Yun Cang couldn"t wait to visit the palace of Ronghua Hua once he went back from the court. He thought his Qingxin must be greatly moved but did not want to get overwhelmed by her feelings, so she asked him to leave her alone.
He was wondering about the next surprise she would present him.
"Your majesty."
At this moment, Consort Ming walked to him and gave a salute.
"Oh." Yun Cang just nodded to her and kept walking.
Consort Ming followed him immediately and said, "You must be tired after dealing with court affairs, your majesty. How about having a sit in my palace?"
"No. I"ve promised Ronghua Hua to see her."
"Ronghua Hua?" Consort Ming came around soon, and she said in astonishment, "You mean…"
"What? Any problem?" Yun Cang did not want to hear what she would say.
Consort Ming played with the handkerchief in her hands. She was annoyed but she suppressed her anger, "No. But Ronghua Hua is really the first one to be promoted within such a short time in the imperial harem."
"You may leave if you have no other things here." Yun Cang smiled, showing that he did not want to talk with her anymore.
But Consort Ming still followed him, "I heard something, but I wonder if I should tell you, your majesty."
"Don"t tell me if it"s so hard for you to decide."
"But I feel that I should tell you about it." Consort Ming checked the expression of Yun Cang and said, "Your Majesty, everyone in the palace says that Ronghua Hua is the spy working for Prince Yun Hai."
"Nonsense!" Yun Cang shouted in a low voice.
Consort Ming grumbled, "Everyone says that…"
"How did Prince Yun Hai know I would choose Ronghua Hua? Do you believe he can predict the future?"
"Maybe it is only a coincidence. I guess, since they are on good terms, even if she wasn"t his spy before she was selected, they can contact each other in secrete later. What if…"
Yun Cang stared at Consort Ming, and his eyes looked bleaker. Consort Ming lowered her voice.
"Consort Ming, you are slandering her without evidence. It might be a felony?"
Consort Ming didn"t dare to say more. She muttered, "Your majesty, I heard…"
"Enough. Go back and balance an incense burner on your head." Yun Cang didn"t want to waste his time on those annoying words.
Consort Ming stopped with anger and waved the handkerchief and said in a hokey way, "I want to say that I heard that the Empress Dowager summoned Ronghua Hua this morning. But she has not been back until now."
Yun Cang was astonished. He turned around and asked, "What did you tell the Empress Dowager?"
"Everyone in the imperial harem heard the screech of Ronghua Hua last night. What else do we need to do?" Consort Ming laughed in mind.
Yun Cang sneered and went off in a huff.
In the palace of the Empress Dowager, the old mammy slapped hard on Hua Qingxin, and said harshly, "Tell me, who sent you to seduce the emperor?"
Hua Qingxin kneeled on the ground, and declared again, "I did not seduce him!"
Hua Qingxin was given another heavy slap.
The queen mother was sitting up elegantly, and Li Zhuozhuo, her favorite niece, was sitting on the left side of her. She was 16 years old, unmarried. With loosened hairs, she stared at Hua Qingxin with her sharp eyes.
Ronghua Yue sitting aside instigated, "She was showing off by making such loud noises at the first night. She must be up to something since she tried so hard to get the favor of his majesty."
The other concubines had different expressions; some of them despised her, some hated her, and some others kept quiet.
"The emperor forced me. The t.i.tle of Ronghua was conferred by the emperor, too. Ask his majesty if you don"t believe." Hua Qingxin glanced at them, and said in a disdainful way, "You only dare to speak ill of me behind my back, you malicious women."
"How could he notice you if you did not seduce him?" Li Zhuozhuo raised her jaw and sneered, "I"ve heard from eunuchs that the emperor did not plan to come to your palace. But you waited him in the Imperial Garden. Or you would never be conferred as a Ronghua this morning."
Hua Qingxin couldn"t care less about the conferment.
There was a saying that people did not cherish things acquired easily. Hua Qingxin was not thankful to the conferring but treat it like dirt. "I was in the Imperial Garden, but it had nothing to do with the emperor. The emperor forced himself on me."
"Slap her!" Li Zhuozhuo shouted weakly.
The mammy slapped her in the face fiercely again. Hua Qingxin closed her eyes subconsciously. But the powerful palm did not fall on her face.
She opened her eyes, and saw Yun Cang stopping that withered palm in the air.
The mammy was so scared that she kneeled on the ground immediately. All the others there kowtowed, too.
At the sight of Yun Cang, Li Zhuozhuo put on another face immediately. Running to the emperor through the Empress Dowager, she said with anger in a coquettish way, "Brother, she insulted you."
Yun Cang let go of the mammy. Giving no glance at Li Zhuozhuo, he greeted to the Empress Dowager, "Mother."
"Hum. You came at the right time." The Empress Dowager sat up gracefully, pointing at Hua Qingxin, "This woman seduced your majesty, and might be a spy. Your Majesty shouldn"t show any mercy to her, better dispose her as soon as possible."
Yun Cang straightened his back. This young and energetic emperor said in a not loud but firm voice, "I don"t care about what she did in the past. I just care about what she does now!"