Chapter 73
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Lengmei was never so tactful. Even though Tang Xia suspected Zui Linglong's involvement in this plot, she had no evidence for the moment. If she went for Zui Linglong now, it was bound to be herself who was going to suffer losses.
Should it happen, she would be countercharged by Zui Linglong and got embarrassed. Worse still, it would confirm the accusation that she was a devilish woman, and even Chu Tiankuo would be unable to save her under the pressure from the officials.
"Let's go and pay Lengmei a visit. Let's see what tricks they are playing."
"Zui Linglong is a calculating person and is not to be trifled with, but she made use of Lengmei, the greatest troublemaker. Now that they have called my bluff, I must get hold of some evidence to my advantage."
When she arrived at Lengmei's chamber, Lengmei was having lunch with maids serving at her side. One of the maids accidentally dropped a cabbage leaf on her clothes. With her face stiffened, Lengmei picked up her handkerchief and wiped her lips as if she didn't care.
"What else can I expect you to do if you even fail at such an easy job?" It was the first sentence Tang Xia heard as she entered the room. After seeing Tang Xia's arrival, Lengmei said in surprise,
"Your Grace, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
Tang Xia made a sniff, but she pretended to be calm despite her disgust at Lengmei's affectation. She said,
"Sister Lengmei, how is everything going these days? I heard you were confined to your chamber on the order of His Majesty, so I come to pay you a visit!"
Tang Xia's words hit a raw nerve, but Lengmei was not someone to be trifled with. She kicked the maid who made the mistake just now and coldly ordered, "Take her away!"
The other maids dared not say another word. Lengmei didn't play into Tang Xia's hands easily this time. She bowed and said in a gentle manner,
"Your Grace, thank you for your consideration. I'm fine these days, but with respect, you seem to be in a bad mood!"
"Well, perhaps my presence displeased some small people recently, and I kept getting pestered by some nobodies. I feel quite bored these days, so I come to ask you this. What have you got against me? Why can't you stop smearing me?"
At these words, Lengmei's eyes gleamed with a bit of gloating complacence. She retorted immediately.
"My dear sister, what are you saying? I have been staying indoors for the last few days, and why should I smear you? If you insist on your accusation, please show me the evidence."
An explosive atmosphere filled the chamber. Tang Xia somehow failed to retain her composure and rushed to question Lengmei. "Lengmei, I don't want to waste my time arguing with you. You'd better tell me right away why you smeared me. Is it someone else's idea?"
Tang Xia had no choice but to coax the information out. She had to make Lengmei to confess if Zui Linglong was the mastermind of this scheme.
"My dear sister, you wronged me. How could I spread any rumor while I was confined to my room? Besides, it was you who always found faults with me."
Lengmei squinted at Tang Xia while wearing grievances on her face, as if Tang Xia smeared her on purpose.
Tang Xia, however, didn't believe a word. She was too familiar with Lengmei's tricks after her repeated smear tactics.
But she didn't believe it was all Lengmei's own idea. First of all, her falling into the pond was too weird to be a coincidence. Hardly had she stepped out of the bridal chamber did Lengmei appear in front of her. It was too unnatural!
"Hmmpf, you have always been framing me, Lengmei, and now you accuse me of treating you unjustly. You do excel yourself in terms of intelligence!" Tang Xia cast aside all politeness and said coldly, her eyes full of disgust.
Lengmei retorted immediately despite her gentle tone, "My dear sister, please don't go around blaming others whenever something unpleasant happens to you. If you really think you are so important, why don't you go ask His Majesty to protect you?"
Lengmei knew Tang Xia was at her wits' end and came here to coax information, but Lengmei was always discreet and left no chances for anyone to take.
"Alright, Lengmei, that's all for today. But you'd better remember this. 'There is no secret from the god, and you sow what you reap.' One day you will pay for what you did, and I will find out the truth. Don't regret until it's too late!"
After saying those words, Tang Xia left angrily with Lyuyou and walked back to her own chamber. Watching Tang Xia leaving, Lengmei was no longer able to keep her temper. She kicked the table upside down at one stroke.
