"Enough! I see that Wan'er is in poor health and can't bear this sunlight at all. Concubine Mei, if you keep spouting nonsense and the Empress Dowager suffers heatstroke because of this, how do you think you should be punished?!" In fact, Si Junlin had no intention of listening to her nonsense. Instead, he was constantly paying attention to whether Su Wan'er was feeling hot or angry.
This act made Su Wan'er even more uncomfortable. Where was she in poor health? Besides, compared to her sitting comfortably here, Concubine Mei was kneeling. Si Junlin was just too... partial? Could this word really be used to describe Si Junlin's attitude towards her?
"Your Majesty, how could you be so bewitched by her? Your Majesty---" Concubine Mei had never suffered such humiliation before. She was kneeling here while the emperor was worried about that bitch getting hot! So she complained even more heart - brokenly.
"Your Majesty, I've often heard that the Empress has long been dissatisfied with the Empress Dowager. She even insulted the Empress Dowager in her own palace, saying that the Empress Dowager was a concubine - born daughter with a humble background... Your Majesty, you can't not believe me." Concubine Mei had spent a lot of effort currying favor with the Empress Dowager on weekdays. So she knew that not only the Empress Dowager but also the emperor was very sensitive about the matter of being concubine - born.
At this moment, as long as she firmly asserted that the Empress had mocked the Empress Dowager's background, even if the emperor didn't fully believe it, he would still be suspicious. She didn't expect to pull Su Wan'er down from her position all at once, but only hoped that she would fall out of favor.
"You... Concubine Mei, how could you slander me like this?" The more Su Wan'er listened, the angrier she became. Finally, she couldn't help scolding her.
To be honest, she was also afraid that Si Junlin would believe her words. After all, there had been too many such things before, and in the end, it was always Concubine Mei who won.
She had been wronged again and again. Coupled with Si Junlin's suspicion and vigilance towards the Su family, she couldn't help but be afraid.
"How do you think this matter should be dealt with, Empress?" At this moment, Si Junlin's eyes darkened completely, as if he was about to get angry the next second.
"Your Majesty, you know I would never say such things..." Su Wan'er was completely panicked. Had she touched Si Junlin's bottom line? Would he really believe Concubine Mei's words?
"Of course I know. I'm just asking you how to deal with Concubine Mei." Si Junlin spoke word by word, his voice soft, as if he was afraid of scaring her.
"Huh?" Deal with Concubine Mei?
Su Wan'er was stunned for a moment and then immediately reacted.
She must be dealt with. She couldn't be allowed to talk nonsense anymore! Fining her salary, banning her from leaving her quarters, and making her copy the palace regulations and reflect on her mistakes. Immediately, all the punishments that Concubine Mei had made her suffer in the past came to Su Wan'er's mind. Finally, she had the opportunity to punish her in return.
"Well... Considering that Concubine Mei is a first - time offender, how about banning her from leaving her quarters for... one year." Although she thought hard about how to punish Concubine Mei to make her suffer, she remembered that she was the Empress after all, so she put on an air.
"Good. Then, as the Empress has said, first beat Concubine Mei twenty big boards, and then ban her from leaving her quarters for one year." Si Junlin gave the order.
This shocked Su Wan'er. Beat her? It was just a case of jealousy.
Su Wan'er looked at Concubine Mei on the ground, constantly crying out for injustice and crying piteously: "Um... Your Majesty, I think..."
She was just about to plead for mercy for Concubine Mei, thinking that her delicate body might not be able to withstand such a beating. But unexpectedly, Concubine Mei started scolding her again.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, how could you treat me like this? How could you blindly believe that bitch?"
Well, now Su Wan'er had no interest in showing mercy to the beauty. Such a beautiful face, but why did she have to scold her every day?
"Who... do you call a bitch?" At this moment, there was a warning written all over Si Junlin's face, as if he couldn't tolerate anyone saying a single bad word about Su Wan'er. Concubine Mei immediately lost her arrogance: "Your servant... Your servant..."
"Since Concubine Mei knows the Empress Dowager's preferences so well and is a Buddhist like the Empress Dowager, from now on, she might as well copy a Buddhist scripture of 30,000 characters every day for the Empress Dowager's Buddhist worship." As soon as the imperial edict was issued, Concubine Mei didn't dare to say a word anymore and just gritted her teeth secretly. How did the emperor know that she was a Buddhist like the Empress Dowager? It must be that bitch Su Wan'er who had said something to the emperor again. It was all her fault that she hadn't calculated the timing correctly today. Su Wan'er must have taken the initiative first and bewitched the emperor by her words! Su Wan'er, just wait and see. As long as the Empress Dowager is around, let's see how long you can be so complacent.
"The Empress must be hot. Fruit wine has been prepared in the imperial study. Qingcao, quickly help her in." Si Junlin seemed to be constantly focusing his eyes on Su Wan'er. Su Wan'er was really flattered. She was a person who had grown up on horseback since childhood. She didn't need to be helped.
Just as she was drinking the fruit wine, a little maid ran over in a hurry and whispered something to Qingcao.
Su Wan'er didn't pay much attention at first, but Qingcao came over and pulled her aside.
"Your Ladyship, it seems that the Empress Dowager is angry."
"The Empress Dowager is angry. Why isn't she angry? Is she angry with me?" Su Wan'er felt helpless. Why did the old lady of the Empress Dowager always look for trouble with her?
"The little maid said that you angered the Empress Dowager this morning. And just now, the rumor that you caused a ruckus in the post - station, which was very impolite, reached the Empress Dowager's ears."
