With courage as small as a needle's eye, yet wielding fists against those even weaker - how could one not be angered?
"You're the only one left," Jiang Xinyue said coldly, her smile unchanging. "Will you confess willingly, or be beaten to death by this maid of mine without consequence? The choice is yours. I am merciful and dislike seeing dead people, so think carefully."
Xi Que held the blood-stained ruler, looking eager to try it out, her eyes flashing with excitement.
Though she was small and thin, everyone in the palace knew how fierce Xi Que, the maid of Concubine Zhen, could be. She was the one who dared to chase the Emperor out of Hexi Palace and even fight the guards with a kitchen knife.
Looking around, it seemed all those serving Concubine Zhen were ruthless characters!
Sweat was now pouring like a waterfall down the White-faced Eunuch's forehead. Jiang Xinyue didn't pressure him, eating the pastries Shuang Jiang brought while gently caressing her belly.
If this eunuch didn't reveal who ordered him to bully the Fourth Prince today, he likely wouldn't be able to leave.
The three "fallen" comrades lying on the ground already created immense pressure. Concubine Zhen's nonchalant expression, seemingly indifferent to whether he confessed or not, made her intentions even more unfathomable.
"This slave... this slave will speak..."
"It was... it was Consort De... Consort De ordered us to..."
"Xi Que, slap his mouth!"
Lying instead of telling the truth, trying to shift blame - he deserved to be punished!
"No, no, no..."
As Xi Que approached menacingly, the White-faced Eunuch was so frightened he nearly cried out, quickly covering his face and screaming: "It was Consort Liang! It was Consort Liang! Consort Liang ordered us to come and sow discord between you and the Fourth Prince. We didn't expect the Fourth Prince's reaction to be so strong that he'd faint. That's why we had the wicked idea of stealing the valuable items on the Fourth Prince to sell outside the palace."
To say they were brave?
After being caught and slapped a few dozen times, they couldn't take it anymore, with some even fainting from fear.
To say they were cowardly?
They dared to bully the Emperor's son, and even dared to steal his belongings to sell outside the palace.
Human nature can truly be a contradictory thing at times.
Having obtained the answer she wanted, Jiang Xinyue didn't let the White-faced Eunuch and the one who had fainted off the hook. All four were sent back to their quarters with matching bruised faces and buttocks.
These four originally served near the Cold Palace, without any backing or connections.
When it became known that Concubine Zhen had beaten them, not a single palace servant dared to request a royal physician for them.
The four men, with their battered faces and bottoms, couldn't even get out of bed. Even drinking water became a problem.
When their wounds fester and become infected, it would undoubtedly lead to death.
"Consort Liang has gone too far! If she has any issues, she should confront adults directly. What kind of person targets children?" Yan Xinyi was so angry she wanted to go tear Consort Liang apart right away.
Thinking about Consort Liang's actions, Jiang Xinyue decided it was time to make sure she couldn't cause any more trouble.
"Xinyi, are you certain that even if the child in my womb were to be bumped, there would be no harm?"
Yan Xinyi nodded, "Your Highness, it may look like the baby is just beneath your thin layer of skin, but in reality, the baby is protected by seven or eight layers!"
Jiang Xinyue knew this. The body's structure isn't just skin and flesh. The abdomen has skin, subcutaneous fat, anterior sheath, rectus abdominis, peritoneum, and so on - seven or eight layers before reaching where the child resides.
There's also a layer of amniotic fluid for protection!
This is why men in the modern world who think, "It's just giving birth to a child, what's there to fuss about?" are often the most ignorant.
Not to mention the life-threatening risk of amniotic fluid embolism after childbirth, even common issues like urinary incontinence, pelvic tilt, and episiotomy are enough to drive one to despair.
Cesarean sections and natural births each have their own dangers.
But Jiang Xinyue knew many tips for a smooth delivery, so she wasn't afraid of giving birth.
She just needed someone to give her a positive affirmation to feel more at ease.
"Good!" Jiang Xinyue slapped the table. "Jiang Chuan, Xi Que, Shuang Jiang, Xiao Xuanzi, Xinyi, grab your weapons and follow me."
"Bang!"
"Crash!"
"Clatter!"
Several loud noises startled Consort Liang awake from her nap on the chaise lounge. Outside, thunder rumbled and heavy rain poured down.
She let out a long sigh of relief, wiping away the sweat that had formed from her nightmare.
So it was just thunder and rain. It had scared her to death; she thought Concubine Zhen had come to confront her.
"Your Highness! Your Highness! It's terrible! Concubine Zhen has come to confront you!"
Consort Liang threw off her blanket with a "whoosh" and got up from the bed. The cold, damp weather outside made her spine tingle.
Consort De had said Jiang Xinyue had already discovered what she had done, so she would deal with her sooner or later. Therefore, she had planned to strike first.
She didn't expect to be found out so quickly.
Consort Liang straightened her clothes and had just opened the door of her bedchamber when a vase came flying towards her face. She screamed, and before her mind could react, her body had already ducked down.
This allowed her to narrowly escape being hit in the head by the vase and suffering a bloody injury.
"Stop! I order you all to stop!"
Shunan Palace was already in chaos. Consort Liang's beloved ornaments, porcelain, jade bottles, and white jade plates had all been smashed to pieces.
Her heart was practically bleeding.
"Concubine Zhen, what are you doing? Have you gone mad? Tell them to stop immediately!"
The maids and eunuchs from Hexi Palace were all lunatics. When their mistress went crazy, not one of them tried to stop her. Instead, they all joined in the madness.
Where Jiang Xinyue sat, a vacuum had formed around her. Only that area was clean and tidy, without even a single shard of broken porcelain.
She raised her hand slightly, and only then did the group of "lunatics" from Hexi Palace stop. Just as Consort Liang was about to explode, they oddly followed protocol and bowed to her one by one: "This slave (This servant) greets Consort Liang."
What?
Others might observe courtesy before resorting to force, but they smash things first and then bow?
"This concubine pays respects to Consort Liang."
The pregnant Jiang Xinyue bent her knees slightly before quickly straightening up. "My apologies, Consort Liang. This concubine's belly makes it inconvenient. Please be understanding."
This person was oddly polite.
Consort Liang looked at the "dismembered remains" of her beloved possessions on the ground, her heart aching so much she could barely stand. She felt waves of darkness before her eyes.
She pointed at Jiang Xinyue: "You... you rely on the Emperor's favor and dare to disregard me so blatantly. You... you come with me to the Empress and let's settle this clearly."
"Do you really want to go?" Jiang Xinyue looked at her innocently. "Why don't we call the Emperor as well, and bring along the Fourth Prince and those eunuchs you instructed to sow discord between the Fourth Prince and me? Let the Emperor and Empress judge whether your despicable methods warrant me destroying your Shunan Palace."
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
"You understand in your heart, there's no use pretending otherwise," Jiang Xinyue snorted. "This concubine warns Consort Liang, if you dare to lay hands on children again, don't blame me for not considering our past relationship and turning my methods onto the eldest princess."
