Chapter 41: Reaping What One Sows

anyue and walked in, coming directly to her bedside with an easygoing smile: "There's no need to call me Princess Ye; it sounds strange when you say it. Just call me Qian if you want, and I'll do the...Chapter 41: Reaping What One Sows

The old emperor hurriedly arrived, followed by a retinue of eunuchs and palace maids serving him. Behind the retinue were two figures—Night Tianyu and Nan Lingrui, who was elegantly waving a fan.

As Yun Qianyue watched the old emperor's anxious steps, she wondered whether he truly cared about Cold Concubine or merely put on a show for everyone else while secretly planning to seize the opportunity to punish her.

"Moon, come over here!" The Empress tightened the handkerchief in her hand as she called out softly to Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue turned and looked at the Empress. Seeing that she seemed determined to protect her, Yun Qianyue was touched but gave a slight smile and shook her head: "Aunt, I'll stay here."

The Empress frowned.

Yun Qianyue whispered confidentially in the Empress's ear, "Don't worry; nothing will happen to me. You don’t need to take responsibility for it!"

The Empress clearly heard Yun Qianyue’s words and was surprised that she knew the technique of whispering. Seeing her indifferent and fearless expression, the Empress remembered how she had faced dangers time after time but always managed to stay within reason. Her heart calmed somewhat as she nodded slightly.

Not long afterwards, the old emperor arrived. He immediately noticed Cold Concubine lying on the ground in front of the Honorable Prosperity Palace and stared at her unrecognizable face with disbelief. After a moment, he looked up at the Empress and asked solemnly, "Empress, what's going on Why is Cold Concubine like this"

Yun Qianyue glanced at Wenlai, who lowered his head after looking at her. She realized that such a cold-blooded emperor wouldn't rush over merely because Cold Concubine was injured; he must have questioned the cause of the incident before coming. The fact that he came and directly asked the Empress showed that he intended to use this as an excuse to punish her! Yun Qianyue thought about this and, without waiting for the Empress to speak, immediately said, "Uncle Emperor, Cold Concubine was beaten by me!"

The Empress swallowed back what she had been about to say!

"Oh Beaten by you Moon, isn’t this your first day in the palace How dare you beat my Cold Concubine so soon! You’re very impudent!" The old emperor was furious and shouted at the Empress, "Empress, this happened right outside of your palace while you were present. I see that you are becoming increasingly useless!"

"Your Majesty, it's not that I am useless; why don't you ask Moon why she beat Cold Concubine" The Empress looked at the emperor.

Yesterday, she didn’t understand why Yun Qianyue and Prince Jing had suddenly requested a marriage decree. Later, when she returned to the palace, she learned that the emperor planned to punish her using the scandal about Su Su’s provocative songs and lyrics in the harem and then depose her as Empress. Seeing how he bypassed Yun Qianyue today to blame her directly, it was clear that the emperor had decided to depose her. She was furious; after years of enduring hardships in the palace, she couldn't bear being deposed again! And she certainly wouldn’t let her niece suffer the same fate.

"Regardless of the reason, you were present and allowed Moon to defy authority and beat Cold Concubine. You even try to shirk responsibility; I am truly disappointed in you!" The old emperor glared at the Empress with anger in his eyes.

The Empress also showed her anger and interrupted him coldly: "Moon is a spoiled brat who was already beating Six Princess yesterday, right in front of you! How can you blame me for not stopping it today"

Caught off guard, the old emperor couldn’t find any words to refute. He hadn't expected that after years of obedience from this woman, she would suddenly dare to openly defy him. His pretended anger flared up again as he shouted: "That’s no excuse! Cold Concubine is my concubine!"

"Does your Majesty mean Six Princess isn’t your daughter" The Empress raised her eyebrows.

"You … You dare speak to me like this" Fuming, the old emperor's forehead veins bulged.

"Your Majesty speaks to me in such a way; I can't be polite back! No one is born guilty, even if you are the Emperor!" The Empress stood straight and ignored his anger.

