She took a casual glance at the person lying on the ground, unconscious, then stepped forward and feigned scolding.
"Ling'er, I just told you to bring Concubine Rui here and settle her properly. I never thought you'd use so much force. Now that Concubine Rui's life or death is unknown, do you know the consequences?"
Ling'er knelt on the ground, looking aggrieved.
"Your Ladyship, am I in the wrong? I just wanted to avenge you. Why did you have to work so hard just to become a concubine, while Concubine Rui became one right away? It's so unfair to you."
Concubine Ning seemed very angry. She raised her hand but then retracted it, looking disappointed.
"It seems I've disciplined you too little. From now on, you'll be my personal maid. I'll teach you the rules properly, or people will say I can't discipline my own servants."
On the surface, it seemed like a scolding, but in fact, it was a reward for Ling'er.
Ling'er naturally followed her words.
"I understand, Your Ladyship."
The other maids nearby were envious, jealous, and resentful. They regretted not volunteering to bring Concubine Rui here themselves. If Concubine Ning had seen them, they might have also received rewards.
But there's no such thing as a regret pill in this world. They could only watch with envy.
One maid was eager to seize an opportunity to impress Concubine Ning.
So she stepped forward boldly, pointing at the unconscious person on the ground.
"Your Ladyship, what should we do with Concubine Rui? Leave her here?"
Concubine Ning rolled her eyes. Such an obvious thing, and this maid still had to ask. What a waste!
"What do you think? She came from the Great Liang. Our King is kind-hearted and willing to give her a position as a concubine in the harem. But we can't forget what happened before. We have to be accountable to the people of the Western Region. Besides, I'm sure Concubine Rui is strong enough not to die so easily."
The maid understood her meaning immediately.
Just like that, Concubine Rui was dragged to another room in the side hall and left unattended.
The King of the Western Region certainly wouldn't come tonight. Concubine Rui was in the limelight, and all the concubines in the harem wanted to deal with her. The King needed to find a suitable opportunity.
So when Concubine Rui woke up, she felt pain all over her body. Although she had initially asked that person to do it, she didn't expect Ling'er to be so ruthless. If she hadn't had a faint breath left, she would have thought she was dead.
Just as she was about to get up, she heard a noise at the door.
She instinctively lay back down.
It wouldn't be a good thing for others to know she was still alive at this moment. If the person coming was unfriendly, she wouldn't even have a chance to fight back.
Ling'er curled her lips. She noticed the movement inside.
"Concubine Rui, stop pretending. Concubine Ling is receiving the King tonight and has no time for you. So I came to see if you're still alive."
Hearing this, the person on the bed felt relieved and took a look around the environment.
Concubine Ning was truly in the Princess Consort's camp. She was so cruel to her.
The room she was in was dilapidated, surrounded by broken walls. Tiles would occasionally fall from the roof, and there were also some snakes, insects, rats, and ants crawling around.
This was no place for a person to live. She wondered what Concubine Ning was thinking. Wasn't she afraid of being held accountable if something happened to her here?
She gritted her teeth and finally found a place to sit down.
"It seems you're really going to cooperate with me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to see me."
"Hehe, if it gets out that the former Noble Consort Rui has ended up like this and the people in the Great Liang find out, they'll surely laugh their heads off."
Concubine Rui frowned and corrected her words.
"Now I'm just an ordinary concubine in the harem, not a noble consort. I have nothing to do with the Great Liang."
Seeing that she seemed angry, Ling'er knew when to stop.
"Okay, okay, Concubine Rui. Don't worry. Tomorrow I'll find a way to move you to a livable place. It may not be very good, but it's a hundred times better than this place. You'll have to bear it for a few days, and then I'll arrange for you to meet the King."
Hearing her words, Concubine Rui felt better, but she still had a cold look on her face.
"Do you have any medicine for injuries? I can't let my injuries go untreated for too long. If I have scars, how can I help you win the King's heart?"
Ling'er pursed her lips. As a woman, she had to admit that Concubine Rui was truly a beauty, exuding an air of nobility. She actually wished Concubine Rui would have some scars on her body so that she could have a reason to control her after she became the Queen.
But this thought was quickly dispelled.
"You'd better not expect any scars on me. Otherwise, it won't be good for you either."
Her thoughts were exposed again. Ling'er panicked and denied it.
"Concubine Rui is like my savior. How could I want you to have scars? It won't do me any good either."
Concubine Rui snorted. "I hope so. Hurry up and apply the medicine for me. I'm dying of pain. I don't know why you had to be so ruthless."
"I had no choice. If I hadn't made it look real, Concubine Ning wouldn't have believed me, and she might have sent others to deal with you."
It was the truth, and Concubine Rui gradually let go of her resentment.
"By the way, find out what the King's arrangements are recently. I can't stay here for another moment. I have to leave here as soon as possible."
"Sigh, Concubine Rui, without the Princess Consort's order, even if the King speaks, it won't work. You can only stay here. Instead of thinking about how to win the King's favor, you should think about how to change the Princess Consort's opinion of you."
Concubine Rui didn't agree with her view, but she couldn't reveal all her cards. So she could only give a hint.
"Think about it. If the Princess Consort has so much power, why doesn't she just replace the King and take his place? Then she wouldn't have to be bullied all the time."
As soon as she finished speaking, her mouth was quickly covered.
"Concubine Rui, you should know that in the harem, some words can be said, and some can't. There are ears everywhere."