Chapter 248

Although she only drew a little water each time, she filled the two large wooden buckets to sixty percent. Taking a deep breath, Qingfeng lifted the shoulder pole with her left shoulder. This time she almost couldn't stand up. After finally standing straight, her legs kept trembling. After walking a few steps, she immediately felt a burning pain in her chest like fire. Breathing heavily, Qingfeng still supported herself and walked forward, but the scenery in front of her became more and more blurred. Walking in the palace alley, she could hardly see what was in front of her, only hearing her own heavy breathing. Walking and walking, Qingfeng only felt her eyes go black.

The water bucket fell to the ground with a "pop," and the water in the bucket swayed a few times, spilling out a lot. Qingfeng only heard a buzzing sound in her ears, and her body had uncontrollably softened and fallen.

"Lady?"

A pair of hands supported her shoulders. Unfortunately, the person's strength was not great, and Qingfeng still fell to the ground. The pain made her chaotic brain clear up again. After the dizziness passed, Qingfeng finally saw the person who supported her was Fuling, "Fuling? You? Why are you still here?" Didn't she tell her to go back?

Fuling smiled slightly and didn't explain why she was still in the Ceming Palace. Qingfeng's face turned blue, and her breath was disordered. Fuling gently placed her hand on her wrist and couldn't help but be shocked. The lady's pulse was weak, her qi was stagnant, and it seemed like she had suffered internal injuries, but her medical skills were mediocre, and she couldn't see where she was injured. While taking the pulse, Fuling inadvertently saw Qingfeng's other hand hanging weakly by her side, with dark blue bruises on her wrist. Fuling frowned, "Your hand?"

Qingfeng was like a startled hedgehog, immediately shrinking back, "I'm fine!"

Grabbing her shrinking hand, as a medical practitioner, Fuling keenly felt that Qingfeng's wrist bone might be dislocated and said urgently, "Don't move!" Fuling didn't know what happened during the service in bed last night. She only knew that such an injury was extremely painful, and few women could endure the pain of such tendon and bone dislocation, and she was actually still carrying water?

"It will be a little painful, bear with it." Holding Qingfeng's wrist, Fuling accurately reset the dislocated bone. Even though she had tried to be as fast as possible, Qingfeng still trembled slightly from the pain.

Fuling secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was only dislocated. If the bone was broken, it would be really troublesome. Looking up at Qingfeng, Fuling couldn't help but be stunned again. Her pale face was almost transparent, but her lips were bitten red and congested by her. Even though her thin body was already shaking like a fallen leaf in the wind, she still refused to make a sound of pain. While admiring her, Fuling couldn't help but sigh. Why was this woman's temperament so stubborn? She originally wanted to tell her not to use this hand and to raise it well, but her eyes swept over the water bucket beside her, and Fuling could only sigh in a low voice, "Try to use this hand as little as possible, otherwise you will have some difficulty holding a pen in the future." She was a talented woman, and if this injury affected her writing and painting, it would be a pity.

Holding a pen? Qingfeng scoffed. She only cared about whether she could still hold a knife!

Gently rotating her wrist, it was still very painful, but she could exert force. After sitting on the ground for a while, Qingfeng also recovered. Fuling helped her up, and Qingfeng carried the water bucket again. Fuling hurriedly helped her lift the shoulder pole so she could stand up. This half-bucket of water was not light. Fuling originally wanted to help her carry it for a distance, but Xiao Huzi, who had been standing quietly on the side, looked at Fuling, wanting to speak but stopping. Qingfeng snorted, pushed Fuling away lightly, and whispered, "I can do it myself." Xu Ji clearly wanted to fix her, so why should she implicate others.

Taking a deep breath, she took a difficult step, and Qingfeng walked forward firmly step by step.

Fuling looked at Xiao Huzi. Although she didn't say anything, it was hard to hide the blame in her eyes. They were all servants in the palace, so why make things difficult for a fallen woman? Xiao Huzi whispered, "This sister, it's not that Xiao Huzi is cruel, but if you help her, you will not only harm her but also harm yourself." After speaking, Xiao Huzi immediately trotted to follow Qingfeng in front.

Yes, in this palace, no one could help anyone. And what qualifications did she have to pity others? Looking at that stumbling and fading figure, Fuling finally turned around and didn't look back.

The sunset was slanting, pulling the shadows long and thin. That originally slender body, under the pull of the sunset, cast a shadow as thin as a piece of paper, and the two large wooden buckets almost completely drowned her. Xiao Huzi followed Qingfeng with small steps. She lowered her head, swaying forward. Four hours, from morning to evening, she carried seven or eight trips back and forth. Her chapped lips and pale face had no blood color. The back of her indigo palace uniform was wet, and she didn't know why. She had been using her left shoulder to carry water, and the blood blisters on her shoulders were worn out by the heavy shoulder pole. Blood seeped out from under the indigo cloth. Her originally sharp eyes were now scattered and numb, but what remained unchanged was the pace of moving forward.

