his hands clean than get involved himself! What is your status Are you worthy of him personally intervening in such matters You say Qianyue plotted against you If she truly had those abilities, she w...Chapter 40 Knocking Out Teeth

The Palace of Glory had been the residence for empresses throughout generations; it was the most prestigious palace in the entire imperial city, second only to the Holy Yang Hall where the old emperor resided. Except for the empress and her attendants, common women were not qualified to live there. The old emperor had made an exception for her already, but she did not believe that this exception would extend to allowing Nan Lingrui to enter as well!

"Little girl, wait and see! Don't underestimate my charm," Nan Lingrui found a comfortable spot and leaned his entire body weight on Yun Qianyue.

She thought anyone who dared to underestimate him was making a big mistake! Nan Lingrui wasn’t the real playboy prince. She withdrew her gaze from the roof beams and warned him, "If you don't want me to throw you out, go to sleep somewhere else!"

Nan Lingrui pretended not to hear and continued leaning on Yun Qianyue as if he planned to fall asleep.

Yun Qianyue suddenly struck at him.

Nan Lingrui instantly moved away, blocking her hand with his arm. He opened his eyes and glared at her; when he saw that Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow at him, he knew there was no hope in trying to lean on her again. He reached over and took the pillow from behind Yun Qianyue’s back and placed it behind himself before leaning against it and closing his eyes. Muttering under his breath unhappily, "Heartless little girl!"

Yun Qianyue felt lighter as she had already been disturbed by Nan Lingrui’s antics and could no longer sleep. She raised her head to look at Yun Muhan.

Since Nan Lingrui got on the carriage, although she was talking with him, she hadn’t missed a glimpse of Yun Muhan’s expression. Yun Muhan had not shown any emotion; this lack of expression was actually his most unnatural one. It was as if he wore a mask over his face that hid all emotions under it.

When Yun Qianyue looked at him, Yun Muhan shifted his gaze from Nan Lingrui to her. His eyes were black like the night sky.

Yun Qianyue felt sure she was right; there must be some connection between Nan Lingrui and Yun Muhan. She curled her lips and asked, "Is Brother looking for me Or do you have something to tell me"

The moment Yun Qianyue finished speaking, Yun Muhan suddenly stood up, coldly glancing at her, “No!” With that said, he flickered his body and used his agility to drift out of the carriage.

Yun Qianyue watched as the curtain was lifted then lowered again. It fluttered twice before becoming still; she smiled slightly and turned her head to look at Nan Lingrui. He seemed extremely exhausted, already fast asleep with some faint snoring sounds coming from him. She stared at Nan Lingrui for a moment before closing her eyes. Thinking that sooner or later she would find out the truth.

Inside the carriage, it returned to quietness; there was no more sound.

Outside, Wen Lai heard some noise and looked back once. Seeing Yun Muhan leave, he blinked his eyes before looking into the carriage again. Turning around, his fair young face showed a thoughtful expression that did not match his age.

The carriage proceeded unimpeded towards the imperial palace.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the entrance of the imperial palace where the carriage stopped. Wen Lai said to those inside, "Rui Prince, I am escorting Miss Qianyue directly to the Empress's Palace as ordered by Your Majesty. You should get off here! Without the Emperor’s command and the Empress’ summons, no males other than the Crown Prince and the various princes who pay their respects daily are permitted to enter the Empress' palace. This is something you must know."

When Wen Lai finished speaking, Nan Lingrui was still fast asleep as if he hadn’t heard.

Yun Qianyue remained silent with her eyes closed. Since Nan Lingrui got himself on the carriage in the first place, it wasn't her responsibility to get him off; she had no obligation to do so for him.

"Rui Prince" Not hearing any sound inside the carriage, Wen Lai softly called out.

There was still no response from within.

Wen Lai reached out and pulled back the curtain; seeing Nan Lingrui asleep, he glanced at Yun Qianyue and then reached to tap him. "Rui Prince! We've arrived at the imperial palace. The Emperor ordered Miss Qianyue to first arrange herself in the Empress's Palace before I escort her to the Imperial Study. You can't just follow like this!"