"Fine! You say I'm wronging you! Then explain why Moon beat Cold Concubine On the day before yesterday, Six Princess provoked Moon first; they're of the same age, so girls fighting is common. I cannot show bias because she's my princess and also can't punish Moon considering it was Qiqiao Festival. Today, however, she struck a concubine of rank. She defied authority! If you don’t give me a reason, I won’t let you off!" The old emperor glared fiercely at the Empress.

"Very well, then! Your Majesty needs to listen carefully!" The Empress clenched her handkerchief tightly and responded angrily.

"Listen to me, speak up!" the old emperor said as he put his hands behind his back.

"Uncle Emperor, Aunt, this matter started because of me, and I am also the one who hit someone. How can you guys talk without me, the main person involved If so, how could I feel any sense of accomplishment for hitting someone" Right as the Empress was about to speak, Yun Qianyue interrupted her. Looking at both of them with a cold smile in her heart, she thought that this move the old emperor was playing wouldn’t work. She wanted to use Cold Noble Consort’s accusations against the Empress being deposed to prevent the latter from becoming Empress again.

The Empress recalled Yun Qianyue's earlier words and stopped speaking.

"Yue, hitting a noble consort is something I can't forgive you for. Stand aside first; I want to listen to what the empress has to say!" The old emperor glanced at Yun Qianyue with a cold voice.

"Let me speak then! Aunt, this matter isn’t appropriate for you to talk about either!" Yun Qianyue looked at the old emperor and glanced down at Cold Noble Consort who was lying on the ground. Before the old emperor could object, she started speaking by herself, "Cold Noble Consort said that according to tradition, all women whom the emperor has brought up and educated have eventually become his concubines, just like Li Concubine. She accused Uncle Emperor of wanting to turn me into your woman too, saying it would be a laughingstock for others if you were to share one bed with both Aunt and me in the future. She also said that I am an ugly duck who wants to move into the Imperial Palace. Furthermore, she thinks the name of this palace should change because you have already planned on deposing Aunt! And then…"

"A pack of nonsense!" The old emperor interrupted Yun Qianyue and his face turned dark.

"Uncle Emperor, do you also think it’s a pack of nonsense So I thought this Cold Noble Consort really deserved a beating, so I helped you teach her a lesson!" Yun Qianyue stopped speaking, looking at the old emperor. "You've always been kinder to me than my father; you treat me like your own daughter and take care of me with pure affection. However, Cold Noble Consort insulted your reputation and questioned your morality by saying such things. If these words were spread around, how would people view Uncle Emperor Your lifelong fame could be ruined!"

"That's nonsense you said! How can Cold Noble Consort dare to speak of such absurdities" The old emperor glared at Yun Qianyue.

"You don’t believe me then, right Ask these people in the room if you want! Your concubines, maidservants, eunuchs, wet nurses, and even Mr. Wen! Apart from one person who went to get a physician for Cold Noble Consort, everyone else is still here!" Yun Qianyue scanned the crowd with her eyes and glanced at those people who had been trembling in fear since the old emperor arrived.

The old emperor looked at these people when he heard this. His gaze landed on Bright Concubine’s face, "Bright Concubine, tell me if what Yue said is true! Don’t hold a grudge against Yue because of yesterday’s incident with Princess Liu. I want to know the truth!"

Yun Qianyue smiled coldly in her heart; he deliberately mentioned Princess Liu as a hint to Bright Concubine that she was resentful towards Yun Qianyue. However, even if Bright Concubine did harbor resentment, it didn’t mean she would refute Yun Qianyue at this moment and publicly offend her. To Yun Qianyue’s eyes, Bright Concubine could earn the old emperor's affection for so many years due to her genuine abilities; being favored despite giving birth to three princesses was not simple—this woman wasn't as straightforward as she appeared to be. Simple people couldn’t survive in the imperial palace.

"Your Majesty, Miss Qianyue says the truth! There’s no lie at all!" Sure enough, Bright Concubine stepped forward and answered respectfully.

