...
Everyone recalled the scene at the time, feeling a chill run down their spines and turmoil in their stomachs, burying their heads deep as they were terrified of being the target of wrath.
Consort Shu bit her lip, feeling anxious in her heart.
She had always been somewhat afraid of her cousin, and she knew well that if she really angered him, not even her aunt could save her!
But today's incident was clearly not her fault...
She harbored silent resentment, only to hear a pretentiously heart-wrenching cry beside her, she was so shocked that she forgot her fear and stared in disbelief.
Mingshu pinched her thigh fiercely, crying with great involvement, playing the role of a villain lodging a complaint first, to the hilt:
"Wu wu wu, Emperor, you must stand up for your servant! Your servant feels wronged..."
"..."
Everyone silently looked at Consort Shu's face, which was hard to bear to look at, then at Mingshu's fair and tender face, thinking to themselves, you wronged my ass!
As for Consort Shu herself, she was absolutely suffocated: could there actually be such shameless people in the world?!!
Soon, she realized she had cursed too soon.
Truthfully, Mingshu did not know if this tactic would work. She felt great when venting her anger, but now she couldn't help feeling a bit tentative. As she desperately tried to squeeze out tears, she daringly glanced at Si Chu's expression.
When she looked up, she met his eyes, which were unpredictable in joy and anger, head-on.
That gaze was deep and cool, as if it could penetrate the heart, causing Mingshu's chest to feel cold. Her feigned crying halted for a moment, and she hesitated.
If she had set up the stage and he did not cooperate, wouldn't she end up extremely embarrassed?
Fortunately, after a while, Si Chu moved. He propped his chin with his hand, his eyes half-lidded as they swept over her, his dark pupils fixing on her with apparent interest, "What grievances do you have?"
Consort Shu could not believe it and exclaimed, "Emperor! She..."
Si Chu's eyes and brows suddenly darkened with a dangerous air, chillingly fixing on her, "Did I allow you to speak?"
Consort Shu's pupils shrank, and she was so scared that she immediately fell silent, though there was still some resentment in her eyes.
Perhaps scared by his unpredictable temperament, the hall grew even quieter than before.
For a moment, only Mingshu's sobbing could be heard.
As embarrassed as she was, having come this far, she could only grit her teeth and continue to cry, "Your servant is wronged, Consort Shu's skin is indeed thick, my hand hurt from hitting her!"
Consort Shu: ???
As she said that, she paid no heed to the murderous gaze from Consort Shu beside her, showed her delicate palm, and indeed, her originally fair hand was red, with some swelling upon close inspection.
But no one felt sympathy for her.
How hard must she have hit to swell her hand like that?
Si Chu gazed at the reddened swelling, a flash of displeasure quickly crossing his eyes. He lifted his gaze to Mingshu's tear-filled eyes, suddenly scoffing a cold laugh, "It seems to me, that your skin is quite thick as well."
Consort Shu's eyes brightened with joy, quickly glancing at Mingshu with undisguised triumph in her gaze.
Mingshu pouted, her expression turning slightly bitter.
It seemed it was still no good...
"Why did you hit her?"
Mingshu was startled, her round eyes widening slightly as she looked up.
Si Chu frowned slightly, his expression showing slight impatience, "How did she provoke you? There must be a reason, right?"
Consort Shu's mouth twitched: ???
What do you mean she provoked that slut?
She clearly hadn't done anything!!
Mingshu's eyes brightened slightly, she pursed her lips, her reddened tear ducts drooping slightly, and with force she squeezed out two crocodile tears, looking pitifully downcast, "She insulted your servant, even calling me by my name so fiercely! Your servant could not hold back..."
She felt she could still try harder, be even more of a white lotus, so she raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye, slightly biting her red lip, "Consort Shu brought soup for the Emperor, but your servant also prepared some pastries for the Emperor. If the Emperor would drink her soup, he surely wouldn't want to eat your servant's pastries..."
Mingshu lifted her slender neck, her misty eyes looking at Si Chu, her gaze draped in grievance and an involuntary air of coquetry, "Your servant has never been wronged at home, so I could only wrong Consort Shu instead."
She blinked, a crystal tear hanging on her eyelashes, about to fall but not yet fallen, her tone not the least bit shy, even righteous, "So your servant smashed her soup."
...