The noise of bowls and dishes smashing filled the room, and Lengmei's face turned extremely horrible. After a while, her fury half faded. "If it was not Tang Xia the bitch, I would not be confined to my room by His Majesty," she thought.
"She suspected me to be involved in the accident of her falling into the pond, but she will never find any clue no matter how hard she investigates."
"Hmmpf, Tang Xia, you blocked my path, and I will make you disappear forever!"
Just as Lengmei continued to think about it, a gleam flashed through her eyes. She signaled her personal maid to her side and whispered a few words at her ear. The maid nodded and then left the chamber.
"Tang Xia, you have some notoriety now, and I'm going to make it greater. No need to thank me!"
Tang Xia arrived at her own chamber, and she didn't know that Lengmei was plotting against her again. She felt lonely and bitter deep in her heart. The harem was full of schemes and treacheries. What a cruel world it was!
Realizing that she was being sentimental, Tang Xia shook her head and cleared her mind, forcing herself not to think about anything else. She sighed as she felt a chill in the air and said,
"Autumn is coming, right?"
"Your Grace, you are careless about your health again," Lyuyou said worriedly, and then draped a cloak on Tang Xia. Tang Xia felt a sense of unknown warmth and a mild smile crept up on her face.
Her charming eyes gleamed with glowing radiance, but deep inside her eyes was hidden some light sadness. She raised her slim hand and caught a maple leaf of enjoyable setting sun color falling onto her palm.
"The maple leaves fall really early this year, Lyuyou," Tang Xia said with a vague smile. She spread her palm, and the beautiful maple leaf was gone with the wind.
Lyuyou stood quietly beside Tang Xia, worrying about her yet unable to talk about it for fear of upsetting her.
Not long afterwards, the gossip of the quarrel between Tang Xia and Lengmei spread like wildfire. When Lyuyou heard the other maids gossiping about it, she asked them to keep quiet lest Tang Xia might hear it.
However, as the old saying goes, truth will out. The next morning, Tang Xia got up early, and she looked rather pale. She asked Lyuyou to do her a light make-up, and she decided to go for a walk outdoors. Lyuyou didn't want her to go outside, but she hesitated over how to dissuade her.
She was afraid that Tang Xia might have suspicions. Tang Xia had no idea of Lyuyou's concern, but she sensed the uneasiness on her face. She asked considerately, "Lyuyou, what's the matter with you? You look anxious. Is anything wrong?"
"No, Your Grace, everything is fine. You're thinking too much," Lyuyou replied. Tang Xia didn't ask more questions, thinking Lyuyou might feel not well that day.
She looked out of the window and saw the royal garden was blooming with autumn flowers. She said, "Lyuyou, let's go to see the flowers in the royal garden later. We could also pluck some petals for making pastry."
"Your Grace, you fell into the pond not long ago, and your body hasn't fully recovered. It's not good for you to go outside!" Lyuyou said hurriedly, intending to stop Tang Xia from going outside.
Tang Xia suspiciously looked at Lyuyou, who had always been a girl of few words, and thought she was worried about her. She gave her a warm smile and said, "I'm feeling much better now. My body will rust if I can't get some sunshine!"
Seeing that Tang Xia was determined to go, Lyuyou had no choice but to follow her to the royal garden. When they arrived, they found two maids gossiping. One of the maids said, "Did you hear about it? The Queen went to visit Concubine Leng the other day."
"What? They have always been at odds, aren't they? How come?"
"Shhh, I heard the Queen accused Concubine Leng of plotting her fall into the pond, and she went to question her that day!"
"Everyone in the harem knows about it now. The Queen is really rude and petulant, isn't she? She fell into the pond carelessly, yet she blamed Concubine Leng, and Concubine Leng was punished by His Majesty and confined to her chamber. What a pity!"
Hardly had the two maids finished speaking did they catch sight of Tang Xia, and their faces turned deadly pale immediately. Tang Xia looked at them coldly and asked, "Where did you hear those words?"