The old emperor narrowed his eyes, "Is it really true"

"I would never deceive Your Majesty with false words!" Bright Concubine nodded.

He stared closely at her for a moment. When she kept silent while bowing her head, he turned to look at the others. The rest didn’t wait for his command before kneeling down chaotically and answered in unison, "Your Majesty, Miss Qianyue spoke the truth! We all heard it ourselves with our own ears! There’s no falsehood whatsoever!"

Yun Qianyue curled her lip slightly; was she really speaking the truth So where did these words like 'tyrant' come from

"Oh, so Cold Noble Consort is getting what she deserves" The old emperor narrowed his eyes at all of his consorts. Of course he didn’t believe that Cold Noble Consort would dare to call him a tyrant. But roughly speaking, Yun Qianyue only told half the truth; however, when did the imperial harem become so united

No one spoke up.

"Even if Cold Noble Consort is getting what she deserves, it’s not Yue who should be teaching her a lesson! I’ll deal with her myself. As the empress in charge of the palace, the Empress has no choice but to take responsibility for this incident," the old emperor said as he looked at the Empress again. "Starting today…"

"Your Majesty, are you really going to depose me like Cold Noble Consort accused" The Empress stopped him before he could finish. "I’ve never done anything wrong! Ever since she became your noble consort, Cold Noble Consort has been speaking without any restraint. I’ve always turned a blind eye to her because of the special status she enjoys with you. But today, she went too far and not only insulted me but also offended Your Majesty. She refused to listen when I told her to stop talking nonsense and even acted as if she was backed by you, daring to let the wet nurses under her command defy my order to take her before you for a punishment. Could you tell me—since ancient times, has there ever been any consort who dared to offend the empress so brazenly If not for your favoritism towards Cold Noble Consort, how could she have acted as recklessly and insolently as this You would be too foolish if you decided to punish me just because of this incident. The news will spread around that Your Majesty favors a concubine over your wife."

"You…" The old emperor was furious.

If it’s true, then I’ll ask for my own deposition! Let the common people see how much you’ve oppressed me!" The Empress suddenly knelt down and said calmly: "Your Majesty, please issue an imperial decree. If that’s what Your Majesty wishes, I won’t be the empress any longer."

"You..." The old emperor didn't expect the empress to play this card and glared at her angrily.

This was called advancing by retreating! How clever of a concubine to undermine a wife! Yun Qianyue felt pleased inside, thinking that her aunt did not disappoint as an empress. She had found the old emperor's weakness. In ancient times, husband and wife were considered lifelong partners, with the husband being supreme and the wife respected. A concubine was merely beneath them in status. No matter how esteemed Cold Noble Consort might be, she was still a concubine compared to the empress. How could the old emperor depose the empress after receiving such a high compliment

"You..." The old emperor grew furious and saw that although the empress knelt before him with her body straight as a board, he failed to find an opportunity to get rid of her. Suddenly, he turned towards Yun Qianyue and shouted loudly, "Servants, arrest Yun Qianyue for insubordination."

Finally, he shifted his focus! It seemed the old emperor was playing both sides against the middle, first using this opportunity to punish the empress. Once she fell, it would be easier to deal with Yun Qianyue as well. Unable to punish the empress now, he wanted to turn his attention to her. Yun Qianyue sneered inwardly and remained silent, waiting for him to announce her punishment before responding.

"Ha! This is indeed novel," Nan Lingrui suddenly spoke up, interrupting the old emperor's sentence, and smiled, saying, "The vast and mighty Heavenly Saint Empire has all nations bowing in submission. The Emperor’s wisdom and sagacity are lauded across the land. Before I arrived here, I greatly admired his majesty for his wisdom and valor, believing him to be on par with my father the king of Southern Liang. I imagined that the imperial harem would be a place of peace and harmony. How wrong was I! Cold Noble Consort is such an ill-mannered woman that she’s still elevated to this position Tsk tsk, in our Southern Liang kingdom, someone like her wouldn’t even be allowed into the palace gates!"

