The crowd turned in panic, only to find that indeed, Song Zhao had mysteriously appeared behind them like a ghost. They immediately kneeled down and respectfully greeted her:
"We, the humble concubines, pay our respects to Honorable Consort Yao. May you be blessed with endless fortune and peace."
Song Zhao approached slowly, without asking them to rise. She coldly glanced at Consort Yao for a moment before speaking:
"You just said that I, the palace, am the daughter of a traitor and that I have been to the Cold Palace. What do you mean by that? Explain yourself."
Consort Yao was terrified and stammered, "Honorable... Honorable Consort, you misunderstood. I wasn't talking about you. I was... I was referring to someone else."
"Someone else?" Song Zhao's expression turned stern. "Apart from me, is there anyone else in this palace with the surname Song?"
"Well..." Consort Yao was frightened and at a loss for words.
These were all things that Xiao Jingheng had forbidden Song Zhao from knowing, and he had explicitly forbidden anyone in the palace from mentioning them. If Xiao Jingheng were to find out about today's events, everyone present would be in trouble.
Fortunately, Li Changzai quickly regained his composure and skillfully diverted the conversation, saying, "Honorable Consort, currently, you are the only one in the palace with the surname Song. However, in the past, there was indeed someone named Song Changzai."
Kang Daying chimed in, "That's correct."
Song Zhao glanced at Yun Shan, who also spoke up, "Consort, Consort Yao has always been close to you. She wasn't referring to you."
Upon hearing this, Song Zhao finally believed what everyone was saying. She looked at Consort Yao and asked Yun Shan in a low voice,
"Did I have a good relationship with her in the past?"
Yun Shan nodded, and Xiao Fuzi added, "Ever since you entered the palace, you have been living in the same palace as Consort Yao. Your relationship is deep."
Song Zhao smiled awkwardly and said, "I was standing far away, so I couldn't hear clearly what my sisters were saying. It was a misunderstanding. Sisters, please rise."
She stepped forward and supported Consort Yao, saying regretfully,
"Sister, please don't blame me. Ever since I woke up, I can't remember the past. If the Emperor hears about today's incident, he will think that on the first day I met the concubines, I had a quarrel with everyone..."
"No, no," Consort Yao reassured her, breathing a sigh of relief. "Now that you have woken up, that's all that matters. Our sisterly bond is strong, even if you don't remember the past, I will still treat you sincerely."
Song Zhao was easily fooled and deeply moved by Consort Yao's words. She replied repeatedly,
"I will also treat my sisters sincerely. When you have time, please tell me about the past."
As she spoke, Song Zhao's gaze remained fixed on Consort Yao's face.
Consort Yao's long-standing acne problem had not been cured, and it would worsen during the summer. Especially on her forehead and between her eyebrows, the acne was particularly noticeable. Although she carefully applied makeup to conceal it, under the sun, one could still see a faint reddish hue beneath the powdery surface.
Song Zhao was quite curious about this and asked, "What kind of makeup is that on your forehead, sister? Is it a floral pattern?"
Consort Yao was taken aback and exclaimed, "Ah?"
"I'm referring to the area between your eyebrows," Song Zhao reached out to touch it, but Consort Yao quickly evaded her.
Song Zhao smiled and said, "It's a bit presumptuous of me, but your makeup looks so beautiful. It would be a shame if it gets smudged. However, it's the first time I've seen this unique raised floral design. How about you give me a couple of them as well, so I can try them on later?"
She spoke with innocence and anticipation, looking earnestly at Consort Yao as if she greatly admired the "raised floral design" on her face.
This remark caused Li and Kang Daying, who were standing nearby, to struggle to hold back their laughter. Consort Yao blushed even more and wished she could find a hole to hide in.
"Forget it. I won't snatch your favorite accessory, sister. I'll make a couple for myself when I have free time," Song Zhao said, suppressing her laughter.
Xiao Fuzi, trying to hold back her smile, said to Song Zhao, "Your Majesty, we still need to go to Yonghe Palace to meet the other consorts."
Song Zhao replied, "I got so caught up in talking with my sister that I forgot. Let's go together, sister."
Consort Yao pursed her lips and nodded. Just as they were about to leave, Yun Shan interjected,
"Consort Yao, please go ahead. Before this, she asked me to help her make some decorative pendants, and I still need to clarify a few details with her."
Song Zhao nodded. "Alright then, you accompany my sister."
With that said, they walked away with Li and Kang Daying.
When the group had moved a bit further, Consort Yao quietly said to Yun Shan, "Thank you for helping me just now."
"Smack!"
Before her words could even finish, to her shock, Yun Shan unexpectedly slapped her hard across the face.
Fu'er, who was by Consort Yao's side, immediately rushed to protect her. "Sister Yun Shan! What are you doing?"
Consort Yao was furious and covered her left cheek with one hand while pointing at Yun Shan, scolding, "I am the Emperor's favored consort! How dare you, a lowly servant, dare to strike me?"
Yun Shan showed no fear and looked calmly at Fu'er. "Step aside."
Fu'er tried to shield Consort Yao, but Yun Shan didn't bother to argue with her. She raised her skirt and delivered a swift kick to Fu'er's abdomen.
The force of the kick was not light, and Fu'er grimaced in pain, clutching her stomach and crouching down.
Before Consort Yao could recover from her shock, Yun Shan delivered another resounding slap to her right cheek.
Consort Yao's lips trembled, and she was so enraged that she felt on the verge of madness.
"You! This is outrageous! Guards, take this insolent servant who has overstepped her boundaries to the punishment chamber!"
The other palace maids who served Consort Yao immediately surrounded Yun Shan, prepared to take action. But just as they were about to lay hands on her, they heard Yun Shan boldly shout,
"Who dares!"
This shout truly frightened them.
The palace maids hesitated to approach her, and Yun Shan, with a cold gaze fixed on Consort Yao, solemnly said,
"Consort Yao, think carefully. The reason I slapped you twice is because you mentioned the past misfortunes of the esteemed Consort Yi, including her banishment to the Cold Palace and the disgrace her family suffered."
After speaking, Yun Shan bowed to the heavens, her voice now even more resolute,
"By the Emperor's decree, no one is allowed to mention any unpleasant memories from Consort Yi's past in the palace, so as not to distress her. That's why I slapped you. Do you accept or not?"
Yun Shan's words completely grasped Consort Yao's dilemma. After being publicly slapped twice by a servant, Consort Yao naturally felt aggrieved. However, if she were to make a big deal out of it, she feared that Yun Shan would inform Xiao Jingheng about today's incident. Weighing the pros and cons, Consort Yao could only endure the humiliation and meekly uttered, "I won't do it again in the future."
Hearing her response, Yun Shan's expression remained solemn, as cold as ice. "I hope that Consort Yao will be more cautious with her words and actions in the future. Otherwise, if the Emperor were to find out, it wouldn't be as simple as a servant slapping you twice to brush it off."
With that, Yun Shan nodded respectfully to Consort Yao and said, "I still need to attend to Consort Yigui. You should wipe the blood off the corner of your mouth and leave quickly. Don't be late for paying respects, or else you'll have to endure another round of punishment from Consort Chengui."
Without looking back, Yun Shan swiftly departed.
[Please excuse me, but I have to take a leave. My disappointing younger brother did well on his exams, and today I have to have a meal and drinks with a bunch of relatives. I won't be able to provide an update on June 28th as usual, but I'll make up for it with four updates on June 29th. Much love ♥️]
