Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 330 - 328

Chapter 330: 328

The Empress Dowager is ill!

She refuses to see anyone, including the Emperor, the Empress and several princes who requested audiences, all stopped outside Cining Palace.

Even the imperial doctor is not allowed to enter!

Over the past few days, the atmosphere in the palace has been decidedly delicate. The maids and eunuchs have become even more tentative in their actions.

Shangguan Xuanyi has just returned from outside the palace, removing his black cloak. A eunuch immediately stepped forward to take it.

Shangguan Xuanhao had already stationed a few individuals at the palace gate who, upon Shangguan Xuanyi’s return, went straight to report to him.

Just as Shangguan Xuanyi’s front foot stepped into his own courtyard, Shangguan Xuanhao’s back foot followed in.

"The Empress Dowager has refused to see us for three days now, it seems like she’s determined to fight with you to the end." Everyone knows that the Empress Dowager fell ill because Shangguan Xuanyi punished Aunt Lin.

Every time Shangguan Xuanhao thought about what happened that day, he couldn’t help but admire Shangguan Xuanyi.

That day, after Shangguan Xuanyi sent Xiao’er back home and left the palace, the Empress Dowager spared Aunt Lin from corporal punishment due to her decades of service. She had no merits but she had worked hard, and when she was young, she had saved the Empress Dowager’s life. Therefore, Aunt Lin was only sent to the Clothing Bureau without further punishment.

The Clothing Bureau is essentially the palace’s laundry.

The Empress Dowager had originally planned to let Aunt Lin stay in the Clothing Bureau for a while and find an excuse to call her back to her side. Who would have thought that when Shangguan Xuanyi came back, he would order Aunt Lin to be flogged ten times without any explanations, leaving bloody wounds on her buttocks!

When the Empress Dowager learned of this, it was too late. She could only send someone over with Jinchuang ointment to treat Aunt Lin’s wounds.

The Empress Dowager summoned Shangguan Xuanyi, questioning why he had allowed Aunt Lin to be beaten when she had clearly stated that Aunt Lin should be spared. Was his disregard indicative of his willingness to ignore her words?

Shangguan Xuanyi saluted the Empress Dowager, then said: "Please calm down, Grandmother. I just returned and was unaware that you had already spared her punishment. Now that she has already been beaten, how about I go and apologize to her?"

After a single sentence from him, the Empress Dowager couldn’t say anything else.

Asking a prince to apologize to a mere servant? How could that be possible?

A master is a master, and a servant is a servant. Even if the master does something wrong, he can be comforted, but there is no reason for him to apologize.

Upon hearing his words, the Empress Dowager’s burning anger was extinguished as if a bucket of water had been dumped on it. The dying embers hissed, not able to be extinguished nor regain their previous intensity, causing her to seethe in simmering pain!

And so, the Empress Dowager feigned sickness, confined herself to bed, and refused to see anyone.

"It’s just a servant, if she has to be punished, she will be punished." Shangguan Xuanyi was indifferent in the face of what Shangguan Xuanhao had just said.

Show weakness? If he backed down now, what would happen to his Xiao’er in the future? Would she not be bullied by everyone? He was acting like this to set an example, to show what happened when people crossed him. If he backed down now, he would undo all his previous efforts.

The Empress Dowager cares deeply for her own maid, but who will feel the same compassion for his Xiao’er when she is so cruelly mistreated by the Empress Dowager?

He needs the Empress Dowager to understand how important Xiao’er is to him.

Shangguan Xuanhao was taken aback by Shangguan Xuanyi’s words, "That’s the Empress Dowager’s personal maid, and a loyal one at that, with decades of master-servant sentiment between them. Essentially, you have chopped off the Empress Dowager’s right hand, don’t you know that?!"

Just a mere servant? That wasn’t just any servant- that was a personal maid who had grown up with the Empress Dowager, a loyal maid who had weathered several decades of hardship together with her. Their deep bond of master and servant over these decades could be described as sisterly.

In families like theirs, a loyal servant is sometimes even warmer than a blood relative.

"Do you have a problem with it?" It’s only that he saw her loyalty and spared her life!

"Of course not! But what are we going to do about the Empress Dowager in this current state?"

How could he possibly side with a servant instead of Xiao’er?

The Empress Dowager has indeed gone too far this time. Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn’t have allowed Shangguan Xuanyi to punish Aunt Lin.

"A servant is just that, a servant. Even a deep bond with her can’t change this. You think the Empress Dowager will become bedridden over a mere servant?"

"So we’re just going to leave things as they are?" Shangguan Xuanhao walked into Shangguan Xuanyi’s study with him, sitting down at the round table and casually picking up an apple to snack on.

"When I returned to the palace, I saw the eldest princess." When Shangguan Xuanyi mentioned this elder, a rare warmth spread across his face.

The eldest princess? They say daughters are the cotton-padded jackets of their parents. Well, that’s relief, it’s all going to be fine now~ Shangguan Xuanhao felt reassured.

Cining Palace

The Empress Dowager shared her grievances with the eldest princess.

...

"Mother, what significant contributions have Marquis Shengping and Countess Rui’an made to the Imperial Court? Not only has the Countess Rui’an saved numerous people, but she also personally risked her life at sea to save Xuanyi. Do you really think it’s appropriate to bully such a meritorious girl with mourning rituals and distasteful pastries?"

The Empress Dowager was startled, was her daughter a comforting balm or a sharp sting? She had thought that her daughter would comfort her, but it turned out to be accusations!

"Xuanyi only let Aunt Lin off lightly out of respect for you. Otherwise, how could a servant who dared to toy with the future wife of the Sixth Prince get away with merely one hundred deaths!"

"I’ve already excused Aunt Lin from her punishment, but Xuanyi still administered it. Where does that leave my face?"

"Mother, due to a servant’s negligence, the future wife of the Sixth Prince, a woman of great importance, fainted! Are you certain that relegating that servant to the Clothing Bureau is enough to solve the problem? Can such a way of punishment silence the ministers? If rewards and punishments are not distinct, can our dynasty really have long-term peace and stability?"

Upon hearing these words, the Empress Dowager could not help but laugh. "My girl, you’re going too far. You have even alluded to whether the Imperial Court can maintain long-term peace and stability. Is it that serious?"

"Of course it is important! Who would be willing to work their heart and soul out for a master who cannot differentiate between rewards and punishments?!"

"All I thought was that a girl of such humble birth is not suitable to be the wife of our royal family. I just wanted to make it difficult for her and remind her of her place. But she is too infuriating! She even faked fainting, creating an uncontrollable scene. This goes to show that she lacks basic understanding and respect."

"Though I’ve never met Countess Rui’an, Ranhui has told me that Countess Rui’an has better manners than even herself, and is smart and quick-witted. Even when someone tries to trick her, she can handle it with ease. Is this not the kind of woman fit to be a royal wife? Besides, considering the situation at the time, if Countess Rui’an hadn’t faked fainting, was she supposed to eat the foul pastry? Could anyone stomach it? One bite will surely provoke vomiting, causing disruption, wouldn’t that be an even bigger loss of propriety at court? So, I think Countess Rui’an really does possess a degree of wit!"

Eating that thing would have caused one’s body to reek for forty-nine continuous days; mother really went too far! No wonder my brother wouldn’t help her!

"Are you here to comfort me or infuriate me? Whose side are you on? Besides, I didn’t force her to eat it! I just wanted to humiliate her and find an excuse to nullify the marriage." The Empress Dowager gently swatted her hand.

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