Hearing Nan Lingrui's words, the old emperor recalled him. He immediately stopped talking and turned a bad look towards Nan Lingrui, asking, "Prince Zhuai, why are you here" Then he noticed Ye Tianyu was also present and frowned as he coldly asked, "Yue, what are you doing here too"

"I just told His Majesty that I wished to reside in the Prosperous Palace. He agreed, so naturally I followed," Nan Lingrui said with a smile.

"When did I agree" The old emperor looked at Nan Lingrui.

"I mentioned that I was tired of staying at Yun王府 and wanted to stay in the palace for a few days. You agreed. Then when I said I wanted to choose somewhere comfortable, you told me I could pick any palace within the Forbidden City. You approved all my requests," Nan Lingrui said, then asked, "Is Heavenly Saint’s majesty already so forgetful"

The old emperor's face darkened upon hearing this but didn’t say a word. He looked over at Ye Tianyu.

Yun Qianyue thought it was too simple! She glanced at Nan Lingrui who winked at her, and she was speechless.

Ye Tianyu saw his father's gaze and immediately replied respectfully, "Father Emperor, I have urgent matters to report. Seeing that you were here in the Prosperous Palace, I thought it too urgent to wait and so followed."

"What is this matter" The old emperor’s voice was icy cold; he was clearly very angry.

"I just heard that Crown Prince Hong beat up Young Noble Wang and sent him to the Imperial Medical Institute. He's in a coma now. This is serious news, so I hurried here to report it!" Ye Tianyu stated.

"Huh Did Tiangqiong hit Young Noble Wang Why" The old emperor looked at Ye Tianyu with disbelief.

"I don’t know why either. I saw King Xiao entering the palace on horseback without dismounting, rushing straight to the Medical Institute, so I followed and learned that Young Noble Wang had been severely beaten and was in mortal danger. Thus, I came to report it!" Ye Tianyu immediately answered.

"Why didn’t you tell me earlier" The old emperor glared at Ye Tianyu angrily.

"I only heard this recently and wasn’t certain of its truthfulness. Besides, there’s the matter here which is also significant. I thought it best to wait for your decision on this before reporting that one," Ye Tianyu lowered his head and answered without leaving a loophole.

"Now go to the Medical Institute immediately! Find out if it's true!" The old emperor commanded, still unable to believe Crown Prince Tiangqiong would hit Cold Shaozhuo. Despite not being pleased with Tiangqiong’s behavior, he knew his son was usually careful and prudent in his actions; especially now that the prince had become even more cautious after asking for permission to marry Qin Yuning, how could he risk offending King Xiao just to beat up a young noble

"Yes!" Ye Tianyu accepted the order and turned around.

"No need! I know about this matter. Not only do I know it happened, but I was also there as an eyewitness!" Nan Lingrui interrupted again, looking at the old emperor and said, "Earlier when I entered the palace, I met Young Noble Wang and Crown Prince Tiangqiong outside the gate. Admiring him greatly, I approached to talk with him and because I was so tired, I leaned against him for support. But who would have thought that instead of appreciating my admiration, he pushed me away with force, causing me to fly back and hit Young Noble Wang. Although protected by my inner strength, I was still injured and Young Noble Wang lost consciousness from the impact. Crown Prince Tiangqiong took him to the Medical Institute! Initially, I wanted to follow but fearing another attack from him if he disliked me, I chose not to risk it and came here to report you this instead. Hence…"

Nan Lingrui surveyed Prosperous Palace while speaking, clearly pleased with his surroundings.

"Is what you're saying true" The old emperor interrupted Nan Lingrui's words, his expression somewhat solemn.

"Of course it is!" Nan Lingrui nodded. "This crown prince never lies! Originally, I wanted to seek an explanation from His Majesty, but later on, fearing it might hurt the harmony between us, I didn't mention this matter. Furthermore, the actions of the Crown Prince were unintentional. I won’t hold him accountable! It's just unfortunate for that cold little王爺, he really got unlucky and happened to overhear our conversation behind me and the Crown Prince. When Night Tianqing used eight-tenths of his inner strength at the time, without martial arts resistance, if not rescued promptly, it’s likely this little life would be over..."

