My elder sister is so noble, this time it's my turn to strike back

When little Dengzi saw this, panic quickly flashed in his eyes. He hurriedly picked up the steamed buns on the ground. Half of the vegetables on the plate had spilled out and he couldn't pick them up anymore, so he put away the remaining half of the plate and put it back in the food box.

He continued, "Forget it, it's just bad luck. I won't talk to you anymore. I still have to go to work."

After saying that, he hurriedly pretended to leave, but after running a few steps, he suddenly stopped with a cry of "Ouch", then bent down, holding his stomach with a look of pain on his face.

He looked at Qiu Ning hesitantly, then turned back, clutching his stomach, and asked, "Well, I suddenly feel the urge to go to the bathroom. Could you please help me deliver this food box to the Ye Ting Palace?"

After saying this, as if afraid that Qiu Ning would not agree, he hurriedly stuffed the food box into Qiu Ning's hand and turned away.

Qiu Ning, who hadn't reacted yet, said: "..."

"Oh, no, please tell me clearly, where are you sending it?"

Little Dengzi, almost unable to hold back, turned back as he walked, pointed in a certain direction, and said loudly, "It's not far ahead. Go through the door in front and turn left. Remember, put your things down and leave. Don't ask questions that you don't need to ask."

Qiu Ning looked in the direction he pointed and found that it was an archway.

When she first left the palace, Nanny Li had warned her not to wander around the palace carelessly, lest she accidentally offend a noble. And Qiu Ning had never set foot behind that door.

But Xiao Dengzi had disappeared at this moment. Qiu Ning hesitated for a while and finally decided to help Xiao Dengzi deliver the food first and then come back to get the bag.

She found a secluded corner to hide the bag, then carried the food box and walked through the gate.

Perhaps it was fate, but Qiu Ning at that time did not expect that her life would be completely rewritten from the moment she stepped through this door.

The Ye Ting Palace is a cold palace that is rarely visited all year round. Those who live there are usually concubines who have committed mistakes.

When Qiu Ning came here with the lunch box, he found fallen leaves and weeds everywhere, mottled walls, faded vermilion paint, and dilapidated doors and windows swaying in the wind, making creaking sounds. The air was filled with the smell of decay and loneliness.

Qiu Ning couldn't help but feel a chill in his spine, hugging his arms and shaking off the goose bumps on his body.

I never thought that there would be such a desolate place hidden in this palace. How could this be a place for people to live?

But she recognized the three big characters "Ye Ting Palace" on the door.

Qiu Ning thought of what Xiao Dengzi said. She put the food box at the palace gate, then looked into the yard and found that there was nothing in the yard except a few fallen stone tables and stone benches.

Qiu Ning suspected that no one lived here at all.

After thinking for a moment, she called softly into the house, "Is anyone there?"

The only sound she got in response was the sound of the wind blowing through fallen leaves. Qiu Ning couldn't help but feel suspicious. She suspected that she had misheard and that there was no one here at all.

"Is anyone here? I'm here to deliver food on behalf of Xiao Dengzi. He had something urgent to do and couldn't leave. If anyone is here, please let me know so I can report back."

This time, Qiu Ning spoke a little louder, thinking that if there were people in the room, they would be able to hear clearly.

The result disappointed her. There was still no movement in the room.

Just as Qiu Ning was about to turn around, there was a sound of porcelain falling to the ground in the room.

"Wow!"

Qiu Ning also shuddered, and looked towards the wing room in the courtyard that was still in good condition.

The window paper had several holes in it and was rustling in the wind. The door was half-closed, and from this angle it was impossible to see clearly what was going on inside the house.

Reason told Qiu Ning that he should turn around and leave, but for some reason, there was a voice in his heart pulling him back. Since he was already here, he should go in and take a look, just one look would be enough.

Just thinking about this, Qiu Ning stepped over the threshold before he even thought about it.

There were no candles lit in the room, so the light was a little dark. Even with a little sunlight shining in, it still seemed very cold and damp.

The furnishings inside were also simple, with a half-worn wooden table, a high table, and a low couch against the wall.

On the half-worn couch, there was a person lying. Judging from her figure, it should be a woman. Her waist-length hair covered most of her face. She was struggling to support her body and trying to get up.

Seeing this, Qiu Ning paused, not knowing whether he should go forward.

"Cough...cough..."

The person in the bed probably had a cold and was weak, yet he kept coughing. And judging by the sound, it seemed he had been ill for a long time.

Seeing this, Qiu Ning immediately poured a glass of water from the kettle on the table, walked quickly to the woman, and patted her on the back.

"are you OK?"

"Come, drink some water first!"

Wan Rongyue had been ill for more than ten days and was feeling a little drowsy. She didn't see Qiu Ning clearly in front of her and thought it was the maid Qingye who had returned, so she took a few sips from the cup of water.

After his throat felt less painful, he finally said, "Don't beg anyone anymore. They won't give you medicine. Someone wants me to die here. Even if you kneel until your knees are swollen, it's useless."

Hearing this, Qiu Ning realized that the other party had probably recognized the wrong person, so he spoke again: "Well... I think you recognized the wrong person. I'm here to deliver food."

After hearing this, Wan Rongyue looked up and saw Qiu Ning in front of her. It was a very unfamiliar but very good-looking face.

She seemed to have just reacted, smiled at Qiu Ning, and said gently: "Sorry, I made you laugh, I thought it was Qingye... cough cough..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Wan Rongyue started coughing violently again. This time it seemed even more severe than before, as if he was going to cough out his entire chest.

Then, she bent over, took out a handkerchief and pressed it to her lips, desperately trying to suppress a cough. However, the cough failed to stop, and a smear of bright red blood appeared on the handkerchief. The stain on the pure white handkerchief was a bit shocking.

Qiu Ning was stunned!

Who was this person? Why was he so seriously ill? Furthermore, the food sent by the imperial kitchen was just some dry, hard steamed buns and half a plate of vegetables. It was unclear how many days old the vegetables had been, and they even smelled rotten.

If this continues, I'm afraid that in less than three days, her frail body will not be able to withstand it and she will die.

"you……"

Just when Qiu Ning was about to say something, a woman in coarse linen clothes suddenly walked in. She was about the same age as herself, without any jewelry on her body, and her clothes were a little white from being washed.

When Qingye saw the bloody handkerchief in Wan Rongyue's hand, the tray in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.

She was horrified and hurried forward to kneel before Wan Rongyue's bed.

"My Lady, please hold on. I will definitely get you some medicine to cure you."

Only then did Qiu Ning realize that this was Qingye.

But she called the woman on the couch "Empress". Qiu Ning guessed that she must be a concubine in the emperor's harem who had made a mistake.

Qiu Ning didn't want to meddle in other people's business, so he thought of leaving first while the master and servant were there.

"Well, I've already delivered the food to the door. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."

As Qiu Ning spoke, he half-bowed towards Wan Rongyue who was lying on the couch and was about to turn around and leave.

"and many more!"