The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

"Okay, I promise you, please get up." Shen Tianjiao nodded and agreed to Lady Du's request, motioning her to get up.

Seeing that Shen Tianjiao agreed to her request, Lady Du stood up with the help of Xia He.

Xia He, who was supporting Lady Du, could clearly feel that Lady Du was shaking all over, so she helped Lady Du sit down on the chair.

Xia He poured a cup of hot tea for Lady Du. It was still late summer and the temperature was still quite high, but Lady Du felt so cold that it seemed like she had just come out of an ice cellar.

Shen Tianjiao glanced at Lady Du, who had calmed down, and asked, "Lady Du, I see that the injuries on your arms are not recent. Why did you come to ask for help only now?"

Hearing Shen Tianjiao's question, Lady Du quickly put down the teacup in her hand, stood up and was about to kneel down again, but was stopped by Shen Tianjiao, "Alright, just sit down and talk."

Concubine Du, who was allowed to sit down, said after she was seated: "In reply to the Queen, Concubine Fang has been keeping me in Fanghua Garden for a long time because she is afraid that her abuse of me and my daughter will be exposed."

"There are always special people watching over us, and concubines have no right to come and go freely."

"Today, the guard fell seriously ill. I took this opportunity to escape with the help of my maids and ask you for help."

Shen Tianjiao raised her eyebrows. She didn't believe what Lady Du said at all. From what happened just now, Shen Tianjiao already knew that Lady Du was not only a smart person, but also a very sensible person.

Someone like her would not really sit there and wait for the person in charge to make a mistake or an accident before she could escape and ask for help.

However, even though she saw through it, Shen Tianjiao did not expose Lady Du's lies. Shen Tianjiao has always been too lazy to care about such unimportant matters.

Chunchao was ordered to go to Fanghua Garden, and saw Concubine Fang Xue Yuqin and explained his purpose.

When Xue Yuqin heard that the Queen wanted her to take Concubine Du's child to Yuxiu Palace, she was really scared.

After all, she knew very well what she had done to Lady Du and her children in the past two years.

"Your Majesty, why did you suddenly think of asking me to bring Concubine Du's child to the audience?"

Xue Yuqin suppressed the fear in her heart and tested the spring tide.

But who is Chunchao? She is the most important palace maid beside Shen Tianjiao. She will not give Xue Yuqin a chance.

"Please hurry up, Concubine Fang. If you make the Empress wait too long, it might be bad."

Chunchao looked at Xue Yuqin, who was pretending to be gentle and submissive, but what appeared in his mind was her former face when she was a villain and had succeeded. He couldn't help but hate Xue Yuqin even more.

In addition, when Lady Du went to ask for help just now, she said that Xue Yuqin wanted to kill her child, which made Chunchao feel even more disgusted, and his tone became tough and unfriendly.

Seeing the ill-intentioned Chunchao, Xue Yuqin was still thinking about shirking her responsibilities and escaping.

"Oh, this is such a pity. I haven't been feeling well lately, and Lady Du's child has also been ill. I'm afraid I can't go see the Empress, lest I pass on my illness to her. I can't bear the responsibility."

Listening to Xue Yuqin's tea-talking excuses, Chunchao sneered and said without giving her any room for negotiation: "Don't worry, Concubine Fang, our Queen is very upright and has no fear of any demons, ghosts or unlucky things."

"Princess Fang, please leave quickly. If you go too late, the Empress will be unhappy."

Chunchao is now following Shen Tianjiao and his temper has also improved. When he sees someone he doesn't like or encounters something he doesn't like, he will not tolerate it and will confront them when necessary and be ruthless when necessary.

At this time, Xue Yuqin had not yet realized the seriousness of the matter and still wanted to rely on her status to pressure others.

"Then please ask Aunt Chunchao to go back and tell her that I am not feeling well today. When I feel better, I will go to Yuxiu Palace to apologize to the Empress in person."

Xue Yuqin had already made up her mind that she would never go to Yuxiu Palace today, in case Shen Tianjiao found out that she had abused Concubine Du and her daughter.

Then based on Shen Tianjiao's current temper, she will definitely not let her off.

"What? Concubine Fang doesn't understand what I'm saying?" Chunchao rolled his eyes. There was no need to reason with someone who couldn't recognize the reality and didn't know himself.

"The Empress wants you to bring the child to Yuxiu Palace for an audience right now, immediately."