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Before Nan Lingrui could finish speaking, a hurried cry came from afar, it was Prince Xian's voice.

The old emperor immediately looked in the direction of the sound, and Yun Qianmo also turned to see. She saw Prince Xian hurrying over; he appeared quite disheveled now, his official robe left unfastened as he had been running all along, with a look on his face like someone who has just lost their mother. Her thoughts flickered, and she looked at Nan Lingrui again. He winked at her once more. She thought Night Tianqing wouldn't have taken action against him without reason; it must be because this fellow did something.

"Your Majesty, please save my son..." Prince Xian had not even fully arrived when he knelt down in front of the old emperor with a loud thud and started weeping bitterly.

"Cold Eldest Brother, get up first. There's no need to rush. What happened to Little Cold Prince" The old emperor feigned ignorance as he asked.

"My son...my son was injured by the Crown Prince. He is now in the Imperial Medical Institute where all the court physicians are at a loss...恐怕...恐怕...I have only this one son..." Prince Xian kept bowing and banging his head on the ground.

The old emperor’s face turned pale as he urgently asked, "Is it that serious"

"The physician said internal organs are severely damaged... He's barely hanging on by a thread now..." With tears streaming down his face, Prince Xian kept pleading. "Your Majesty, please save my son for me! I can’t live without this child!"

"Cold Eldest Brother, get up quickly, I will go to the Imperial Medical Institute with you right away!" The old emperor was so anxious that he immediately forgot about punishing Yun Qianmo and hurriedly walked towards the Imperial Medical Institute.

Prince Xian immediately got up and followed behind the old emperor, not once looking at Cold Consort who lay on the ground. As he ran, he cried out, "Your Majesty! Please give my son the five-century lingzhi from the imperial pharmacy for his life!" The physicians of the Imperial Medical Institute said that if there were a five-century lingzhi, perhaps my child could be saved..."

"Cold Eldest Brother, do you forget That five-century lingzhi was long ago requested by Crown Prince Nan and used for Miss Qin from Chancellor’s Mansion and Princess Ye of Southern Yi! Where can it be found now" The old emperor cast a glance back at Prince Xian.

Prince Xian's face turned ashen, nearly collapsing. "Does this mean my son has no hope"

"Who else is there in the Imperial Medical Institute besides the physicians" the old emperor asked.

"All the court physicians are present and they have no solution..." Prince Xian wiped away his tears.

"Wen Lai, quickly go to Duke Deyou’s residence and invite Little Yan Prince to come for a diagnosis of Cold Little Prince!" The old emperor looked behind him and instructed Wen Lai.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wen Lai immediately responded.

"Your Majesty, I have already sent people to invite Little Yan Prince. According to Duke Deyou’s account, since departing yesterday, Little Yan Prince hasn’t returned home," said Prince Xian quickly.

"Then is Young Lord Jing around" The old emperor halted his steps.

"In my panic, I failed to invite Young Lord Jing. Moreover, even if I invited him, Young Lord Jing might not necessarily be able to save my son..." Upon hearing Rong Jian’s name, Prince Xian's eyes lit up momentarily before turning ashen once more and shaking his head.

"Wen Lai, go to the Glory Mansion right away and invite Young Lord Jing into the palace! Knowing the great righteousness of Young Lord Jing, he surely won't stand idly by when faced with a life-and-death situation," the old emperor hesitated briefly before instructing Wen Lai.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wen Lai responded again and hurried out to find Young Lord Jing.

The Prince of Filial Piety was delighted upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Young Master Jing is truly a miracle worker. If he could intervene, my son would definitely be saved..."

Hearing this, the old emperor paused in his steps to turn back to look at Yun Qianyue with a softened expression, "Cousin Yue, as per my imperial decree you are to accompany me from today and I will teach you propriety. Why are you still standing there Come along quickly!"

