"This old servant is Granny Gui from the Dowager Empress's side. I've come on Her Majesty's orders to summon Concubine Zhen to Kunning Palace for questioning."
Granny Gui's face darkened. "Concubine Zhen, striking this old servant is like slapping the Dowager Empress herself. When Her Majesty takes offense later, you'll have to face the consequences."
Jiang Xinyue kicked Granny Gui's knee again, causing her to fall to her knees in front of her. Anger flushed Granny Gui's entire face red. "Concubine Zhen, what exactly do you mean by this?"
"You say you've come on the Dowager Empress's orders to summon me for questioning? Is this how you invite someone? Anyone who didn't know better would think I'd committed some crime and you were here to drag me off for interrogation!"
"Is this how the servants of Cining Palace behave? Not kneeling to greet your betters, but instead brazenly scolding the Emperor's concubine? Well, old woman, if you say I lack manners, I absolutely refuse to admit it. Striking you is like striking the Dowager Empress? Who gave you, you black-hearted old hag, such importance that you dare compare yourself to Her Majesty? Shall I call the Emperor here to see if you're really his mother?"
Granny Gui had only said one sentence, but Jiang Xinyue's retort left her speechless.
That clearly wasn't what she had meant, but with Concubine Zhen putting it that way, it did seem to sound like that.
She was utterly unable to defend herself.
While Granny Gui was still stunned, Jiang Xinyue walked out of the bedchamber, her icy gaze sweeping around. "If you don't release my people immediately, I'll make sure you all walk in here standing and leave lying down."
If even Granny Gui had been dealt with so swiftly, how could the servants from Kunning Palace dare to oppose Concubine Zhen? They all watched as Granny Gui struggled to her feet, then meekly released their hold.
Xi Que and Shuang Jiang immediately scrambled to their feet, glaring fiercely at the two matrons who had been holding them down, before quickly running back to Jiang Xinyue's side.
Xiao Xuanzi also pushed away several eunuchs and, with Jiang Chuan's help, got up and assisted the servants of Hexi Palace to their feet.
Granny Gui had completely lost face. With a gloomy look, she said, "Now that Concubine Zhen has finished showing off her power, can you follow this old servant to Kunning Palace?"
"Slap!"
Another slap landed on her face, presumably payback for the slap that maid had given her by the lake earlier. "Whether I've shown off my power or not is none of your business, you dog of a servant. When you truly become the Dowager Empress, then you can come and show off in front of me."
She lifted her chin haughtily, perfectly embodying the phrase 'overbearing arrogance'. "Right now, you're just an old servant. So keep to your place as a servant, and don't wave a chicken feather around here pretending it's an imperial decree. I won't fall for your tricks."
After all, in the Dowager Empress's eyes, any consort who competed with Consort Shu for favor was not a good person. They were all obstacles to the revival of the Wu family. No matter what she did, she wouldn't get any goodwill.
So why should she try to please the Dowager Empress?
Rather than mentally exhausting herself, it was better to go mad and torment others – this had always been Jiang Xinyue's life motto.
Granny Gui was nearly driven mad with anger, but Concubine Zhen was indeed favored by the Emperor. No matter how senior she was, she was still just a servant.
Concubine Zhen kept calling her "dog servant" over and over, and though it made her grind her teeth in hatred, she could only swallow it down and force herself to adopt a respectful posture and apologize.
She just wanted Jiang Xinyue to hurry to Kunning Palace so she could complain to the Dowager Empress and let Her Majesty teach this presumptuous little Concubine Zhen a lesson.
As Jiang Xinyue sat in the sedan chair, she continued to find fault with Granny Gui. One moment she'd say Granny Gui was walking with her head held high and chest puffed out, not looking like a servant at all. The next moment she'd accuse her of glaring, asking if she was dissatisfied with her.
She kept at it until Granny Gui bent her back and lowered her eyes, only then did she let up.
None of the maids and eunuchs who had come from Cining Palace dared to look directly at Jiang Xinyue.
There was no help for it – her tongue was far too sharp. If they didn't do exactly as she wished, she would sarcastically accuse them of disrespect, insubordination, improper servant behavior, or having ambitions above their station. They wouldn't even have a chance to defend themselves before Concubine Zhen ordered someone to slap their mouths.
In the past, which consort hadn't been trembling with fear when summoned by the Dowager Empress, walking on eggshells, afraid of offending the Emperor's birth mother? They would even fawn over and try to please servants like them.
Concubine Zhen... why didn't she follow the usual script?
No one from Cining Palace dared to raise their heads again. Jiang Xinyue gave Xiao Xuanzi a meaningful look. Xiao Xuanzi nodded, taking one step forward and three steps back, leaving the group.
Her mistress was about to put on another good show. She had to hurry and invite the Emperor to come as an audience. Otherwise, her mistress's heartfelt performance would go unappreciated.
In Cining Palace, Consort Rong stood next to Consort Shu's seat, looking worriedly at Concubine Zhen kneeling below. She gently tugged at Consort Shu's sleeve.
Consort Shu turned away, pretending not to notice.
The Dowager Empress picked up the hot tea from the table, slowly blew on it, then took a small sip. She smiled benevolently at Consort Shu. "This is the finest Snow Tea from Tianshan, tribute from Jin Kingdom to our Great Yan this year. We only received a few pounds in total. If Consort Shu likes it, I'll have Granny Gui send some to Jingren Palace later."
Before Consort Shu could respond, she tapped her forehead. "Oh my, I forgot. Consort Shu is with child, so it's best to drink less tea. Why don't you send it to Chengqian Palace on my behalf? It can be a token of my deep maternal love for the Emperor."
What utter nonsense!
Jiang Xinyue really wanted to roll her eyes. Did this Dowager Empress think she didn't know about her relationship with the Emperor?
Otherwise, she wouldn't be putting on this act of maternal kindness here, hinting that she was the Xuanwu Emperor's birth mother, that whatever she told the Xuanwu Emperor to do, he would do, and that Jiang Xinyue should know her place and not go complaining to the Emperor.
It seemed they were determined to teach her a lesson today!
Jiang Xinyue had been kneeling on the ground for a while now, but the Dowager Empress and Consort Shu were chatting amongst themselves, completely ignoring her.
Jiang Xinyue wasn't in a hurry. She calculated that by now, the Xuanwu Emperor should have reached the doors outside the main hall of Cining Palace. Only then did she suddenly stand up on her own, a mocking smile on her lips. "If Your Majesty summoned this concubine here just to punish me by kneeling, why not have me kneel outside the hall? It would serve as a better warning to others."
"Crash!"
"How dare you!"
The Dowager Empress, who had been waiting for Jiang Xinyue to lose her temper, seemed to have caught her prey. A cup of hot tea came flying, shattering at her feet.
Jiang Xinyue let out a loud cry, covering her face with both hands and using her sharp fingernails to scratch her cheeks.
Under the bewildered gazes of Consort Shu and Consort Rong, she tore at her own clothes, messed up her hair, and even slapped herself across the face. Tears quickly welled up in her eyes as she half-lay among the shattered teacups and spilled water, lamenting pitifully: "Dowager Empress, you may not love the Emperor, but I do. You may not cherish him, but I will. What wrong have I done in simply hoping that you, as a mother, could think more of your own child? The Emperor is not a god; he is a living, breathing person! How can you hurt and harm him like this? Just because he's the Emperor, do you think he doesn't feel pain?"
The Xuanwu Emperor, hearing the scream, came running over with large strides.