Nan Lingrui moved his body, swatting away Wen Lai’s hand and warning him drowsily, "Don’t disturb me; I am sleeping well. If you continue to bother me, I will make sure you have no hands left to tap me."

Wen Lai immediately pulled back his hand, helplessly looking at Nan Lingrui, “Rui Prince, it’s not that I want to disturb Your Highness. It's just that without an imperial command, you can’t follow her into the Empress' Palace…

Nan Lingrui pretended not to hear.

Wen Lai was a bit anxious as he looked at Yun Qianyue, who had her eyes closed and showed no intention of helping. Wen Lai turned to the young eunuch following him, "Li Zi, go... "

"Isn't this Senior Eunuch Wen" Before Wen Lai could finish his sentence, a sarcastic voice came from outside the palace, "Your humble servant has not left the mansion for days and heard that you have been promoted. Congratulations!"

When Yun Qianyue heard this voice, she was instantly displeased, thinking that Leng Shaozhuo had come out of his confinement to treat his wounds far too quickly! It couldn't be more than a few days and he had already left the Prince's mansion He still acted like himself. One’s nature is hard to change.

Wen Lai swallowed back what he was going to tell the young eunuch, quickly turned around, and gave a bow to Leng Shaozhuo, "Servant greets Young Prince! It has been a long time since we last met. Your Highness looks even more distinguished!"

"Haha, Senior Eunuch Wen still knows how to speak well. The words you say are exactly what this humble servant loves to hear." Leng Shaozhuo approached Wen Lai and looked at the carriage before asking, "Is Senior Eunuch Wen heading out of the palace for official duties"

"Servant is leaving the palace according to His Majesty's order to handle affairs. The mission has been completed now and I am on my way back!" Wen Lai said.

"Senior Eunuch, you usually ride a horse when handling tasks outside of the palace but today you are driving a carriage. Clearly being promoted to Grand Superintendent is indeed different!" Leng Shaozhuo sized up Wen Lai from head to toe and fixed his gaze on the imperial grand superintendent badge around his waist.

"No, Young Prince Leng flatters servant! Servant still prefers riding a horse when handling duties outside of the palace. However, today's mission is different; I am driving the carriage to pick up Miss Yun Qianyue from Cloud Manor and bring her into the palace," Wen Lai said.

"Oh So you are picking up Yun Qianyue for a visit in the palace The person sitting inside this carriage is Yun Qianyue" Leng Shaozhuo abruptly turned to look at the carriage again.

“Yes,” Wen Lai nodded.

Leng Shaozhuo's smiling face instantly vanished, his eyes flashing with a sinister gleam. He took three steps and reached the front of the carriage, pulling back the curtain in one swift motion. Upon seeing Yun Qianyue’s closed eyes as she leaned against the side of the carriage, he struck her without saying a word.

"Young Prince Leng!" Wen Lai was startled.

Yun Qianyue sneered and thought he was indeed an idiot with no improvement at all! She opened her eyes instantly, grabbed his hand that had reached out to hit her, and coldly said, "The last time you didn't cripple this hand of yours; were you not unsatisfied Do you want me to twist it off completely so it can never be put back on"

Leng Shaozhuo's face turned pale as he angrily retorted, "Yun Qianyue, dare you!"

"I am very daring! Are you going to try me out" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow and looked at him. She noticed that Leng Shaozhuo seemed to have recovered quite well; perhaps Prince Xiaoqing had forbidden him from engaging in any licentious activities during this period.

Leng Shaozhuo's expression changed, as he tried to pull his hand away but was held fast by Yun Qianyue. He angrily declared, "Yun Qianyue, here at the palace gate, you dare touch a single finger of mine!"

"The last time I touched you was in the imperial palace and also in the upper study room!" Yun Qianyue reminded him.