Yun Qianyue was taken aback by how fast he changed his mind! He must have needed Jing Yong’s help, so that's why he became nice to her too! She wasn’t someone who could be easily persuaded. She immediately shook her head and said with a forced smile, "Uncle Emperor, I don't dare to accompany you. Before even being around you to receive your teachings, the Cold Noble Consort had already cursed me for no reason. How can I still stand by you And as for staying in Prosperity Palace, I don’t deserve it at all; I would only dirty its premises."

"Nonsense! In recognition of the Cloud王府’s generations of loyalty and the fact that Heavenly Saint's queens are born from the Cloud family, I am willing to take you under my wing for teaching. How could such heretical words come out of your mouth Come along quickly!" The old emperor was mildly furious.

Yun Qianyue stood still, naturally not following him without a fight since she didn’t want him to be busy dealing with Cold Shaoruo and then come back for her. Ignoring the emperor's anger, she pointed at the unconscious Cold Noble Consort on the floor and said, "But what about Cold Noble Consort You aren't going to punish me anymore for hitting your most esteemed Noble Consort"

Upon hearing this, Prince of Filial Piety turned back abruptly. Seeing that it was Cold Noble Consort lying there on the ground, he was shocked and asked, “Sister” He hurriedly went over to her side and his face paled further upon seeing how bad she looked. He raised his head and asked the old emperor, "Emperor... What... What happened here"

"Cold Eldest Brother, Cold Noble Consort spoke ill of me in a disrespectful manner and also insulted the Empress, so Yue Er acted on my behalf to discipline her! The outcome is entirely due to her own misconduct. You don't need to worry about it; she deserves some punishment for this." Old Emperor consoled Prince of Filial Piety and then looked at the empress kneeling straight ahead with a softer tone, "Empress, please rise. It was my mistake to blame you wrongly! Cold Noble Consort has received her due punishment now, so quickly send someone to find a court physician from the Imperial Medical College for her treatment. As Empress of this harem, you should uphold your authority and deal with anyone who acts like Cold Noble Consort without bringing them before me!"

"Yes! This concubine obeys Your Majesty's command," The empress knew that the Emperor had stepped back on his previous demand to make it easier for her and Yun Qianyue. She saw this as him not pursuing the matter further. Understanding his intention, she stood up.

This was precisely the outcome Yun Qianyue wanted! Beating Cold Noble Consort would be in vain if she still had to live in Prosperity Palace. Standing where she was, she wanted to see what else could be negotiated.

"Emperor, how did Cold Noble Consort speak ill of you and make you so furious" Prince of Filial Piety trembled upon seeing the state of Cold Noble Consort. As a woman’s face is extremely important, especially in the palace, it was practically equivalent to disfigurement. If she couldn't be cured properly, it would leave scars that would impact her life in the future among thousands of beauties.

"Cold Eldest Brother, Cold Noble Consort merely sustained some minor injuries; they can be treated over time. The life of your youngest son is more urgent!" Upon seeing Prince of Filial Piety staring at Cold Noble Consort's face with great distress, Emperor reminded him, "We should go to the Imperial Medical College and wait for Young Master Jing to come in. It’s important that we find a way to save Little Cold Prince."

Prince of Filial Piety immediately snapped out of his daze and hurriedly followed behind the old emperor without further concern for Cold Noble Consort. Though he was furious with Yun Qianyue for hitting Cold Noble Consort while the Emperor let it slide, given that he now needed Jing Yong to save his son’s life, he had no choice but to hold back his anger. He knew that Jing Yong not only admired Yun Qianyue, but also declared that she would be his only wife in this lifetime. The news was spreading all over the world! Initially, Prince of Filial Piety thought that Jing Yong would face ridicule from people for proposing marriage to Yun Qianyue yesterday. Instead, he learned that the commoners not only didn’t mock Jing Yong but spread rumors about how devoted he was to his love and how genuine Yun Qianyue was—truly a match made in heaven. As a result, both their reputations remained unaffected by this event, and even Yun Qianyue's reputation improved. Given that he needed Jing Yong’s help now, it was best not to offend him further. His son’s life was the most important.

