Rong Fei is not honored

The Empress Dowager always believed that, because of Sainchahun, Consort Rong and Shou Kang Palace had always been very close.

After all, when she was in front of her, Wu Yunna always spoke well of Consort Rong, and Consort Rong seemed to know Wu Yunna very well.

It turns out that Consort Rong had suffered so much injustice.

The Empress Dowager didn't really care about Consort Rong; what she cared about was whether Saiyinchahun knew about this matter, and whether he knew that his mother had endured the ridicule of the servants of Shou Kang Palace and shamelessly tried to get close to Shou Kang Palace for his sake.

"The master reacted immediately, and from then on he never showed any favor to those who had defied him."

Although the Empress Dowager had to smooth out her rough edges and force herself to become gentle in order to survive because of the affair between the late Emperor and Consort Dong'e, she was not without temper and would not allow servants to trample on her.

Who are those people?

Granny An hesitated for a moment before announcing a few names.

The Empress Dowager and Sumalagu both fell silent. The people that Granny An mentioned, including Granny An herself, were all dowry servants who had come from Khorchin.

No wonder Granny An kept this a secret from Cining Palace.

Although Granny An was given to her by the Empress Dowager and was trusted by her to become the head nanny, and accompanied and supported the Empress Dowager through the most difficult years, it does not mean that Granny An was the only one.

Back then, the maids who accompanied the Empress Dowager all the way to the Qing Dynasty were all servants who had been with her since childhood. Their loyalty was no less than that of Granny An, but their affection for her was something Granny An could not match.

During those years, while Granny An was at the forefront, these servants never backed down.

Even if he was dissatisfied with Consort Rong and it affected their relationship, it was out of a desire to protect his mistress that he did something wrong despite his good intentions.

Even though the Empress Dowager had neglected and distanced herself from these servants over the years because of their attitude, they never complained.

No wonder Granny An didn't report this matter to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager didn't punish them directly because she wanted to protect them. What could Granny An do?

Other matters were fine, but the Empress Dowager wouldn't mind if her master contacted the Empress Dowager privately.

But after all, they were servants who had served the Empress Dowager since childhood and still had some affection for her. If Granny An overstepped her master's authority and reported it to the Empress Dowager, those people would certainly not have a good ending, and the trust and affection between the Empress Dowager and Granny An would also be destroyed.

Who could have imagined that these people, if they hadn't died, would have caused such a huge disaster?

Who would have thought that a "conspiracy" against the Empress Dowager was actually just a few servants standing up for her?

"Consort Rong has always been reasonable and understanding. She didn't pay attention to those people's offenses before. Now, as long as we explain it clearly, I think she won't..." Granny An became less and less confident as she spoke.

Consort Rong didn't mind because she was tolerant and magnanimous.

However, having been humiliated by the servants of Shou Kang Palace in the past, and now having been forced to accept a great favor due to the dissatisfaction of those few people, my reputation has been damaged. Just because I have explained it clearly, can I be without any resentment?

Others may not know, but surely they do: Consort Rong sent Saiyinchahun to Shou Kang Palace not willingly, but out of necessity.

Now that so much trouble has happened, how could Consort Rong not have any complaints?

Most importantly, what did Prince Sainchahun think? How did he view this matter? How did he view the master who was the culprit—the Empress Dowager? The more Granny An thought about it, the heavier her heart became.

The Empress Dowager and Su Ma La Gu thought even more deeply than Granny An. Although the source of this matter was in Shou Kang Palace and it seemed like an accident, could something that happened in the Forbidden City really be an accident?

Even if a few servants were dissatisfied with the concubines in the palace, especially since one of them was a favored concubine (at the time) and had children, what could they do but keep it to themselves?

Should I express my dissatisfaction face-to-face, or retaliate in private?

If these lackeys were truly so ignorant and arrogant, they could not have survived the massacre the late emperor orchestrated in the palace for Consort Dong'e.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that they feel they are now servants of the Shou Kang Palace, and have become arrogant and lost sight of their own status because their master is the Empress Dowager, the Emperor's elder.

But the premise is that Uyunna was kept in the dark the whole time.

Once the servants lost the restraint of their masters, they gradually tested the limits and became increasingly unruly.

However, Uyunna has always made her stance clear—she will not allow the servants of Shou Kang Palace, even the old ones who have been with her for many years, to be disrespectful to Consort Rong and her son.

Under such circumstances, would an old servant familiar with Wu Yunna's temperament really dare to outwardly comply but inwardly defy her, on the one hand embarrassing Consort Rong and her sons, and on the other hand taking matters into his own hands and spreading rumors in private about how Zhongcui Palace was "ungrateful"?

The Empress Dowager was more inclined to believe that they had been framed.

But the question is, does Consort Rong, of the Ma Jia clan, really have such great ability to set up schemes in Shou Kang Palace for many years without being discovered, right under her and Granny An's noses?

It should be noted that from the very beginning, the Empress Dowager was wary of Consort Rong's face and secretly kept an eye on Zhongcui Palace. After Consort Rong gained favor, she paid even closer attention to her.

It can be said that over the years, Lady Magiya has been completely invisible to the Empress Dowager. The Cining Palace would know her every move immediately.

The Empress Dowager pressed her aching temples to suppress her inner turmoil.

It's been many years since I've been tricked like this and still have no clue what's going on.

"You should go back first, don't make Uyunna worry."

Granny An wanted to ask about the fate of those servants, but before she could speak, she realized that she was not qualified to inquire and could only bow and take her leave.

She still needed to think carefully about how to explain things to her master when she got back.

"Princess, are you alright?"

Compared to the established fact that she had already fallen into a trap, Sumalagu was more worried about the Empress Dowager's health.

"Do you really think Ma Jia didn't participate in this?"

The Empress Dowager knew very well that the mastermind behind this matter was definitely not Ma Jia. Using Wu Yunna's people to scheme against her, and managing to remain undetected for so many years, was not because the Empress Dowager underestimated Ma Jia, but because the other party was truly unqualified.

Although she wasn't the mastermind, it doesn't mean that Ma Jia didn't contribute to the scheme or even help cover it up.

After all, no one knew better than the Empress Dowager that when Lady Magiya sent Saiyinchahun to Shou Kang Palace, it was entirely because she had threatened her and was afraid of Saiyinchahun's life that she had no choice but to do so.

It's inevitable that she harbors resentment.

Furthermore, the stronger Ma Jia's love for her son, the deeper her hatred became. Just by observing Ma Jia's behavior over the years, one can tell that she harbors a great deal of resentment.

Now, we must add another: for the sake of his son, he must grit his teeth and swallow the humiliation from his servants, bearing the burden of disgrace.