"You... " Leng Shaozhuo's face turned alternately pale and red, at a loss for words. Remembering Senior Eunuch Wen nearby, he immediately said, "Senior Eunuch Wen, your master Uncle Gong was killed by her; have you not thought about revenge"

"Young Prince Leng, Master made a mistake in handling his duties and it's his own fault; Miss Yun Qianyue is not to blame! Servant serves His Majesty; even if Master’s death had something to do with Miss Yun Qianyue, servant doesn’t hold personal grudges," Wen Lai looked at Leng Shaozhuo and calmly stated without bowing down or backing off. "You heard that Miss Yun Qianyue kept silent the entire journey while you wanted to hit her; I saw it clearly! This is right outside of the palace with many imperial guards watching too! Young Prince, this isn’t proper behavior! Even if Miss Yun Qianyue injured your hand, servant will truthfully report to His Majesty that you were the one who initiated a conflict!"

"You... " Leng Shaozhuo was instantly furious. "What a magnanimous Senior Eunuch Wen doesn’t hold personal grudges! Uncle Gong in heaven..." "Young Prince Leng, please control your hand!" Wen Lai interrupted Leng Shaozhuo and reminded him.

Upon hearing this, Leng Shaozhuo immediately stopped talking and glared at Yun Qianyue. "Yun Qianyue, let me go!"

"I’ll give you another chance. If you dare offend me next time, I will make sure your hand is completely severed from your body," Yun Qianyue released Leng Shaozhuo's hand and wiped her hands with a handkerchief she took out of her robe. She decided it was better to keep quiet as the old emperor might be looking for ways to punish her right now. It wouldn't be worth it to cause trouble over this small matter.

Leng Shaozhuo staggered back after being released, taking a few steps before regaining his balance. Seeing the bruise on his wrist where Yun Qianyue had held him back, he angrily said, "Yun Qianyue, you... "

"Isn't this the cold Young Marquis It's been a while since we've seen each other, but why is Your Highness so angry upon entering the palace" A carriage drove up from afar and stopped. The curtains were lifted, and Ye Tianqiong walked down, looking at Leng Shaozhuo with raised eyebrows.

"It's actually Crown Prince!" As soon as he heard this, Leng Shaozhuo immediately stopped talking and turned to look at Ye Tianqiong. Not only did his anger not lessen, but it intensified even more, "Isn't it that stinking woman inside the carriage Every time I see her, my temper flares up!"

"Oh" Ye Tianqiong looked towards Yun Qianyue's carriage. Because Leng Shaozhuo had lifted the curtain too roughly earlier, the curtains were now hanging from the top of the carriage and he could clearly see both Yun Qianyue and Nan Lingrui inside. He swept his gaze over sleeping Nan Lingrui to look at Yun Qianyue, raising an eyebrow, "Why is Little Sister Yue here"

Yun Qianyue didn't acknowledge Ye Tianqiong's presence; she thought flies tended to congregate together, and now these two 'flies' were congregating!

"To serve the order of His Majesty!" Wen Lai immediately replied.

"What is my father's command" Ye Tianqiong asked Wen Lai.

"His Majesty has ordered that Miss Qianyue be brought to his side for tutoring from today onwards," Wen Lai stated concisely.

"So it's like this! When I first heard the news, I didn't believe it. It turns out it was true! My father never brings anyone close for tutelage. Even when he favored Qingwan back then, he still had her follow the tutor. Little Sister Yue is truly fortunate!" Ye Tianqiong looked at Yun Qianyue again and seeing that she didn't even glance in his direction, his expression darkened slightly. He wondered if he was really so detested As he took a step towards the carriage, he said while walking, "Congratulations, Little Sister Yue!"

Yun Qianyue remained silent. She suddenly reached out and slapped Nan Lingrui who was fast asleep.

Nan Lingrui was startled; his sleeping body flew out of the carriage instantly.