"Your Grace, it was Concubine Leng's personal maid..." One of the maids replied in desperate panic, kneeling on both knees and lowering her head, and the other maid was shivering uncontrollably from fear.
"Go. I let you go this time, but remember, if I hear you gossiping about it again, I will punish you severely. Understand?" Tang Xia's overwhelming aura made the two maids almost unable to breathe. They nodded quickly and left.
Seeing that Lyuyou was not surprised, Tang Xia knew she must have heard about it before. Lyuyou looked at Tang Xia worriedly, and said hesitantly, "Your Grace, I heard about it not long ago, but I didn't want to bother you with the gossip."
Tang Xia was really infuriated this time. She recalled the repeated compromises she made, but instead of achieving peace, she was framed by others time and again.
But she didn't blame Lyuyou at all. That girl was only hiding it for Tang Xia's sake. It was Lengmei who antagonized and framed her one time after another, and now she went on to call her a bully. Tang Xia was unable to bear it any more.
"Lyuyou, let's go! I will find Lengmei and teach her a lesson!" Tang Xia snapped furiously and strode towards Lengmei's chamber with Lyuyou following behind.
Meanwhile, Lengmei was doing make-up in front of the mirror. She pictured Tang Xia's angry face after finding out she was framed, and Lengmei couldn't help feeling complacent.
As soon as Tang Xia saw Lengmei, she scowled at her, went over quickly without saying a word, and then slapped Lengmei hard on the face. Lengmei was totally dumbfounded.
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Lengmei was never so tactful. Even though Tang Xia suspected Zui Linglong's involvement in this plot, she had no evidence for the moment. If she went for Zui Linglong now, it was bound to be herself who was going to suffer losses.
Should it happen, she would be countercharged by Zui Linglong and got embarrassed. Worse still, it would confirm the accusation that she was a devilish woman, and even Chu Tiankuo would be unable to save her under the pressure from the officials.
"Let's go and pay Lengmei a visit. Let's see what tricks they are playing."
"Zui Linglong is a calculating person and is not to be trifled with, but she made use of Lengmei, the greatest troublemaker. Now that they have called my bluff, I must get hold of some evidence to my advantage."
When she arrived at Lengmei's chamber, Lengmei was having lunch with maids serving at her side. One of the maids accidentally dropped a cabbage leaf on her clothes. With her face stiffened, Lengmei picked up her handkerchief and wiped her lips as if she didn't care.
"What else can I expect you to do if you even fail at such an easy job?" It was the first sentence Tang Xia heard as she entered the room. After seeing Tang Xia's arrival, Lengmei said in surprise,
"Your Grace, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
Tang Xia made a sniff, but she pretended to be calm despite her disgust at Lengmei's affectation. She said,
"Sister Lengmei, how is everything going these days? I heard you were confined to your chamber on the order of His Majesty, so I come to pay you a visit!"
Tang Xia's words hit a raw nerve, but Lengmei was not someone to be trifled with. She kicked the maid who made the mistake just now and coldly ordered, "Take her away!"
The other maids dared not say another word. Lengmei didn't play into Tang Xia's hands easily this time. She bowed and said in a gentle manner,
"Your Grace, thank you for your consideration. I'm fine these days, but with respect, you seem to be in a bad mood!"
"Well, perhaps my presence displeased some small people recently, and I kept getting pestered by some nobodies. I feel quite bored these days, so I come to ask you this. What have you got against me? Why can't you stop smearing me?"
At these words, Lengmei's eyes gleamed with a bit of gloating complacence. She retorted immediately.
"My dear sister, what are you saying? I have been staying indoors for the last few days, and why should I smear you? If you insist on your accusation, please show me the evidence."
An explosive atmosphere filled the chamber. Tang Xia somehow failed to retain her composure and rushed to question Lengmei. "Lengmei, I don't want to waste my time arguing with you. You'd better tell me right away why you smeared me. Is it someone else's idea?"
Tang Xia had no choice but to coax the information out. She had to make Lengmei to confess if Zui Linglong was the mastermind of this scheme.
"My dear sister, you wronged me. How could I spread any rumor while I was confined to my room? Besides, it was you who always found faults with me."