"Fangpin, do you want to follow me now, immediately, or should we let the palace guards come and fetch you?"

Chunchao's words couldn't be clearer. It would be fine if Concubine Fang was obedient, but if she wasn't, she would lose all her dignity today.

When had Concubine Fang ever been contradicted in person and humiliated like this? Moreover, the person who did this was just a senior maidservant beside the Queen. How could she tolerate such humiliation?

"You are so presumptuous!" "It's not me who is presumptuous, it's you, Concubine Fang." Chunchao interrupted Xue Yuqin before she could finish her words.

Chunchao was waiting to go back and report, and had no time to waste here with Xue Yuqin.

"Someone come here." Chunchao gave an order, and immediately the accompanying maids and guards came forward.

"Mammies, go and bring the child out. You," Chunchao looked up at the guards, "and you ask Concubine Fang to go to Yuxiu Palace. The Empress is waiting."

"Yes." After receiving the order, the nanny and the guards took action.

"You!" Xue Yuqin was so angry that she couldn't say a word when she saw Chunchao dared to ignore her like that.

Shen Tianjiao is really amazing now. She even dares to be so arrogant to a senior palace maid beside her!

"I would like to advise Concubine Fang that a Viscount's Mansion without even a title can't protect you."

Chunchao's threatening words made Xue Yuqin stunned for a moment, and she dared not act like a troublemaker anymore.

Yes, now the Xue family is not only dwindling in numbers, but also declining in fortunes. Now they really do not have the strength to compete with Shen Tianjiao and the Zhenbei Marquisate.

Seeing the obedient Concubine Fang, Chunchao stepped forward and said, "Please go in first, Concubine Fang."

Xue Yuqin closed her eyes, sighed, and resigned herself to her fate as she followed Chunchao.

When Xue Yuqin arrived at Yuxiu Palace and saw Concubine Du, her body went limp and she almost collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, Chunchao kindly helped her up and she did not fall.

After calming down, Xue Yuqin looked at Lady Du and asked sternly, "Why are you here?"

"Why, can't she come here to pay her respects to me?" Shen Tianjiao spoke first without waiting for Lady Du to speak.

"But you, when you saw me, didn't even greet me politely. Are you trying to commit insubordination?"

"I dare not." Xue Yuqin looked at the angry Shen Tianjiao, and for some reason she suddenly felt afraid.

This was something she had never experienced before, and she didn't know why it happened like this today.

Looking at Xue Yuqin kneeling on the ground, Shen Tianjiao just looked at her coldly and did not call her to get up.

At this moment, Xue Yuqin's heart was filled with worry and fear. She lay on the ground and didn't dare to look up at Shen Tianjiao. She had long lost her previous arrogance.

When the nanny appeared holding Lady Du's daughter, Shen Tianjiao was shocked again.

Concubine Du entered the palace three years ago and gave birth to a child almost half a year after entering the palace. Counting the dates, the child should be one and a half years old now.

But the child in the nanny's arms looked as weak as a kitten. Some people would believe that she was only a few months old, let alone a one-year-old child.

Shen Tianjiao now completely understood why Concubine Du risked her life to escape from Fanghua Garden and ran to Yuxiu Palace to ask her for help.

Because if we delay any longer, this child will probably be tortured to death.

Looking at the frail child who looked like he would die at any moment, Shen Tianjiao could not help but feel furious. She looked up at Xue Yuqin lying on the ground and shouted, "Fangpin, how dare you abuse the heir to the throne!"

Xue Yuqin, lying on the ground, trembled all over and hurriedly defended herself, "I didn't do that. This child has been taken care of by her biological mother since she was born. If there was any abuse, it was her biological mother who did it. What does this have to do with me?"

"Heh." Shen Tianjiao laughed in anger. "So, according to what you said, Lady Du deliberately injured herself and abused her daughter, leaving her in this half-dead state, just to frame you?"

Xue Yuqin knew that the truth had been revealed and could no longer be hidden, so she simply defended herself, saying, "Your Majesty, I have observed this very clearly. I have been a vegetarian and chanting Buddhist scriptures for years. How could I be so cruel as to abuse such an innocent child?"

"So you knew she was an innocent child?" Shen Tianjiao looked at Xue Yuqin and said bitterly, "Eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures? Humph! You've become so obsessed with eating and chanting that you've become a dog!"