The old emperor was relieved to see Prince of Filial Piety cooperate. Even though his own son didn’t measure up, he had a responsibility for others. He couldn't allow Cold Shaoruo's death to plunge the Prince of Filial Piety into despair. The Emperor walked ahead but stopped after taking two steps when Yun Qianyue remained still and said sternly, "Cousin Yue! Come along quickly!"

"Uncle Emperor, I don't want to live in Prosperity Palace," Yun Qianyue took the opportunity to voice her request.

“Where else do you plan on living then It wasn’t my intention for you to stay in Prosperity Palace; it's because your aunt lives there. Since you will be staying here at night, I want you to live inside as well! Do you expect me to move your aunt out of the palace and into Cloud Manor What nonsense! Come along quickly or else I’ll have someone gag you so that you can’t speak another word!” The old emperor raged.

Yun Qianyue frowned. It seemed that he was determined!

"Little girl, it's because of your residence in Prosperity Palace that this prince is here as well. If you don't want to live there, do you expect me to go back on my word after just speaking with the emperor I'm a man of integrity and wouldn’t break my promise lightly; please agree!" Prince Nan Ling Rui followed behind the old emperor while fanning himself. He pretended to sigh, "This prince will join the Emperor in visiting Little Cold Prince as this matter has something to do with me too... Poor little fellow."

The emperor no longer paid attention to Prince Nan Ling Rui and hurried towards the Imperial Medical College.

Prince of Filial Piety glanced at Prince Nan Ling Rui, somewhat annoyed but did not want to cause trouble. He followed behind the emperor as well.

Night Tianyu's gaze flickered as he saw Yun Qianyue still standing there motionless and called out, "Sister Moon, come along! It will be great for you to live in Prosperity Palace. I can visit my mother every day and see you then too. If you lived in your own residence, we would hardly meet even once a month."

"Yue Er, please follow him quickly. Tonight someone will go over to the Emperor's place to pick you up," The empress spoke as well.

Yun Qianyue nodded and finally moved to catch up with the old emperor. After all, she had gained a lot today; it was time for her to see how half-dead Cold Shaoruo actually looked too!

The ceremonial guards who served the old emperor immediately followed, and the group proceeded in grandeur towards the Imperial Medical Institute.

The pressure in front of the Palace of Glory suddenly eased. The empress retracted her gaze and glanced at Cold Noble Consort lying on the ground, as well as the two elderly maids kneeling beside her. Her face turned cold as she sternly commanded, "Servants! Drag He Nanny and Zheng Nanny to be beaten to death with cudgels for their insubordination in not recognizing this palace!"

He Nanny and Zheng Nanny were the two maids who had just intervened on Cold Noble Consort’s behalf when the empress was punishing her. They always relied on Cold Noble Consort's favor, standing equally with Empress' maid Sun Nanny and others. Highly favored by Cold Noble Consort, they didn’t regard the empress as their superior. Hearing this, both of them turned pale instantly, shouting, "Empress, spare our lives! We won't dare again!"

"Drag them away!" The empress coldly watched them plead for mercy.

Sun Nanny waved her hand; two maids like herself and two young eunuchs immediately stepped forward to swiftly stuff cloths into the mouths of the two, then dragged them off. They only cried twice before falling silent.

The concubines present initially thought that even if Empress didn’t severely punish today for the emperor’s sake, she would still lightly punish Cloud Shallow Moon with their testimonies. But they never expected it to end like this. Not only did Emperor not penalize Empress but also elevated her status and rights as empress. Yet, Cloud Shallow Moon was unharmed and taken away by Emperor! Everyone realized at the moment that Cold Noble Consort's power had been completely lost when she hadn’t even woken up yet!