Lengmei squinted at Tang Xia while wearing grievances on her face, as if Tang Xia smeared her on purpose.
Tang Xia, however, didn't believe a word. She was too familiar with Lengmei's tricks after her repeated smear tactics.
But she didn't believe it was all Lengmei's own idea. First of all, her falling into the pond was too weird to be a coincidence. Hardly had she stepped out of the bridal chamber did Lengmei appear in front of her. It was too unnatural!
"Hmmpf, you have always been framing me, Lengmei, and now you accuse me of treating you unjustly. You do excel yourself in terms of intelligence!" Tang Xia cast aside all politeness and said coldly, her eyes full of disgust.
Lengmei retorted immediately despite her gentle tone, "My dear sister, please don't go around blaming others whenever something unpleasant happens to you. If you really think you are so important, why don't you go ask His Majesty to protect you?"
Lengmei knew Tang Xia was at her wits' end and came here to coax information, but Lengmei was always discreet and left no chances for anyone to take.
"Alright, Lengmei, that's all for today. But you'd better remember this. 'There is no secret from the god, and you sow what you reap.' One day you will pay for what you did, and I will find out the truth. Don't regret until it's too late!"
After saying those words, Tang Xia left angrily with Lyuyou and walked back to her own chamber. Watching Tang Xia leaving, Lengmei was no longer able to keep her temper. She kicked the table upside down at one stroke.
The noise of bowls and dishes smashing filled the room, and Lengmei's face turned extremely horrible. After a while, her fury half faded. "If it was not Tang Xia the bitch, I would not be confined to my room by His Majesty," she thought.
"She suspected me to be involved in the accident of her falling into the pond, but she will never find any clue no matter how hard she investigates."
"Hmmpf, Tang Xia, you blocked my path, and I will make you disappear forever!"
Just as Lengmei continued to think about it, a gleam flashed through her eyes. She signaled her personal maid to her side and whispered a few words at her ear. The maid nodded and then left the chamber.
"Tang Xia, you have some notoriety now, and I'm going to make it greater. No need to thank me!"
Tang Xia arrived at her own chamber, and she didn't know that Lengmei was plotting against her again. She felt lonely and bitter deep in her heart. The harem was full of schemes and treacheries. What a cruel world it was!
Realizing that she was being sentimental, Tang Xia shook her head and cleared her mind, forcing herself not to think about anything else. She sighed as she felt a chill in the air and said,
"Autumn is coming, right?"
"Your Grace, you are careless about your health again," Lyuyou said worriedly, and then draped a cloak on Tang Xia. Tang Xia felt a sense of unknown warmth and a mild smile crept up on her face.
Her charming eyes gleamed with glowing radiance, but deep inside her eyes was hidden some light sadness. She raised her slim hand and caught a maple leaf of enjoyable setting sun color falling onto her palm.
"The maple leaves fall really early this year, Lyuyou," Tang Xia said with a vague smile. She spread her palm, and the beautiful maple leaf was gone with the wind.
Lyuyou stood quietly beside Tang Xia, worrying about her yet unable to talk about it for fear of upsetting her.
Not long afterwards, the gossip of the quarrel between Tang Xia and Lengmei spread like wildfire. When Lyuyou heard the other maids gossiping about it, she asked them to keep quiet lest Tang Xia might hear it.
However, as the old saying goes, truth will out. The next morning, Tang Xia got up early, and she looked rather pale. She asked Lyuyou to do her a light make-up, and she decided to go for a walk outdoors. Lyuyou didn't want her to go outside, but she hesitated over how to dissuade her.
She was afraid that Tang Xia might have suspicions. Tang Xia had no idea of Lyuyou's concern, but she sensed the uneasiness on her face. She asked considerately, "Lyuyou, what's the matter with you? You look anxious. Is anything wrong?"
"No, Your Grace, everything is fine. You're thinking too much," Lyuyou replied. Tang Xia didn't ask more questions, thinking Lyuyou might feel not well that day.
