The little maid saw hope and quickly wiped away her tears.
"Concubine Dowager Mo."
Hardly had she spoken when the door of the imperial study suddenly opened. A figure strode out.
"What did you mean just now? Has something happened to Concubine Dowager Mo?"
Seeing the figure in bright yellow, Pei'er hurriedly blurted out the rest.
"Your Majesty, please save the Dowager Concubine. She's never done such a thing."
As she was speaking, the young emperor had already walked forward.
"Lead the way."
Pei'er trotted ahead while the entourage followed closely behind. But when they arrived, they found they were already a step too late.
All the palace servants in Jingxiang Palace were kneeling straight on the ground. The inner chamber was deathly silent and in a complete mess, as if it had just been through a great battle.
The young emperor's face darkened. He looked at a palace servant closest to him.
"What on earth is going on? Tell me the truth."
The eunuch trembled all over and kept his head down, not daring to look at the person in front of him.
"Your Majesty... Just now, some people came from somewhere. As soon as they came in, they attacked the Dowager Concubine. We couldn't stop them at all."
It seemed that someone had sent more people just now. However, if Concubine Dowager Mo was sent to the Imperial Clan Court, it would be very difficult for her to get out.
He had to go there quickly and rescue her.
Thinking of this, he left Pei'er behind. "You wait here. I'll go to the Imperial Clan Court. I'll bring Concubine Dowager Mo back soon."
Pei'er shook her head stubbornly.
"No, Your Majesty. I still want to go with you. Only when I see the Dowager Concubine safe with my own eyes can I feel at ease."
Ji Heng was a bit reluctant. If he took her with him, in case something went wrong, he might not be able to take care of her.
"Can't you just wait here peacefully? There's no need for you to get involved in this mess."
"Please, Your Majesty, take me with you. I promise I won't cause you any trouble."
Seeing her so insistent, even Fulu, who was standing by, couldn't bear it.
"Your Majesty, anyway, there are so many of us here. It won't matter if we take one more of her."
The young emperor shot Fulu a cold look. Having no other choice, he could only take her with him, but he still admonished her repeatedly.
"I'm warning you first. There might be a life - threatening danger later. Not many people can protect you."
"I'm not afraid."
Since she had said so, if something happened to her later, it would have nothing to do with him.
The young emperor led a group of people to the Imperial Clan Court. As soon as they entered, they heard muffled groans.
The air was filled with the pungent smell of blood everywhere. There were also the roars of many palace servants. Here, they would rather die.
The young emperor, who had been to the Imperial Clan Court before, was used to such a scene, but the little maid beside him was still frightened.
She bit her lower lip tightly, her face as white as a sheet. "Why are these people all locked up here? Their injuries look so terrifying."
Fulu twitched the corner of his mouth. This little maid was so scared herself, yet she still had the leisure to care about others' lives.
"After we rescue the Dowager Concubine later, you should leave quickly. Don't hold the emperor back."
The little maid nodded firmly. As if thinking of something, she became much quieter.
Ji Heng originally thought that those people had just locked up Concubine Dowager Mo. After all, they didn't have the guts to attack the Dowager Concubine.
But things always went beyond people's expectations.
The deeper they went, the darker his face became.
They couldn't see Concubine Dowager Mo's figure anywhere around, which meant that she could only be locked up at the end of the Imperial Clan Court, which was not a good place.
Did they torture her?
Just as he was thinking about this, he saw a scene that made him gasp.
The once - proud Concubine Dowager Mo was now dying, tied to a pillar. She was breathing more out than in. If it went on like this, she might not make it.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and he gave Fulu a look.
The little eunuch immediately understood and led the guards forward to put her down.
Suddenly, something unexpected happened. Just now, the place had been quiet, with not a single palace servant in sight.
The next moment, many eunuchs and guards suddenly appeared beside them and started fighting with the people he had brought.
Finally, the emperor flew into a rage.
The young emperor roared angrily, "How dare you people! You even dare to attack my men."
The leading chief eunuch turned around. When he saw the emperor, surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Why has Your Majesty come here today? This place is too dirty for your eyes."
"Humph, you still know my identity. I thought this imperial palace had already changed hands. When did you people start to challenge me?"
"What are you talking about, Your Majesty? We are just following the rules. Concubine Dowager Mo has made a mistake. According to the palace rules, she should be locked up in the Imperial Clan Court. We are just asking questions normally. Does Your Majesty want to show favoritism?"
The little maid had never seen such a blatant liar before and couldn't help herself.
"What do you mean? The Dowager Concubine has done nothing. It's you people who came and splashed dirt on her and forcibly attacked her."
The chief eunuch glared angrily at the little maid.
"You're just a palace maid. You'd better know what to say and what not to say."
Hearing this, the little maid lowered her head aggrievedly. She had a lowly status. The only reason she could speak was because of the emperor.
Ji Heng frowned. He always hated such people who bullied the weak by relying on others' power.
"The things you've done have not only been seen by this little palace maid. Do you think you can silence everyone? The Dowager Concubine's status is not something you people can touch."
"Your Majesty is wrong. The palace rules have long stipulated that if a concubine masterminds gambling behind the scenes, she must be handed over to our Imperial Clan Court for handling. There has never been an exception. Moreover, the former Grand Dowager also did such a thing, and Your Majesty didn't let her off in the end. Can the Dowager Concubine escape punishment just because of her status?"
The incident of the former Grand Dowager had always been a stain on the royal family. It was precisely because of that incident that such a rule had been established in the royal family.
However, Concubine Dowager Mo had never been involved. All these so - called accusations were just slander.
"Anyway, you must release her today. I'll have someone investigate this matter clearly later. This matter is of great importance, so your Imperial Clan Court doesn't need to get involved."
Thinking of the instructions from the person behind him, the chief eunuch still chose to openly refute his master.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't make an exception for the Dowager Concubine. Otherwise, our Imperial Clan Court may lose all its prestige in the palace in the future."
"It's not up to you to decide. You'd better figure out who is in charge of this palace."