Right after that, a eunuch and several palace attendants arrived.
The leading eunuch scanned the courtyard, then spoke in a sharp voice, “Where is the eldest daughter of the Quan family?”
Quan Heng stepped forward with worry on her face.
“You are Quan Heng, correct? Niang Niang the Noble Consort has issued a summons. You have a quarter of an hour to change your clothes. I will wait at the gate.”
With that, he turned and left.
Quan Rui hurried after him, stuffed a pouch of silver into his hand, and asked quietly, “Gonggong, may I ask why Niang Niang is summoning my sister to the palace?”
The eunuch weighed the silver and snorted. “I’m only here to deliver the message. I don’t know the details.”
Seeing his expression, Quan Rui realized she hadn’t given enough. She quickly pulled out a handful of gold melon seeds and handed them over.
This time, a faint smile appeared on the eunuch’s face.
“Well, no harm in telling you. Your family’s young master knocked the Second Prince off his horse today at the palace. His injuries aren’t light. Niang Niang, the Noble Consort, is the Second Prince’s birth mother. Calling your sister to the palace is probably about this matter.”
Quan Rui turned pale.
“Enough, I’ll go wait at the gate. Please tell your young lady to be quick.”
After he left, Quan Rui rushed into Quan Heng’s room, grabbing her hand in panic. “Sister Heng, I have a bad feeling. I don’t think the Noble Consort has good intentions—maybe you shouldn’t go!”
Quan Heng gave a bitter smile. “You think I don’t know that? But now that my older brother is detained in the palace, if I go, there’s still a chance he can come home. If I don’t, who knows what kind of suffering he might endure?”
“At this point, even if it’s a Hongmen Banquet, I still have to go.”
Seeing her resolve, Quan Rui’s heart ached.
Ever since they made peace, they’d been together every day. She had long come to see Quan Heng as her real sister.
Now that she was heading into danger, how could she not worry?
Seeing the usually cheerful girl frowning deeply, Quan Heng sighed, cupped her face, and gently kneaded her cheeks.
“Alright, don’t be scared. At the very least, they won’t actually kill me in the palace.”
At that, Quan Rui burst into tears. “You’re not allowed to die! You must come back alive!”
Quan Heng nodded helplessly. “Alright. I’ll do my best to survive.”
After changing her clothes, she went to the gate. Zhao Qinrong was there too, tearfully holding her hand and offering countless words of caution.
Eventually, it was time. Quan Heng had no choice but to depart.
Not long after, she arrived at the palace and entered the Noble Consort’s residence.
It was already afternoon. Just as she stepped inside, a young palace maid came out and said softly, “Are you Miss Quan Heng? Niang Niang just finished her meal and is resting. She won’t wake for a while. You’ll need to wait outside.”
Quan Heng knew very well: the Noble Consort was not here in goodwill. This was nothing but a power play—and she could endure it.
“Very well. I’ll wait in the hall.”
But the maid shook her head. “You can’t wait in the hall. Niang Niang doesn’t like others inside while she sleeps. You’ll need to wait outside in the courtyard.”
Ziyun’s face turned furious. “Outside? The sun is scorching! My lady is frail—what if she suffers heatstroke?”
The maid turned her cold gaze on Ziyun. “So this is how the servants of the Quan family behave? The master hasn’t spoken, and the servant already dares to shout? If you wake Niang Niang from her nap, it wouldn’t be unjustified to beat you to death and throw you out!”
At those words, Quan Heng tensed. She pulled Ziyun behind her and whispered, “Ziyun, don’t argue. Just endure for now.”
Ziyun wanted to say more, but seeing the warning in Quan Heng’s eyes, she reluctantly held her tongue, fuming silently.
With a sigh, Quan Heng went out to wait.
It was early summer. The sun blazed down mercilessly, making her skin sting. Before long, she was dizzy and lightheaded.
But with her brother’s fate hanging in the balance, she dared not speak or act rashly, for fear that even the smallest misstep would worsen his situation.
After half an hour, Quan Heng could barely stand, supported only by Ziyun.
Palace maids and eunuchs passed by frequently, whispering among themselves when they saw her, but she was too exhausted to register their words.
Finally, the same maid reappeared.
Ziyun quickly stepped forward. “Sister, has the Noble Consort awakened? May my lady go in now?”
The maid crossed her arms and looked down on them. “Can’t even bear this much suffering? What a pampered noble miss. Thanks to your lady’s dear brother, our Second Prince still hasn’t woken up! Niang Niang was frightened and is sleeping deeply. It’s only natural for her to take a bit longer. You’ll have to keep waiting.”
Ziyun was furious, but Quan Heng weakly patted her. “It’s alright. I can wait.”
The maid turned and went back in.
