Tsin Ling Hall!
"I have seen Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. May she enjoy boundless happiness and peace!"
Yu Yao knelt respectfully on the ground and performed a kowtow properly towards the Empress Dowager, who was seated on the couch.
She performed the ritual in a very standard manner, with her back straight and her face showing profound respect and sincerity. She was afraid that the Empress Dowager would find fault with her.
Yet even so, the Empress Dowager still regarded her with a critical gaze, "You are the Yu she just appointed as the emperor's consort?"
"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, it is your servant!"
Yu Yao replied respectfully.
"Heard of you before, that you were a palace maid who served the emperor closely?"
The Empress Dowager once again asked.
Her brows and eyes also revealed sharpness, as if she was displeased.
Yu Yao seemed to not notice the Empress Dowager's displeasure, and still spoke respectfully, "Replying to the Empress Dowager, yes!"
"Bang!"
The Empress Dowager slammed her fist down on the table, her face instantly darkened, and a glare of anger appeared on her face as she scolded:
"You, as a palace maid who serves the emperor, not abiding by palace rules is one thing, but you dare to seduce the emperor and climb onto the imperial bed unilaterally! You even tempted him to grant you a high position, what an audacious nerve you have!"
The Empress Dowager's face was ashen, and a loud noise frightened all the servants in the Chinyu Hall to kneel on the ground, pale-faced.
Then, she quietly cast her gaze towards Yu Yao, who knelt in the center of the hall.
Some people rejoiced at the misfortune, while others showed expressions of sympathy.
Caught the Empress Dowager's disfavor, it may be difficult for her to live in the palace in the future.
Yu Yao had made mental preparations beforehand, so she was not surprised by the Empress Dowager's anger.
She merely knelt respectfully on the ground and said, "Replying to the Empress Dowager, originally, I was just a slave. The emperor ordered me to serve him, and how could I refuse?"
Seeing the Empress Dowager's piercing gaze on her, Yu Yao added, "As for the emperor bestowing upon me the title of consort, I was unaware beforehand and had nothing to do with seduction!"
"You talk so smoothly, do you think the Empress Dowager would believe your nonsense?"
The Empress Dowager leaned against the soft sofa, looking down on her from a high position, with complete disdain in her eyes.
"I speak the truth, no lies, if the Empress Dowager does not believe it, she can summon the emperor to ask."
Yu Yao still knelt on the ground, showing no sign of being frightened by the Empress Dowager, and spoke with an air of neither subservience nor defiance.
Although she indeed knew in advance that Yebi Chen would make her a consort, she thought that Yebi Chen would not be so foolish as to say that to the Empress Dowager.
"You..."
The Empress Dowager was so angry that her chest heaved, and her face became increasingly dark.
"Bang!"
Another hard slap on the table, shaking the tea cup on the table, she said angrily: "A clever mouth!"
Yu Yao remained kneeling on the ground without speaking, as if she had not heard a word.
"Go to the Buddhist hall and kneel there. Don't get up until you've kneelled for two hours."
The Empress Dowager said coldly, without even looking at her.
"Yes, Empress Dowager!"
Yu Yao respectfully replied and then stood up to kneel in the Buddhist hall.
Kneeling is better than being poked with needles.
The Buddhist hall of Chinyu Palace.
The small room houses a jade statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Two oil lamps and a cup of clear tea, as well as several fresh fruits, are lit on either side.
In the center of the room, there is an incense burner with several sticks of incense burning inside.
A faint fragrance of sandalwood slowly wafts through the air.
Yu Yao glanced at the mats on the ground and was about to kneel down.
Just as she was about to kneel, she saw that the cushion on the ground was pulled away by the Chou maid who had come in with her.
"Since it is a punishment to kneel, one should not use a cushion!"
The Chou maidsaid coldly.
Yu Yao showed no change in expression and did not even look at the Chou maid; she knelt straight on the ground.
The Chou maid did not move and stood by the side, watching her.
Yu Yao furrowed her brow, wondering whether she should reveal her pregnancy at this moment.
Once she reveals her pregnancy, the Empress Dowager will certainly stop the punishment.