She looked out of the window and saw the royal garden was blooming with autumn flowers. She said, "Lyuyou, let's go to see the flowers in the royal garden later. We could also pluck some petals for making pastry."
"Your Grace, you fell into the pond not long ago, and your body hasn't fully recovered. It's not good for you to go outside!" Lyuyou said hurriedly, intending to stop Tang Xia from going outside.
Tang Xia suspiciously looked at Lyuyou, who had always been a girl of few words, and thought she was worried about her. She gave her a warm smile and said, "I'm feeling much better now. My body will rust if I can't get some sunshine!"
Seeing that Tang Xia was determined to go, Lyuyou had no choice but to follow her to the royal garden. When they arrived, they found two maids gossiping. One of the maids said, "Did you hear about it? The Queen went to visit Concubine Leng the other day."
"What? They have always been at odds, aren't they? How come?"
"Shhh, I heard the Queen accused Concubine Leng of plotting her fall into the pond, and she went to question her that day!"
"Everyone in the harem knows about it now. The Queen is really rude and petulant, isn't she? She fell into the pond carelessly, yet she blamed Concubine Leng, and Concubine Leng was punished by His Majesty and confined to her chamber. What a pity!"
Hardly had the two maids finished speaking did they catch sight of Tang Xia, and their faces turned deadly pale immediately. Tang Xia looked at them coldly and asked, "Where did you hear those words?"
"Your Grace, it was Concubine Leng's personal maid..." One of the maids replied in desperate panic, kneeling on both knees and lowering her head, and the other maid was shivering uncontrollably from fear.
"Go. I let you go this time, but remember, if I hear you gossiping about it again, I will punish you severely. Understand?" Tang Xia's overwhelming aura made the two maids almost unable to breathe. They nodded quickly and left.
Seeing that Lyuyou was not surprised, Tang Xia knew she must have heard about it before. Lyuyou looked at Tang Xia worriedly, and said hesitantly, "Your Grace, I heard about it not long ago, but I didn't want to bother you with the gossip."
Tang Xia was really infuriated this time. She recalled the repeated compromises she made, but instead of achieving peace, she was framed by others time and again.
But she didn't blame Lyuyou at all. That girl was only hiding it for Tang Xia's sake. It was Lengmei who antagonized and framed her one time after another, and now she went on to call her a bully. Tang Xia was unable to bear it any more.
"Lyuyou, let's go! I will find Lengmei and teach her a lesson!" Tang Xia snapped furiously and strode towards Lengmei's chamber with Lyuyou following behind.
Meanwhile, Lengmei was doing make-up in front of the mirror. She pictured Tang Xia's angry face after finding out she was framed, and Lengmei couldn't help feeling complacent.
As soon as Tang Xia saw Lengmei, she scowled at her, went over quickly without saying a word, and then slapped Lengmei hard on the face. Lengmei was totally dumbfounded.
Lengmei was never so tactful. Even though Tang Xia suspected Zui Linglong's involvement in this plot, she had no evidence for the moment. If she went for Zui Linglong now, it was bound to be herself who was going to suffer losses.Should it happen, she would be countercharged by Zui Linglong and got embarrassed. Worse still, it would confirm the accusation that she was a devilish woman, and even Chu Tiankuo would be unable to save her under the pressure from the officials."Let's go and pay Lengmei a visit. Let's see what tricks they are playing.""Zui Linglong is a calculating person and is not to be trifled with, but she made use of Lengmei, the greatest troublemaker. Now that they have called my bluff, I must get hold of some evidence to my advantage."When she arrived at Lengmei's chamber, Lengmei was having lunch with maids serving at her side. One of the maids accidentally dropped a cabbage leaf on her clothes. With her face stiffened, Lengmei picked up her handkerchief and wiped her lips as if she didn't care."What else can I expect you to do if you even fail at such an easy job?" It was the first sentence Tang Xia heard as she entered the room. After seeing Tang Xia's arrival, Lengmei said in surprise,"Your Grace, to what do I owe this pleasure?"Tang Xia made a sniff, but she pretended to be calm despite her disgust at Lengmei's affectation. She said,"Sister Lengmei, how