Seeing that she had gotten Nan Lingrui out, Yun Qianyue lowered the curtain and said to Wen Lai, "Eunuch Wen, drive on! If you delay any longer, it looks like you don't want to complete your task!"

"Yes, Eunuch Wen will take Your Highnesses there now," Wen Lai hurriedly responded. He swiftly got into the carriage and cracked the whip; no further delays occurred as the carriage entered through the palace gates. Naturally, he didn’t wish to stay here any longer. In his mind, if Miss Qianyue had gotten rid of the Crown Prince earlier, they wouldn't have been delayed for so long waiting for Cold Young Marquis and the Crown Prince! But he also felt grateful towards them; without their arrival, Miss Qianyue probably would not have thrown out Nan Lingrui from the carriage. He naturally couldn’t bring the Crown Prince along to Ronghua Palace.

Ye Tianqiong stopped in his tracks; his face darkened instantly.

Nan Lingrui, drowsily standing up straight, watched as the carriage went into the palace gates. He was rather annoyed and said, "That damned girl! If I didn't have a bit of talent, my life would be over by now! She really hit hard!"

"Why is Crown Prince Lingrui in that carriage" Ye Tianqiong asked Nan Lingrui while collecting his expression.

"I just happened to catch a ride," Nan Lingrui rubbed his eyes and looked groggy. He didn't look back, just walked towards the palace gates with steps that swayed left and right—hardly resembling any prince at all compared to Ye Tianqiong's graceful strides.

"What brings you to the palace, Crown Prince Lingrui" Ye Tianqiong followed him.

"I'm tired of staying in Cloud Manor; I want to live in the palace for a few days." Nan Lingrui shook his head continuously as though trying to shake off sleepiness. His gait wobbled like that of an old drunkard, nothing like Ye Tianqiong's dignified steps.

"Oh How many days does Crown Prince Lingrui plan on staying in the palace" Ye Tianqiong was surprised by his reply.

"Night Prince, don't be deaf. You heard it just now!" Nan Lingrui turned to look at him, took a step back and leaned against Ye Tianqiong's shoulder with an amused smile on his face, "What do you think about me staying in Ronghua Palace I've been looking forward to it for a long time."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible! Father would never agree. Besides, it doesn’t conform to palace etiquette," Ye Tianqiong shook his head.

"Then why is the little girl allowed into Ronghua Palace Isn’t she going in despite etiquette" Nan Lingrui put all of his weight on Ye Tianqiong's shoulder and spoke casually, "Why can't I do it too"

"Crown Prince Lingrui, you are a male! How could you live inside Ronghua Palace" Ye Tianqiong tried to push Nan Lingrui away, but found him as immovable as a rock. He shivered inwardly, realizing that Nan Lingrui's martial arts skills were higher and by quite an extent compared to his own. Feeling somewhat indignant, he put all of his strength into pushing, only for Nan Lingrui to suddenly release his grip, letting Ye Tianqiong push him straight into Cold Young Marquis Leng who was following behind them. The impact caused Cold Young Marquis Leng to fly out and fall three meters away, instantly unconscious.

"Night Prince, why are you so petty I’m just leaning on you for a moment! Do you need to push me that hard when all I wanted was to ask you something Luckily, I have some inner strength; otherwise, I would be dead or seriously injured," Nan Lingrui looked at Ye Tianqiong with a bad expression and glanced back at the unconscious Cold Young Marquis Leng, pitying him: "Poor little Cold Young Marquis of Xiaoqing Manor, without any martial arts skills. He’s now out cold; he doesn’t even have breath anymore!"

