Liang Lanyi's mouth was half open. She knew she should say something at this moment, but not a single word would come out!
She had thought that if she insisted that Zhong Xinyi had run into her, Zhong Xinyi would have no way to defend herself. Who knew that by escalating the matter all the way to the Empress, she had overlooked her own injuries.
Zhong Xinyi looked at Liang Lanyi, who was so bewildered that she couldn't find her way. She was truly happy. Without restraining herself, she let out a laugh, but inadvertently touched the swelling and redness on her face, causing her to cry out in pain, "Aiya!"
Empress Zhong frowned slightly. She was about to reprimand Zhong Xinyi when she saw that Zhong Xinyi's face was already swollen beyond recognition.
Zhong Xinyi carefully cradled her swollen and red half of her face, feeling extremely panicked inside.
Liang Lanyi hadn't used much force, so why was it so swollen?
However, such an expression in Empress Zhong's eyes meant something else entirely.
Let alone whether Zhong Xinyi had bumped into someone, even if she had, with her aunt's reprimand and education, would it be the turn of others to slap her as they pleased?
"Go, summon Consort Sun to see me," Empress Zhong said to the wet nurse Dai beside her.
Wet nurse Dai nodded and hurried out.
Ji Zizhao's heart tightened. Consort Sun was the birth mother of the Eighth Prince.
Liang Lanyi was so frightened that her face turned pale. She quickly knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, please see clearly. This matter is entirely my fault, and it has nothing to do with anyone else! I beg Your Majesty to show mercy..."
In the vast sleeping quarters, only the sound of Liang Lanyi's kowtowing echoed.
One after another...
In a short time, Liang Lanyi's forehead was swollen and red.
But to her dismay, Empress Zhong didn't even glance at Liang Lanyi again.
Being ignored by the Empress, Liang Lanyi was truly panicked now. Her whole body trembled like a sieve, her forehead making booming sounds as she kowtowed. She said all the good words she could think of.
However, within the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the once majestic Liang Lanyi was now utterly dejected.
Consort Sun arrived quickly, following wet nurse Dai into the chambers.
Seeing Liang Lanyi kneeling on the ground, a flicker of panic flashed in Consort Sun's eyes. But soon, she calmly curtsied to the Empress, "Your servant greets Your Majesty. May I know why Your Majesty has summoned me..."
"Slap—!"
Before Consort Sun could finish speaking, Empress Zhong threw the hairpin she was holding.
Consort Sun didn't react in time and was hit on the forehead by the hairpin, making her stagger.
"Back when the late Empress Dowager was still alive, in order to reward the consorts in the inner palace and encourage them to serve the Emperor with greater diligence, she personally selected over a hundred pieces of jewelry of various kinds to bestow upon the consorts. For Consort Sun to continue the proud legacy of the late Empress Dowager's gifts, I should indeed commend her."
Consort Sun's face turned pale, and she quickly said, "Your Majesty misunderstands..."
Empress Zhong interrupted with a cold laugh, "Misunderstanding? Consort Sun is joking. Each of those over a hundred pieces of jewelry was personally chosen by me. Where is the misunderstanding? I may be old, but my memory is still quite good. If Consort Sun has forgotten, I am willing to tell Consort Sun in detail which craftsman in the palace made this hairpin."
Consort Sun, "..."
Her face turned even paler.
"If I remember correctly, Consort Sun's chosen consort for the Eighth Prince was originally the daughter of the Director of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau. While I do not know why Consort Sun changed her mind at the last moment, today, the consort Consort Sun privately selected for the Eighth Prince not only slandered my niece for deliberately crashing into someone but also, due to her own carelessness, broke the late Empress Dowager's hairpin and blamed it on my niece. Since it is Consort Sun's person who made a mistake, it is only right for Consort Sun to take the punishment."
Consort Sun quickly lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty, please quell your anger. Perhaps there is some misunderstanding."
Empress Zhong slapped the table beside her, making everyone tremble in fear. "To have my niece's face beaten to such an extent, what misunderstanding is there!"
Consort Sun had intended to say that it was just a minor spat between young ladies, what could be the big deal. But when she looked in Zhong Xinyi's direction, her eyes widened in shock.
How much force would it take to beat someone to this extent?!
Empress Zhong looked at Consort Sun coldly, "Does Consort Sun have anything else to say?"
Consort Sun, "..."
She... couldn't say anything at all.
"It is my fault for not teaching her properly. I beg Your Majesty for leniency. When we return, I will surely discipline her properly." Consort Sun knew that with the evidence clear, she could no longer argue and could only kneel on the ground, lowering herself.
Empress Zhong was so angry that she chuckled. She gave a signal to wet nurse Dai beside her.
Did she really think that by putting on a show, she wouldn't be able to punish her further?
If she didn't make an example of someone today, she feared that everyone in this temporary palace would truly treat her, the Empress, as if she were dead!
Led by wet nurse Dai, Consort Sun walked out of the sleeping chambers, but she didn't get out of the courtyard.
Standing at the entrance of the sleeping chambers, Consort Sun understood.
Despite her heart full of unwillingness, she could only grit her teeth and kneel in the courtyard.
It was noon, and although no one dared to disturb the Empress's sleeping chambers, the guards on patrol outside passed by in waves, dozens of people. They all clearly saw Consort Sun kneeling outside the door, punished by the Empress.
In the biting cold wind of the third winter month, Consort Sun's face was flushed red, her entire face burning.
Her life had been quite fortunate. Within a year of entering the palace, she had conceived and given birth to a son, who was personally bestowed the title of Eighth Prince by the Emperor. While she had not enjoyed the Emperor's favor as much as Noble Consort Xi over the years, she had lived very comfortably.
Now, the Eighth Prince had come of age and was about to get married. Furthermore, he had garnered the support of many court officials behind him. She had become rather arrogant and lost her sense of propriety.
Thinking that her son was in the temporary palace, accompanied by many ministers and their families, as well as the future imperial consorts, and realizing that this matter would soon become widely known, Consort Sun felt her head grow heavy and couldn't even lift it.
Liang Lanyi hurried out of the sleeping chambers and looked at her future mother-in-law kneeling on the ground. She was so frightened that she couldn't speak.
Consort Sun looked at Liang Lanyi's clumsy movements and angrily slapped her, "You can't even handle a small matter properly! What use are you!"
Liang Lanyi's eyes saw stars from the blow, but she could only endure the pain and dare not make a sound.
Consort Sun was so infuriated that she grabbed Liang Lanyi's wrist again and pulled her down to kneel beside her.
When Ji Zizhao and Zhong Xinyi came out, they saw an old and a young figure kneeling in a straight line outside the Empress's sleeping chambers.
The moment Liang Lanyi saw Ji Zizhao, she wished she could stab two holes in her.
However, Ji Zizhao stopped and, instead of showing any anger, bowed to Liang Lanyi.
Liang Lanyi, "..."
Why did she suddenly feel a sense of unease?