Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace: Fawning

"Why? You assign the maids who were paid to serve in the six courtyards of the Eastern Palace, while those of us who didn't have to work in the laundry department. Eunuch Zhao, this is not fair."

Lan Qi, Yan Wan and Yi Huan stood not far away and saw a palace maid in coarse linen clothes pulling Eunuch Zhao's sleeve to judge the matter.

Yi Huan said coldly, "What a sharp-tongued palace maid."

Yan Wan stared blankly at the two people arguing in the corner of the palace wall, and those unbearable memories of the past flooded back into her mind. She had once been a maid in the Sizhiku. For her mother outside the palace and her unpromising brother, and to get a higher-paying job, she scraped together forty taels of silver to bribe her aunt and leave the Sizhiku.

She was called to Zhongcui Palace to serve the eldest prince, but after just two days of good times, she was demoted to the greenhouse because of Hai Lan's words.

Falling from one abyss into another and then into hell, Yan Wan was filled with hatred.

Scenes from the past flashed through her mind.

The sharp sound made people feel uncomfortable. The maid grabbed Zhao Quancai's hand and shouted, "How can such a thing be justified in this world?"

Zhao Quancai seemed to be annoyed by being nudged. He turned around, raised his hand, and slapped the palace maid hard. The palace maid lost her balance and was thrown against the wall. She felt severe pain in her arms and waist, and even blood oozed from the corner of her mouth.

Zhao Quancai pointed at the palace maid and said viciously, "I told you not to yell."

The palace maid was not to be outdone. She covered her face and stared at Zhao Quancai.

This scene happened to be seen by Ruyi who was passing by. She asked someone to stop the sedan chair and turned around to call Sanbao to her side.

"Three treasures."

Ruyi raised her head and pointed at Zhao Quancai in front of her. Sanbao understood and immediately stepped forward to read the imperial decree: "The Imperial Concubine orders that Zhao Quancai, who has been tyrannical and assaulted palace maids, should be brought to the Ministry of Punishment to receive a punishment of fifty lashes of the cane."

Zhao Quancai immediately knelt down, crawled to Ruyi, and begged for mercy, "My Lady Imperial Concubine, please spare my life. I know I was wrong, and I will never do it again."

Seeing that a person of high status had come, the palace maids also knelt down with tears in their eyes, begging Ruyi to help them, the poor slaves.

Ruyi sat in the sedan chair, legs crossed, arms resting on the armrests, looking down at the two people kneeling on the ground. The corners of her lips curved deeper, and she asked with a half-smile, "What's your name?"

The maid raised her eyes, then quickly lowered her head again, saying timidly, "In reply to the Imperial Concubine, this servant is Rong Pei."

Ruyi's eyes showed admiration, "Rong Pei, you are quite courageous."

Rong Pei thought Ruyi was going to punish her, so she immediately prostrated herself on the ground, resting her head on the backs of her folded hands. "Your Majesty, please understand. I was only speaking up for the poor young ladies, and I didn't mean to disturb you."

Naturally, after惢心 and Shuizhi left, the only one serving Ruyi was Lingzhi. Lingzhi was not very agile and her brain was not very sharp, so when she saw Rong Pei dared to confront Zhao Quancai face to face, Ruyi's eyes flashed and she had some more admiration for Rong Pei, because she was in need of such a bold and careful person.

She extended an olive branch to Rong Pei directly, "You are a straightforward person with great courage. I like you. Why don't you come to Yikun Palace to work for me?"

Rong Pei suppressed her panic and raised her head in a hurry, saying in astonishment, "Slave...slave..."

She was extremely excited. She didn't expect that she would become the maid of the future queen without doing anything.

Rong Pei was about to nod, but was interrupted by Zhao Quancai.

Just as the two eunuchs were about to carry him to the Ministry of Punishment, Zhao Quancai was so scared that his face turned pale. He was a eunuch, not a guard. Wouldn't being beaten with fifty boards be equivalent to asking for his life? He was just following the rules, so why should he be punished? Hadn't it been like this since ancient times?

