C208

Seeing her like this, Shen Xijun felt a burst of satisfaction in her heart. She pretended to scold Alain, "Little girl, how do you do things?"

Lan Lan looked wronged. "This servant saw that esteemed wangfei had already caught the teacup and released her hand. Who knew that the esteemed wangfei couldn't hold herself steady enough to burn herself? This really isn't related to this servant!"

Just a moment ago, she had clearly seen what was happening. Now, seeing her turn black and white into white, she said angrily, "Back then the Empress had never touched the tea house. You were the one who let go first. It was all done on purpose."

Hearing her words, Alan felt even more wronged. "I have no enmity with the imperial concubine. Why would I burn her?"

"If you have no enmity with him, then what about your master?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized that she had said the wrong thing. As expected, a sinister voice entered her ears. "Are you saying that I purposely asked Lan to burn your master?"

She forced herself to calm down and curtsied, "Princess, it's a misunderstanding. How could this servant dare to have such thoughts?"

Shen Xijun's eyes turned cold as she said, "I'll see how you dare!"

Zhao Pingqing realized that the situation was not right. She tried her best to resist the pain and said, "That cuckoo doesn't know what to say. I hope elder sister will be magnanimous. Don't bother with her."

Shen Xijun stared at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "The cuckoo girl is just a lowly girl, I will not lower myself to her level. But little sister, you are Prince Rui's wife, and each and every word you say and do represents Prince Rui's household. It's not appropriate to let a girl who doesn't know what she should do and who spouts nonsense by her little sister's side!"

Zhao Pingqing suppressed the anger in her heart and smiled apologetically, "You are right. I will teach the cuckoo well. I will never do what I did today again." With that, she smiled apologetically. "It's not early yet. We should hurry to the palace to pay respects to the empress dowager and empress, lest we miss the timing."

Shen Xijun didn't respond to her words. She flicked her fingernail and slowly said, "If I'm not wrong, that cuckoo has been by my sister's side for almost ten years, right?"

Zhao Pingqing didn't know what she meant. She said carefully, "My sister's memory is so good. It's exactly ten years."

Shen Xijun stopped smiling and said coldly, "I haven't taught her for ten years. It can be seen that I'm not good at teaching. It would be better if I worked a bit harder and taught her a little bit."

Zhao Pingqing panicked and said, "Why should I bother you, sister?"

Shen Xijun narrowed her eyes and coldly said, "Why, are you unwilling to part with me?"

"No, it's just …"

"As long as it isn't the case." Shen Xijun cut her off and said to Alain, "The cuckoo's mouth is unobstructed, and the following crimes are committed. Slap your own face for thirty days and you are confined for two days. No one is allowed to see it, otherwise, it will be tantamount to a similar crime!"

Hearing that Shen Xijun was going to starve her to death for two days, the cuckoo cuckoo was so scared that her face turned pale. She hurriedly said to Zhao Pingqing, "Empress, save me!"

"The cuckoo is just the first offense, I hope elder sister will take it lightly." How could Zhao Pingqing not know that Shen Xijun clearly hated Dongfang Shou for staying in her house last night and using the matter of the cuckoo to intimidate her.

"At this moment, I don't have the heart to be cruel. I've caused a huge disaster in the future, and now it's too late to regret it. I'm doing this for the good of my little sister, just like …" Her eyes were as cold as iron. "Last night, little sister knew that my body was exhausted, so she took care of Prince for me. Isn't it as if we sisters had to help each other?"

Zhao Pingqing clenched her hands and forced a smile. "You are right."

Shen Xijun clapped her hands and said with a smile, "Since little sister has no objections, then it's decided." With that, she motioned for Alan to bring the terrified cuckoo down.

Zhao Pingqing watched them leave and said, "Sister, can we go to the palace now?"

"Of course." Shen Xijun held Ah Zi's hand and stood up. She saw that Zhao Pingqing was about to stand up as well. She stepped forward and firmly held her shoulders as she smiled and said, "It's just me, not us."

"Elder sister …" Zhao Pingqing had just said two words when a slender finger pressed against her lips. "Take a look. Your dress is almost wet. You should change into a new one, right?"

Zhao Pingqing had already thought of a solution. "I will ask Ziyan to bring a warm stove and bake all the way. By the time we get to Zhaoming Palace, it should be ready to dry."

"Almost?" Shen Xijun chuckled lightly and said, "In front of the empress dowager, even a speck of disgrace would be considered disgraceful. In the past, no matter where my little sister did bad things, it was still a disgrace to the House of Marquis Zhao. I don't have the right to question her, but this isn't the past; my little sister is now Prince Rui's concubine.

"I understand, but the empress dowager …"

"I will naturally explain to Her Majesty that my sister will just have to put her heart at ease and change her clothes." She then leaned over and whispered in Zhao Pingqing's ear, "So what if you tried so hard to marry the king and seduce him to your bed, I will still trample on you. Zhao Pingqing, I will deal with you slowly until I know everything!"

When they returned to the west yard, Zi Yan took out clean clothes and said with hatred, "This young lady of the Prosperous Sects, relying on her status as the principal concubine, has humiliated the Empress just like that and punished the cuckoo. It is truly too much to accuse her ruthlessly when we meet the Prince. See if she still dares to do so in the future."

Zhao Pingqing's eyes were cold as she said, "Shen Xijun has been really patient this time. She talked a lot. It seems like Princess Pingyang has taught her quite a bit."

"So what if I taught him? Isn't he still someone who only knows how to bully others?" Zi Yan quickly took some ointment and applied it on Zhao Pingqing's legs. She then wrapped some gauze around her legs, "In the end, she was jealous that the Prince was staying with the Empress last night. That's why she made things difficult for you."

"I didn't expect her to let it go so easily. I just didn't expect her to be so ruthless!" Zhao Pingqing combed her hair into a bun and said with narrowed eyes, "After what happened last night, I don't think the previous plan will work."

Zi Yan, who had been bending over to tidy up her dress, lifted her eyes and said, "Does the Empress mean that I should join hands with her to deal with Princess Xun Ji?"

Zhao Pingqing spoke slowly, "That's right. On the night of the wedding, she stayed in her room by herself. I am afraid she hates me more than Princess Xuanji."

Hearing this, Zi Yan panicked, "Then what should we do? Should we tell the prince?"

Zhao Pingqing sneered, "Let's not talk about how I talked to you, even if I did, it would only be reprimanding her for a while. It wouldn't change anything. If something goes wrong, you will make you think that I am someone to be trifled with."

Zi Yan thought about it for a moment, then unwillingly said, "Then let's just forget about it?"

"Of course not, it's just that …" Zhao Pingqing looked out of the window at the faint spring light. Her eyes were as cold as a sharp sword. "It takes seven inches to hit a snake!"