Night Tianqiong's expression changed, and he hurriedly went towards Leng Shaozhuo. Upon reaching his side, he immediately checked his breath. Seeing that there was still a pulse, he heaved a sigh of relief and turned to look at Nan Lingrui. He never expected Nan Lingrui to have such skills, accurately hitting Leng Shaozhuo. Now, Leng Shaozhuo had a faint pulse; just now, when he pushed against Nan Lingrui, all the internal energy used was passed onto Leng Shaozhuo by Nan Lingrui’s counterforce. Since Leng Shaozhuo did not have any inner strength to protect him, he suffered serious injuries and fell into unconsciousness. Annoyed, Night Tianqiong said, "Prince Rui, you…"

"Prince Nite, this isn’t my fault. I just relied on you. All the people at the palace gate saw you push me so that I hit Young Marquis Leng and injured him," Nan Lingrui stood still and shook his head while looking at the unconscious Leng Shaozhuo on the ground. "It’s said that Filial Prince also has martial arts, but why is this young marquis of Filial Prince so weak Ah, I don’t think he’ll be able to get out of bed for half a year even if he survives!"

Night Tianqiong was furious and knew it wasn’t the right time to argue with Nan Lingrui. He immediately called out to the guards at the palace gate, "Two people come here and carry Young Marquis Leng Shaozhuo to the Imperial Medical Bureau!"

Upon hearing his words, the guards hurriedly came over, picked up the unconscious Leng Shaozhuo, and walked towards the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Leng Shaozhuo’s attendant saw this but did not follow him. Instead, he turned around and ran toward Filial Prince's Manor to report the matter urgently!

Night Tianqiong watched as the attendant left and hesitated for a moment before following the two guards into the palace and walking towards the Imperial Medical Bureau. He knew that his recent resistance against Nan Lingrui was fine, but being hit by all of Nan Lingrui’s strength would definitely cause Leng Shaozhuo some trouble. Furthermore, he wasn’t sure if Nan Lingrui had done something to Leng Shaozhuo when using the counterforce technique. If anything happened to him, how could he explain it to Filial Prince He was extremely angry and resentful that today Nan Lingrui played a trick on him without revealing any signs of doing so.

Nan Lingrui looked at Night Tianqiong carrying Leng Shaozhuo into the palace and walking towards the Imperial Medical Bureau with two imperial guards, his lips curled up slightly. Soon after, he started to walk toward the Emperor's study in a pompous manner through the palace gate.

At the entrance of Prosperity Palace, Wen Lai stopped the carriage and respectfully said to the woman inside: "Miss Shallow Moon, we have arrived at Prosperity Palace!"

Yun Shangyue stretched out her hand to lift the curtain and look outside. She saw a grand palace with golden decorations shining in the sun. Her eyes were dazzled by the glaring light. After closing them for a while and opening them again, she noticed that many people were gathered at Prosperity Palace's entrance. The leader was none other than Empress Dowager. Behind her stood Princess Mingfei and Concubine Gao, followed by several young women dressed in robes of different ranks, and lastly there were a group of maidservants. Her eyes sparkled slightly as she thought that the setting seemed too grand to be for her arrival.

"This servant greets Empress Dowager, Concubine Gao, Princess Mingfei, Consort Li, Fair Lady Xin, and Fair Lady Lin," Wen Lai got off his carriage and quickly paid respect to them. He spoke very fast, rattling off the titles of the women from highest rank to lowest.

"No wonder you were promoted as the new grand chamberlain by His Majesty, your speech is so quick!" Empress Dowager had not spoken yet when Concubine Gao said with a smile while looking at Wen Lai. She then looked toward Yun Shangyue’s carriage and asked, "I thought who could let Grand Chamberlain Wen come to fetch them personally! It turns out it's Miss Yun of Cloud Manor whom the Emperor ordered yesterday to get married!"

Yun Shangyue realized that she was having a bad day as she ran into another unpleasant person. She acted like she hadn’t heard what Concubine Gao said and ignored her.

"Sister Mingfei, look! No wonder she dared to hit Princess Six in front of His Majesty yesterday! She knows there will be no consequences for doing so," Concubine Gao saw that Yun Shangyue did not respond and became more excited. She asked Mingfei who did not speak and then looked at the Empress Dowager, "I noticed that our Emperor is getting more and more fond of Miss Yun. He’s even using a carriage to bring her here to Prosperity Palace! Big Sister Empress Dowager, it might be you who will have to move out tomorrow so she can take your place as empress!"