Everyone else is fine, why can't he? Zhao Quancai was unwilling to give up. He struggled to break free from the eunuch's hand and climbed to the front of Ruyi's sedan chair. He held on to the edge of the sedan chair tightly and looked at Ruyi with pleading eyes, "Your Majesty, please spare my life. I am old and can't bear this punishment. My family outside the palace depends on me for survival. It doesn't matter if I die, but my family members are innocent. Please show mercy and be lenient with me."

Ruyi had been used to a pampered life and had no idea that a few beatings could take someone's life.

She raised her nails and said calmly, "Eunuch Zhao did something wrong and should be punished. Sanbao, why don't you take him away..."

Zhao Quancai fell to the ground in disappointment, he knew that his life was over.

Seeing Zhao Quancai being dragged away by the eunuch, Yan Wan could no longer bear it.

He quickly stepped forward and shouted, "Wait."

Zhao Quancai, with tears streaming down his face, knelt before Yan Wan as if grasping at a lifeline, his tone hurried and panicked, "Ask the noble lady to save me."

Yan Wan had endured considerable hardship since entering the palace, and naturally understood the difficulties of being a servant. While working in the Four Treasurys, she had to cater to her aunt's mood. When working alongside favored concubines, she had to do everything she could to please her master. The slightest mistake could cost her life. Even if she was fortunate enough to become a concubine, she still couldn't change her fate as a servant.

Ruyi suddenly showed a hint of impatience, squinted her eyes, curled her lips teasingly, and said mockingly, "It's your noble lady."

At this time, Lan Qi and Yi Huan also came up.

"Your servant greets Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine." Lan Qi and Yi Huan spoke at the same time. Yan Wan then remembered that she had forgotten to bow when she came over just now, and immediately followed suit and bowed.

Seeing Yihuan walking with Lanqi and Yanwan, Ruyi felt uncomfortable. She, Hailan and Yihuan were such good friends before Lanqi returned to the palace. Now Hailan was confined to the Yanx Palace and Yihuan was no longer on the same page with her. She suddenly felt heartbroken.

"Concubine Cheng and Concubine Shu are here too." Ruyi smiled, a hint of sarcasm in her eyes that made people avoid her. "I heard that Concubine Shu has been ill recently, and I haven't visited her yet. Is she feeling better?"

Everyone in the harem knew that Ruyi was busy trying to please the emperor every day. She even didn't visit the eldest prince, whom she had raised, when he was seriously ill.

Yihuan is just a concubine, so how could she catch Ruyi's eye?

Yi Huan stood tall and straight, and said calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am feeling much better now."

Ruyi nodded and said, "Yihuan, I have you in my heart. When you are free, come to Yikun Palace more often and spend less time with those questionable people."

Zhao Quancai listened to their conversation and was afraid that he would be forgotten, so he deliberately sobbed.

"What are you standing there for? Why don't you take him away?" Ruyi glanced at Zhao Quancai lazily.

"You bastard! You made a mistake and yet you dare to cry in front of the Imperial Concubine? Why don't you take him away?" Sanbao scolded.

Zhao Quancai struggled to stay alive and roared loudly, his voice like a bell. "I refuse to obey. What right does the Imperial Concubine have to punish me? My life may not be as valuable as yours, but it is still a human life. If you can't distinguish right from wrong, how can you be the mother of the country in the future? I am the first to refuse to obey."

"Bold——"

Sanbao was about to kick Zhao Quancai in the chest, but was stopped by Zhao Jiuxiao, who said kindly, "Sir, please talk nicely. Why get so angry?"

"Let go--" Zhao Jiuxiao's strength was so strong that it hurt Sanbao's calf.

It was not until Lan Qi gave the instruction that Zhao Jiuxiao let go of Sanbao.

Lan Qi asked, "My Lady Imperial Concubine, what has Eunuch Zhao done wrong?"

Ruyi smiled contemptuously and said slowly, "Rong Pei, you go and tell them."