At a shout, everyone stopped what they were doing. Xi Liang released Shu Wanxing, stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked to the side. Nalan Mingzhu, Feng Qian, and the others also straightened their clothes.
Looking at Shu Wanxing again, her hair was disheveled, the gold hairpin on her head was loosely hanging from her temples, and her clothes were in disarray. However, there was no injury on her face. Xi Liang always hit people where they couldn't see, and he didn't hit the visible parts. So, although Shu Wanxing was in pain in several places, she was not injured at all on her face or hands. Even so, she couldn't help but cry and knelt down with a thud.
"Your Majesty, please do justice for me. This young princess of the Cang Prince's mansion is far too audacious to dare to beat up a concubine."
"Hmm, I understand. Consort Rou should go to Lanyuan Palace to serve the Emperor. The little princess of the Cang Prince's mansion is still a child. As a concubine in the harem, why should Consort Rou bother with a child? Isn't that beneath her dignity?"
Hai Ling spoke expressionlessly, and Shu Wanxing's eyes turned green upon hearing this. She was just a child, yet she was so ruthless, beating her to death. This was hardly the behavior of a child. However, she knew that in this place, there was no way she could reason with anyone.
Thinking of this, she stood up and took her leave: "This concubine will take her leave now."
"Go and serve the Emperor well."
Speaking of the Emperor, Hailing felt a pang of pain in her heart. The scene of her wedding was still vivid in her mind, as if it had happened just yesterday. But now the Emperor had taken a new concubine. In the eyes of the world, she had probably become a laughing stock.
Hai Ling couldn't help but laugh, and Xi Liang and the others standing below were startled and walked up to Hai Ling one by one.
“Ling’er, let’s go to the Emperor and ask him for an explanation. What happened to what he said back then? Even if he has lost his memory, he should at least wait until he regains it. Why is he in such a hurry to make her a concubine now?”
Xi Liang reached out to pull Hai Ling, determined to get to the Emperor's attention and find out what was going on.
Feng Qian also agreed with Xi Liang's words. Right now, Hai Ling is pregnant, but the Emperor has made Shu Wanxing a concubine. What kind of situation is this putting Hai Ling in, and what about the child in her belly?
“Let’s go together. We must make the Emperor give you an explanation.”
Feng Qian spoke calmly, looking at Hai Ling.
Hai Ling shook her head, suddenly realizing that asking would be pointless. Perhaps if she didn't ask, he would soon come looking for trouble, so why should she go looking for more heartache?
Going there again would only cause me more heartache.
As the group was talking, Xiao Luzi, the emperor's personal eunuch, led several other eunuchs into the hall. Hai Ling looked at the group as they entered, her smile deepening, though it was somewhat cold.
Xiao Luzi entered the main hall and saw Hai Ling. He felt very sorry for her, but he was the emperor's eunuch, and he could only relay whatever the emperor told him to do.
"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress."
"Speak, what did the Emperor send you here for?"
Hailin spoke coldly, looking at Xiaoluzi with an indifferent expression.
Xiao Luzi sighed and respectfully said, "Your Majesty has decreed that the Empress has allowed the young princess of the Cangwang Mansion to beat up Consort Rou. From today onwards, she shall stay in Liuyue Palace to reflect on her mistakes and shall not be allowed to leave Liuyue Palace."
"I understand."
"in addition?"
Xiao Luzi glanced at Xi Liang and the others on one side of the main hall, and then cautiously continued, "The Emperor has decreed that Xi Liang, the young prefect of the Cangwang Mansion, is not allowed to enter the palace again."
"What? On what grounds? The emperor is truly blind and utterly incompetent."
Xi Liang couldn't help but curse loudly, and Hai Ling, fearing that she would be taken advantage of, quickly called out, "Xi Liang."
Xi Liang stopped speaking, and Hai Ling looked at Xiao Lu Zi: "Go and report to the Emperor that I understand."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Xiao Luzi accepted the order and left as usual. Hai Ling looked at Xi Liang and slowly said, "Xi Liang, go back. Don't let them find any more leverage against you. You still have the Cangwang Mansion behind you."
She couldn't let the coolness of the mat harm the people of the Prince Cang's mansion; that would only make her conscience more uneasy.
Nalan Mingzhu and Feng Qian urged Xi Liang to go back: "Don't worry, there are two of us here. If anything happens, we'll send someone to let you know."
"Okay, send someone to let me know if anything happens."
Xi Liang knew she couldn't stay in the palace because she was the young princess of the Cangwang Mansion. If she disobeyed the imperial decree, it would bring trouble to the Cangwang Mansion. Moreover, staying in the palace would not help. Xi Liang greeted Hai Ling and the others, and led her two maids out of the main hall. After taking a few steps, Xi Liang remembered something, stopped, and looked back at Hai Ling on the high place.
"Ling'er, if you really can't hold on any longer, then leave the palace in Northern Lu. Home is everywhere."
With Ling'er's looks and cunning, she could marry anyone she wanted. Why should she stay with a dead man whose face is ruined and who has lost his memory?
After she finished speaking, she led her people away from the palace and went out of the palace.
In the main hall of Liuyue Palace, Hailing waved for the eunuchs and maids to leave. Now that there was Consort Rou in the palace, and the Empress Dowager had always been at odds with her, she really didn't know what else might happen to her.
Remembering Xi Liang's words, Hai Ling couldn't help but think about them seriously.
Feng Qian and Nalan Mingzhu stayed in the palace with her, and they both supported her no matter what decision she made.
Ryugetsu Palace.
Inside the vast palace, everyone rested in peace.
Inside the room, Hailin quietly got up, summoned her Fire Cloud Boots and Wind Thunder Gloves, and like a ghost, slipped out of the palace and headed for Lanyuan Palace.
Under the cover of night, the flowers and plants are shrouded in mist, and the palace eaves, which are as ethereal as clouds, are draped in light gauze, making it a truly beautiful sight.
Occasionally, a patrolling guard would pass by, but no one paid any attention to the figure that flashed by as fast as a shooting star.
Today, during the day, Xi Liang told her to leave, and the thought crossed her mind, but in the end, she was unwilling to give up easily.
She simply couldn't believe that Ye Lingfeng, who loved her so much, had changed so suddenly. In Hai Ling's heart, if someone truly loved her, even if he ruined his appearance and his mind, his instincts wouldn't allow him to do anything to hurt her. But this person seemed to have appeared only to hurt her, so she couldn't believe that he was Ye Lingfeng.
She had to see him, to see if this man was really Ye Lingfeng, the one who had married her and made those promises in front of everyone.
Her Flaming Cloud Boots were not easily spotted by ordinary people, so she easily arrived at Lanyuan Palace, avoiding the patrolling guards all the way to enter her bedchamber.
Inside and outside the palace, all was quiet and still; there was not a single eunuch or palace maid present.