Chapter 259: Mysterious Freak (4)

"Ugh—"

The sound of retching was very uncomfortable to hear, but the woman in the darkness was in a good mood and laughed in a low voice, "You will get used to it slowly."

"Ugh—"

She would never get used to it! Taking a deep breath for a long time, she finally suppressed the feeling of nausea. Qingfeng said coldly, word for word, "I won't stay here for a lifetime." In order to survive, she had been eating rancid food for several days. And as for the medicine sent every day, she still hadn't drunk it. She didn't trust anyone now.

She said it firmly, but unfortunately, her pale complexion and dark eye sockets made her words sound like a joke. The woman sneered disdainfully, "It's good enough that you don't die here. Even if you get out, so what? Are you still hoping for the Emperor's favor?"

Favor? Qingfeng sneered. She wished he would die! The woman seemed not to have heard Qingfeng's sneer. She fell into her own thoughts again, muttering, "What if you get favored for a while? You can't beat her?"

She could often hear that helpless and fearful muttering. Who exactly was that "her"? Leaning against the stone wall, Qingfeng asked in a low, panting voice, "Her? Who is she?"

The woman came back to her senses, rested her head on her knees, hugged her arms tightly, and didn't answer Qingfeng's question. Qingfeng frowned and sighed, "You are so afraid of her."

This sentence seemed to stimulate the woman. She stood up abruptly and glared at Qingfeng, roaring in a low voice, "I'm not afraid of her! I only hate that God doesn't have eyes!"

Qingfeng was startled by her sudden roar. Just as she wanted to say something else, the woman had already curled up and shrank back into the dark corner.

Who was this woman? And what happened that caused her to be locked in the Heavenly Prison for so many years? If she were a concubine, she should have been sent to the Cold Palace if her crime wasn't punishable by death. Was she an ordinary palace maid? She didn't look like one.

With a self-deprecating smile, why was she asking so much? The sunset glow gradually couldn't shine into the small stone window, and the darkness would soon swallow her again.

In the season of spring, the azaleas bestowed by the Emperor in Lingyun Palace were in full bloom. Clusters of beautiful pink flowers decorated the small courtyard in front of the hall, making it charming and pleasant. Although the beautiful flowers were beautiful, they couldn't compare to the woman in the courtyard. Wearing a goose-yellow palace dress, her skin was as crystal clear as snow. Her elegant face couldn't be called stunning, but the faint smile between her lips made her look gentle and moving.

The palace maid Wu'er stared at the embroidery in the woman's hand for a long time and finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Mistress, why are the eyes of the eagle you embroidered red?" Her mistress's embroidery skills were superb, and the eagle she embroidered was lifelike and domineering, but those blood-red eyes looked terrifying no matter how she looked at them. Weren't an eagle's eyes black?

The woman stared intently at the embroidery in her hand, the embroidery needle shuttling between the brocades. Hearing Wu'er's words, the woman just smiled slightly and didn't answer.

"Because what Zhen'er embroidered is a black-winged kite." A low laugh came from behind them. The little palace maid's face changed slightly. Without turning her head, she immediately knelt on the ground and said, "Long live the Emperor, long live, long live!"

The beautiful woman was obviously much calmer. She gently tucked the embroidery needle into the brocade before slowly standing up and bowing elegantly, "This subject greets the Emperor."

Yan Hongtian walked to the stone stool and sat down, picked up the embroidery to look at it, and said casually, "Get up."

Wu'er hurriedly helped her mistress up and then retreated to the side quietly. Zhen Zhen walked to Yan Hongtian's side, and her waist suddenly tightened. The next second, she was already being held in his arms.

Putting down the embroidery, Yan Hongtian smiled, "Zhen'er hasn't embroidered for a long time. Why do you have such elegant interest today?"

Zhen Zhen smiled slightly and replied obediently, "A few days ago, the tiger-skin parrot raised by the Empress Dowager spoke again. The Empress Dowager liked it very much, so the Imperial Household Department sent another one just like it to the Empress Dowager, which made the Empress Dowager furious. This subject guessed that the Empress Dowager should like something more special."

Her eyes swept over the eagle that had been half-embroidered on the brocade again. Yan Hongtian raised the corners of his mouth and laughed loudly, "Zhen'er is indeed wise and virtuous." The black-winged kite was of the eagle family, which was more noble and fierce than a parrot. The two Empress Dowagers had been fighting for many years, and this gift of hers would definitely please the Empress Dowager. And since she only sent embroidery, it couldn't be considered offending the Empress Dowager. Zhen'er had always been smart, and this time was no exception.

Zhen Zhen smiled softly and didn't take the credit. At this time, a little eunuch stood at the palace gate for a while before saying in a low voice, "Reporting to the Emperor, Chief Steward Gao has returned."

Yan Hongtian raised his hand lightly, and the little eunuch retreated respectfully.

Without leaving a trace, she glanced at Yan Hongtian's hand that was still around her waist. Zhen Zhen didn't get up, still sitting on his lap, but slowly sat up straight, no longer leaning in his arms.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Gao Jin stood at the palace gate without walking into the garden.

Playing with Zhen Zhen's soft hair, Yan Hongtian asked indifferently, "Did you find out clearly?"

"Yes. In order to send the Qing sisters to Qiongyue, the Haoyue sovereign forced the two elders of the Qing family to their deaths. The three young ladies were heartbroken and committed suicide on the way. Fortunately, they were rescued in time, but because the three young ladies ruined their own appearances, and Qing Ling and Qingfeng looked too much alike, the Haoyue officials didn't see clearly and sent the wrong person."