Being punished by nannies and eunuchs in the palace was a common thing. Most small palace maids would cry and beg for mercy or just let it go. At worst, they would be hungry for a few days or get a few whips, and the eunuchs wouldn't want to take lives, so it would pass. Eunuch Xu wanted her to carry two vats of water, just to dampen her spirit and let her suffer a bit. Xiao Huzi had never seen such a woman, stubborn and resilient to the point that even he felt shocked.

At sunset, more and more palace people came and went in the palace alley. Everyone couldn't help but look at the figure struggling forward, and then whispered and hurried away.

Xiao Huzi really couldn't bear it and whispered, "If it really doesn't work... just take a break."

Qingfeng lowered her head, unable to hear the sounds around her at all, walking forward expressionlessly. Xiao Huzi stared at her without blinking. He was very afraid that she would fall down at some point and never get up again.

Entering the courtyard of the cooking room, Xiao Huzi found that Xu Ji was standing in the courtyard, looking at the unfilled water vat. Trotting forward, Xiao Huzi knelt on the ground and shouted, "Eunuch."

Xu Ji squinted and looked. He saw Qingfeng, who was in a mess and miserable, carrying half a bucket of water and struggling into the courtyard. Her originally arrogant eyes were now dim, and Xu Ji laughed quite happily, "It's been a whole day, why did you only carry such a little water, and make yourself so miserable?"

Qingfeng put down the water bucket silently, not even raising her eyelids, disdaining to look at that triumphant face.

Seeing that she couldn't even lift her head, Xu Ji sneered, pretended to be pitiful, waved his hand, and said, "Forget it, forget it, this servant won't make things difficult for you. Tonight the Emperor is holding a banquet to entertain the Beiqi prince and princess. The Empress pities you as a weak woman, so don't do these rough jobs, go and serve the princess." The Empress was indeed stingy. Even though the Emperor personally named Qing Ling to enter the palace, she was now abandoned. She still wouldn't let her go.

Qingfeng, who had been ignoring him, suddenly raised her head. That cold, sword-like gaze struck again, making Xu Ji remember her arrogance and domineering in the Imperial Kitchen. His heart was unhappy, and he sneered coldly, "You don't have to be so unwilling. Although you are both women offered to the Emperor, who told her to be a princess of a country and a great beauty of Beiqi? Maybe she will be the Emperor's favorite consort in the future. At that time, if you want to carry her shoes, she won't want you!"

Xu Ji's humiliation not only didn't see Qingfeng's heartache as he wished, but saw her laughing wildly.

Favorite consort? Let alone a consort, even the position of Qiongyue Empress, she, Qingfeng, didn't disdain it! But she couldn't expect an old eunuch who only knew how to please the superior and bully the inferior to understand what dignity was. She laughed because Heaven had eyes, and she had another chance to get close to Yan Hongtian so quickly.

Qingfeng laughed wildly by herself, her disheveled hair and hideous face making her look like a lunatic. Xu Ji retreated in shock and pointed at Xiao Huzi, saying, "You quickly take her away and hand her over to the Imperial Household Department."

"Yes."

"Haoyue Qing Beauty, nothing more than this!" Xu Ji was afraid that Qingfeng would go crazy and pounce on him, so he cursed in a low voice and hurried away.

Xu Ji walked out of the courtyard. Qingfeng, who had been laughing wildly, suddenly stopped and said calmly to Xiao Huzi, "Let's go." Her face was calm, her expression cold, completely different from the crazy look just now.

Xiao Huzi scratched his head. He really didn't understand what this woman from Haoyue was thinking.

Ganyang Hall

Tonight, Qiongyue was entertaining the Beiqi envoys. The large main hall was decorated exceptionally magnificently, with gold silk carpets and gilded tableware. Everywhere she looked, it was all golden, showing the spirit of a great country and being noble and pressing.

Qingfeng looked at the golden dragon chair on the top floor and sneered. A ruler like Yan Hongtian, who was eager for quick success and instant benefits, and only knew how to use plunder and conquest to prove himself, could at most be considered a tyrant. Wanting to leave a name in history and be respected by all people was simply a daydream and ridiculous!

The palace banquet was about to begin, and the officials entered the hall one after another. Wu Rong, the managing eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, became even more nervous, shouting at the old nannies to manage the palace maids under them. Such a banquet could not tolerate any mistakes.

The old nanny looked at the woman who had been expressionless and cold since she was brought over in the evening, and sighed secretly in her heart. The superiors had instructions to let her serve the Beiqi princess. She knew the reason for this, so she naturally didn't dare to disobey, but the cold and aloof eyes of this woman always made her feel flustered, fearing that she would cause some trouble for her at the palace banquet later.

Walking to Qingfeng's side, the nanny suddenly grabbed her hand and pretended to be pitiful, saying, "Nanny knows you are unwilling and your heart is very bitter, but you must serve the Beiqi princess well later. Maybe the Emperor will be happy and forgive you. In short, don't be willful and mess around at the palace banquet, otherwise, your life will not be saved."

After Fuling treated her at noon, her right hand didn't hurt so much, but being held so hard by the nanny, the piercing pain struck again. Qingfeng pulled back her hand abruptly. The old nanny was stunned for a moment, her face turned black, and she scolded, "The Eunuch is talking to you, don't think you are still a master!"

(End of chapter)