"You don't need to know that, just follow us obediently," the nanny said with a smile, not elaborating further but gesturing unmistakably towards Su Zhiruan, making it clear that she had no choice but to follow them today.
Su Zhiruan didn't say anything more. She followed behind the nanny and a line of people headed towards the Empress Dowager's sleeping palace.
At this moment inside the Cining Palace.
The Empress Dowager sat upright, dressed in a maroon auspicious cloud robe, holding a teacup in her left hand and skimming the leaves off with the lid in her right. She took a leisurely sip before looking at the Noble Consort below her, "The person you requested is brought to you, yet should your actions be too excessive, I will not turn a blind eye."
"Aunt! That wretched girl has gone too far, monopolizing the Emperor for over a month. I see her as nothing but a vixen, a disaster! She deserves Your Majesty to personally step in and then properly deal with her!" The Noble Consort tore at her handkerchief as if she were tearing at Su Zhiruan herself, her expression becoming fierce as she continuously glanced towards the door.
The Empress Dowager did not speak further, leisurely looking towards the door as well.
She had only recently learned of Su Zhiruan's matter from the Noble Consort, but her thoughts were different.
The Emperor seldom set foot in the harem. If not for the sake of an heir, he might not visit even once a year.
Now, having someone he likes yet not bestowing a title showed that the Emperor wanted to keep her by his side. If he performed the conjugal rights night after night, perhaps the palace maid might indeed give birth to an heir.
For the Empress Dowager, though she and the Noble Consort shared a maternal family, she was not just a subject's daughter; she was the mother of the reigning Emperor and Empress Dowager of the Imperial Family. If Su Zhiruan gave birth to an heir, the Noble Consort would become insignificant to her.
By calling the person over now, ostensibly, it was to vent anger for the Noble Consort, but she was also keen to see what this maid was capable of and to probe the Emperor's intentions.
Amidst these astute thoughts, the Empress Dowager heard footsteps outside the Cining Palace—the person should have been brought here.
The nanny entered the hall first, "Slave begs to see the Empress Dowager and the Noble Consort. By the imperial command, the imperial maid Susu is waiting outside the hall."
The eunuchs belonged to the Noble Consort and did not enter; at that moment, only the Empress Dowager, the Noble Consort, a few palace maids, and the nanny were present in the hall.
"Drag her out and beat her with forty heavy strikes immediately!" The Noble Consort slammed the table and stood up, her long armor scraping against the hardwood table, each movement making a piercing grating sound.
The nanny looked at the Empress Dowager. As someone who had accompanied the Empress Dowager for a full forty years, she naturally understood that the Empress Dowager had other plans.
And as for this Noble Consort...
The nanny thought to herself, if not for her illustrious family background and sharing a maternal home with the Empress Dowager, she might not even know how she died in this merciless harem. Maintaining equanimity is the first rule to learn in the harem.
"Empress Dowager..." the nanny raised her eyes slightly towards Her Majesty.
"A mere servant," the Empress Dowager pondered for a moment, her eyes lifting at the corners as if she were smiling, "Since she is here, let her wait, I have a headache coming on again."
With those words, the nanny immediately understood what the Empress Dowager meant.
Having Susu wait downstairs was both a form of humiliation and a test.
"Speaking of the Emperor, let him catch a hint as well," the Empress Dowager's summoning of Su Zhiruan wasn't solely to bully her in the Noble Consort's behalf—it was more so to test her beloved son's inclinations.
"Yes, Your Majesty, this slave will go at once." The nanny bowed, preparing to leave but was stopped by the Empress Dowager.
"No need, just have a few girls spread the word, I don't believe the Emperor doesn't know someone is missing from his side." The Empress Dowager laughed, knowing her child better than anyone else.
Now that there are no heirs in the harem, the Noble Consort holds the highest position, and as her maternal aunt, it is natural for me to protect her.
Su Zhiruan knelt outside the Cining Palace, not surprised by this outcome at all, even expecting it.
Ancient people, especially the concubines in the harem, including the Empress Dowager, all favored punishing by kneeling.
She shifted to a more comfortable position and continued to kneel properly, without any complaint. She guessed the punishment of kneeling would last for a while, so she simply activated her system.
"[Host, is there something you need?]" The system, clueless, had just woken up from sleep to see Su Zhiruan kneeling on the ground and was startled, almost thinking the task had failed again.
"I wonder what will happen after completing a task?" Su Zhiruan was a go-with-the-flow type, but she wasn't sentimental. On the contrary, she was skeptical of the abstract and uncertain nature of emotions, so for her, a task was just a task; it's what comes after completing the task that she wanted to see.
"[Host, once you complete all tasks, you can choose to return to the real world, where you will receive a hundred billion and your lifespan will increase. There will also be houses and cars, anything you want, we can provide for you]"
"[Completing short-term tasks, that is, tasks in the current realm, you can choose to live out your life with the target of the task, until their natural death. Or you can opt to leave directly, and our system world will create a copy of you to take your place, it's all up to you.]"
Su Zhiruan digested the information, indicating she understood.
All in all, there was quite a bit of freedom. After completing the task, she could stay or leave directly, and after completing all tasks, she could return to her original world and live a wealthy life, with her lifespan extended.
Such good days had not been experienced by her in her previous life as a working person.
Thinking this, even being deliberately left to kneel didn't seem too bad.
As the saying goes, "In war, there are thirty-six strategies," and the bitter-flesh strategy is one of them.
She remained expressionless, continuing to kneel obediently and submissively.
*
After half an hour, the Noble Consort in the Cining Palace couldn't bear it anymore, "Aunt! This little wretch is so enduring! She hasn't moved an inch even after half an hour! In my opinion, she's just acting, the Emperor has been fooled by her pitiful act!"
"Indeed, she is quite tolerant." The Empress Dowager also had not expected that she only intended to avenge the Noble Consort and punish Su Zhiruan for her misconduct, yet Su Zhiruan hadn't uttered a word and had continued to kneel properly for half an hour.
This, to her, a woman past her fifties, suddenly felt an admiration.
The way young girls are nowadays, especially those like the Noble Consort who were pampered from a young age, wouldn't be able to handle kneeling as punishment for half an hour, let alone stand for half an hour without complaining.
She actually found herself liking this calm and composed young girl.
With a thought, the Empress Dowager decided not to keep her kneeling for an hour; she put down her tea cup, "Someone, let that palace maid come in."
"Empress Dowager Aunt!?" The Noble Consort's mouth fell open.
"Yes, my Lady." The servant, upon receiving the order, went out to call for Su Zhiruan.