However, this will lead to retaliation from other palace consorts.
Pregnancy in the first three months is the most dangerous time, and her baby is only one month old. Although she has taken the abortion pill, it is not absolutely safe.
Upon such contemplation, she once again abandoned the idea of revealing her pregnancy.
Alright, let's first see through the first three months.
Meanwhile, Qing Tan knew that something bad was going to happen after Yu Yao was taken to Chinyu Palace by the Chou maid.
He hurried to the Imperial Study to request an audience with Yebi Chen.
However, when Qing Tan arrived at the Imperial Study, he was informed by Fu Gong that the emperor had gone to the camp and would not be back until sunset.
"Uncle Fu, what should we do? The Empress was taken to Chinyu Palace by the Chou maid, and if the Empress Dowager finds fault with her..."
Qing Tan was on the verge of tears.
The emperor really should have stayed in the palace.
Little did he know that Yebi Chen suddenly went to the camp, which was certainly the Empress Dowager's doing, to get rid of the emperor.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Fu knew that trouble was brewing.
"Well, we can send someone to inform the emperor immediately at the camp. Maybe he can return in time."
After a moment of thought, Uncle Fu said.
He had a favorable opinion of Yu Yao and was willing to help out.
Qing Tan was overjoyed and thanked him profusely, "Thank you, thank you, Uncle Fu!"
Uncle Fu waved his hand dismissively.
After that, he ordered a young eunuch to quickly go to the camp to inform the emperor of this matter.
Chinyu Palace!
Yu Yao was still kneeling on the ground, initially able to kneel quietly.
But as time went on, it became increasingly uncomfortable for her. Her knees began to hurt, and her back grew sore as well.
In order to alleviate the discomfort, she couldn't help but twist a few times.
"Please, Empress Yu, please kneel properly and do not twist around so much!"
The Chou maid said coldly.
Yu Yao secretly rolled her eyes and looked at the Chou maid who had been staring at herself. She couldn't help but poke the other party's head with her spiritual awareness.
The Chou maid felt a sudden headache and nearly fell to the ground, her face pale.
"Oh my head, how can it suddenly hurt?"
The Chou maid rubbed her temple and showed signs of pain.
But she did not give it much thought, just thinking it might be from standing too long or not sleeping well the night before.
After all, she is over fifty, the same age as the Empress Dowager. It is normal for one's head to feel dizzy and painful after standing for a long time as one gets older.
Yu Yao watched the Chou maid rubbing her temples constantly, and couldn't help but smile inwardly. Her inner frustration had also been eased considerably.
The Chou maid looked at Yu Yao and thought that since palace girls would come to check on the Buddhist hall frequently, she would have plenty of opportunities to keep an eye on her.
Feeling that she didn't need to keep staring at her so intently, she quickly left after thinking about it.
"Oh, my old bones, I can see that I'm really old!"
After the Chou maid left the Buddhist hall, Yu Yao still faintly heard the voice of the Chou maid coming through.
She smiled again and stood up after seeing that no one was left in the Buddhist hall.
She rubbed her arms, legs, or knocked on her back.
Once the discomfort in her body eased, she pulled out a cushion from the corner of the Buddhist hall to sit on.
Thinking about what happened today, she still felt frustrated.
She hadn't offended the Empress Dowager, so being scolded was one thing, but being punished with a kneel was another. How could she not retaliate properly?
She closed her eyes, and her spiritual awareness instantly spread out, covering the entire Chinyu Palace in an instant.
Her spiritual awareness searched along the way, and she quickly found the Empress Dowager, who was lying on a soft sofa in her bedroom, resting.
Yu Yao sneered coldly, condensing her spiritual awareness into needles, and violently thrust them at the Empress Dowager's head.
"Ahh..."
The Empress Dowager, who was taking a short rest on the bed, suddenly opened her eyes and let out a shrill and painful scream.
The Empress Dowager had risen too abruptly and her head was throbbing in pain. She wasn't paying attention and fell off the bed.
"Crack!" The sound of bones breaking.
It turned out that the Empress Dowager had accidentally broken her leg.