Those eyes full of hatred, stubborn and unyielding, flashed in his mind. Yan Hongtian paused slightly while holding the tea and murmured with a smile, "So that's how it is. It seems I blamed her wrongly."

Not ignoring the interesting light in Yan Hongtian's eyes, Zhen Zhen picked up the spring tea brewed on the table and sent it to Yan Hongtian, sighing in a low voice, "Your Majesty, in fact, it was the responsibility of those officials to send the wrong person. She is a woman who lost her parents, had her appearance ruined, and was separated from her sisters. She is really pitiful."

Yan Hongtian took the teacup. The tea was neither cold nor hot, and the temperature was just right. Looking at the woman who was obedient in his arms, Yan Hongtian suddenly smiled, "Alright, since Consort Hui has spoken, then spare her."

"Gao Jin, go and pick her up from the Heavenly Prison, bestow her to live in Shuyun Palace, and confer her the title of?" Pausing for a moment, Yan Hongtian curled his lips and smiled, "Confer her the title of Concubine Qing."

Gao Jin was shocked. Qingfeng jumped from having no rank to being a concubine, which didn't seem to follow the rules. After hesitating for a while, Gao Jin still replied, "Yes."

"Wait." Gao Jin had just turned to leave when Yan Hongtian's pleasant, deep voice rang out again, "From today on, Shuyun Palace will be renamed Qingfeng Hall."

"Yes."

This time, not only Gao Jin was stunned, but even the obedient little cat in his arms stiffened. Gently hooking Zhen Zhen's chin, Yan Hongtian smiled evilly and asked, "Are you satisfied with this, Zhen'er?"

Raising a beautiful smile, Zhen Zhen smiled and replied, "Congratulations to the Emperor for gaining another beauty." The woman who obediently snuggled into Yan Hongtian's arms again had a bitter and dim smile on her face.

Thinking of those stubborn but absolutely real eyes, Yan Hongtian's mouth curled into an arc again. Qingfeng, have you learned what it means to be humble in the Heavenly Prison?

"Concubine Qing?!" The hand holding the white porcelain teacup shook, and the hot tea spilled out. Xin Yuening was scalded and immediately let go. Seeing that the tea was about to spill onto her legs, a plain white slender hand steadily caught the falling teacup and moved it away in time. Seeing that Shui Xin had caught the teacup and not a drop of tea had splashed on her, Xin Yuening secretly breathed a sigh of relief. But thinking that the Emperor had actually broken the rules and conferred the title of concubine on a woman of a foreign race, Xin Yuening's anger rose again. Glaring at Shui Xin, she asked angrily, "Did the Emperor really confer her the title of concubine?"

The teacup was held in her hand, but the hot tea had already spilled out. Her fair hand was scalded red. Shui Xin just frowned slightly, put the teacup on the side table, and replied in a low voice, "Yes, the Emperor also bestowed the name Qingfeng Hall on Shuyun Palace."

The Emperor changed the palace name for Qingfeng?! Did Qingfeng really have such great charm, or? Xin Yuening's face darkened abruptly, "Did Consort Hui ask the Emperor to confer the title of concubine on Qingfeng?"

"Consort Hui did plead for Qingfeng, but?" Before Shui Xin finished speaking, Xin Yuening couldn't listen any longer when she heard that this matter was indeed related to Consort Hui. In a fit of anger, she raised her hand and knocked all the tea sets on the side table to the ground: "This palace knew it was her! In order to please the Emperor, she would do anything."

The sound of the teacups breaking startled the palace maids outside the hall, and their bodies trembled. They lowered their heads even lower, and no one dared to look into the inner room, except for Shui Xin, who was standing beside Xin Yuening and could still remain calm.

"Why hasn't the matter I asked you to handle been done yet?" If Qingfeng had died in the Heavenly Prison at this time, there wouldn't be any Concubine Qing today. Although Xin Yuening had lowered her voice, the displeasure in her tone was still easy to hear. Shui Xin's face still showed no panic. She bowed slightly and replied in a low voice, "Although Qingfeng was locked in the Heavenly Prison, someone invited Imperial Physician Huang to treat her. There seems to be someone secretly protecting her by her side. Before finding out who is protecting her, this servant thought that we should wait and see for now and not act rashly."

"Is it Consort Hui playing tricks in secret?"

The two had been fighting for five or six years, and she didn't know how capable Consort Hui was? As long as it involved Consort Hui, the Empress would lose her footing. A trace of faint helplessness flashed in Shui Xin's eyes, and she could only follow her words and reply, "This servant will continue to investigate."

Seeing that she hadn't found any news, Xin Yuening said impatiently, "Withdraw."

"Yes." Shui Xin retreated silently. After exiting the hall, she took out the silk handkerchief from her sleeve to cover the back of her hand, which had been scalded red and swollen, and Shui Xin walked toward the Imperial Medical Garden.

Inside the hall, Xin Yuening looked coldly at the broken porcelain and tea stains on the ground, biting her lips lightly. Zhen Zhen, you hypocritical woman, do you think that by following the Emperor's curiosity, you can make the Emperor love you more? Or do you think that a woman whose appearance is ruined cannot pose a threat to you? Hmph! This palace will make you lift a rock only to drop it on your own feet this time!

Night arrived as scheduled. In the dark cell, Qingfeng curled her body and trembled uncontrollably. It was the beginning of summer, but she felt as if she were in an ice cellar. The only motivation that could support her was her kind and weak eldest sister and her young and timid younger sister. She couldn't and didn't dare to close her eyes.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 260 =====