r18novel Chapter 322 What's stolen must be returned.
Chapter 322 What's stolen must be returned.
Yinxing knelt calmly in front of Du Xiurong's bed. When she saw that Du Xiurong had changed into ordinary people's clothes instead of the palace maid uniform that she was used to seeing, Du Xiurong was so angry that she felt a metallic taste in her throat.
She raised her hand and slapped Yinxing across the face. "For a man, you dare betray me! Do you think you'll survive just because you left the palace?"
She originally thought there was no such thing, but Jiang Lingyou told her that once she left the palace, she could enter a charity hall, which would shelter every homeless person in the world!
Even when the ginkgo tree was fanned, it remained unmoved.
Her original status was that of a concubine's daughter in the Duke's mansion. Even if she was not as noble as the legitimate daughter, she should not have been reduced to selling herself into slavery.
In order to take care of her elder sister, she entered the palace as a maid, and her elder sister really only treated her as a maid.
She looked at her elder sister's face and skin, which she had personally maintained day and night. Even though she was nearly thirty, she was still as smooth as a young girl. It was just a pity that in just a few days, she had been brought back to her original state.
What's stolen must always be returned!
"Do you think the Duke's mansion will let you off? You shameless woman, just as shameless as your own mother!" Du Ruowan cursed.
Yinxing kowtowed three times, "Thank you for your care and kindness over the years, Your Majesty. I will leave the palace today and will no longer be a servant. May Your Majesty's wishes come true in this life!"
"Stop! You stop right there! No one is allowed to leave the palace without my permission!" Du Xiurong shouted at the people blocking her way.
A messenger from the Imperial Household Department arrived. "By imperial decree of the Empress, any woman in the palace who is twenty-five years of age and wishes to leave the palace may be permitted to do so without obstruction. Miss Ginkgo, please proceed!"
Yinxing turned to look at Consort Du, then said to the people from the Imperial Household Department, "Yinxing is poisonous. From now on, I will be called Sumu. Thank you so much, Eunuch, and Her Majesty the Empress for your great kindness. I can never repay you in this life, but I pray for it in the next!"
"Miss Su Mu, you're too kind. Her Majesty the Empress still has some words to say. If you go over now, you can even kowtow to her!"
"Okay!" Su Mu's tears rolled down her cheeks.
At the entrance of Zhaoyang Palace, the palace maids who were leaving the palace had all gathered. Su Mu stood at the last position. Through her tear-filled eyes, she saw the gate of Zhaoyang Palace open, and the Empress, who was heavily pregnant, was being helped out.
All the palace maids knelt down and kowtowed, each one with exceptional sincerity. Su Mu kowtowed repeatedly, hoping that the sound would convey the gratitude in her heart.
"No need for formalities, please stand up!"
The Empress stood on the high steps, her gaze slowly sweeping over everyone, as if trying to memorize their faces. Su Mu bravely met her gaze.
She looked at Su Mu and nodded, and Su Mu's tears flowed uncontrollably once again.
"You are all the most outstanding women in the Great Zhou Dynasty. There is no doubt about it. I am not just saying nice things, and I have no need to flatter you! The fact that you were able to enter this imperial city and get to where you are today shows that you are all very intelligent."
What do people rely on to make a living in this world? At your level, you don't need to rely on men, much less on your fathers, brothers, or family. You rely on your own hands and minds; you are no less capable than anyone else…”
Su Mu wasn't the only one crying; someone suddenly knelt down, and the others followed suit.
Shen Shixi said, "Get up! You don't need to kneel before me! Today, you are leaving this imperial city. I hope you can hold your heads high and stand tall. From now on, you don't need to kneel before anyone. I hope that everyone can live a wonderful life."
I also hope that in the future I will hear your names, that someone will say to me, like Ginkgo, like Yuehe, like each of you, that someone will say to me, that you used to be in the palace, and now you are standing on your own outside, even more capable than men!
Can you do it?
Su Mu shouted, "Yes!"
At this moment, the pain of not being chosen by Jiang Lingyou, being misunderstood by him, and being separated from him forever seemed insignificant.
Is it necessary to get married?
Wouldn't it be better to make something of yourself, to have your name known in the palace and to achieve something that rivals that of men?
On this day, every palace maid who left the palace seemed to have been reborn after changing out of their palace attire. They were no longer afraid, their eyes shone with light, and their hearts were filled with dreams. The moment they stepped out of the imperial city, each of them held their head high.
The 372 palace maids, after leaving the city, scattered in all directions, but like dandelion seeds scattered by the wind, they landed on a certain piece of land and one day took root and sprouted.
Du Xiurong couldn't care less about the ginkgo tree at this moment. She summoned the imperial physician again, and it was Jiang Lingyou who diagnosed the poison she had been afflicted with.
"The Empress was poisoned with a poison called Thousand-Day Powder. After taking the medicine for three months, she would only have a maximum of one thousand days to live. Fortunately, the Empress did not take it for three months in the end, and she still has some hope for survival."
Upon hearing this, Du Xiurong nearly fainted. The eldest princess, terrified, hugged her and wept bitterly, "It must have been the Empress who ordered the poisoning! Waaah! I'm going to find Father Emperor! I want Father Emperor to avenge Mother!"
The headmistress was terrified and wished she could cover the princess's mouth. "Your Highness, we don't even know who it is yet! You mustn't say such things! You can't say things like that!"
The eldest princess was furious. She shoved the headmistress aside and yelled, "It's none of your business! Aren't you annoying? Get out of my way!"
The headmistress wanted to move aside, but she dared not. If she did, and the matter really reached the Emperor, her life would be in danger.
She knelt down with a thud and pleaded with the eldest princess, "Your Highness, please reconsider!"
Du Xiurong and the others had made quite a fuss before she finally said, "Nian Jiao'er, stop making a scene!"
The eldest princess then rushed over, crying, "Mother, Mother, I don't want you to die, I don't want you to die!"
Du Xiurong was also in tears. How could she have wanted this? "Jin Tao, go and invite the Emperor over!"
Jin Tao came over and saw that the Emperor was holding the Empress and talking to the child in her belly. The Empress's huge belly was pressed against the Emperor's chest, and at first glance, it looked as if the Emperor was pregnant.
Shen Shixi tried to get down, but the Emperor wouldn't let her, his cold eyes fixed on the golden peach on the ground. "What is it now? Can Bao Ci Palace ever have a peaceful day again?"
Jin Tao was so frightened that she trembled all over and couldn't speak. Li Fude had no choice but to help her from the side. "Consort Du has been poisoned. The imperial physician said that it will affect her lifespan. The poison is called Thousand Day Powder. If she takes it for three months, she will only live for a thousand days."
Fortunately, it hasn't been three months yet.
I've been taking it for over two months now, which is almost three months.
Li Yuanke was incredibly annoyed. "If she doesn't poison others, why would anyone poison her? With so many women in the harem, why did someone specifically choose her?"
This is victim blaming!
Li Yuanke's logic is outrageous.
Shen Shixi also wanted to hear what Du Xiurong had to say, so she stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I will accompany you."
Li Yuanke knew she wanted to go see the spectacle. "Aren't you going to sleep now? There's poison everywhere, what are you going to do? Stay in the palace, I'll go take a look and tell you when I get back!"
Jin Tao was stunned, forgetting even her fear. What did it mean? Her master had been poisoned and his life was counting down, yet the Emperor and Empress were just watching the spectacle.