Peach Blossom.

Tao Ye had long been unable to tolerate Si Yao, especially after witnessing Wang Jing mutilating and burning his feet in Guishan. She wished she could let Si Yao experience the same pain!

When she saw Si Yao grimacing and howling due to the burns, and the red and swollen burned areas gradually showing signs of blistering, she felt so relieved that she couldn't express it in words!

Concubine Zhou couldn't help but laugh secretly, and then quickly pretended to be distressed. Without even putting on her shoes, she walked to Si Yao's side in two or three steps, squatted down to look at Si Yao's feet, and scolded Tao Ye: "Asshole! Before serving the princess to wash her feet, don't you know to test the water temperature first?"

Si Yao burst into tears due to the pain, and even trembled when speaking: "She...she obviously did it on purpose!"

Tao Ye thought that Si Yaoming was here to cause trouble today, so whatever she did must be wrong, so she might as well get it over with. She just said whatever she wanted, "Princess, calm down! I just think that since the princess is so infatuated with Prince Consort Wang, maybe injuring her foot will make you two a better match!"

"You..." Si Yao pointed at Tao Ye hatefully, wanting to punish her, but couldn't help but wailing in pain from his feet.

Ruxia suddenly left the princess and ran out of Xianhua Palace.

Concubine Zhou guessed that Ruxia must have gone to complain to the Queen Mother, so she quickly and secretly winked at her maid Xin'er, who immediately slipped out to ask the Emperor for help.

Here, Concubine Zhou kept comforting Si Yao while ordering someone to call the imperial physician immediately.

After a while, before the imperial physician arrived, Empress Dowager Meng and Emperor Si Yu met at the entrance of Xianhua Palace.

Concubine Zhou came with several palace maids to greet her and kneel down to pay homage.

Si Yu also bowed respectfully to the Queen Mother: "May your Majesty be well!"

Queen Mother Meng looked at Si Yu for a few times, and her tone seemed unkind: "The emperor came to visit Concubine Zhou twice a day, he is very attentive!"

Si Yu still bowed and explained with a smile: "I am not here to visit Concubine Zhou, but I heard that the emperor's sister was injured here, so I came to take a look!"

Queen Mother Meng smiled coldly.

Concubine Zhou knelt on the ground, not daring to look up: "Her Majesty, Your Majesty, it is all my fault that I failed to discipline my servants and neglected the princess. I beg the Her Majesty, Your Majesty, to punish me!"

Empress Dowager Meng ignored Concubine Zhou and walked straight into the Xianhua Palace. Led by Ruxia, she went to the bedroom to visit Si Yao.

Seeing that the Queen Mother had already entered, Si Yu waved his hand to signal Concubine Zhou to stand up and go in together.

Si Yao was half lying on the couch in Concubine Zhou's bedroom, groaning in pain. When he saw Queen Mother Meng come in, he burst into tears even more grief-stricken than before: "Mother..."

However, Queen Mother Meng did not comfort him as gently as she had done every time before. She just sat opposite the bed and looked at Si Yao without saying a word.

Si Yao could see the disappointment in the Queen Mother's eyes. She read a sentence from the Queen Mother's eyes: "With such a narrow mind, how can you achieve anything great?"

In this scene, Si Yao unconsciously stopped crying, lowered her head in shame, and felt infinite regret in her heart! With her feet burned like this, how could she have the ability to take care of Wang Jing while he was unconscious?

Because she didn't have a broad mind, she missed another great opportunity to win over her husband!

Si Yu and Concubine Zhou came to the bedroom. Because Si Yao was barefoot at the moment, Si Yu stood outside the screen to avoid suspicion and asked with concern: "I wonder how the emperor's sister is injured? Can she still walk?"

"I'm afraid my leg is going to be crippled! My royal brother, please help me!" Si Yao couldn't help crying as soon as he opened his mouth.

Listening to the delicate crying, Si Yu felt uneasy. He was too lazy to make a decision for Si Yao, but he felt really embarrassed in front of the Queen Mother!

Queen Mother Meng was silent for a while. Seeing that Si Yu did not move, she began to do the job for him: "Jieyu Zhou, who is serving the princess' foot bath?"

Concubine Zhou left Si Yu in a hurry, walked into the screen, and stood beside the Queen Mother: "Queen Mother, this is... this is my new maid, her name is Tao Ye, she is not familiar with the etiquette of the palace yet, so..."

"Be beaten to death!" Empress Dowager Meng gave the verdict without even intending to listen to Concubine Zhou finish her words.

Madam Zheng beside the Queen Mother immediately asked the people around her, "Which one is Tao Ye?"

Tao Ye was so frightened that she dared not say a word.

Concubine Zhou and other palace maids did not dare to answer.

Si Yao finally breathed a sigh of relief, and couldn't help showing a hint of joy, pointing at Tao Ye behind Concubine Zhou: "That's her!"

Madam Zheng then ordered several palace maids who served the Queen Mother closely: "Execute immediately!"

Si Yu hesitated and wanted to rush through the screen, but suddenly saw Concubine Zhou blocking him: "Wait!"

Concubine Zhou knelt at the feet of the Queen Mother and begged, "Quickly calm down, Queen Mother! Taoye has just entered the palace today and has not yet learned etiquette, so it is inevitable that she is clumsy and should not serve in front of the palace. It is all because of my inconsiderateness. I beg the Queen Mother to forgive Taoye this time. If you want to punish her, please punish me!"

Tao Ye was really touched to see Concubine Zhou defending her like this. She didn't expect that she and Concubine Zhou had just met and yet Concubine Zhou could be so righteous!

