Ninth Imperial Glorious Phoenix Chapter 271

Chapter 271: I Hate You

<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>

Wei Tiande clapped his hands twice, and immediately the palace guards came forward to arrest Zhou Nushi and Liansheng.

If she was touched by these guards, then she would never have the chance to serve His Highness again. In that case, it would be better to jump into the lake herself. Zhou Nushi wiped away her tears and calmly said, “I’ll go down myself.” With that, she got up and walked confidently towards the lake.

Seeing her determination, even Mingzhu couldn’t help but admire her resilience. If it were her, she would never allow herself to be at the mercy of others. Zhou Nushi treated jumping into the lake as casually as taking a bath. It should be noted that the water in the lake in this autumn season was bone-chillingly cold. Someone accustomed to pampered living would likely fall seriously ill after going in, let alone whether Yuwen Chu would even bother to rescue them in time. No wonder Zhou Nushi was able to give birth to the eldest son under Jiang Shanshan’s nose, she was indeed extraordinary.

Liansheng shouted, “Miss, don’t!” Then she kneeled in front of Yuwen Chu and Mingzhu, crying out, “It’s nothing to do with Miss. It’s all my fault! Please spare Miss! She’s innocent, she knows nothing!”

Ping Nushi, fearing that Yuwen Chu might soften and spare Zhou Nushi, quickly interjected, “You two are usually so close, how could she know nothing? Who gave you, a mere servant girl, such audacity? She has admitted it, why are you still making excuses for her?”

Zhou Nushi stopped in her tracks and looked back at Ping Nushi coldly, saying, “Sister, don’t speak wrongly. I admit my own fault, but I don’t admit to instructing her to harm the Wangfei. I’m not that foolish, nor is it necessary.” With that, she continued walking forward.

Ping Nushi retorted sarcastically, “If you didn’t have something to hide, why are you so easy to talk to?”

“Enough! Throw them all in,” Yuwen Chu said expressionlessly, brushing his sleeve.

Everyone heard clearly. Liansheng’s pleading stopped abruptly, Ping Nushi’s mouth fell open in shock, and the other palace maids looked panicked, huddling together.

Wei Tiande was momentarily confused. Should they throw Ping Nushi and her maid in with Zhou Nushi and her maid, or should they spare Ai Cao? Just as he hesitated, Li Quanxin gave him a cold glance, and he snapped out of it, ordering the guards, “What are you waiting for? Didn’t you hear His Highness’s orders?”

The guards, who had been waiting, immediately rushed forward like wolves. They first dragged Ai Cao and Liansheng up from the ground and then went to grab Ping Nushi. Ping Nushi was scared out of her wits. Seeing Zhou Nushi, who was about to reach the lake, she bravely said, “I’ll go down myself. Who wants you dirty men to touch me?”

With that, she threw her fan aside and took off her head ornaments, handing them to the nearest palace maid. “Hold these for me.” Then she looked at Zhou Nushi’s calm figure and gave a cold smile. With all her strength, she rushed forward and viciously bumped into Zhou Nushi before she could jump into the water. Zhou Nushi was caught off guard and screamed as she fell into the water, and Ping Nushi followed suit.

Immediately after, the guards grabbed Ai Cao and Liansheng by their arms and legs and threw them into the lake. Splashes flew everywhere as they struggled. All the palace maids were on edge, wanting to look into the lake but too afraid to do so. Yuwen Chu coldly surveyed the crowd and said, “Anyone else wants to take a cold bath?”

Of course, no one wanted to take a cold bath; they weren’t tired of living. At this moment, the four people thrown into the lake began to struggle anew. Zhou Nushi had just surfaced when Ping Nushi grabbed her hair and forcefully pushed her back underwater, shouting, “Help! Sister Zhou, help…”

Not knowing who started it, all the palace maids knelt down and pleaded in unison, “Please spare us, Wangfei. We won’t dare anymore.”

Mingzhu thought, what does this have to do with me? Clearly, it was His Highness who made the move. She looked up at Yuwen Chu, silently asking what he intended to do. Yuwen Chu glanced at her and gave her a slight smile.

Understanding his meaning immediately, Mingzhu said, “Your Highness, even if they are at fault, it’s enough to give them a light punishment. Spare them, please?”

Only then did Yuwen Chu say, “Since the Wangfei has interceded for you, I will spare them.”

Wei Tiande chased away the guards in a huff, and the old woman who guarded the lake brought a long hook and skillfully pulled Ping Nushi and the others to shore. Another experienced woman stepped forward and placed the four of them on the ground to expel the water from their bellies. Ping Nushi spat out several mouthfuls of dirty water and cried out in a mess, “Please spare us, Your Highness! Spare us, Your Majesty! Spare Sister Zhou! I won’t dare anymore.”

Ping Nushi’s hair was disheveled, sticking tightly to her face, covered in water plants and duckweed, her clothes dirty and unkempt, completely devoid of her previous beauty. But Mingzhu couldn’t believe she was such a simple person anymore. Judging by her eagerness to trouble Zhou Nushi just now, it was obvious that she could swim. Mingzhu wondered how deep the hatred between them really was.

Zhou Nushi spat out the most dirty water, took a long time to recover, and laid motionless on the ground. She laid face down, curled up into a ball, despite her wet clothes, not revealing any awkward curves. Few people could maintain such dignity and demeanor even in such circumstances. Mingzhu found her truly terrifying.

Liansheng and Ai Cao went into the water later, closer to the shore, where the water was shallow. They were lucky enough to grab onto some trees when they went in, so they didn’t swallow too much water.

Ai Cao still remembered to crawl over and help Ping Nushi tidy up, but Liansheng stared straight at Yuwen Chu and said firmly, “Each person is responsible for their own actions. It was me.” She looked at Mingzhu with a hint of hatred, “I hate you, I hate you to the bone! I wish you were dead!”

Mingzhu was startled. She had never seen such intense hatred on anyone’s face before. Even in the past, after the misfortune of the Fu family, she had never seen anything like this. It was more disdain than contempt, but never this kind of hatred. In an instant, she thought of many things, confirming that she had never done anything to harm Liansheng. If there was any reason, it was because Zhou Nushi and Liansheng’s relationship was deep, and Liansheng couldn’t bear to see her oppressed.

If Liansheng hated her for this, Mingzhu wasn’t afraid. She would never let Yuwen Chu go to anyone else. She sat up straight and looked at Liansheng disdainfully, “Who do you think you are?”

“How dare you disrespect His Highness and the Wangfei!” Li Quanxin shouted angrily, stepping forward and slapping Liansheng twice. He spoke sharply, “Confess your crimes quickly! Otherwise, you’ll see what happens!”

<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>