Chapter 102: The Empress Takes Command
“What does it have to do with me? Why take me away too?”
Yang Hui let out a scream, trying to struggle free from the palace maid’s grip.
On the other side, Liu Chan was also seized. She didn’t struggle or scream; her face was pale as she bit her lower lip and changed her answer: “Because we have the Yang surname…”
The palace maid said with a stern face: “Right, you’re all Misses of the Yang Family. Please also refrain from moving around for now.”
Without further ado, she signaled for Yang Hui to be held firmly, her expression a warning.
“Miss Yang, if you want to keep some dignity, stop moving around.”
Yang Hui felt both aggrieved and terrified. Looking at the palace maid with a gloomy face, then at the imperial guards surrounding the classroom with weapons in hand, she didn’t dare struggle anymore; tears slid down her face.
Too terrifying.
That damned countryside maidservant had slashed Princess Pingcheng’s face, committing this heinous crime that would get her killed!
Princess Pingcheng had been helped away at the time, and Princess Wuyang and Princess Nangong were also invited to the resting room. The one who caused the huge disaster was seized and taken away for custody.
Paper and paints were scattered on the ground, with black and red spots on the floor, impossible to tell if they were paint or blood…
“You all, don’t be afraid.”
Yang Hui heard someone speak and turned her head to see it was “Liu Chan”.
The other young ladies were all huddled on the other side of the classroom, their expressions tense and fearful; the timid ones were sobbing softly.
Now they were all avoiding the Misses of the Yang Family like the plague, yet this Liu Chan had actually come over…
Jiang Rui saw this somewhat unexpectedly amid the young ladies. She had originally thought that Miss Liu, who clung to the princesses, surprisingly had some loyalty, daring to comfort a Miss of the Yang Family at a time like this…
Yang Hui didn’t feel moved or unafraid—it was easy to say. Looking at this Liu Chan, she suddenly remembered: no, this wasn’t Liu Chan; Liu Chan was that cheap maidservant’s maidservant…
Capture them together.
She opened her mouth to shout, but the next moment, this maidservant glared at her fiercely.
“Miss Yang, just stay calm. We don’t know the outcome yet—don’t turn innocence into guilt on top of guilt.” She said coldly in a low voice.
Yang Hui shivered and came back to her senses. Right, there was also the crime of impersonation. Revealing it now would mean she knew but didn’t report it; she definitely couldn’t escape punishment. What was fine before would become a problem, even more troublesome.
Liu Chan also glared at her fiercely. She had said long ago that this Miss Yang was muddleheaded.
“You’ll be fine.” Yang Luo ignored Yang Hui and said softly to Liu Chan.
“I’m not afraid.” Liu Chan nodded. Though her little face was pale, her eyes were firm. “A clear conscience laughs at false accusations.”
With that, she looked at this “Liu Chan” who was using her name. She also knew who this young lady was truly worried about at this moment and couldn’t help but grasp her hand.
“Don’t worry either. I believe she wouldn’t do evil.”
Yang Luo was about to say something when the palace maid grew impatient.
“No more talking.”
“Move quickly.”
Liu Chan released Yang Luo’s hand, giving her a comforting look, and was taken with Yang Hui to the palace room nearby.
Yang Luo stood in place, listening to the whispers behind her, her hands clenched tightly.
Yes, she knew A Sheng wouldn’t do evil, but what if someone insisted on framing her for it?
Time passed both slowly and quickly, as if a long time had passed and yet only an instant, when shouts came from outside.
“The Empress arrives.”
With the shouts, the Empress hurried in, the palace maids and eunuchs behind her small-running to keep up.
The companion reader young ladies in the classroom all knelt down to pay respects and welcome her.
Yang Luo was standing at the front. Even kneeling, she wasn’t blocked; lowering her head, she saw the bright red cloak embroidered with phoenixes flutter past.
Not only was there a phoenix cloak, but also a light purple cloak.
At the same time, the announcement “Imperial Consort Li arrives” sounded in her ear.
The Imperial Consort had also come.