Since Queen Mother Meng was able to become the Queen Mother, she had played all the tricks of the women in the harem. How could she not know the intentions of Concubine Zhou to protect Tao Ye? So she smiled faintly: "Since Concubine Zhou is so willing to sacrifice herself to save the slave, I will grant you the wish! You go and accept the punishment of being beaten to death?"

Tao Ye was deeply surprised, and Concubine Zhou also seemed a little surprised.

But Matron Zheng and other palace maids were listening nearby and did not dare to act rashly.

The Queen Mother glanced at Madam Zheng and asked, "What are you waiting for? Take Concubine Zhou with you!"

The palace maids did not dare to disobey and came to take Concubine Zhou away.

Si Yushen was deeply moved by Concubine Zhou's act of defending Tao Ye, so how could he allow the Queen Mother to punish him so severely?

He didn't care about much, he just crossed the screen, pushed aside the palace maids, and protected Concubine Zhou: "My mother, aren't you too harsh? Yu Niang was my old friend who served by my side before I ascended the throne, and she gave birth to my prince. How can you kill her so easily?"

The Queen Mother smiled faintly again and turned her gaze to Concubine Zhou: "Concubine Zhou knows that she is getting older and has reached the time for her to leave the mirror, so she has been so attentive in training new people. I am getting rid of the old and keeping the new, isn't it just the right thing to help you?"

"What newcomer is there? Your Majesty Queen Mother's logic is really unreasonable!" Si Yu knew that the "newcomer" the Queen Mother was referring to was Tao Ye, but he was embarrassed to admit it in front of so many people.

"Oh? No newcomers?" The Queen Mother pretended to be confused and ordered, "In that case, just sentence Tao Ye to death!"

Si Yu retorted: "Tao Ye cannot be sentenced to death either!"

The Queen Mother shook her head. Although her face was calm, her tone was strong: "No! One of Concubine Zhou and Tao Ye must be executed!"

Si Yu barely suppressed his dissatisfaction and asked, "Why must one of them die?"

The Queen Mother smiled and asked, "Isn't the Emperor's memory too bad? He forgot what happened right before his eyes? Yao'er's foot was injured like this, shouldn't someone be held accountable?"

Si Yu looked at Si Yao, who was indeed righteous and confident. He could no longer suppress his inner anger: "Her feet were just burnt on the surface. It will heal naturally in time. Why should she pay with her life? What's more, Yu Niang has just said that Tao Ye has just entered the palace and has not learned the etiquette. She should not serve in front of the palace! It was the imperial sister who asked her to be ordered around. Even if she is seriously injured, it is her own fault!"

After hearing this, the Queen Mother's expression changed slightly: "The Emperor has really grown up. How dare he talk to me like this?"

"Grown up?" Si Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and waved his sleeves and said, "Mother, please check clearly, I am already thirty-three years old!"

The Queen Mother had been accustomed to Si Yu's obedience for many years, and was extremely dissatisfied with his uncharacteristic behavior. Her tone suddenly became heavier: "No matter how old you are, you are still my son and must always obey me! Today, one of Concubine Zhou and Tao Ye must die!"

Si Yu, however, mustered up his courage and responded with the same force: "If that's the case, mother, why don't you depose me as the emperor, and you can lead all the officials yourself, and you will naturally have the final say!"

The Queen Mother was even more shocked: "How dare you threaten me?"

"Everyone under heaven is my subject. If I can't even protect innocent people, what qualifications do I have to be the emperor? It's better to give up my position as soon as possible!"

The Queen Mother was finally unable to refute Si Yu's reason.

The Queen Mother and Si Yu looked at each other in silence for a long time.

Someone outside announced, "The imperial physician has arrived."

"Let the imperial physician go to Anshou Palace and move the princess there!" After the empress dowager gave these two instructions, she stood up and left Xianhua Palace.

A sedan chair had already been prepared outside, so Nanny Zheng and others carried Si Yao on its back, and then the palace servants carried the sedan chair and followed the empress dowager.

Si Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, and Concubine Zhou hurriedly took a handkerchief to wipe Si Yu's forehead.

Tao Ye then realized that Si Yu was sweating just now, which showed that although he had rebelled against the Queen Mother, he was nervous.

Concubine Zhou looked at the backs of the Queen Mother and others leaving, feeling very worried. She suddenly knelt down at Si Yu's knees and said, "Your Majesty has clashed with the Queen Mother to protect me. I'm afraid it will be disadvantageous in the future! I am guilty!"

Si Yu hurriedly helped Concubine Zhou up and comforted her, "You are so selfless that I am so touched. How can I blame you?"

Concubine Zhou bowed her head and sighed, muttering, "I remember that the last time the emperor summoned Sister Taoye to the palace, it was Concubine Zhang who came... Although the emperor never said it, I can see how long the emperor has been disappointed! Now that Sister Taoye has finally come, how can I bear to let the emperor be disappointed again?"

"The one who understands me is Yu Niang!" Si Yu's eyes swept over Tao Ye, but he held Concubine Zhou tightly in his arms.

Concubine Zhou's eyes were still filled with uneasiness: "But, the Queen Mother originally looked down on my background and couldn't stand the emperor's favor towards me... After what happened today, I'm afraid I'll be walking on thin ice in the palace from now on!"

Si Yu shook his head: "It is because of the conflict between me and the Queen Mother that you are implicated, but I cannot be controlled by the Queen Mother forever... I want to promote you, and I will not allow your future life to be more difficult!"

After saying this, Si Yu ordered the eunuch Xie Cheng who served him closely: "Pass on my decree. From now on, Concubine Zhou will be promoted to Madam."

When Xin'er and other palace maids heard this, they all smiled happily and hurried forward to salute: "Congratulations, Madam Zhou!"

Tao Ye was dumbfounded. She suddenly began to doubt whether Concubine Zhou's behavior of defending her just now was just a desperate show.