"Si Junlin! What should we do now? The old lady of the Empress Dowager is angry, and she has heard about what I did in the post - station just now. I'm definitely doomed this time. I finally managed to make her stop bothering me for a few days, but you... "
"What are you panicking about? Don't I here? I'll just go with you..." For some reason, Si Junlin was actually quite grateful for his mother's trouble - making. He was really enjoying the feeling of protecting his Empress...
In the end, the two had no choice but to go together to plead guilty to the Empress Dowager. With Si Junlin constantly protecting her, the Empress Dowager finally didn't say much.
But just as the two were leaving the palace.
Su Wan'er suddenly saw a strange face. After thinking carefully, it seemed to be Concubine Hui, who was in the same party as Concubine Mei before. But a concubine like her, who was not well - known, should be trying to avoid the Empress Dowager. Why did she come to pay respects to the Empress Dowager today?
When something is abnormal, there must be something fishy. Watching Concubine Hui curtsied to Si Junlin coyly and then not very respectfully to herself. Su Wan'er suddenly had a bad premonition, but there was no time to think carefully. Si Junlin just casually pulled her away without caring.
"Do you remember who that was just now?"
"Oh? Do you care whether I remember her?" Si Junlin didn't answer but asked instead.
"I just think that a concubine like her shouldn't come to pay respects to the Empress Dowager." Su Wan'er unceremoniously shattered his narcissistic fantasy.
"Maybe she failed to curry favor with the Empress, so she wants to curry favor with the Empress Dowager. I remember her because a few days ago, she seemed to bring gifts to your palace to curry favor with you, but it was me who sent her away."
"So that's how it is. It really is..." The royal family is the most heartless. Su Wan'er didn't think much about it either. Just as the two were on their way back, suddenly a maid from the harem came back to call Su Wan'er and stated that only the Empress was allowed to go back, and the emperor was not allowed to follow.
This was outrageous. She wasn't a fool. Of course, she wanted Si Junlin to go with her.
At this moment, Si Junlin suddenly got interested and wanted to tease her. Didn't this woman always act so powerful? Didn't she never care about him? Then today, let her face her mother's scolding alone.
Anyway, for things like sending the Empress to the cold palace or punishing her with a beating, an imperial edict from him was required. He was sure that nothing serious would happen to her. So he might as well let her go on this trip alone.
"Ah, I just remembered that there are still some memorials in the study that I haven't dealt with. How about the Empress go alone? I think the Empress Dowager may want to reward you with something. She just forgot before."
What reward? What are you up to? Because there was a maid there, it was not good to openly disobey the Empress Dowager's order. Su Wan'er stared at him with a shifting look in her eyes. But in the end, Si Junlin really went back to the imperial study by himself. So she had no choice but to brace herself and go to see the Empress Dowager.
Maybe the Empress Dowager was angry because she didn't succeed in scolding her in front of Si Junlin just now. It would be okay to let her scold her.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the palace, she saw Concubine Hui kneeling there. The Empress Dowager was sitting there with flushed face and heaving chest, as if she was extremely angry. Su Wan'er immediately felt that something was wrong, but since she had already come, she could only kneel down and pay respects as well.
"Your servant..." Su Wan'er tried to look as proper as possible.
"Su Wan'er, you've done a good deed! How dare you put such a thing on me! Do you want to kill me? Let me tell you, you won't succeed! I'm the Empress Dowager of the Great Jin. Do you think you can take power after my death? Lin'er won't let you go."
Su Wan'er was completely confused by the Empress Dowager's scolding at the beginning. She didn't know what was going on. But Concubine Hui actually pleaded for her.
"Please forgive the Empress Dowager. Your servant believes that this has nothing to do with the Empress. The Empress comes from a military - general family. How could she have something from the southern border?" She seemed to be really indignant for Su Wan'er.
The southern border? What on earth was going on? Su Wan'er frowned and looked at the two of them in confusion, as if they were acting in a play.
"Please enlighten me, Mother. What on earth is the matter that you've called me here for?"
"Su Wan'er, what are you pretending for? You just want to kill me. Someone, bring up that dirty thing just now and let her take a look for herself."
After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, a female official on the side brought over a small jar containing something. Su Wan'er was also very curious.
She watched as the female official nervously lifted the lid of the jar. To her surprise, there was a... Gu worm inside! She had been busy dealing with the Gu worms brought by the southern border princess Guiniang these days, so she was naturally very familiar with such things.
But this Gu worm was not very scary. It was much smaller and paler in color than the Gu worms that Guiniang had planted on those noble young masters in recent days.
Just as Su Wan'er was carefully examining this Gu worm and remembering how Long Xiaojiu had taught her to deal with such Gu worms with her bracelet, it seemed to smell something. It flew straight towards the Empress Dowager. Seeing that the situation was not good, Su Wan'er immediately took out her bracelet and rushed towards the Empress Dowager, just in time to block the Gu worm in front of the Empress Dowager's face.
The Empress Dowager was naturally extremely frightened and turned pale.
Concubine Hui screamed on the side, and her scream seemed extremely exaggerated, loud and creepy.
"Don't be afraid, Empress Dowager. This Gu worm has been subdued by your servant."
"Someone, quickly arrest this witch for me and execute her on the spot!"
As she was being grabbed by a group of people, Su Wan'er finally understood that this was simply a trap set for her. She had actually solved the problem of the Gu worm herself, but the Empress Dowager was still frightened and actually insisted that it was she who had released the Gu worm.