"Yes." Feng Yin bowed and walked towards Beauty Zhou.
Noble Lady Ying opened her eyes in shock: "Lady Li, how dare you!"
Li Yuyu raised her eyebrow and said, "What is there that I would dare not do."
As the words fell, Feng Yin was already standing in front of Beauty Zhou, with Mingzhen immediately standing tall and fearless, blocking Beauty Zhou behind her.
"Lady Li, even if my master ranks lower than you, you cannot..."
"Smack!" The crisp and decisive sound of a slap.
Mingzhen held her face with her hand, failing to recover for a long time.
Beauty Zhou stood up from the chair in shock, "You, how dare you..."
"Beauty Zhou, Mingzhen’s words were subtly disrespectful towards Lady Li, deserved a slap." Feng Yin withdrew her hand, bowed to Beauty Zhou, and quickly retreated to stand by Li Yuyu’s side with her eyes lowered.
"You!" Beauty Zhou was trembling with anger, almost fainting.
Li Yuyu smiled with her eyes bent: "Beauty Zhou, how can I help you? Don’t rush, speak slowly. Mingzhen, why haven’t you helped Beauty Zhou sit down yet?"
Mingzhen snapped back, pursed her lips tightly, dared not speak further, and took a few steps back to assist Beauty Zhou.
Beauty Zhou saw the clear outline of a handprint on Mingzhen’s face and felt a burning pain on her own face. This slap seemed aimed at Mingzhen, but in truth, it landed squarely on her own face.
Her eyes reddened, she looked sorrowfully at Princess Consort De sitting at the head, and hoarsely said, "Princess Consort De is here, despite whatever fault my maid might have, Princess Consort De is here to handle it, no matter what, Mingzhen belongs to Purple Cloud Pavilion, naturally, she is under my charge."
Princess Consort De finally had a chance to speak: "Lady Li, all your sisters are watching, you are too impulsive."
"Impulsive?" Li Yuyu chuckled lightly: "Then in Princess Consort De’s view, as a concubine, am I unable to punish a maid who verbally disrespects me?"
Princess Consort De was about to speak.
"The Emperor is here." From outside Zilan Pavilion, came the voice of Shen Quan.
As the words fell, Yan Xiu lifted his steps into the courtyard, heading towards the main hall: "Who dares to upset my beloved concubine? As long as I’m here, if my beloved concubine wants to punish someone, then they can be punished."
Yan Xiu’s phoenix eyes swept coldly towards Mingzhen, then glanced past a row of bowing concubines, and fell on Li Yuyu’s face: "Take her away, twenty lashes."
"Spare me, Your Majesty!"
When the eunuch seized her arm, Mingzhen finally reacted, ached her head, and pleaded in pain.
"Your Majesty, please have mercy, spare Mingzhen," Beauty Zhou hadn’t expected Yan Xiu to come in and deal with it like this without inquiry.
With twenty lashes on Mingzhen, would she still survive?
"Let everyone rise." Yan Xiu ignored Beauty Zhou and allowed everyone to stand.
Princess Consort De also felt a loss of face, pursing her lips without speaking.
"Spare me, Your Majesty, spare me." Mingzhen continued to cry out, in panic caught the hem of Beauty Zhou’s dress and sobbed: "Beauty, please save the servant, please plead for the servant."
Twenty lashes, she’ll die.
Beauty Zhou’s eyes reddened, tears silently falling.
How could she plead? From the moment the Emperor entered, his eyes never glanced at her. From beginning to end, he only looked at Lady Li alone, and he did not listen to what she said.
"Beauty..." Mingzhen’s eyes widened, the light in them slowly fading.
The Beauty was unwilling to care for her anymore.
"Your Majesty," Li Yuyu offered Yan Xiu a smile: "I have already punished her, why must you lash her? Twenty lashes are far too many."
Yan Xiu seemed to be waiting for Li Yuyu to speak, nodded at her words: "Just as Lady Li says, lessen the lashes then."