Consigning a palace maid who had offended her to punishment was of no consequence to Consort Lian. It was routine for her; she would kill several servants daily. However, today she had met her match. Just as her two attending mamas dragged Yanliu away from the rose garden, intending to find a secluded spot to deal with her, a figure descended from the sky, kicking both of them away.
"Yanliu, are you alright?" Mingyue helped Yanliu, seating her on a nearby stone. She carefully removed the rose thorns from Yanliu's body and face. The thorns were small, and Yanliu's clothing offered some protection, so the injuries weren't severe. However, as she had been pinned down by the two mamas, her face had been scratched by the thorns and branches. The beads of blood that welled up made the injury appear more serious.
After removing the thorns from Yanliu's face, Mingyue took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the blood. "Princess, this servant is fine. I can do it myself." After the blood was wiped away, Yanliu's face was slightly red and swollen, but it didn't look as bad. Mingyue's heart eased. She handed the handkerchief to Yanliu and, with a cold expression, walked towards Consort Lian. She had been resting with her eyes closed in the pavilion, lost in thought. When she snapped back to awareness, she found Yanliu already injured. She had then leaped from the pavilion to rescue her. Anyone who dared to harm her person would make Consort Lian pay.
"Who are you? Why are you violating palace rules and not wearing a uniform? Why aren't you kneeling when you see me? How dare you injure my people! Guards, kill her!" When Mingyue rescued Yanliu, it happened so swiftly that Consort Lian hadn't even seen clearly. Her two mamas had been sent flying and were still lying on the ground, motionless. They were clearly unconscious. While Consort Lian was still bewildered, Mingyue approached her. Seeing Mingyue in casual attire and looking unfamiliar, Consort Lian, who knew all the consorts in the palace, mistook her for a palace maid who had violated regulations. Furthermore, Mingyue not only failed to pay her respects but also glared at her, immediately enraging Consort Lian.
In truth, she felt a twinge of apprehension at Mingyue's display of skill. However, she reasoned that this was within the palace, and who would dare to act so presumptuously? Moreover, she had over a dozen maids and eunuchs accompanying her. She couldn't believe anyone would dare to lay a hand on her. Soon, Mingyue would prove with her actions whether anyone dared.
"You want me to kneel to you? I am the Empress of the Central Palace. You dare to ask me why I don't kneel to you? Consort Lian, is it? Have you lost your mind? What kind of people has Ji Shiyou brought into the palace? That Zheng person yesterday was not right in the head, and today you're even more so, completely malfunctioning! You dare to bully my people? Then I'll give you a good wake-up call." Looking at the arrogant Consort Lian before her, Mingyue grabbed the front of her robes and began slapping her face repeatedly, all the while cursing.
Those behind Consort Lian, upon hearing that the person striking their mistress was the Empress, immediately scattered in fear. Mingyue's reputation for killing without hesitation had spread throughout the harem the previous night. She was known as the "Fiend of the Six Palaces." If they didn't run, would they wait to be killed? Their mistress seemed to be in dire straits; they might as well go and seek the Empress Dowager's judgment. Before Consort Lian could even react, Mingyue had beaten her into a pulp. Then, she felt her body fly through the air, a stinging pain all over as Mingyue tossed her into the rose bushes.
"Princess, you've caused trouble! This Consort Lian is the Empress Dowager's own niece, and her father is the Prime Minister. We cannot afford to offend her. My life is insignificant. You shouldn't have hit her for my sake. How about this: you quickly return to Lanyue Palace, and I will go to the Department of Punishments to confess, saying that I did all of this." Yanliu was shocked that Mingyue would hit Consort Lian for her. She immediately ran over, urging Mingyue to leave quickly so she could take the blame.
"Silly girl, do you think your princess is someone who avoids trouble? Besides, so many people saw me hitting her just now. Do you still want to take the blame for me? Don't worry, you step aside. I'll deal with her, and then I'll take you to get medicine." Knowing Consort Lian's powerful background, Mingyue's eyes gleamed. It was truly a case of "when the mountains and rivers are exhausted, there is a village in the shade of a tree." If she killed Consort Lian, wouldn't the Empress Dowager and the Prime Minister jointly pressure Ji Shiyou to have her executed? This was the crucial person for her plan to succeed, a great savior! Looking at Consort Lian's pig-headed face, Mingyue found it much more pleasing to the eye.
"You're the Empress? The Empress who kills without batting an eye? You can't kill me. My aunt is the Empress Dowager, and my father is the Prime Minister." Climbing out of the rose bushes, Consort Lian finally realized who had hit her. Seeing Mingyue approach step by step and pull a dagger from her sleeve, Consort Lian cried out in terror.
"What is there that cannot be killed? Life is equal. Your life is no more precious than anyone else's. If you can kill others with impunity, you should be prepared to be killed by others." Mingyue detested Consort Lian's condescending tone. Was the Prime Minister's daughter not to be killed? Her experiences had taught her that life had nothing to do with status. Her own father was the Emperor, and her mother was the Empress! Hadn't Ji Shiyou shown no mercy and killed them?
"You can't kill me. I'm carrying the imperial heir! If you kill me, it will be a double death. Even if you are the Empress, killing the imperial heir means certain death. You need to think carefully." Seeing that Mingyue had already raised the dagger in her hand, Consort Lian cupped her small belly with both hands and shouted. This was her trump card. She had been very careful with this child, telling no one before the pregnancy was stable. Now, at the brink of death, she could only reveal it to save herself. She believed that Mingyue's recklessness stemmed from her reliance on her Empress status. Mingyue must think that with the protection of her Empress title, she wouldn't face death even if she killed Consort Lian, hence her boldness. However, if she harmed the imperial heir, it would be a certain death, and Mingyue would surely hesitate.
As expected, upon hearing that Consort Lian was pregnant, Mingyue's hand holding the dagger slowly lowered. Finally, she put it away and turned to walk out of the rose garden. Consort Lian was mistaken. Mingyue did not fear death; in fact, death was what Mingyue pursued. Upon hearing that Consort Lian was pregnant, Mingyue's heart was filled with complex emotions. Thinking of the woman before her carrying Ji Shiyou's child, Mingyue first felt anger and bitterness, then her heart stirred. One Consort Lian, plus Ji Shiyou's first child, this was a heavy enough bargaining chip. Her wish would surely be fulfilled. However, she put away the dagger because an unborn child was not at fault. An innocent child should not have to pay for Ji Shiyou's crimes. Although she yearned to achieve her wish, she could not bring herself to harm a fetus.
"Scared, aren't you! If you've got the guts, don't leave! Kill me! I'm going to find the Emperor right now and tell him he's going to be a father. He'll depose you immediately and make me Empress." Seeing Mingyue leave, Consort Lian screamed maniacally and strode out of the flower patch. She intended to find Ji Shiyou and lodge a complaint. Unfortunately, the commotion had flattened a patch of roses. The branches were tangled together, and she tripped, falling to the ground. "Ouch! Ah! Blood! Someone, my child, quickly save my child!" Mingyue had no intention of paying attention to Consort Lian, but upon hearing her cries, and thinking that it was still a life, she turned back.