"Concubine Gao!" The Empress Dowager’s face turned dark and she sternly shouted at Concubine Gao.

"Big Sister Empress Dowager, did I say anything wrong This matter has spread all over the palace now. It is said that His Majesty will be instructing Miss Yun personally and making you arrange a residence for her in Prosperity Palace! Isn’t this obvious" Concubine Gao ignored the Empress Dowager’s anger and spoke sarcastically.

The Empress Dowager's face turned pale, "Concubine Gao! You are trying to spread rumors. I can punish you with a cane right now!"

Concubine Gao’s expression changed but she quickly switched her tone, "Big Sister Empress Dowager, I’m just warning you! Don’t invite wolves into your home! Even though you treat Miss Yun like she is your beloved niece, she doesn’t think of you as her aunt. Have there ever been any women who were instructed by the Emperor None right The Crown Prince was never personally tutored by His Majesty; he had a tutor for that. How much does His Majesty love Qingwan Even so, he didn’t take care of her himself. Many of the maidservants around the Emperor have become important concubines! Take Consort Li as an example,"

Consort Li’s face turned pale at hearing this and she shivered involuntarily, taking a step back.

"Miss Yun might not be long before we all become sisters!" Concubine Gao said. She then looked pitifully at Empress Dowager, "Big Sister Empress Dowager, they say that affection ends even before beauty fades. It seems to be the case! You haven’t…"

"Are you done yet" The Empress Dowager turned around and glared fiercely at Concubine Gao, shouting: "Servants! Put a hand over Concubine Gao’s mouth!"

"Big Sister Empress Dowager, without the Emperor's permission, you can’t punish me. My rank is Concubine; I’m not just any concubine," Concubine Gao stopped the Empress Dowager from continuing and did not fear her anger.

The Empress Dowager’s face turned dark and she clenched a handkerchief tightly in her hands, smiling coldly. "Did you learn palace etiquette by eating it" Is this how you talk to me Today I can let the Emperor deal with your words! She shouted loudly: "Servants! Slap Concubine Gao!"

Elder Eunuch Sun and a few other elderly maidservants serving the Empress Dowager immediately walked toward Concubine Gao.

The two maidservants who served Concubine Gao quickly protected her in front. She straightened up and did not move, clearly relying on someone’s support. Looking at the Empress Dowager with a smile, she said: "Big Sister Empress Dowager, are you hurt by what I said Is that why you want to punish me

"Slap her!" The Empress didn't want to hear Cold Concubine speak any longer and shouted angrily once again.

Sister-in-law Sun and several other sisters-in-law simultaneously raised their hands. Cold Concubine's two sisters-in-law also fearlessly faced Sister-in-law Sun and the others.

"Auntie! Make them stop!" Yun Qianyue suddenly spoke up, and as soon as she finished speaking, she jumped down from her carriage.

The Empress looked at Yun Qianyue and said in a deep voice, "Stop!"

Upon hearing this, Sister-in-law Sun and the others immediately stopped their actions.

Cold Concubine scoffed with a cold laugh. "So, my honorable sister, the Empress, actually listens to a little girl! It seems you truly intend to abdicate in favor of your niece!" These years, she had been striving to defeat the Empress. Finally, when the ancestral precept was abolished at the Cloudy王府 (Prince's Mansion), and she heard her father send news that His Majesty intended to depose the Empress yesterday, she saw hope. Yet, all she waited for today turned out to be a royal decree allowing Yun Qianyue to move into Prosperity Palace! How could she not feel angry She used to still fear the Empress slightly, but now she had no such reservations.

The Empress's face darkened, about to speak when seeing Yun Qianyue walking towards Cold Concubine, she retracted her words.

Cold Concubine saw Yun Qianyue approaching and snorted disdainfully. "If even a good-for-nothing who doesn't know how to read or write can enter Prosperity Palace, I think the name should be changed!"

