Qin Huaiqiu left the room most reluctantly. He took the bowl of lotus seed soup from Xu Xian and placed it in front of Sikong Ting. After doing all this, he let go of it as if he had touched a hot potato. Then he took several steps back and stood at a distance from Sikong Ting.
Sikong Ting: "… What are you doing?"
Qin Huaiqiu lowered his head and kept silent.
Dou Yuan couldn't help laughing on one side and said, "Concubine De is much more interesting than when I first met her."
Dou Yuan remembered the first time he saw Concubine De. At that time, he was summoned into the palace by an imperial edict. As soon as he stepped into the imperial study, he saw Sikong Ting holding a long sword against this woman's neck. The woman was crying pear blossoms with rain and kept begging for mercy. Looking at Concubine De now, she was stubborn and obstinate, like a hedgehog, tightly covering her dignity.
Seeing that Qin Huaiqiu didn't say a word, Dou Yuan couldn't help laughing and said, "Why doesn't Concubine De say a word?"
Qin Huaiqiu had long been annoyed with him. Although he didn't know Dou Yuan's identity, this was the palace. On the surface, he was the emperor's concubine, but was being molested by an outside official here?
Dou Yuan called out again, "Concubine De?"
"I'm talking to you," Qin Huaiqiu said. He slowly raised his head, his eyes sweeping across Dou Yuan's and Sikong Ting's faces. He said in a cold voice, "Your servant is the emperor's concubine. When your servant talks to the emperor, when is it your turn, an outside official, to interrupt?"
Dou Yuan didn't expect to be questioned by Concubine De. Although his actions just now were overstepping, he was used to being casual in front of Sikong Ting. He never expected that Concubine De would say such a thing, which made him stiff on the spot for a moment, not knowing what to defend.
"Also, Your Majesty," Qin Huaiqiu turned his head and looked at Sikong Ting sitting on the high seat. He saw that Sikong Ting was also staring at him, his face ashen.
Qin Huaiqiu said sarcastically, "Have you had enough of watching the show? Or are you just waiting for him to embarrass your servant? It turns out that the wise and valiant emperor of the Great Sheng is actually an emperor who allows his officials to molest his concubines?"
What Qin Huaiqiu said was a bit like a fit of temper, but he had long been unable to stand this torturous way of getting along with Sikong Ting. So he simply said, "Your servant has always made it very clear. If Your Majesty hates your servant, then let's stay out of each other's way. Whether to divorce your servant or execute your servant is entirely up to Your Majesty's will. But this matter is between your servant and Your Majesty. I hope it won't involve your servant's family."
After Qin Huaiqiu finished speaking, he bowed to Sikong Ting and then walked away without looking back.
Outside the door, seeing Qin Huaiqiu leave, Xu Xian followed and tried to persuade him a few times. Seeing that he couldn't persuade him back, he trotted into the imperial study, bowed and wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, "Concubine De… Your servant couldn't persuade her back."
Sikong Ting didn't say a word from beginning to end. His face was extremely ugly, and he gritted his back teeth tightly. He looked at the bowl of lotus seed soup in front of him and suddenly swept it to the ground with a slap.
"Crash!" The sound of the porcelain breaking was startling. Xu Xian lay on the ground, too scared to move by Sikong Ting's imperial might. Dou Yuan also knew that he had said something wrong and stood aside with his head down, silent.
"Dou Yuan," Sikong Ting's voice was deep and hoarse, with a faint anger, which made Dou Yuan tremble all over.
"Speaking rudely and inappropriately. Your salary will be deducted for one year."
Dou Yuan swallowed his saliva and bowed and said, "Yes, Your servant obeys the order."
"Step back," Sikong Ting seemed to suddenly lose his energy. He propped his forehead with one hand and leaned on the desk. There was some unreadable emotion between his eyebrows.
When Qin Huaiqiu returned to the Kunning Palace, cold sweat had almost soaked his clothes.
He had actually said such disrespectful words to the emperor. Now that he thought about it, he was really too impulsive at that time. Although he used a bit of a goading strategy, how could he dare to guess the emperor's mind randomly? Making a wrong guess could cost him his head.
But now he was already at the door of the Kunning Palace. Along the way, Sikong Ting hadn't sent anyone to arrest him back. For the time being, he should be okay, right?
Zi Yun followed behind Qin Huaiqiu and called out worriedly, "Your Highness, are you okay?"
Qin Huaiqiu shook his head. He took a breath and said, "I'm okay."
Seeing this, Zi Yun didn't dare to ask more questions and then opened the palace door. The two entered one after the other. Just as they stepped into the corridor, Qin Huaiqiu saw Yalan sitting alone by the rockery, wiping her tears.
Yalan's position was very hidden. It seemed that she didn't want others to find her, but Qin Huaiqiu was born on the battlefield and had good eyesight since childhood. He walked over quickly. Because he walked too fast, he bumped into the blue and white porcelain vase placed beside him.
Yalan was startled when she heard the sound. Seeing that it was Qin Huaiqiu, she quickly stood up, wiped the tears from her hands clean, tried hard to hold back her sobs, and bowed to Qin Huaiqiu and said, "Your Highness."
