"She would instigate the sisters to act unruly and bully others. Many times she has offended people and use your name! By now, mistress was painted as a tyrant by her! Ying'er couldn't watch anymore as she tarnishes your name and let mistress be punish in her stead!"
Shen Ying talked in one breath. She was panting and crying at the same time. Just a breath away from having a panic attack.
"This servant is being slandered! How could I push mistress at the front of the blade?" Shen Rou cried even harder than Shen Ying. By now, the whole Xian Feng palace is filled with the sound of women crying.
When her act did not heed any result. And when the two kept on supporting each other, Shen Rou panicked.
"This.... You! You're sawing discord between mistress and I! How dark your heart must be! Just what wrong did I do to you!"
When you cornered a beast, it will bite you with desperate attempts. It was true for Shen Rou.
The always softspoken servant turned desperate and jump at her mistress in an attempt to separate the two.
Feng Lei heart shattered at the thought that Shen Rou wanted to hurt her own sister. With her good coordination, she easy switch their position and hold Shen Ying in a protective embrace.
Luckily, the big mamas at the side were not just for show. They caught Shen Rou and pin her down.
"Stop! Where do you think you are?!" Wei Yi Yi put an end towards their drama.
The whole thing derailed from the topic! Who cares about them playing house?!
Whatever they're crying about, it's between their group, why must she act as witness? It's killing off her brain cells!
"Bengong will tell you honestly Imperial Consort Feng. Who's responsible, who's the one that started it, who's at fault, what's the truth; this empress does not care," she stated.
Everyone came to a realization at that point. The empress is as indifferent as ever. She still sat on her throne, just looking at them as if they were clay dolls. Whether it is her stubbornness or obliviousness, her confident as an empress remain.
It might have just been that her indifference took on a different form after getting bored of the inner palace.
"All that matter is the fact that Jiang Chen got injured. And for this, someone must be punished. Severely so. Now, it's either you'll take that punishment or you'll punish them for bengong!" she threaten Feng Lei.
Having enough of this uproar, she stood up to leave. Wei Yi Yi did not forget to carry Jiang Chen back with her.
Feng Lei gathered herself and tirelessly bow towards the empress. "Understood your majesty. This younger sister will give you a satisfying answer."
The empress simply turn her back against them while Jiang Chen peek from her shoulder. Feng Lei was giving a proper salutation but she carried an aura of defeat. Shen Ying was crying at the side while Shen Rou was struggling from the momos that's holding her to the ground.
It was an aftermath of a fierce strom.
He comfortably laid his head on Wei Yi Yi's shoulder, his arms hugging her neck.
"Eunuch Yuan," Wei Yi Yi did not forget about him. "You better pray that you could retrieve Ah Chen's servant!"
Wei Yi Yi strongly express her disappointment with Xiao Yuan Xi.
No one ever knew when does the empress started to think of Jiang Chen as her own person.
But the evidence is right infront of them. The empress would shield the little prince and those that don't have eyes will surely be feed to the dogs.
-------
The moment they step inside the Bai Yu Palace, Feng Lei dragged Shen Rou towards the open area and throw her at the ground.
"Hold her down." Feng Lei ordered, her voice sounded blank.
Some eunuch swiftly act out. They did not even give Shen Rou a chance to cry out as they block her mouth. She looked distressed toward her mostress. Her eye communicating. Hoping she could hear her silent pleas.
"Yesterday, you told bengong it was an accident. Was it really so?"
Imperial Consort Feng wave her hand and a servant step forward holding her whip. As a master, she will personally be responsible for her maidservant's punishment!
"Shen Rou! I treated you as a person! Gave you food and shelter! I never shortened you of anything and this is what you gave in return?!"
Blood drew in each swing of Feng Lei's whip. These wounds, even if they healed, would leave a lifetime of scars for Shen Rou to remember.
Memories of the years they spend together flash in Feng Lei's mind. She treated her as family, a companion and an allied. And to think that for this person, everything is a sham!
When Feng Lei choose her dowry girls, she picked the two of them out of all the capable people presented. Simply because Shen Rou and Shen Ying reminds her of that person.
Shen Rou(gentle) was named in remembrance of who that person is. While Shen Ying(hero) represent her feelings and her expectations.
Ah but Shen Ying and that person remained timid while Shen Rou tarnished her name.
Shen Rou must be laughing at her, treating her like a fool whenever she run into her rescue! It must have been fun, seeing her dance in her palms!
With the last ounce of her strength, she sent a heavy blow that sent Shen Rou to the ground.
"Cut her tongue and sell her to a brothel!"
Feng Lei heart pounded close to her ears. Each swing was heavy, like lifting a boulder, but she see to it until the end.
While the other servants step back in an attempt to escape, Shen Ying gathered her remaining courage and hold her mistress.
The warmth of this touch sent Feng Lei's frustrations to the surface. She was so angry all she could do was cry. Mourning for their broken 'family', she cling towards her last straw. "Ying'er, I'm wrong. You're fine just the way you are. Don't change, ok? Mistress will protect you."