is everything going these days? I heard you were confined to your chamber on the order of His Majesty, so I come to pay you a visit!"Tang Xia's words hit a raw nerve, but Lengmei was not someone to be trifled with. She kicked the maid who made the mistake just now and coldly ordered, "Take her away!"The other maids dared not say another word. Lengmei didn't play into Tang Xia's hands easily this time. She bowed and said in a gentle manner,"Your Grace, thank you for your consideration. I'm fine these days, but with respect, you seem to be in a bad mood!""Well, perhaps my presence displeased some small people recently, and I kept getting pestered by some nobodies. I feel quite bored these days, so I come to ask you this. What have you got against me? Why can't you stop smearing me?"At these words, Lengmei's eyes gleamed with a bit of gloating complacence. She retorted immediately."My dear sister, what are you saying? I have been staying indoors for the last few days, and why should I smear you? If you insist on your accusation, please show me the evidence."An explosive atmosphere filled the chamber. Tang Xia somehow failed to retain her composure and rushed to question Lengmei. "Lengmei, I don't want to waste my time arguing with you. You'd better tell me right away why you smeared me. Is it someone else's idea?"Tang Xia had no choice but to coax the information out. She had to make Lengmei to confess if Zui Linglong was the mastermind of this scheme."My dear sister, you wronged me. How could I spread any rumor while I was confined to my room? Besides, it was you who always found faults with me."Lengmei squinted at Tang Xia while wearing grievances on her face, as if Tang Xia smeared her on purpose.Tang Xia, however, didn't believe a word. She was too familiar with Lengmei's tricks after her repeated smear tactics.But she didn't believe it was all Lengmei's own idea. First of all, her falling into the pond was too weird to be a coincidence. Hardly had she stepped out of the bridal chamber did Lengmei appear in front of her. It was too unnatural!"Hmmpf, you have always been framing me, Lengmei, and now you accuse me of treating you unjustly. You do excel yourself in terms of intelligence!" Tang Xia cast aside all politeness and said coldly, her eyes full of disgust.Lengmei retorted immediately despite her gentle tone, "My dear sister, please don't go around blaming others whenever something unpleasant happens to you. If you really think you are so important, why don't you go ask His Majesty to protect you?"Lengmei knew Tang Xia was at her wits' end and came here to coax information, but Lengmei was always discreet and left no chances for anyone to take."Alright, Lengmei, that's all for today. But you'd better remember this. 'There is no secret from the god, and you sow what you reap.' One day you will pay for what you did, and I will find out the truth. Don't regret until it's too late!"After saying those words, Tang Xia left angrily with Lyuyou and walked back to her own chamber. Watching Tang Xia leaving, Lengmei was no longer able to keep her temper. She kicked the table upside down at one stroke.The noise of bowls and dishes smashing filled the room, and Lengmei's face turned extremely horrible. After a while, her fury half faded. "If it was not Tang Xia the bitch, I would not be confined to my room by His Majesty," she thought."She suspected me to be involved in the accident of her falling into the pond, but she will never find any clue no matter how hard she investigates.""Hmmpf, Tang Xia, you blocked my path, and I will make you disappear forever!"Just as Lengmei continued to think about it, a gleam flashed through her eyes. She signaled her personal maid to her side and whispered a few words at her ear. The maid nodded and then left the chamber."Tang Xia, you have some notoriety now, and I'm going to make it greater. No need to thank me!"Tang Xia arrived at her own chamber, and she didn't know that Lengmei was plotting against her again. She felt lonely and bitter deep in her heart. The harem was full of schemes and treacheries. What a cruel world it was!Realizing that she was being sentimental, Tang Xia shook her head and cleared her mind, forcing herself not to think about anything else. She sighed as she felt a chill in the air and said,"Autumn is coming, right?""Your Grace, you are careless about your health again," Lyuyou said worriedly, and then draped a cloak on Tang Xia. Tang Xia felt a sense of unknown warmth