"What's wrong?" Qin Huaiqiu frowned. He couldn't stand to see girls cry the most.
As soon as she was asked, Yalan stammered and refused to say, and her body kept leaning to one side.
Qin Huaiqiu felt something was wrong. He took a few steps and walked to Yalan's left. He saw that behind Yalan's left cheek, there were clearly three red fingerprints and scratches left by fingernails.
Seeing this, Zi Yun exclaimed in fright.
Qin Huaiqiu gritted his teeth and said, "Who did this?"
Yalan was so scared that she directly knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Qin Huaiqiu and said, "Your Highness, it's really not your servant's fault. Your servant went to Concubine Shu's place to get the monthly allowance according to the regulations, but Concubine Shu only gave your servant three taels of silver and a bolt of cloth. Your servant was confused and asked a few more questions. Who would have known that Concubine Shu's maid Ying'er would say that your servant had offended Concubine Shu."
Yalan said while crying, "Your Highness, your servant is wronged. No matter how bold your servant is, your servant wouldn't dare to offend Concubine Shu!"
It was Concubine Shu again!
Qin Huaiqiu gritted his teeth and asked Zi Yun, "How much monthly allowance should I get?"
Zi Yun replied tremblingly, "Your servant reports to Your Highness. It should be thirty taels of silver and ten bolts of cloth."
Qin Huaiqiu took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "You two, follow me to the Ningfu Palace."
In the Ningfu Palace.
Concubine Shu was lying on the beauty's chair resting. The imperial kitchen had just sent her favorite mung bean cakes. She gently rolled up her sleeves and picked up a piece from the white jade plate with her slender hands and put it into her mouth to savor it carefully.
On one side, Ying'er took a coat from the room and put it on Concubine Shu and said, "Your Highness, the sun is about to set. Pay attention to keeping warm."
Concubine Shu responded with a grunt, pulled up her sleeves, and was very comfortable.
However—
"Bang!"
The heavy palace door was suddenly opened by some external force. Immediately afterwards, there was a noisy shouting sound at the door of the Ningfu Palace.
"Concubine De, you can't go in!"
"Get out of the way!" Qin Huaiqiu yanked back his arm that was being grabbed and roared into the hall, "Sister Concubine Shu, younger sister has come to visit you!"
After Qin Huaiqiu roared, he directly stepped into the hall. Concubine Shu never thought that Qin Huaiqiu would be so unreasonable and actually break into her bedroom directly. She was stunned for a long time, but after all, she was a person who had seen the world. She slowly stood up and said with a fake smile, "Sister, you come to visit me so late?"
Qin Huaiqiu raised his eyebrows and said, "Yes, to find someone."
He was already full of anger today. Concubine Shu didn't provoke him at any other time but just today. Anyway, he had already fallen out with the emperor. Why should he care about a Concubine Shu?
Qin Huaiqiu said loudly, "Yalan, say, who is it?"
Yalan, who was standing behind Qin Huaiqiu, walked out tremblingly. She looked at everyone present and timidly pointed at Ying'er, who was standing beside Concubine Shu, and said, "It's… It's her."
"Oh?" Qin Huaiqiu glared at her, and Ying'er trembled all over in fright.
Concubine Shu also felt a bit of uneasiness. She keenly felt Qin Huaiqiu's hostility. Qin Huaiqiu's hair was loose now, and the whole person was exuding a fierce aura. She raised her voice and questioned, "Concubine De, what do you want to do?"
"Humph, what do I want to do?" Qin Huaiqiu was too lazy to talk nonsense with her. He took a quick step forward. He was extremely fast and reached Concubine Shu's front in a few steps. Concubine Shu let out a scream. Qin Huaiqiu raised his hand and grabbed Ying'er's collar. Then:
"Slap!"
A loud slapping sound. Ying'er's face instantly swelled up. Concubine Shu was directly scared and collapsed on the beauty's chair. Her eyes were wide open, and she said angrily, "Qin Huailian! You're rebelling!"
"Rebelling? You can beat my maid, but I can't beat yours?" Qin Huaiqiu laughed and said, "Don't forget who is the one who married into the palace through the main gate."
This matter was always a sore spot in Concubine Shu's heart. As soon as she heard this, she cried loudly, "Qin Huailian, just you wait!"
"I'm waiting," Qin Huaiqiu pushed Ying'er, who was trembling all over in pain, away and said, "Oh, by the way, there's another thing. My monthly allowance seems to be insufficient?"
Concubine Shu gritted her teeth and glared at him, her face full of shame and anger.
Qin Huaiqiu was not willing to show weakness either. He directly asked, "Will you give it to me or should I take it myself?"
Concubine Shu had never seen a woman like Concubine De. Qin Huaiqiu's actions just now were simply crazy, not to mention the look in Qin Huaiqiu's eyes when looking at her now. Just looking directly at her was enough to make her feel cold all over.
What's wrong with this woman…
"Do I need to ask again?" Qin Huaiqiu's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Tears slid down Concubine Shu's cheeks one after another, leaving one mark after another on her delicate makeup.
"… Servants," Concubine Shu gritted her teeth, her eyes full of shame, anger and unwillingness: "Give her the things!"