"Xue Yuqin, you are a human being in disguise, always talking about morality and justice, but in reality you are a person with a heart of evil and a heart worse than an animal. How could the Xue family raise such a vicious woman like you?"

When Xue Yuqin heard Shen Tianjiao mention the Xue family, she felt frightened again. All her hope now was her parents' home.

So no matter what, she couldn't let anything happen to the Xue family. If anything happened to the Xue family, her life would really be in danger.

"Empress, you can't just listen to one side of the story and conclude that it was I who abused the child. Perhaps her mother did it on purpose to win favor?"

At this point, Xue Yuqin had no choice but to grit her teeth and refuse to admit her mistake, putting all the blame on Lady Du.

"Your Majesty, please understand. That is my biological child. Even if I were to be as mad as a madman, I would never use my own daughter to seek favor."

"I know my status very well. I would never dare to dream of anything that is not my proper place."

While Du Meiren was making excuses for Xue Yuqin, she also stood up and knelt in front of Shen Tianjiao and began her appeal.

Xue Yuqin glanced at Lady Du who was kneeling beside her, and couldn't help feeling surprised. This bitch usually didn't even dare to speak in front of her, so why did she become so sharp-tongued when she was in front of the Queen today?

"Shut up, you bitch! You have no right to speak nonsense here!"

"Fangpin, you are quite courageous. You actually dare to speak foul language in front of me. Do you know your crime?"

Shen Tianjiao was not tolerant of Xue Yuqin at all. She felt uncomfortable looking at Xue Yuqin now, so naturally she would not let her go easily.

It's understandable that the women in the harem use some means to win favor, but attacking a child out of jealousy is such a despicable and shameless thing that Shen Tianjiao will never allow.

As soon as Shen Tianjiao finished speaking, the nanny standing nearby came over and slapped Xue Yuqin in the face. The crisp and loud sound of the slap startled everyone present.

"Fangpin spoke rudely to the Empress, and according to the rules she should be slapped in the face." After beating her, the nanny calmly stepped back and stood aside.

Shen Tianjiao forced herself to suppress the corners of her mouth that were about to rise. She knew without asking that this nanny was sent by the old ancestor.

Xue Yuqin, who was stunned, covered her face and looked at Shen Tianjiao with a blank look.

Shen Tianjiao was too lazy to pay attention to her and said directly: "Doesn't Concubine Fang want to prove her innocence?"

"This is easy to handle. Chunchao, go and lock up all the palace maids in Fanghua Pavilion. I don't believe they can keep their mouths shut!"

"I obey your command." Chunchao took the order, turned around and left without any hesitation.

Xue Yuqin watched Chunchao walk past her in despair. She knew in her heart that she could not escape the punishment this time.

"Madam Du, please get up." Shen Tianjiao glanced at Madam Du who was still kneeling on the ground, and signaled Xia He to help Madam Du up.

Xia He stepped forward to help Lady Du up, and Xue Yuqin, who was dazed on the ground, suddenly stood up and tried to pull Lady Du away, yelling, "Du Huilan, you bitch, why did you hurt me like this?"

Xia He and Lady Du were caught off guard and were almost dragged to the ground by Xue Yuqin. Fortunately, Xia He had also practiced martial arts, so she quickly stabilized her lower body and stood firmly, then helped Lady Du up.

"Xue Yuqin, have you had enough of this!" Shen Tianjiao really couldn't bear to look at Xue Yuqin's horrible appearance any longer. "Someone, come here, Concubine Fang is disrespectful. Take her away and put her under guard. Once everything is investigated, we can punish her."

Hearing Shen Tianjiao's words, Xue Yuqin completely lost control. She pushed the people who came forward to arrest her and yelled at Shen Tianjiao, "Shen Tianjiao, how dare you do this to me? I am the great-granddaughter of the Empress Dowager. I am a daughter of the Xue family."

"Hmph! So what?" Shen Tianjiao looked at Xue Yuqin with disdain and said, "Even the Empress Dowager's blessing doesn't protect a person as immoral as you. Do you still know that you are a daughter of the Xue family?"

"I'm afraid that if the Xue family knew what you did today, they would wish they didn't have a daughter like you."

Shen Tianjiao killed Xue Yuqin and did not give her any face at all.

"It's truly unfortunate that the Xue family could raise a daughter like you. No wonder their fortunes have fallen on hard times."

"If the Empress Dowager knew about this, would she regret choosing your father to be the head of the Xue family?"