Yang Luo watched the chaotic footsteps pass before her.
The Empress did not tell them to rise.
“Where is Pingcheng?”
Yang Luo heard a slightly hoarse female voice ask.
Amid the chaotic footsteps, a palace maid led the way: “This way, Your Ladyship.”
“Have the imperial physician come in.”
“Everyone else, stay here.”
With the Empress’s words, the classroom fell quiet again.
The companion reader young ladies knelt on the ground uneasily. Yang Luo quietly raised her head and saw dozens of eunuchs, palace maids, and palace women standing indoors; Imperial Consort Li was also there.
The Imperial Consort stood with the palace maids and palace women, her figure slender, her face plain, occasionally dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief.
The Empress had gone to see the princess, but she didn’t dare go. Clearly, that “everyone else” included her too.
Yang Luo lowered her gaze.
In her previous life, she hadn’t seen anyone from the imperial palace until her death.
This time, she had seen the Empress and the Imperial Consort so quickly; perhaps the Emperor would arrive right after.
A Sheng had said earlier: she would handle the matter, and Yang Luo should watch carefully from the side.
Watch their reactions clearly, see clearly where the malice came from.
A Sheng always kept her word.
Yang Luo’s hands on her knees clenched tightly.
……
……
“Rise.”
The Empress hadn’t stayed inside long and soon came out; the imperial physician remained with Princess Pingcheng.
The palace women had already brought chairs. The Empress sat down before allowing the kneeling companion reader young ladies to stand.
The companion reader young ladies didn’t dare show any resentment. No matter what, they were accompanying Princess Pingcheng in reading; with such a big incident involving the princess, they couldn’t claim to be entirely blameless.
Feeling the Empress’s scrutinizing gaze sweep over them, some companion reader young ladies could hardly stand, leaning on their companions for support to avoid collapsing.
As the Empress sat, eunuchs dragged in a palace maid and threw her to the ground.
The companion reader young ladies all looked over; Yang Luo was among them and recognized at a glance the palace maid who had given A Sheng the paintbrush and told her to deliver it to Princess Wuyang.
The Empress’s voice was cold: “Speak. Who instructed you to hide a blade tip in the paintbrush?”
A palace maid threw a brush to the ground. The brush head had been removed, and a thin blade had been extracted from it.
Bloodstains still remained on the thin blade.
Was this what slashed Princess Pingcheng’s face?
A nearby companion reader young lady saw it clearly and nearly fainted; fortunately, someone behind supported her, and that person even squeezed forward a bit, as if afraid she would fall.
This companion reader young lady turned back gratefully, then froze—it was actually that Liu Chan…
This Liu Chan didn’t look at her or acknowledge her gratitude, but looked past her at the thin blade on the ground.
This Liu Chan was truly bold, still daring to watch the spectacle at a time like this.
This companion reader young lady lowered her head, wishing she could neither see nor hear what came next.
Several crisp slaps rang out.
Accompanied by the palace maid’s cries of pain.
Because as soon as the Empress finished speaking, the palace maid didn’t answer. The two eunuchs standing beside her unhesitatingly struck left and right, hitting her hard.
Blood instantly flowed from the palace maid’s mouth and nose; her cheeks swelled red, teeth fell out with the slaps, and she collapsed to the ground.
“Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship.” She cried out vaguely through her garbled speech. “It was Yang Luo. Yang Luo of Duke Ding’an’s Mansion told this servant to prepare the cutter.”
Hearing this, the companion reader young ladies instantly stirred.
They had seen with their own eyes Yang Luo fall onto the princess, the princess’s face scratched by the brush in Yang Luo’s hand.
They had been uneasy, thinking it an accident, but raised in noble family inner courtyards, their intuition told them it wasn’t.
Indeed!
……
…….
Earlier, A Sheng had even joked that even if there was malice, it couldn’t compare to a nighttime assassination.
Yang Luo looked at the bloodied palace maid.
Now A Sheng should know: assassination doesn’t have to be with knife or gun in the dark of night.