Yun Qianyue was neither angry nor annoyed; instead, she had a faint smile on her face. Her steps didn’t quicken but soon brought her in front of Cold Concubine where she smiled at her and said, "Cold Concubine, please continue speaking so that I can listen clearly!"

Cold Concubine spat out in disgust, "I’d rather soil my mouth than speak about you!"

"Is that so" Yun Qianyue continued smiling as she suddenly raised her hand and struck Cold Concubine. The wind blew past the maidservants standing before Cold Concubine; unable to resist, they were pushed left and right, a sharp sound of a slap echoed out, followed by Cold Concubine's cry of pain as she fell to the ground. Looking at Cold Concubine, Yun Qianyue smiled and said, "But I don't mind soiling my hand!"

The Empress was momentarily stunned while Princess Ming and others were shocked; nobody expected that Yun Qianyue would dare to strike Cold Concubine! After all, not everyone could hit a concubine of the rank of a Noble Consort. But then again, thinking about how she dared to hit the princess in front of His Majesty, it wasn't surprising that she would now dare to hit Cold Concubine as well.

"Yun Qianyue... you... ah! My tooth..." Cold Concubine covered her face and looked up angrily. As soon as she spoke, a tooth fell out of her mouth, and she started screaming in pain.

The Empress's expression changed slightly.

Princess Ming and others were once again shocked.

Cold Concubine’s entire half face was swollen red and had two bloody scratches from nails. Her lips were bleeding, blood spattered on the ground, with a tooth lying in it.

Yun Qianyue calmly looked at Cold Concubine and said confidently as she smiled, "It's your tooth, no mistake!"

"You... you actually dared to hit me" Cold Concubine abruptly stood up and raised her hand at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue stretched out her sleeve revealing a square mirror that pointed straight at Cold Concubine's face. She lightly chuckled, "Cold Concubine, take a look at your face; can you still bring yourself to hit me"

The clear reflection of Cold Concubine’s face appeared in the mirror, and she clearly saw herself—her teeth bared in anger, one front tooth missing, her half face swollen red with bloody scratches. Suddenly, she shrieked, her eyes rolled back, and she fell to the ground straight.

Cold Concubine's people were terrified; for a moment they didn't react and couldn’t support her.

The Empress’s people and Princess Ming and others were stunned and remained motionless.

After Cold Concubine shrieked, she fell straight to the ground with a thud that echoed in everyone's hearts.

Yun Qianyue glanced at Cold Concubine, spun the square mirror around, turned back towards the Empress and smiled. "Auntie, don't you think Cold Concubine is too easily frightened A small square mirror was enough to scare her unconscious!"

The Empress looked at Yun Qianyue's smiling face and was speechless for a moment.

Yun Qianyue glanced at the women behind the empress, including Mingfei. All of them had pale faces but none screamed in horror. She thought that all women in the palace must have been tempered through hardships. She smiled faintly and said to Wenhua who was bowing his head by her side, "Eunuch Wen, go report to His Imperial Uncle Emperor that I will not stay in Palace Ronghua anymore. After just arriving, someone blocked me at the gate and scolded me thoroughly for a long time. It's no big deal if they scolded me, but they also insulted him. In order to maintain his reputation of being wise and intelligent, I will return to my residence."

"This…" Wenhua hesitated as he looked at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows at him, "Do you want me to go report myself"

"Yes, Your Excellency. I will do it right away!" With that said, Wenhua immediately turned around and ran towards the Imperial Study.

"Lady Empress! Lady Empress!" The attendants of Cold Noble Consort finally reacted and hurriedly supported her while calling out anxiously.

When they saw that she was still unconscious after calling twice, a nanny hurriedly got up and ran to the Imperial Medical Bureau.

The empress watched as the nanny left but did not say anything to stop her.

"Lady Empress, may this concubine take my leave" A concubine spoke cautiously to the empress.

