"Noble Consort, praying for the Empress Dowager and His Majesty is no small matter, carelessness is not permissible. The Empress Dowager has chosen you from among the many imperial consorts, which naturally shows her great recognition of you. Therefore, to demonstrate your sincerity, the Empress Dowager has ordered that you stay here for three days. What do you think?"
Sister Li spoke as if respectfully, yet her expression carried a certain haughty arrogance.
It was clearly a punishment, yet she made it sound like an immense honor!
Yun Zhi secretly rolled her eyes and cursed the old witch in her heart!
They called it praying, but staying in this godforsaken place for three days, and kneeling the whole time, no less.
If it were someone with a weaker constitution, they wouldn't last half a day, let alone her mistress who had been pampered since childhood.
That Empress Dowager really knew how to grind people down!
Mingshu surveyed the Buddhist Hall's decorations and layout, which were spacious enough, but perhaps because the Buddhist Hall never saw daylight, lingering too long gave rise to a sense of damp and cold, and the air was filled with a musty smell of humidity.
To be in such an environment for three days, at best one could fall seriously ill, and at worst, develop a chronic condition. That old witch indeed thought highly of her.
Mingshu thought and then withdrew her gaze, her lips lightly curving into a smile as she looked at Sister Li and amiably said, "Please relay to the Empress Dowager that with her elderly grace, this palace will certainly pray with all sincerity for her."
Upon hearing the words "her elderly grace" from her lips, Sister Li visibly twitched, and she somehow felt uneasy seeing the curve of Mingshu's lips.
Before coming, she'd been instructed that if the Noble Consort was uncooperative, she should demonstrate her disciplining skills and ensure a lasting impression.
She had thought of several ways to handle this pampered Noble Consort, but from beginning to end, the latter had maintained a respectful demeanor, exceedingly amenable, making it difficult for Sister Li to justifiably lash out.
All the tactics she had prepared beforehand were useless.
Perhaps this Noble Consort was merely bluffing after all?
Sister Li's expression turned rigid, her eyes deep with meaning. "The Noble Consort is indeed someone who understands propriety and reason."
Mingshu nodded in agreement, "Of course. Otherwise, how could I have been entrusted with such an important task by the Empress Dowager?"
Sister Li choked up, "..." So mentioning someone's weight is a cause for them to start panting?
...
Mingshu sent Sister Li off with a beaming smile.
Yun Zhi glanced warily at the two palace maids standing at the door and, pulling Mingshu aside into a corner, lowered her voice with a grave expression, "Your Highness, is there anything you would like to order me to do?"
She had been somewhat worried, afraid that she would inevitably have to endure hardship alongside her mistress. However, seeing her mistress so composed, Yun Zhi felt at ease.
This was a sure win!
Her mistress must have thought of a solution long ago!
But to Yun Zhi's surprise, Mingshu glanced at her with a puzzled look, "Order what?"
Yun Zhi's eyes widened slightly, her anxiety rising, "For example, bring in reinforcements, or think of some other strategy! We can't just sit here waiting for doom, can we?"
Mingshu's lips curved in interest as she assumed a listening pose, "Then tell me, who do you have in mind to bring in?"
Yun Zhi opened her mouth, suddenly at a loss for words.
Because she realized that, right after her mistress entered the palace, she managed to offend everyone—whether they deserved it or not…
Now, if others weren't avoiding her and taking pleasure in her misfortune, they were already being quite decent.
Furthermore, even if there were one or two who could overlook past grievances, who would dare to risk offending the Empress Dowager to speak up for her mistress?
If there really was such a person, she would deem them a Living Bodhisattva!
Having face reality, Yun Zhi fell silent.
Then she started to cry.