At this time, an elderly maid sent earlier to the Imperial Medical Institute arrived with a court physician. The empress immediately coldly asked as soon as the elderly maid came back, "U Nanny, why are you so slow"

"Empress, all physicians in the Imperial Medical Institute are attending Cold Young Noble Lord's treatment. I had to struggle hard…" U Nanny was one of Cold Noble Consort’s maids from her marriage and deeply favored by her.

"Can't even handle a simple matter! What use is there for you" The empress didn’t let her finish speaking and coldly ordered, "Servants, drag U Nanny away to be beaten to death with cudgels! This kind of useless servant isn't needed in the palace!"

"Empress" U Nanny looked at Empress unbelievingly.

Sun Nanny and an elderly maid who had a feud with her immediately stepped forward to pin down U Nanny. They acted swiftly, just like before; within moments they had stuffed cloth into her mouth. Though U Nanny kicked and struggled, she could not withstand the two elderly maids restraining her. She let out muffled cries unable to speak as she was dragged away.

The sound of a main board being struck and miserable cries for mercy could be heard from不遠處傳來打板子和淒慘求饒聲。

不遠。

The empress coldly dismissed three elderly maids favored by Cold Noble Consort. As if she hadn’t heard the sounds nearby, she remained unperturbed as she said to the physician who followed behind her: "Physician Zhang, examine Cold Noble Consort and see if there’s a way to treat her."

Physician Zhang was relatively young and had joined the Imperial Medical Institute late. Usually, senior physicians came for treatments in the harem. All senior physicians were currently at the institute trying to find ways to cure Cold Shaoruo today. He was the most junior among them and had been sent when he heard that something happened with Cold Noble Consort. Having never seen such a scene before where servants were beaten to death, fear made his legs weak; upon hearing this, he fell to his knees on the spot and said, "Empress, I’m short of medical knowledge…"

"Since you’re lacking in medical knowledge, it seems like Cold Noble Consort can’t be treated!" The empress didn't get angry but kindly looked at him. "Then you may return." She then instructed a young eunuch behind her: "Little Quan, accompany him to fetch a senior physician here. Although she has committed great disrespect towards me and received a lesson, her face is extremely important; we can’t be careless about it. We need to find an excellent court physician for treatment. Otherwise, if her face gets ruined, it would be such a pity on the face that she always prides herself in!"

"Yes!" Little Quan immediately responded.

Physician Zhang originally wanted to say that although he was lacking in medical knowledge, he would do his best to treat Noble Consort. However, he did not expect to receive such a response and was momentarily stunned. Until Little Quan came over and said to him, "Physician Zhang, hurry up and leave! You are too unqualified to handle this situation. Our empress is kind and doesn’t blame you; thank her grace and follow me back to the Imperial Medical Institute to fetch someone!"

Physician Zhang hurriedly thanked Empress for her kindness: "Thank you, Empress, for not blaming me."

"Alright! Leave now." The empress waved her hand.

Physician Zhang trembled as he stood up. Although young, he knew about the harem’s conflicts and struggles. He thought that this empress clearly didn’t want to treat Cold Noble Consort. His master had warned him when he joined the Imperial Medical Institute to avoid coming to the harem often since it required some intelligence to discern situations. Given how deep the marks on Cold Noble Consort's face were, his medical skills weren't entirely confident in curing her. And as they say, Cold Noble Consort was difficult to deal with; if she couldn’t be cured, then his future would be completely ruined. With this thought in mind, he quickly left with Little Quan.

"Take your mistress back to the palace. When Little Quan brings a senior physician here later, send someone directly to treat Cold Noble Consort." Empress instructed the frightened young maid servants who accompanied Cold Noble Consort, and then waved her hand towards Ming Concubine and other concubines in the harem, somewhat fatigued: "Today I am tired; you all have been hardworking too. Dismiss."

"Yes!" More than ten concubines had pale faces. Today they finally saw how formidable Empress was!uly heartbreaking. She dodged his hand and replied weakly: "It’s nothing; I’m strong enough to handle it. It's just a cup of blood, no big deal."“No way! Look at your face—it looks like you’re already...