"Lady Li." Han Cairen’s expression remained unchanged as she softly greeted, then slowly walked to stand behind Noble Lady Ying.
Still, it was a position near the wall that could easily be blocked.
Li Yuyu narrowed her eyes; this person had successfully caught her attention.
"I offer my respects to the Emperor. Wishing the Emperor well." Princess Consort De kneeled down to pay homage.
Behind her stood Noble Lady Ying, Han Cairen, and a group of servants.
"Rise." Yan Xiu spoke indifferently, his phoenix eyes promptly searching for Li Yuyu’s figure. She wasn’t among the concubines kneeling on the floor, and he frowned lightly. Has Yu’er returned to Luaxin Pavilion?
Just as he considered finding an excuse to head to Luaxin Pavilion, Yan Xiu spotted the woman leaning against the corridor’s pillar.
The woman’s lips were slightly pursed, and the grievance was clearly visible in her dark and bright willow leaf eyes.
A surge of anger rose in Yan Xiu’s heart.
Who has upset his little concubine again?
"Emperor, aren’t you busy with affairs in the Imperial Study? How do you have the time to come here?" Princess Consort De stepped forward, her enchanting eyes falling on Yan Xiu’s captivating countenance, her voice soft and melodious.
"Princess Consort De seems well aware of my whereabouts."
Yan Xiu cast a cold glance at Princess Consort De, his voice icy and piercing.
Princess Consort De was astonished, hurriedly bowed with a respectful gesture, and said: "Forgive me, Emperor, I did not intend to inquire into your whereabouts. Only because Beauty Zhou and Han Cairen fell into the water, I thought to report to the Emperor, thus daring to presumptuously act."
"Considering you know it was presumptuous, why don’t you step back?"
Princess Consort De incredulously looked up at Yan Xiu, her delicate and rosy cheeks turned pale.
Yan Xiu’s deep phoenix eyes held a coldness within.
Princess Consort De was terrified, her delicate body trembled, lightly biting her lip in grievance, and withdrew with Lan Qin’s assistance.
Seeing Princess Consort De provoke Yan Xiu’s anger, Noble Lady Ying dared not even breathe, lowering her head deeply, fearing to incur Yan Xiu’s wrath as well.
With no one obstructing his path, Yan Xiu finally moved towards Li Yuyu, but as he passed the courtyard bench, he halted and looked over, his phoenix eyes gradually narrowed.
"What is this used for?" Shen Quan knowingly asked.
No one dared to answer.
Princess Consort De gritted her teeth and stepped forward again: "In response to the Emperor, Hua Yin not only pushed Beauty Zhou into the water but also spoke disrespectfully to the sisters, showing a blatant disregard for hierarchy. Thus, I intended to use punishment to set an example."
Yan Xiu, with a blank expression, asked in return: "Did you personally witness Hua Yin pushing Beauty Zhou into the water?"
Princess Consort De: ?
After a deep breath, Princess Consort De answered softly: "In response to the Emperor, on my way to Lotus Reflection Pavilion, I saw a servant running to call for the Imperial Physician, only then did I learn of Beauty Zhou’s incident. After hearing Han Cairen rescued Beauty Zhou and they returned to Purple Cloud Pavilion, I directly came to Purple Cloud Pavilion."
"So, Princess Consort De did not see it with her own eyes." Yan Xiu directly hit the point.
A bad premonition rose in Princess Consort De’s mind, yet she still answered: "Yes, I did not see it with my own eyes."
"Since you didn’t witness it yourself, why are you sure Hua Yin pushed Beauty Zhou into the lotus pond?" Yan Xiu coldly asked.
Princess Consort De: "Emperor, I..."
"Without witnessing it, you hastily decide to punish Hua Yin directly. Are you intending to torture for confession?!" Yan Xiu cut her off again, coldly speaking.
"Emperor, please calm down!" Princess Consort De kneeled on the ground, terror filling her beautiful eyes: "I had no intention of extracting confession through torture. Though I didn’t witness it, many people did, please investigate!"
——
——
Do we need a fixed update schedule?