin so much trouble over the years, and if he were to be punished for it again, he feared he would never be able to repay her.
"Yongqi, get out of the way." Wanyin hugged Yongqi back.
Yongqi cried out, "Empress Ying, please stop hitting me. This is all my fault. It has nothing to do with Mother. Grandmother, please save Mother, save us..."
Zeng Huan hadn't expected Meiruo to strike someone in front of her. Her mind was stunned. Her eyes widened, her eyelids and eyebrows raised slightly, and she sternly shouted, "Stop, Ying Fei! You're so disrespectful! How dare you strike Wan Fei in front of me? Do you still have respect for palace rules, or for me, the Empress Dowager?"
Meiruo finally stopped. Wanyin's hair was now disheveled, and it was obvious that she had been struggling. Her eyes revealed a deep helplessness, and the tears on her face finally slid down, breaking the last bit of her strength. She hugged Yongqi tightly and said hoarsely, "Yongqi, I'm sorry..."
Zeng Huan: "Fujia, slap Concubine Ying's mouth. With a mother like that, what good bamboo shoots can she produce?"
After receiving Zeng Huan's permission, Fu Jia waved his hand behind him, and several eunuchs immediately stepped forward to press down on Mei Ruo's shoulders, holding her down. Seeing this, A Bao, who was standing by, hurried forward to protect her. Fu Jia would not give her this opportunity, and called two more eunuchs to carry A Bao to the stone ground nearby. Before she could say anything, the head maid raised her hand and hit her in the face. A Bao was unable to fight back, and could only cry out in pain.
Fujia: "Miss Abao, how did you, as a servant, take care of your master? Don't you know that there are some things you can't say in the palace? Now you have ended up like this, I can only say that you deserve it."
Ah Bao's voice was trembling with tears in her eyes as she said, "Aunt, please spare me. Queen Mother, please spare me. I will never dare to do that again. My lady, please save me..."
Fu Jia shook his head helplessly. Who had this master and servant used Princess Duan Shu's story to provoke Zeng Huan at her most heartbroken moment? Zeng Huan wasn't Hongli, and she wouldn't show mercy to anyone who violated palace rules. Fu Jia waved his hand, and a eunuch holding a stick thicker than his arm approached A Bao's back. He struck her hard, and in an instant, A Bao felt as if every bone in her body had broken simultaneously. Her lips turned pale, and she trembled all over. Mouth after mouthful of blood gushed from her mouth. She couldn't even speak, let alone beg for mercy.
After being hit with only ten sticks, Abao fell into a coma.
After punishing Abao, it was Meiruo's turn next. Seeing Abao covered in blood, Meiruo began to get scared.
She was trembling all over, her muscles shaking uncontrollably, her eyes filled with fear, tears rushing out of her eyes. Meiruo's face was pale, as if all the blood had been drained out.
Meiruo was pregnant, and Hongli, who had few children, naturally wouldn't harm her unborn child. He simply had a eunuch bring a wooden ruler and hit her on the mouth. Even so, Meiruo was still afraid. She was a high-ranking princess on the grasslands, so how could she have endured such humiliation?