Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 900: Chapter 811: Unwilling to Be a Slave

In the Fangcao Pavilion Main Hall, the atmosphere was oppressive and heavy. Lady Xuan sat in the main seat, her expression terrifyingly gloomy. Her personal palace maid, Bi Ying, stood by her side, holding her breath in concentration. The palace maids on either side kept their heads down, not daring to make a sound.

A little palace maid standing next to Lady Xuan, holding tea, perhaps held it for too long and her hand went numb. She lost her grip, and the teacup fell from the tray, crashing at Lady Xuan’s feet, dirtying the hem of her dress.

That little palace maid was so scared she dropped to her knees with a thump, completely ignoring the sharp pieces of porcelain that pierced the skin of her legs.

Because the palace maid knew that when Lady Xuan was angry, her temper was extremely fiery. If one wasn’t careful, punishment would follow, and in severe cases, they might even be sent to the Violence Room. So, she kowtowed continuously, unable to speak a word.

Lady Xuan kicked out, directly knocking the little palace maid over. With her whole body trembling, the little maid quickly got up and continued to kneel properly. Lady Xuan’s mood was foul as she shouted angrily, ”Useless wretch, can’t even hold a cup of tea, what use are you? Someone, take her away and give her twenty lashes!”

”Empress, Empress, this servant didn’t do it on purpose. Please, Empress, have mercy and spare this servant, Empress, Empress, have mercy and spare this servant.” The little palace maid was trembling all over with fear, watching as a little eunuch came in from outside to drag her away. In panic, she couldn’t help but plead bitterly.

This time, before Lady Xuan could continue her anger, Bi Ying beside her had already begun to scold, ”Shut up! You’ve made a mistake, and the Empress punishing you with twenty lashes is already lenient. Why don’t you hurry and thank her for her mercy? Or do you want to be beaten with boards instead?”

Though Bi Ying was scolding the little palace maid, it was actually out of good intentions. Lady Xuan had a violent temper and disliked servants crying and pleading before her. If the little palace maid continued pleading ignorantly, Lady Xuan might really replace the lashes with boards.

Getting lashes in the harem wasn’t terrifying; for a servant, lashes were actually a light punishment, because there were rules in the palace that forbade drawing blood when whipping servants to avoid affecting their work and service to their masters. So, the most lashes would do was cause some pain, not harm the body.

But flogging with boards was different. The boards were heavy, and when hit on the body, it could cause the skin to break and bones to be bruised, even broken by someone with a cruel hand after twenty hits.

The little palace maid also knew the difference between lashes and boards. She was instinctively begging earlier due to fright, but now remembered Lady Xuan’s temperament, she hastily shut her mouth, kowtowing in tears and thanking for the mercy, as she was dragged out by two eunuchs.

As the little palace maid was dragged out, another little maid had already stepped forward silently to clean up the broken teacup area. At this point, another little maid came in to report to Lady Xuan, ”Reporting to Empress, Ruan Zhaoyi requests an audience with the Empress.”

Upon hearing the little maid’s report that Ruan Zhaoyi had arrived, Lady Xuan’s expression softened slightly, and she said faintly, ”Let her in.”

Ruan Zhaoyi was a delicate and elegant beauty; her beauty wasn’t dazzling or eye-catching but was like a gentle stream, silently nourishing one’s heart. She was a beauty that required quiet appreciation to discover her charm.

Ruan Zhaoyi was clever and resourceful, serving as a strategist for Lady Xuan. If Ruan Zhaoyi had married a man other than an emperor, who had countless stunning beauties by his side, with her wit and cunning, she surely would have gained her husband’s favor.

Unfortunately, Ruan Zhaoyi married the Emperor, surrounded by countless beauties, having no time or interest to appreciate Ruan Zhaoyi’s charms in detail. So since entering the palace, Ruan Zhaoyi scarcely received any favor; the little favor she had was due to Ruan Zhaoyi allying herself with Lady Xuan, who spoke well of her in front of the Emperor.

Ruan Zhaoyi knew Lady Xuan’s disposition very well. In the presence of the Emperor, Lady Xuan was straightforward, unassuming, and direct, she liked or disliked without concealment, retaliating against anyone who offended her on the spot.

But after retaliation, it was over; she wouldn’t hold grudges or seek revenge behind the scenes. Once matters passed, they’d be forgotten. She wouldn’t bear a grudge. She appeared to be straightforward and transparent, seemingly a person with no hidden depths, whose emotions were easy to read.

For the Emperor, who had seen enough of people with complicated and deceitful minds, such straightforwardness and clarity, like a pool of transparent water, made him feel relaxed and fond of her.

Thus, despite Lady Xuan’s poor popularity in the harem, her speech often putting people in difficult positions, and many mocking her behind her back as a simpleton, a beautiful shell with an empty interior, the Emperor still favored Lady Xuan immensely over the years.

But, was Lady Xuan really that simple and foolish? That was impossible. How could a simple-minded person survive the harem? Lady Xuan understood that the Emperor cherished her apparent simplicity and shallowness, so she maintained that demeanor.

Just as Lady Xuan would carelessly offend others, she never offended anyone when the Emperor was unhappy or when he didn’t want her to offend anyone, nor did she speak directly to the Empress, whom the Emperor valued most.

In reality, no one understood more than Ruan Zhaoyi how narrow-minded Lady Xuan could be. She wasn’t someone who considered matters over after a face-to-face retaliation, nor was there anyone who grasped more than Ruan Zhaoyi how temperamental and petty Lady Xuan could be.

Previously, because the Emperor had once remarked that Lady Xuan’s eyes resembled Gao Jieyu’s, Lady Xuan bore a grudge against Gao Jieyu ever since, causing trouble for her at every turn. And Gao Jieyu, who was inexplicably finding herself in Lady Xuan’s bad graces, still didn’t know why Lady Xuan disliked her.

Today, Lady Xuan attended Gao Jieyu’s promotion ceremony and returned disgruntled. In the past, Gao Jieyu could be said to be overshadowed by Lady Xuan in every way, but now she was suddenly promoted. Meanwhile, Lady Xuan had aspired to become one of the First Rank concubines for seven or eight years without success.

Under such circumstances, how could Lady Xuan not be furious when someone who was on the same level as her, without promotion for years, suddenly got promoted?

More importantly, Ruan Zhaoyi noticed during the promotion ceremony that the Phoenix Pearl Hairpin with an enormous pearl on Gao Jieyu’s head today was once a pearl on a favorite hairpin that Lady Xuan had mournfully parted with to curry favor with the Emperor,

After donating it, privately, Lady Xuan often lamented to her about this pearl, feeling heartbroken.

Now, this pearl was set on another hairpin, worn by a rival she had always looked down on. The moment Ruan Zhaoyi saw this hairpin, she knew Lady Xuan would undoubtedly be upset and even furious.