Chapter 182

Consort De, who had just been all smiles moments ago, now had a dark expression on her face. Her mouth curled up forcefully as she said, "Luyin, let's return to Yanqing Palace. I need to exchange this congratulatory gift for something even grander."

She had originally planned to deliver a congratulatory gift to Hexi Palace and take the opportunity to see the Sixth Prince. But after overhearing the palace servants' gossip, Consort De felt compelled to prepare a more extravagant gift.

Luyin, lacking Consort De's composure, burst into tears of anger. "Your Highness... His Majesty, he's just too..."

"Silence!" Consort De glared at her. "How dare a mere servant like you criticize His Majesty?"

She turned her gaze to the group of maids and eunuchs who were engrossed in their heated discussion. Taking a deep breath, she approached them. "What are you all talking about? Why don't you share it with me?"

"Ah! Consort De... This slave deserves death!" The group of idling palace servants, caught red-handed by Consort De, fell to their knees in terror. But in truth, they weren't overly frightened, as Consort De was known for her tolerance and rarely troubled the servants.

"Instead of attending to your duties in your own palaces, you've come here to gossip about Concubine Zhenxian. Are you tired of having your heads attached to your necks?"

"We wouldn't dare, Your Highness!" they cried in unison.

"I think you would," Consort De's eyes turned cold. "Guards, take them to Hexi Palace and make them kneel at the entrance, slapping their own faces. His Majesty cherishes Concubine Zhenxian above all others, and even I dare not speak ill of her. How dare you servants engage in such gossip?"

Unlike Consort De, Concubine Zhenxian was not known for her merciful nature. The group of maids and eunuchs wailed and begged for forgiveness, but this time Consort De showed no leniency, ordering them to be escorted to Hexi Palace.

The Emperor had spent most of the day accompanying Jiang Xinyue in Hexi Palace, only leaving after she and the child had fallen asleep.

"Who are these people, causing trouble for our mistress?"

"Just punish them by making them clean the chamber pots. No need to disturb the mistress. We can report to her when she wakes up."

She then instructed Shuang Jiang, "Don't punish those servants. Be gentle with them and give them some ointment for their swelling. Tell them... that I dislike corporal punishment for palace servants the most. Consort De was in a bad mood today, which is why she took out her frustrations on them. Tell them not to hold a grudge against Consort De, and remind them that she is the kindest and can't bear to see servants hurt. She surely didn't mean it."

It was as good as telling everyone outright that Consort De was jealous of her new position as the highest-ranked consort and was deliberately taking out her frustrations on the servants while trying to make her look bad.

Xi Que and Shuang Jiang's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and they left with mischievous smiles to carry out Jiang Xinyue's instructions.

At the entrance of Hexi Palace, a crowd of curious maids and eunuchs had gathered, whispering about the servants who were repeatedly slapping their own faces.

"I think they're done for this time. The new Consort Zhenxian will surely make an example of them to assert her authority."

"It serves them right for neglecting their duties and gossiping about their superiors."

"But what they said was true! Even if Consort Liang... I mean, the demoted Concubine Yu, doesn't deserve it, there's still Consort De. How could Concubine Zhen be promoted to Consort Zhenxian over them? Consort De is kind-hearted and probably feared that Consort Zhenxian would punish them severely later, so she sent them to apologize first. If only Consort De had been promoted instead, she's so good to us."

"It's truly pitiful. Are the lives of maids and eunuchs worth nothing? Look at them, their faces are all swollen. If someone like this becomes the highest-ranked consort, we might lose our lives for the smallest mistake in the future!"

"Shh, be quiet... someone's coming out of Hexi Palace."

Xi Que pretended to glance around casually, then sighed and shook her head. "You poor things, get up now. Our mistress is in high spirits today and won't hold this against you. But next time, if you want to gossip about your superiors, find a more discreet place. Don't let Consort De catch you again."

Shuang Jiang brought out some medicine. "You came here to kneel and slap yourselves without explanation, and it frightened our mistress when she heard about it. She sent me to bring you some ointment for your injuries. Don't hold a grudge against Consort De; she must be in a bad mood lately. If you see her, just keep your distance to avoid trouble."

It was as if she was saying: You all heard that, right? This has nothing to do with our mistress. It was Consort De who caught them and made them do this. Our mistress doesn't want to see any bloodshed on such a joyous day for her.

Those who had been praising Consort De's kindness earlier now blushed with embarrassment.