"Lady Empress, I will also take my leave!" Another person opened his mouth and said.

…" Lady Empress, I will…"

In quick succession, other than Mingfei, all other concubines were asking for permission to leave. Today, Yun Qianyue actually beat Cold Noble Consort into this state and even sent Wenhua to report to the emperor. If he found out about it, he would definitely be furious. Although the emperor favored Mingfei, he was also kind towards Cold Noble Consort. Furthermore, she knew how to please him. Now that they saw her like this, there was no way but for them to drag Yun Qianyue down with them if she were caught. It was best to stay away from such a situation.

"Sisters, did you all hear clearly what Cold Noble Consort said just now" The empress looked at the dozen people in front of her and asked without nodding or shaking her head.

The dozen people raised their eyes to look at the empress. After glancing at the unconscious Cold Noble Consort on the ground, they answered in unison, "Yes."

"As this matter started today, the emperor will definitely ask about it later. Since everyone present witnessed everything with their own eyes and ears, no one can leave." The empress's face turned cold as she looked at Cold Noble Consort on the ground. "Cold Noble Consort slandered His Majesty and guessed his thoughts wrongly. I originally intended to cane her but Qianyue took my place. She only knocked out a tooth of hers and that is quite light already. If it had been me, given how rebellious those words were, even if I killed her, it would not have been too much! Therefore, when the time comes, you must repeat everything she said to His Majesty clearly. If you get any word wrong…"

The empress stopped at this point and retracted her gaze from Cold Noble Consort before glancing coldly at the dozen people in front of her. The dozen people's bodies trembled as she sternly warned them, "That would be considered misleading His Majesty, and you should all know the consequences! We are very clear about how His Majesty has been dealing with disobedient concubines."

The dozen people's faces turned pale in unison before respectfully replying, "Yes!"

In their hearts, they were all aware that this was Empress Dowager using the emperor to warn them. If they did not speak the truth, even if His Majesty would not blame them, she definitely would not let them off easily. These years, Cold Noble Consort and the empress had been at odds with each other. Although Empress Dowager occasionally lost out, it was more often that Cold Noble Consort took a loss. Now even if there were people among them who had been bought over by her, seeing how she looked now, they knew that this was equivalent to her losing her looks. They all understood that as women in the palace, once their appearances were ruined, their careers would be destroyed too. Even if Empress Dowager fell out of power, it was impossible for His Majesty to bestow a woman with damaged appearance as empress. Coupled with Cold Noble Consort's haughty attitude and her cruel treatment of people, they quickly weighed the pros and cons and decided that Wenhua would definitely report everything truthfully when he returned.

The Empress was quite satisfied with the dozen people’s reactions. When she finished speaking, she looked at Yun Qianyue. Her eyes held a hint of concern. After all, beating up Cold Noble Consort was still different from beating up a princess. At that time, there had been Prince Ji in attendance and His Majesty had spared her out of consideration for his face. Today if the emperor blamed her, she probably could not protect her.

After hitting someone, Yun Qianyue felt no regret or fear at all. She held up a hand mirror to look at herself before looking at Cold Noble Consort on the ground. She thought that this face was indeed important and must be protected well. Right, she also had to protect Rongjing’s face too. When she sensed Empress Dowager's gaze, she looked up at her and stuck out her tongue.

The empress wanted to laugh but could not when she saw Yun Qianyue's mischievous expression.

Soon, steps came from a distance, obviously in a hurry. A group of people were walking towards them. Everyone turned their heads and looked at the direction where the sound was coming from. Yun Qianyue also turned her head to look. In an instant, they saw a crowd appearing with the elderly emperor wearing a bright yellow robe leading the way.

Interlude:

Isn't our Yue Moon awesome Even more awesome is yet to come! o（∩_∩）o~gqing didn’t find dealing with Cloud Qianyue as easy as before."Little girl, do you need help" Nanylingrui couldn’t sit still anymore and asked eagerly.If you don't think it's embarrassing to bully a...