The next day was the sixteenth.
It was the first day after the Lantern Festival that the Emperor attended court; it was inevitably busy.
So Zhao Junyao got up and left early in the morning.
According to the usual routine,
Xia Ruqing should have rested till mid-morning, then get up to have some breakfast.
Then she would take Yue Er for a stroll in the Imperial Garden, waiting for the Emperor to have lunch together at noon.
However, on this day,
Xia Ruqing was still sound asleep during the Chen Hour.
She heard Yue Er crying her heart out while running inside.
She woke up instantly.
Upon opening her eyes, she saw her daughter standing beside her bed, crying purple in the face.
Zi Yue and Zi Su were standing behind with expressions of sorrow and regret, not daring to speak much.
Xia Ruqing quickly jumped up from her bed.
"What happened?"
Seeing her daughter crying like this,
Her heart felt as though someone was pounding it with a heavy hammer.
The dull pain made her lips tremble; she almost couldn’t speak.
"What happened? Yue Er, don’t cry. What happened?"
Regardless of her disheveled appearance, Xia Ruqing immediately held Yue Er in her arms.
Feeling Yue Er’s cold little hands, her heart sank further.
Anger and hatred began to rise.
At that moment, no matter the cause, she only wanted to pulverize whoever bullied her daughter and cast them into the eighteenth layer of hell.
Of course, it was just a fleeting thought.
A bit of reason was still necessary.
She composed herself, gently patting her daughter’s back and looking towards Zi Yue and Zi Su.
"What exactly happened?" Her expression was solemn and intimidating.
Zi Yue and Zi Su dropped to their knees with a thud.
The moment they knelt, Xia Ruqing’s heart sank deeply.
A very ominous premonition hung over like dark clouds.
Zi Yue quivered her lips and stuttered.
"Madam, Yellow... Yellow..."
Xia Ruqing stood up abruptly, her face turning pale.
"What happened to the Emperor?"
Zi Su quickly reassured.
"Madam, no, no, it’s not!"
"It’s not the Emperor!"
"It’s... Yellow Bean!"
Xia Ruqing felt a trace of relief but continued to ask intently.
"What’s wrong with Yellow Bean?"
Zi Su, filled with hatred and sorrow, gritted her teeth.
"Madam, Yellow Bean is dead!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Yue Er’s shrill cries became even more piercing.
The little girl was crying with her hands and feet cold, lips purple, and unable to catch her breath.
Xia Ruqing’s heart was about to shatter.
The death of Yellow Bean did make her sad, but seeing her daughter like this, she felt like killing someone!
Xia Ruqing took a deep breath, her gaze cold and severe.
"Who is it?"
"What exactly happened? Explain it thoroughly. Do not omit a single word."
Suddenly, she sneered.
Couldn’t lay a hand on the humans, so they targeted a dog?
Everyone in the Harem knows that Yellow Bean is Yue Er’s treasure, accompanying her since she was born.
The death of Yellow Bean is a grave blow to Yue Er!
She had only been out for a day, yet Duanning Palace had been bullied to this extent?
Have I been too kind to them usually?
Zi Su was so angry, her chest heaving, unable to speak a complete sentence.
Fortunately, Zi Yue was composed enough to have gathered the details early on and recited them thoroughly.
As it turned out,
Yesterday, Consort Shih Pin was with the Third Princess enjoying the scenery in the Imperial Garden.
Through unknown means, Yellow Bean ran all the way over to them.
The Third Princess liked Yellow Bean upon seeing it and was about to reach out to play.
Unexpectedly, Yellow Bean suddenly went mad and bit down on the Third Princess’s arm, refusing to let go despite all efforts.
The Third Princess’s arm bled profusely, and Consort Shih Pin was terrified out of her wits.
In the end, there was no choice but to have someone beat Yellow Bean to death to save the Third Princess.
Sadly,
The Third Princess was still shocked and injured, falling unconscious.
Lord Judge Zhang, along with two other skilled Imperial Physicians, is still guarding at Precious Stream Pavilion, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
Upon hearing this, Xia Ruqing’s face changed dramatically and she stood up.
"Consort Shih Pin!" She narrowed her eyes slightly, a cold glint flashing.
"It’s indeed her!"
Zi Su finally caught her breath properly at this point.
"Madam!"
"Yellow Bean could never have been the problem; it must be Consort Shih Pin up to some trick!"
Xia Ruqing sneered coldly.
"Of course, I know!"
"Yellow Bean has been fine for all these years; why would it suddenly go mad!"
"Furthermore, Yellow Bean generally doesn’t leave the palace gates, so how did it happen to appear before Consort Shih Pin?"
"Such an obvious setup, do you think I’m a fool?"
She sneered coldly again.
"Back then she did those things"
"For kindness in my heart, I did not seek revenge, and now everyone is at peace, yet she comes to pick a fight!"
"Then don’t blame me for being rude!"
Zi Yue, who had remained silent, seemed troubled.
"Madam, but..."
"This matter is difficult to handle!"
"No matter how good Yellow Bean was, it was... just a dog!"
"And the Third Princess, no matter how less favored, is still the Third Princess!"
Could a noble princess of a country possibly be less worthy than a dog?
That is absolutely impossible.
So this time,
The loss, Madam, is definite.
Xia Ruqing’s gaze was sharp.