"Just now, you should have firmly insisted that it was the Empress’s palace maid who was negligent in her duties and shouldn’t be let off lightly... Wasn’t the Servant Consort Zhen a palace maid before? You could insist that Dong Hua is also a palace maid, and perhaps the two had prior grievances and were acting out of revenge, harming other concubines while tarnishing the Empress’s reputation. This type of offense requires a severe punishment to set an example in the harem. Dong Hua was brought by the Empress from her family’s house; punishing her chief palace maid would mean saving her face," Consort Ji said in one breath and sighed: "What a pity! Now you can only go and speak directly to the Emperor."
Following Consort Ji’s suggestion, things indeed seemed much more effective.
The goal was clear: to shake up things, and it made all her previous words sound foolish.
"Consort Ji, you’re indeed clever."
Yun Jiao took her hand and shook it, "Luckily, I have you!"
Yun Jiao’s eyes sparkled like little stars as she looked at her.
"What good am I? We’ve already left Jianzhang Palace, can’t bring this up again tomorrow."
Consort Ji’s cheeks flushed with the praise, reluctant to withdraw her hand.
"No problem, I’ll borrow Consort Ji’s words for now, and repay you later."
Before Consort Ji could ask further, Yun Jiao had already mentally reset.
At that moment, Servant Consort Zhen was showing her scalded red hands, requesting ointment for the burns from the Empress, and Yun Jiao had arranged her thoughts, ready to speak. But this time, she changed her approach: "Empress, I have something to say."
Yun Jiao trembled as she stood, supporting her barely noticeable belly.
This sight made others cringe; how long had she been pregnant to act like this? But Yun Jiao wasn’t entirely pretending; she had been sitting too long, and her waist was a bit sore.
"Concubine Xi, you may speak while seated."
The Empress glanced over.
"Thank you, Lady,"
Yun Jiao quickly sat down and continued, "The first time I served tea to the Lady, the tea was scalding hot, passed to me by this very palace maid! I thought at the time that the Lady preferred hotter tea, but little did I know she was secretly causing mischief! Servant Consort Zhen also hails from a palace maid’s background, and perhaps had past conflicts with Dong Hua, which led to this revenge. This act not only harms the Emperor’s concubines but also damages the Empress’s reputation. I plead for strict punishment for this person, to uphold the harem’s integrity!"
Consort Ji was on the edge of her seat, worried Yun Jiao might speak foolishly again.
Unexpectedly, this time Yun Jiao spoke with sharp insight, hitting the nail on the head, forcing the Empress to have to punish her trusted chief palace maid.
"Concubine Xi speaks correctly. Who would have thought such a brazen and cunning maid was hiding by the Empress’s side,"
Concubine Wei covered her mouth and laughed, "The tea was so hot that it scalded Servant Consort Zhen’s hands through the cup; it definitely couldn’t have been drinkable. Could it be jealousy over Servant Consort Zhen’s rise from maid to consort overnight? How foolish! If she wanted to gain favor with the master, she should have sought the Empress’s support when the Emperor visited Jianzhang Palace."
The Empress’s expression grew increasingly displeased.
After speaking, Concubine Wei regretted it a bit.
She had resolved to watch her tongue before leaving her quarters that morning.
"Pardon, Lady! This humble servant was simply careless and confused in my duties, without any malicious intent! I beg for your clarity!"
Originally, the Empress intended to scold Dong Hua for a few harsh words, lift her high and put her down gently, and let this matter pass.
Seeing the Empress cornered by Concubine Xi’s words and forced to actually punish, Dong Hua was finally afraid, her plea for mercy faintly tearful.
At this moment, the Lady chuckled softly:
"The tea is too hot to drink, and yet the Lady didn’t realize it either. No wonder she dared to repeatedly act out."
The Empress’s face was gloomy, rage simmering in her chest.
She took a deep breath to clear her mind, and when she spoke again, her voice was as cold as if it had fallen into an ice cellar: "This maid is careless in her duties; she almost harmed Concubine Xi before and injured Servant Consort Zhen today. Jianzhang Palace can no longer accommodate her; summon someone from the Imperial Household, and have her punished by sending her to cut grass at Weng Mountain."
Weng Mountain served as a labor camp for eunuchs and palace maids, more dreadful than the Laundry Bureau, where eunuchs often couldn’t withstand the physical labor and resorted to suicide.
The Empress initially intended to send Dong Hua to the Laundry Bureau, but since the Lady had spoken, she knew this woman was as venomous as a snake, and harshly punishing Dong Hua could silence the Lady.
"The Empress is just and wise."
The Lady praised.
Palace maids are like extensions of the concubines. Since Concubine Xi had managed to speak so insightfully, she didn’t mind adding fuel to the fire.
The Empress smiled darkly.
While it was satisfying to reprimand the concubines, it was undeniably painful to send away the maid who had grown up with her to endure hard labor.
However, her reputation could not be tarnished.
...
Upon leaving Jianzhang Palace, Concubine Li sighed deeply, "Today truly surprised me."
"Do I not seem like someone who would speak up for justice?"
"No, it’s that the way you questioned was quite skillful, unlike you."
Yun Jiao averted her gaze, pretending not to hear.