Feng Yin walked on her knees and once again blocked the way in front of Princess Consort De.
Princess Consort De and Noble Lady Ying came on fiercely, with a crowd of old nursemaids and eunuchs behind them, and in the distance there even seemed to be guards.
Feng Yin did not know why Princess Consort De was making such a grand show, but the only thing she could think to do for her mistress’s sake was to prevent Princess Consort De from leading people into her mistress’s inner chamber.
"Princess Consort De, Lady Li has already gone to sleep. If Your Highness has business, this servant will accompany you to the main hall to sit for a while. When Lady Li rises, she will naturally come to pay her respects to Your Highness."
"You wretched maid, how dare you, to actually block Princess Consort De!"
Noble Lady Ying stepped forward and kicked Feng Yin hard in the shoulder, sending her tumbling sideways to the ground.
She had never been able to look kindly upon the people of Luaxin Pavilion; last time Hua Yin had caused her to be beaten, and this Feng Yin was even less of a good thing!
If not for the fact that Li Yuyu’s rank was higher than hers, she would long since have used the maids of Luaxin Pavilion as an example.
Feng Yin clenched her teeth and climbed up from the ground again, once more kneeling before Princess Consort De, and said gently, "Noble, this servant has not obstructed Princess Consort De. It is only that Lady Li has already retired; it is inconvenient for her to receive Princess Consort De and the Noble at this time. May Your Highness and the Noble wait a moment—after Lady Li has washed and dressed..."
"Smack!" Noble Lady Ying slapped Feng Yin viciously across the face, beating the rest of her words back down her throat.
Feng Yin only felt one side of her face burn with pain, and there was a buzzing in her ears, enough to show how much force Noble Lady Ying had put into that slap.
"Silence!" Noble Lady Ying cursed sharply. "The people of Luaxin Pavilion truly have no sense of rules. She is only a Concubine for now; above her there are still Consorts, there are still Imperial Consorts. Even if your mistress becomes a Consort, she must still kneel in salute when she sees Princess Consort De. And you, a lowly maid, dare again and again to obstruct Princess Consort De?"
"Men, drag her down and give her twenty blows with the plank!"
Wasn’t Mingzhen of Beauty Zhou last time beaten for being disrespectful to Lady Li? Noble Lady Ying was now returning the favor with the same charge.
Princess Consort De pressed her lips tightly together; Noble Lady Ying’s words just now had given her quite a bit of confidence.
She was still Princess Consort De. So what if she no longer had the authority to assist in managing the harem? She was still Princess Consort De.
"Yes."
Two old nursemaids stepped out from the crowd, one on each side seizing Feng Yin by the arms to drag her away.
Feng Yin struggled and refused to go. "Princess Consort De, Noble Lady Ying, you may punish this servant, beat this servant as you please, but this servant still has that same request: I beg the two of you to move to the main hall and wait for a short while."
Before her mistress had finished making herself presentable, even if she died she could not allow them to lead so many people in by force.
Yet Feng Yin did not know: the more desperately she risked her life to block them, the more firmly Princess Consort De and Noble Lady Ying believed that there truly was a man inside the inner chamber.
Noble Lady Ying leaned close to Princess Consort De and reminded her in a low voice, "Princess Consort De, this concubine thinks this wretched maid is merely stalling for time. What if Luaxin Pavilion has some exit we are unaware of..."
Princess Consort De’s brows knit slightly, and she barked, "Why are you not hurrying to drag her away!"
"Yes!" At Princess Consort De’s order, the two nursemaids increased the strength of their hands and very quickly dragged Feng Yin off.
Princess Consort De then gave an order to the people behind her: "Come! Smash the door open at once!"
She wanted to see for herself just whom Lady Li was hiding in Luaxin Pavilion!
Noble Lady Ying waved her hand, and two eunuchs who looked sturdy and strong stepped out from behind the others. They exchanged a glance, then in tacit understanding raised their feet and kicked toward the tightly closed wooden door.
With a "crack," the wooden door opened from within at the very instant before the eunuchs’ feet landed—
...