and a mild smile crept up on her face.Her charming eyes gleamed with glowing radiance, but deep inside her eyes was hidden some light sadness. She raised her slim hand and caught a maple leaf of enjoyable setting sun color falling onto her palm."The maple leaves fall really early this year, Lyuyou," Tang Xia said with a vague smile. She spread her palm, and the beautiful maple leaf was gone with the wind.Lyuyou stood quietly beside Tang Xia, worrying about her yet unable to talk about it for fear of upsetting her.Not long afterwards, the gossip of the quarrel between Tang Xia and Lengmei spread like wildfire. When Lyuyou heard the other maids gossiping about it, she asked them to keep quiet lest Tang Xia might hear it.However, as the old saying goes, truth will out. The next morning, Tang Xia got up early, and she looked rather pale. She asked Lyuyou to do her a light make-up, and she decided to go for a walk outdoors. Lyuyou didn't want her to go outside, but she hesitated over how to dissuade her.She was afraid that Tang Xia might have suspicions. Tang Xia had no idea of Lyuyou's concern, but she sensed the uneasiness on her face. She asked considerately, "Lyuyou, what's the matter with you? You look anxious. Is anything wrong?""No, Your Grace, everything is fine. You're thinking too much," Lyuyou replied. Tang Xia didn't ask more questions, thinking Lyuyou might feel not well that day.She looked out of the window and saw the royal garden was blooming with autumn flowers. She said, "Lyuyou, let's go to see the flowers in the royal garden later. We could also pluck some petals for making pastry.""Your Grace, you fell into the pond not long ago, and your body hasn't fully recovered. It's not good for you to go outside!" Lyuyou said hurriedly, intending to stop Tang Xia from going outside.Tang Xia suspiciously looked at Lyuyou, who had always been a girl of few words, and thought she was worried about her. She gave her a warm smile and said, "I'm feeling much better now. My body will rust if I can't get some sunshine!"Seeing that Tang Xia was determined to go, Lyuyou had no choice but to follow her to the royal garden. When they arrived, they found two maids gossiping. One of the maids said, "Did you hear about it? The Queen went to visit Concubine Leng the other day.""What? They have always been at odds, aren't they? How come?""Shhh, I heard the Queen accused Concubine Leng of plotting her fall into the pond, and she went to question her that day!""Everyone in the harem knows about it now. The Queen is really rude and petulant, isn't she? She fell into the pond carelessly, yet she blamed Concubine Leng, and Concubine Leng was punished by His Majesty and confined to her chamber. What a pity!"Hardly had the two maids finished speaking did they catch sight of Tang Xia, and their faces turned deadly pale immediately. Tang Xia looked at them coldly and asked, "Where did you hear those words?""Your Grace, it was Concubine Leng's personal maid..." One of the maids replied in desperate panic, kneeling on both knees and lowering her head, and the other maid was shivering uncontrollably from fear."Go. I let you go this time, but remember, if I hear you gossiping about it again, I will punish you severely. Understand?" Tang Xia's overwhelming aura made the two maids almost unable to breathe. They nodded quickly and left.Seeing that Lyuyou was not surprised, Tang Xia knew she must have heard about it before. Lyuyou looked at Tang Xia worriedly, and said hesitantly, "Your Grace, I heard about it not long ago, but I didn't want to bother you with the gossip."Tang Xia was really infuriated this time. She recalled the repeated compromises she made, but instead of achieving peace, she was framed by others time and again.But she didn't blame Lyuyou at all. That girl was only hiding it for Tang Xia's sake. It was Lengmei who antagonized and framed her one time after another, and now she went on to call her a bully. Tang Xia was unable to bear it any more."Lyuyou, let's go! I will find Lengmei and teach her a lesson!" Tang Xia snapped furiously and strode towards Lengmei's chamber with Lyuyou following behind.Meanwhile, Lengmei was doing make-up in front of the mirror. She pictured Tang Xia's angry face after finding out she was framed, and Lengmei couldn't help feeling complacent.As soon as Tang Xia saw Lengmei, she scowled at her, went over quickly without saying a word, and then slapped Lengmei hard on the face. Lengmei was totally dumbfounded.
