diskusbooks Chapter 331 Forced
Chapter 331 Forced
Tohka listened to the Queen Mother's words, smiled meekly, and nodded.
"This is exactly what the Empress Dowager should do. Let Concubine Zhao know that you are not to be trifled with. The uproar that Concubine Hui caused a few days ago, and the initial closure of the palace, after all, was all because of Concubine Zhao. If it weren't for her, you wouldn't have suffered all this. I think it's too kind of you to let her kowtow once. You should have asked her to kowtow a hundred or a thousand times, and it still wouldn't be enough!"
Having said that, she sent a palace maid out to convey the Empress Dowager's words to the Emperor and Concubine Zhao.
The Queen Mother was a little surprised and smiled at Shixiang: "You have always been honest and always tried to calm me down. How could you be even more cruel than me this time? It must have hurt a lot."
Shixiang said respectfully, "I'm fine with being beaten a few more times. But I've been with the Empress Dowager for half my life, and I've never seen her suffer such humiliation, being bullied by such juniors. You respect the late Emperor, so you don't argue with them and keep giving in, but I feel so aggrieved for you. I feel that even if Concubine Zhao kowtowed ten thousand times, it wouldn't make up for the injustice you've endured."
Beside them, Zheng Zhuyi and Zhishu nodded in agreement.
I think Tohka is right.
The Queen Mother looked at Yu Sujin, "What do you think, Concubine Yu?"
Yu Sujin pinched her handkerchief nervously, quickly knelt down and said, "I will obey whatever the Queen Mother says."
The Queen Mother laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? Get up. I am only asking for your opinion."
"I hope to always serve the Queen Mother and enjoy her blessings. As for other people and other things, they don't matter."
She kowtowed before standing up, holding her handkerchief and giving the empress dowager a shy and timid smile.
Both frightened and well-behaved.
The eyes looked like those of a street puppy waiting to be taken in by its owner, or like those of a fawn separated from its herd, full of anticipation and anxiety.
The Queen Mother held out her hand, motioning her to come closer.
Then he kindly took Yu Sujin's hand and said with a gentle smile: "Good child, it is amazing that you are so filial. If you don't mind that my palace is boring, you can stay as long as you like."
"Thank you, Queen Mother!"
Yu Sujin was overjoyed and bowed to express her gratitude.
Zhishu beside her snorted coldly.
She said disdainfully, "Noble Lady Yu looks just like Concubine Zhao. Before she rose to prominence, she was always cautious with everyone she met. Empress Dowager, please don't be fooled by her."
Yu Sujin looked at Zhishu pitifully: "Sister Ying, how have I ever offended you? Why are you targeting me everywhere..."
Zheng Zhuyi continued, "If you feel that everyone is against you, then there must be something wrong with you."
"Your Highness..."
Yu Sujin's eyes turned slightly red and she lowered her head.
The Queen Mother patted Yu Sujin's hand and reminded Zheng Zhuyi coldly, "Are you still going to bully Concubine Yu?"
"I dare not!" Zheng Zhuyi quickly apologized.
"If you want to serve me, you must stop quarreling all day long. Otherwise, I will not leave any of you by my side."
"I know I was wrong."
"Now that I know I'm wrong, what should I do?"
Zheng Zhuyi looked aggrieved when asked.
After hesitating for a while, she finally walked forward unwillingly and whispered to Yu Sujin, "I was impulsive just now."
Yu Sujin quickly shook her head to indicate that it was okay.
"I am very happy that Your Majesty can forgive my past inconsiderateness."
So, when Fei Wan followed the palace maids from Ciyu Palace into the hall, what she saw was the Queen Mother holding Yu Sujin and Zheng Zhuyi on either side, with Zhishu sitting beside them, and the atmosphere among them was harmonious.
"Your Highness pays respects to the Empress Dowager. May Your Highness be blessed with good health."
Fei Wan walked forward with her maid and bowed deeply to the empress dowager.
Today she was wearing an ordinary palace dress in light colors with simple decorations. There was only a gold hairpin and a few pearl flowers in her bun, which exuded gentleness in her plainness.
There was a gentle smile on the corner of his mouth, his eyebrows were lowered, and his attitude was respectful.
When the Queen Mother saw this, she was not moved by her gentleness, and the smile on her face faded.
"Zhao Fei, I am unworthy of your greetings."
The bland words made Fei Wan squat even lower.
"I, Your Majesty, have ordered you to come and escort the Queen Mother out of the main gate of Ciyun Palace. If there is anything I have failed to do in your service, please let me know. I will rectify it immediately."
The Queen Mother's expression was calm: "Zhao Fei is the most sensible person in serving the Holy Emperor. How could she be so inconsiderate? How dare I find fault with you?"
"I am terrified," Fei Wan said softly, "I only ask for guidance, Your Majesty. It is my blessing to be able to listen to your teachings."
The Queen Mother remained silent.
Aunt Tohka spoke next to her.
"Empress Zhao, didn't the maid who just delivered the message explain this to you? The Empress Dowager has been repeatedly humiliated because of you. Shouldn't you kowtow a hundred times to the Empress Dowager to express your guilt?"
Fei Wan's body swayed and became a little unstable.
The maid Xiangyi quickly supported her from behind.
"Your Majesty, my Consort Zhao was beaten in the torture chamber and has not recovered yet. She only managed to come here to pay her respects to Your Majesty so that she could accompany you and escort you out. Please have mercy on me, Your Majesty. I cannot kowtow a hundred times, as I'm afraid she'll pass out here after that. Your Majesty is still waiting for you outside!"
Zheng Zhuyi charged forward on behalf of the Queen Mother: "Is this using His Majesty to pressure the Queen Mother? Zhao Fei's injury was caused by the Queen Mother's order for torture. So, Zhao Fei came here on purpose to bring the Queen Mother to justice? But the Queen Mother is worried about the heir to the throne. In order to find the real culprit for Ying Ronghua, she ordered torture. What's wrong with that?"
Zhishu also said, "Zhao Fei has always been weak. I'm afraid she'll faint here soon, and it's not surprising that she'll stir up discord between the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty."
Yu Sujin was anxious and cautiously advised, "Empress Zhao, how about you... kowtow three times first? Is three not enough?"
The half-worn ebony tables and chairs cast a dim glow, and the atmosphere in the hall was oppressive. Fei Wan's face flushed red with embarrassment under the repeated pressure of several people.
Xiang Yi was so anxious that she was about to cry: "Please don't force my queen, she is really weak."
"Xiangyi, shut up!"
Fei Wan scolded her.
He then pushed away Xiangyi's supporting hand, bent down, supported himself on the ground, and knelt down.
"Since I promised Your Majesty to ask the Queen Mother to leave properly, I must do it."
She raised her head, tears in her eyes before she spoke.
She forced herself to sob and said, "Queen Dowager, it was my fault. I kowtow to you!"
A tear fell on the floor tiles.
She kowtowed upright and prostrated herself at the Queen Mother's feet.
A smile gradually appeared on the empress dowager's cold face, and a hint of pride, a sense of confidence in victory, and a hint of even more elusive emotions flashed in her obscure eyes.
"Zhao Fei, it's good that you admit your mistakes. I have always wanted to cherish you. Bow down and admit your mistakes. I will treat you like the others."
"Thank you, Queen Mother."
Fei Wan raised her head tremblingly and smiled softly at the empress dowager.
When she raised the handkerchief to wipe away her tears, she also wiped away the sharp light that had flashed in her eyes.
The Queen Mother wanted her to submit, so she did as she wished.
But one day, Queen Mother, please don't regret it.