Qin Mingzhu's long fingernails raked across the young palace maid's face. The maid felt the pain acutely but dared not resist or even touch her wound. She could only kneel and kowtow repeatedly, "Your Ladyship, please calm your anger, please calm your anger…"
Qin Mingzhu also saw the blood welling up on the maid's face. The sight unexpectedly filled her with excitement, reminding her of the day she slapped Chu Yulan in the cold palace not long ago.
Back then, her long fingernails had also drawn blood on the other woman's face. Seeing the scars appear on that beautiful face made Qin Mingzhu feel overjoyed.
She then fiercely grabbed the maid's face again, treating her as if she were Chu Yulan that day. She slapped her repeatedly, five or six times. "Bitch, it seems I was too kind to you that day. If I had known you were so shameless, I should have ripped your face to shreds! See if you dare to seduce the Emperor again!"
The little palace maid was now truly terrified. Her face pale, she cried out loudly, "Your Ladyship, spare my life! I am not the Empress, I am Xiao Ju!"
Only then did Qin Mingzhu snap out of her trance. She flung Xiao Ju away, placing her hands behind her back and ordering, "Clean this place up. The usual rules apply; not a single word must be leaked, do you understand?"
Due to the momentum, Xiao Ju tumbled to the ground after being thrown. Her palm was cut by shards of broken porcelain on the floor, and a multitude of stinging pains instantly surged. However, she dared not make a sound, merely replying in a muffled voice, "This servant understands, please rest assured, Your Ladyship!"
Qin Mingzhu needed to project an image of grace and composure in public, as she had her sights set on the position of Empress. However, her true nature was capricious, stubborn, and cruel, making it difficult to feign gentleness and elegance. Thus, she would often retreat to her chambers to throw things in fits of rage, with her personal maid, Xiao Ju, always helping to clean up the mess afterward.
Receiving Xiao Ju's assurance, Qin Mingzhu left with her usual peace of mind. She did not see the hatred that flickered in Xiao Ju's eyes as she bent down to tidy up…
Meanwhile, on the other side, Leng Yuanxiang, the female protagonist of the transmigration novel, also received news that Empress Chu Yulan had stayed the night in the Imperial Study.
"Stinking man, he told me yesterday that he had too many memorials to review and wouldn't be coming to me, but it turns out he was having a romantic liaison with another woman!"
Although Leng Yuanxiang found Situ Chuanqiong's frequent visits to her quarters overwhelming, she couldn't quite bear the nightly revelries. Yet, when he was intimate with another woman, a jealous pang would inevitably stir in her heart.
So, when Situ Chuanqiong arrived at Leng Yuanxiang's palace as usual that evening, he was met with a closed door.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. My Lady… My Lady says she is feeling unwell today and cannot receive you. Please… please return…" Leng Yuanxiang's personal maid, Chun Yue, stammered out her lady's words, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Oh? Your lady is unwell? Have you called for an imperial physician?" Situ Chuanqiong asked with concern.
"Replying to Your Majesty… My Lady says it is a heartache, and imperial physicians are useless…" Chun Yue inwardly marveled at her lady's foresight, as the Emperor's next question had been anticipated.
"Heartache? It seems she's deliberately vexing me!" Situ Chuanqiong's sharp gaze fixed on Chun Yue as he questioned, "Did any of your gossipy companions say something foolish to your lady?"
"This servant knows nothing!" Chun Yue quickly knelt, daring not meet the Emperor's gaze.
"You are your lady's personal maid. Henceforth, you must learn to discern what words your lady should hear and what she shouldn't, do you understand?" Situ Chuanqiong threatened.
"Yes, this servant obeys your decree!" Chun Yue trembled.
She had come from the Prime Minister Leng's household with her lady. Initially, she had believed the Emperor to be a mild-mannered ruler, as he often smiled when interacting with her lady and never got angry even when her lady threw a tantrum. However, being directly stared at by the Emperor today truly petrified her, making her afraid to even breathe loudly.
"Enough! You may leave!" Situ Chuanqiong, considering Chun Yue was Leng Yuanxiang's personal attendant, did not make things too difficult for her.
"This servant obeys!" Chun Yue dared not speak further. Although her lady had instructed her to block the Emperor, she was merely a small palace maid, and how could she possibly stop the Emperor if he truly wished to enter?
When Situ Chuanqiong entered Leng Yuanxiang's chambers, he found her performing peculiar movements on the bed. He asked with amusement, "Isn't Little Xiang'er feeling unwell? Why aren't you resting properly?"
Leng Yuanxiang, who was practicing yoga, was startled by the sudden voice. Glancing over and seeing Situ Chuanqiong, she knew Chun Yue had failed to complete her task.
"What? Aren't you supposed to be with the Empress tonight? What are you doing here?" Leng Yuanxiang asked sarcastically.
Situ Chuanqiong unconsciously furrowed his brow. He disliked this tone. However, Leng Yuanxiang was his beloved, so he quickly smiled and explained, "Xiang'er, don't listen to the idle gossip of those busybody palace servants. The Empress and I have nothing going on."
"You know best whether there is or isn't anything!" Leng Yuanxiang still didn't believe him. She let out a "hmph" and turned away, continuing her stretching.
"I know very well. Since I promised you, I haven't touched another woman!" Situ Chuanqiong stepped forward. "Little Xiang'er, don't be angry anymore. We mustn't waste this wonderful evening!"
Leng Yuanxiang kicked away Situ Chuanqiong's outstretched hand, her face flushing red. "Don't touch me with those hands that have touched other women, I find them dirty!"
Situ Chuanqiong's smile finally faltered. "How many times do I have to explain? I truly haven't touched another woman. Last night, I returned to my own palace afterward. Why don't you trust me?"
"If you didn't touch her, why did you keep her in the Imperial Study all night? And you returned so late, by then everything that should have happened had already happened! You are a complete liar!"
Seeing Situ Chuanqiong's anger, Leng Yuanxiang couldn't help but feel wronged, her eyes welling up with tears. This scumbag had done wrong and was now lying. Many palace servants had seen the Empress returning in the morning looking sore and tired. She had even been supporting her waist all the way. Wasn't that obvious enough?
Situ Chuanqiong truly felt wronged. He, the supreme ruler of the land, had remained chaste for a woman only to be met with distrust. In his frustration, he threw caution to the wind and said, "Yes! Everything that should have happened with her, did happen! So what? She is my Empress! She is my wedded wife! It is only natural that I sleep with her!"
"Fine, Situ Chuanqiong, you finally admit the truth! You spoke of loving only me, of remaining chaste for me, of dismissing the entire harem for me, all lies! Now that you've tricked me into the palace, you've revealed your true colors, you utter scumbag! Get out!"