Ziyun clenched her teeth and muttered, “What kind of person is she? She’s just a servant too, acting like she’s the master.”
Quan Heng sighed. “Didn’t you hear her? The Second Prince still hasn’t regained consciousness. They’re all holding back their anger. Until they’ve vented it, we won’t be treated any better. Let’s endure for now.”
Another quarter hour passed. Quan Heng was drenched in sweat and on the verge of fainting.
At last, the maid returned. “Niang Niang is awake. You may enter.”
As if granted amnesty, the two of them hurried inside.
Upon entering, Quan Heng immediately saw a poised and elegant woman.
The Noble Consort was already of a certain age, yet time had treated her well. Her face bore no obvious traces of age—she looked no older than thirty.
Seeing Quan Heng’s pale face, she frowned.
“Cang Yue, why didn’t you wake me earlier? You made Miss Quan wait outside for so long!”
The maid, however, showed no sign of fear. She glanced at Quan Heng and feigned contrition. “It was this servant’s fault. I beg Your Ladyship’s punishment.”
Quan Heng understood clearly: without the Noble Consort’s instruction, how could a maid dare mistreat a noble family’s young lady?
Now this display was just a performance—to preserve a good reputation.
“Noble Consort, it’s not Cang Yue’s fault. It’s just that my body is weak and can’t bear the sun.”
Upon hearing this, the Noble Consort smiled faintly. “Ah, you’re a pitiful child too. I heard you were lost outside the palace for over a decade and suffered all sorts of hardship, isn’t that right? No wonder your health is so poor—far worse than your brother’s.”
As she spoke, she slammed the teacup in her hand heavily onto the table, splashing tea everywhere.
“You don’t know yet, do you? At today’s royal hunt, your brother and my Qian’er entered the same dense forest. They both went after the same deer, and your brother actually knocked my Qian’er off his horse! Poor child—he injured his leg when he was young, and now this! He’s still unconscious, lying in bed!”
Hearing this, Quan Heng was struck with panic and immediately knelt down.
“Noble Consort, please don’t be angry. The Second Prince is blessed and fortunate—he’ll be fine, he’ll surely wake up safe and sound.”
The Noble Consort drew out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes sorrowfully.
“Poor child. Did I frighten you? This was your brother’s mistake—it has nothing to do with you. He’s already been thrown into the Ministry of Justice by His Majesty. One person’s fault, one person bears it—you won’t be implicated.”
At those words, Quan Heng’s eyes widened in shock, her voice trembling.
“Niang Niang…What did you say? My brother… is now in the Ministry of Justice?”
Even if she had rarely entered the palace, she knew what kind of place that was. Those taken there would undergo brutal punishment. If they were lucky, they might survive until the day they were released.
If unlucky… they might very well die in there.
A wave of dread surged in her chest. Her voice shook as she pleaded, “Niang Niang! My brother has always had a gentle nature. He’s never started conflict with anyone—how could he have deliberately knocked the Second Prince from his horse? There must be some misunderstanding! I beg you, please reinvestigate!”
The Noble Consort let out a cold laugh. “So many people saw it happen with their own eyes in that forest. Could they all be mistaken? I understand your desire to protect your brother, but he collided with a prince—that’s an offense against the royal family. Punishment is only right.”
She stood and walked up to Quan Heng, lifting her chin with one hand. Her long, sharp nail traced along Quan Heng’s cheek, the sight chilling.
“Or… do you want to take your brother’s punishment for him?”
At that moment, Quan Heng’s eyes were already brimming with tears. At a blink, they spilled down her cheeks.
She said, “I’m willing. As long as it will ease your anger, as long as it will spare my brother some punishment—I’ll do anything.”
The Noble Consort raised her brows. “I didn’t expect such deep sibling affection. Very well, I’ll grant your wish.”
“Cang Yue, bring over the freshly boiled water. This tea’s gone cold—it needs to be hot to taste good.”
Soon, the young palace maid brought over a kettle and, as instructed, poured it into the teapot and filled a cup.
“Now, hold this cup of hot water. If you spill a single drop, your brother’s punishment will become harsher. If you don’t, perhaps I’ll be moved by your devotion and show your brother some leniency.”
Soon, a cup of scalding hot water was placed in Quan Heng’s hands.
It had just been boiled. Even through the teacup, the heat made her bare her teeth in pain.
It was so hot her skin felt like it was burning.
Though she had grown up in hardship, once she was in the Gu household, she was still a young lady of a noble house. She had never done heavy work. Her hands were soft and delicate—how could they bear such heat?
Her skin was already blistering. The moment the blisters broke and boiling water touched raw flesh, her hands might be ruined.
But right now, her brother’s life rested in her hands.
Even if it killed her today, she would never let go of this burning teacup!
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