"You deny it?! I think you are precisely planning to betray your master!"
The person in black gave a sinister smile and raised a hand to strike.
As the woman’s palm closed in on Xiao Ho’s cheek, Xiao Ho grabbed her wrist in one swift move!
Then, taking advantage of the person in black’s lack of guard, she pounced.
"Someone come quick, come quick!"
Zi Yue and Zi Su led people in a charge.
Coming with them was Eunuch Li, along with several Little Eunuchs following behind!
Palace Maids and eunuchs together, totaling over twenty people, surrounded the woman in black.
Eunuch Li stepped forward, flicking his dust whisk with a sneer.
"As the saying goes, ’Catch adulterers in pairs, catch thieves with the goods!’ Now it seems we’ve caught both the culprit and the evidence red-handed!"
"Come, seize her!"
"Yes!"
The Little Eunuchs quickly stepped forward and took the woman in black into custody.
She struggled fiercely a few times, but it was to no avail and only caused herself pain, so she dared not move again.
Eunuch Li stepped forward and pulled off her veil.
Then, his eyes widened in shock.
"Hong Hui!"
Hong Hui was a Second Class palace maid serving by the Noble Consort’s side, always following Lady Ying Qiu.
Usually, she was quite valued by the Noble Consort.
Since Ying Yue’s departure, Hong Hui had been subtly gaining momentum to rise to a First Class palace maid.
Now... how did she end up here!
Eunuch Li quickly realized the situation and sneered coldly.
"Lady Hong Hui, what are you doing here!"
Hong Hui, with her head hung low, suddenly straightened up and fixed Li Shengan with a fierce glare.
"What am I doing here? Eunuch Li, don’t you have a clue already!"
"Kill me or cut me up, as you please!"
She had an air of righteousness, unafraid of death!
Seeing her act this way, Eunuch Li sneered internally.
Great, another one fiercely loyal to their master. These are the hardest to deal with!
If she stubbornly insists that it had nothing to do with her master and that it was personal vengeance, nobody can do anything!
However...
Challenging as they might be, at worst they would just trouble the Punishment Department folks a bit.
The Emperor always had plenty of methods!
So... Noble Consort, what was the point of all this! Overall, sacrificing one of your own won’t bring you any benefit!
Hong Hui was taken away.
After saying goodbye to Li Shengan, Zi Yue and Zi Su also left.
When they returned, Xia Ruqing was fast asleep. Zi Yue and Zi Su didn’t dare to disturb her. They had someone take Xiao Ho to the Punishment Department, then they went to rest themselves.
「The next morning, early on.」
Xia Ruqing got up and asked, "How did things go last night?"
Zi Yue and Zi Su relayed the details of the situation to her.
After listening, she smiled.
"I had thought it might be Ying Qiu, never expecting it to be Hong Hui. It seems the Noble Consort truly has affection; she couldn’t bear parting with her dowry maid!"
Zi Su looked somewhat annoyed.
"My lady, why are you still laughing!"
"In my opinion, sending them to the Punishment Department was letting them off easy. They should be branded with a hot iron to truly teach them a lesson!"
Xia Ruqing shook her head helplessly.
"Oh, you!"
"The Punishment Department’s methods are what truly make people submit!"
Then she ordered Zi Yue, "After this incident, we can’t use the staff from the small tea room anymore. Replace them all!"
"It’s fine if I don’t have pastries; there’s no need to let them harm me!"
"Yes!"
Zi Yue bowed her head.
Just then, a voice suddenly came through.
"How can you not have pastries?" It was Zhao Junyao.
As he spoke, he came in like a gust of wind, still dressed in his Dragon Robe from the court assembly he had just attended.
"Emperor!"
Xia Ruqing quickly sat up.
Zhao Junyao approached her bed and commanded dominantly, "Lie down, don’t move!"
"Oh!"
The person in question really did lie back down and remained still, with an utterly self-righteous expression!
"Emperor?!" she called sweetly.
Zhao Junyao’s heart melted, but his face remained cold. He sat down beside her, looked left, then right, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Your complexion looks good!"
Xia Ruqing smiled. "My illness is gone!" Of course, her complexion was good now.
Seeing her excited, rosy little cheeks, Zhao Junyao finally couldn’t help but smile.
"So happy?"
He reached out and gently pinched her cheek.
"How have you lost weight!"
Xia Ruqing began to coquettishly explain, "Your humble servant has... ’For him, I have withered away!’"
After saying that, her big, glistening eyes stared at Zhao Junyao. Seeing his expression didn’t change, she quickly added, "I missed you!"
Zhao Junyao’s heart completely softened.
"Missed me?"
"Mhm, mhm, mhm!" It had been so many days!
She nodded like a chicken pecking rice.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Junyao’s expression suddenly changed. He stopped smiling and said sternly, "Did you really miss me, or are you faking it?!"
"Why didn’t you say anything when you were sick?! I only found out afterward."
"What if something had happened to you?!"
He was beside himself with heartache that she had been harmed by those thieving Servants.