“Get out.” A hoarse and angry voice came from above.
His fingers twitched, as if he wanted to throw something to vent his rage, but he found nothing within reach.
To prevent Zhou Shengsheng from doing anything rash, Xiao Ming had already removed all movable hard objects from the bedside earlier.
Ming Siran, who also realized this, had an even fiercer flame of anger in his eyes.
Zhou Shengsheng thoughtfully went to the table and handed him a teapot.
“Your Majesty, please.” She bowed her head respectfully, revealing a slender and fair neck.
【Hurry up and smash it, then let me leave. Do you know how long I’ve been guarding you for fear of something happening? Two hours!】
Ming Siran initially wanted to push her away, but upon hearing her thoughts, he ignored the teapot she offered with both hands and instead grabbed her wrist, pulling her up.
Zhou Shengsheng was startled but didn’t let go of the teapot. With the force, it slammed into the bed frame, shattering into pieces, and the shards dug deeply into her palm.
The sharp pain made her involuntarily let out a muffled groan.
Ming Siran’s expression changed. He grabbed her hand and said sternly, “Let go!”
Instinctively, Zhou Shengsheng released her bloodied hand.
“Are you an idiot? Why didn’t you just let go!” he shouted angrily.
Zhou Shengsheng lowered her head obediently. “Your Majesty, please punish me.”
【It’s expensive, you know? With your temper, who knows if you’d make me pay for it after smashing it.】
Ming Siran gritted his teeth. “Did you do this on purpose?”
Zhou Shengsheng looked up in confusion. She felt like she knew the answer to this question.
【Did you do it on purpose to make me feel sorry for you?】
Pressing his lips together, a vein on Ming Siran’s forehead twitched.
This woman was so obedient to him before he lost his memory, so why was she like this now?
“Get out! Tell Li Rong to come in!”
As if he couldn’t bear the disgust any longer, he violently tore off the bright red wedding robe he was wearing.
Zhou Shengsheng quickly got up with one hand and hurried out, her steps swift, as if she didn’t want to stay a moment longer.
The way she practically fled, as if her tail was on fire, made Ming Siran feel even more irritated.
Once outside, Zhou Shengsheng searched under the steps and found the phoenix crown she had hidden earlier. She wiped the dust off it with her hand and then hugged it contentedly as she walked away.
As she left the courtyard, Zhou Shengsheng finally understood why there was no one outside.
They were all gathered at the entrance of the main hall.
“Li Rong, His Majesty is calling for you.”
Seeing Zhou Shengsheng in red robes and holding the phoenix crown, Li Rong was momentarily dazed.
Had His Majesty finished the ceremony already?
Haishan, who was holding the imperial decree nearby, hesitated for a moment but didn’t say anything.
“The night is dark, I’ll have someone escort you back, Miss Shengsheng,” Haishan said gently.
Zhou Shengsheng nodded. “Thank you, Haishan.”
Li Rong walked into Yinzhou Palace with a complicated expression.
This was where Ming Siran and his mother had lived when he was still a prince without his own fiefdom.
Last night, His Majesty had suddenly drafted an edict, ignoring her and Haishan’s advice, to make the maid he brought back from Zhu Kingdom his concubine.
From the look of Zhou Shengsheng, it seemed His Majesty hadn’t succeeded...
“Your Majesty.” Li Rong knelt before Ming Siran with her head lowered.
Having removed the wedding robe, he stood barefoot in the room wearing only a white undergarment.
“Go to Moonlit Forest tomorrow. Investigate what that woman did to cure the farmer’s son in the mountains,” he said in a cold voice, but the familiar authority in his tone made Li Rong feel nostalgic for the more relaxed His Majesty of the past few days.
“Yes.”
Almost instantly, she understood who Ming Siran was referring to as “that woman.”
“Also.” He paused, then added, “Revoke the punishment I previously gave to Xie Qingwan. She has served me for many years, and her crime doesn’t warrant death.”
Li Rong obeyed the order, but before leaving, she hesitated and asked,
“Your Majesty, the edict to make Miss Shengsheng your concubine...”
Turning away, Ming Siran stared at the brightly burning wedding candle on the table with a mix of shame and humiliation before finally saying in a deep voice, “Tell Haishan to burn it.”
---Here comes the dividing line---
When Zhou Shengsheng returned, Jiang Zhiyu was already asleep at the table, waiting for her.
Little Ji, who had been hiding in her sleeve, was also fast asleep.
Zhou Shengsheng sat beside Jiang Zhiyu and wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief.
Jiang Zhiyu frowned and mumbled in her sleep, “Xiao Ming... don’t take my... candy... bad...”
The smile on Zhou Shengsheng’s lips faded.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Zhou Shengsheng got up to open it.
It was Haishan.
Seeing Zhou Shengsheng, Haishan smiled at her. “Miss Shengsheng, I noticed your hand was injured, so I brought you some medicine.” He gestured, and a young eunuch behind him handed Zhou Shengsheng a jar of ointment.
Zhou Shengsheng thanked him politely and saw him out.
After walking a short distance, Haishan shook his head, puzzled. His Majesty had sent him, but he wasn’t allowed to mention it.
---Yay, another dividing line---
Zhou Shengsheng was used to waking up before dawn.
Especially since she had gone to bed with worries last night, she woke up even earlier.
After washing up, she stepped outside, wondering how Ming Siran would trouble her now that he had regained his memory.
As she left the courtyard, she unexpectedly saw a familiar figure.
“Good morning, Miss Shengsheng.” Standing outside was a young girl wearing a veil and a cyan jade-colored dress.
Zhou Shengsheng looked at her, then glanced down at her own matching cyan dress and fell into deep thought.
She had deliberately chosen a dress that wasn’t too old-fashioned or eye-catching today, so how did she end up matching Xie Qingwan again?
Xie Qingwan also seemed baffled, her lips twitching slightly under the veil.
“What brings you here, Miss Xie?”
It was strange. Xie Qingwan should have been expelled from the palace by now, so why was she still here?
Xie Qingwan smiled softly and said, “I’m here to deliver His Majesty’s decree.”
Under Zhou Shengsheng’s calm but questioning gaze, she continued, “His Majesty has ordered that Zhou Shengsheng, being merely a maid, is not entitled to live in a palace of her own. I am here to escort you to a residence befitting your status.”
She paused, then added, “From now on, Miss Shengsheng will be working under me.”
Xie Qingwan waited, expecting to see anger and shock on the face of the girl who seemed unshaken even in the face of catastrophe.
But she was destined to be disappointed.
After hearing this, Zhou Shengsheng simply nodded obediently and bowed. “This servant obeys the decree.”
Even Xie Qingwan had to admire her composure, wondering if she could display such grace and acceptance if she were to lose her former privileges.
Zhou Shengsheng asked Xie Qingwan to wait a moment and went back to pack her things.
The moment she turned around, the expressionless Zhou Shengsheng suddenly frowned.
Damn it, Ming Siran, you jerk, you actually took away my luxurious little villa.
She didn’t have many belongings, so she quickly packed a small bundle and carried the bird sleeping in a golden basin as she left.
After all, Ming Siran only said she couldn’t stay, but he didn’t say Jiang Zhiyu couldn’t.
So Zhou Shengsheng didn’t wake Jiang Zhiyu, who was still sound asleep.
---Dividing line reminding everyone that the protagonist won’t suffer for long---
“So, my job today is to sweep the courtyard?”
Looking at the broom in her hand, Zhou Shengsheng asked.
The maid in front of her showed an impatient expression.
“Yes, you’re responsible for cleaning this area. If you don’t finish, you won’t get any food!”
