Chapter 9

Zian remained on her knees. The weather in May was scorching. It felt as though the sun was scalding the top of her head. The wound on her forehead had finally stopped bleeding. When her sweat trickled down on her wounds from the whip, it caused searing pain. After kneeling for one hour, she began to find it difficult to endure. Her body was on the verge of collapse.

An old female servant who was supervising Zian kicked her when she saw that Zian was no longer kneeling properly.

That kick caused Zian’s head to spin as she almost lost her hold on the last thread of consciousness. She glared at the female servant and swept her leg at the female servant.

The female servant did not expect this so she fell and knocked her head on the ground.

Zian quickly grabbed the female servant’s neck and said viciously, “You old slave! How dare you bully me?”

“You…” The female servant was frightened witless when she saw the look in Zian’s eyes. After a long pause, she steeled her nerves and threatened, “Master has ordered me to supervise you, Eldest Lady. Are you going against Master’s order?”

Zian laughed icily and kneeled on the female servant’s arms, applying force on it.

The female servant screeched in pain.

“Father asked me to kneel before the ancestral memorial tablets, am I not on my knees now?” Zian asked coldly.

The female servant could only helplessly endure the pain. A wise man knew better than to fight when the odds were against him. “Forgive me, Eldest Lady. I was wrong.”

Zian remained unmoved and continued kneeling on the female servant’s arms. Her expression was similar to that of an ice sculpture.

...

At around three to five in the afternoon, two nannies arrived from the palace, conveying the Empress’ wish to see Xia Zian, the Eldest Lady of the Prime Minister’s mansion.

Zian’s eyes grew cold. This was the toughest battle yet. One careless mistake and she would end up dead without a grave!

As the nannies escorted Zian out, Madam Linglong smiled and stepped in front of Zian. She reached out and neatened Zian’s hair and clothes. “You’re going to the palace to see the Empress, how can you look so untidy?”

Her hand slid across Zian’s wrist and she grabbed it forcefully. Her hatred was apparent on her face as she threatened, “Xia Zian, if you don’t die in the palace, I’ll make sure you die a horrible death when you return.”

Zian stared at her blankly. Suddenly, she raised her hand and slapped Madam Linglong. She had used all her strength, causing Madam Linglong to fall to the ground.

“Like I’ve said before, this is also my gift to you. Wait for my return,” Zian replied.

Then, Zian turned to look at the two nannies and said in a neither servile nor arrogant tone, “Please lead the way, nannies.”

The two nannies looked at each other and felt mildly astonished. This Eldest Lady might look pitiful, but she had a strong presence. She was quick-witted and domineering. However, they wondered if she would be able to escape the calamity when she entered the palace.

Madam Linglong cradled her face as she glared at Zian hatefully. Very good! I’ll remember this slap. If she manages to make it out of the palace alive, I will let her experience pain a hundred thousand times worse than this before I kill her.

The palace had prepared a carriage for Zian. However, she was not allowed to sit in the carriage. The nannies told her that she was only allowed to sit next to the coachman.

Any citizen with the gift of sight could tell this was an imperial carriage. All of them recognized the girl in red bridal robes whose face and body were riddled with injuries. All of them had come out to watch the wedding earlier, and the news traveled fast. Everyone knew the Eldest Young Lady of the Prime Minister’s mansion had refused to get into the bridal sedan and had enraged the Prince of Liang.

Some said she was brave, others called her stupid. Regardless of what was said about her, everyone was in agreement that there was only one outcome for her now that she was summoned to the palace — death!

Breaking off her engagement with the Prince of Liang meant that she had offended the Empress. It would not be a surprise if she was beheaded.

Zian showed no signs of emotion like a wax figure. She kept her gaze in front as sunlight shone on her. She felt dizzy and could not muster any strength from her body at all. Everything felt hazy to her. Even the sun no longer looked real to her.

The carriage galloped along the limestone path. The sound of the horses’ hooves sounded ominous as they made their way to the palace. It made Zian anxious.

How would she know the consequences of breaking her engagement today would be so severe? However, even if Zian died, she thought it would be better than to marry the Prince of Liang.

There were over ten concubines left in the Prince of Liang’s mansion. Half of them were crippled. According to an investigation, in just three years, the number of dead concubines that had been carried out from the Prince of Liang’s mansion was no less than twenty.