Chapter 613: Noble Consort Rou Hits Consort Bai!

Chapter 613: Noble Consort Rou Assaulted Consort Bai!

Empress Nie couldn't help but laugh as well.

Properly speaking, Princess Qing An should address her Wei Shiyan as "Second Elder Cousin Brother." Once she married Xingxing's third brother, she would become Xingxing's "Third Sister-in-law"; but if Xingxing later married Wei Shiyan, then Princess Qing An would have to call Xingxing "Second Elder Cousin Sister-in-law."

While formal titles would naturally follow the higher-ranking party, the current discussion revealed a certain bittersweet irony in their tangled social connections.

Seeing Empress Nie's smile, Emperor Jiazheng felt touched and murmured softly, "Empress," before moving to embrace her. However, an attendant rushed in with urgent news: Noble Consort Rou had burst into Consort Bai's residence and physically attacked her.

Both Emperor Jiazheng and Empress Nie were stunned.

Wait.

Who hit whom?

The trembling eunuch repeated on his knees, "Noble Consort Rou charged into Consort Bai's Muchen Palace and... physically attacked her..."

Emperor Jiazheng and Empress Nie exchanged glances, disbelief evident in their eyes.

Consort Bai was a princess of Xidi, the most prestigious among the three royal gifts sent by the new Xidi king to strengthen the "friendship" between Xidi and Great Xia.

Consort Bai had a fierce temper and was skilled with a whip, making her a reckless presence in the harem. Emperor Jiazheng and Empress Nie, considering her young age and distance from her homeland, had granted her certain allowances. Other concubines, observing the imperial couple's leniency, mostly avoided her, not daring to provoke such a volatile woman.

Noble Consort Rou had been particularly cautious around her.

Ever since the Seventh Prince was placed under her care, palace gossip claimed that Noble Consort Rou had undergone a transformation. Previously, she would openly lash out at anyone she disliked with a venomous tongue, reserving respect solely for Empress Nie.

But now that she was raising the Seventh Prince, Noble Consort Rou was perfectly content now that she had her son. She no longer went out to watch the commotion, nor did she put on her usual flirtatious and catty act. Her greatest daily pleasure was carrying the Seventh Prince for walks and sunbathing near her palace. In her spare time, she would personally sew little outfits for him, living quite contentedly.

Thus, when Emperor Jiazheng and Empress Nie first heard the eunuch report that Noble Consort Rou had beaten Consort Bai, their first thought was that it couldn’t be true.

Now, hearing the little eunuch repeat it—that Noble Consort Rou had indeed rushed to Morning Dew Palace and struck Consort Bai—Emperor Jiazheng felt a vein throb in his forehead.

Empress Nie, however, frowned. “Noble Consort Rou isn’t one to lose her temper like that, is she?”

Before Emperor Jiazheng could respond, a young maid from Morning Dew Palace came sobbing to tattle, saying that Consort Bai had been whipped by Noble Consort Rou, leaving her covered in blood, and begged Emperor Jiazheng and Empress Nie to seek justice for Consort Bai.

Emperor Jiazheng drew in a sharp breath and was about to rush off when Empress Nie lightly but firmly pressed his arm and asked the maid, “How severe are the injuries? Has a physician been summoned?”

The maid hesitated, stammering, “N-not yet…”

Empress Nie had a pretty good idea by now and gave orders: “Summon the imperial physician and have both Consort Bai and Noble Consort Rou brought here.”

The maid dared not question Empress Nie’s decision but shot a pleading look at Emperor Jiazheng.

However, Emperor Jiazheng didn’t so much as glance her way.

Instead, Empress Nie shot the maid a faintly amused look. “Why are you still standing there?”

The maid trembled, bowed low, and replied, “Yes,” before hastily retreating.

Before long, Consort Bai arrived, her hand roughly wrapped in a bloodstained handkerchief, tears streaming down her face like a weeping willow.

The handkerchief was soaked in blood, and her sleeves were also stained, but aside from that, there didn’t seem to be any other part of her that could be described as “bloodied.”

Empress Nie smirked faintly.

Upon seeing Emperor Jiazheng, Consort Bai immediately started crying dramatically: "Your Majesty, Noble Consort Rou lashed me so cruelly!"

Consort Bai had always been famously feisty and temperamental, like a thorny rose in Emperor Jiazheng's harem. Her sudden tearful coquetry actually made him feel a twinge of sympathy, and he ordered the imperial physician to bandage her up.

When the handkerchief was removed, the whip welts on Consort Bai's hand were revealed. The wound, likely grazed by the tip of the whip, had torn flesh that looked downright gruesome.

Emperor Jiazheng's frown deepened.

Noble Consort Rou had been in the palace for quite some years and was considered a veteran of the palace.

In Emperor Jiazheng's mind, though she often seemed to clash with people, Noble Consort Rou was actually a woman of great discretion.

Otherwise, the Seventh Prince would not have been entrusted to her care.

Why, then, would she suddenly attack Consort Bai for no apparent reason?

This was clearly unusual.

While Emperor Jiazheng was still pondering, Consort Bai whined accusingly: "Your Majesty, I came from Xidi. Does Noble Consort Rou despise my homeland and thus target me? If my origin is my sin, why not just lock me away in the cold palace? This time it was my hand—next time, she might whip my face directly!"

Emperor Jiazheng's expression clouded over with anger. "What's the holdup! Why hasn't Noble Consort Rou arrived yet?"

Empress Nie glanced at Consort Bai before speaking up: "Your Majesty, Noble Consort Rou is caring for the Seventh Prince. If she is to come, she must first arrange for his care."

Consort Bai watched as the emperor's visible fury, upon hearing Empress Nie's brief words, visibly cooled. He even added calmly, "The Empress makes a fair point."

Consort Bai had to suppress a scowl.

Fortunately, Noble Consort Rou did not arrive too late. Dressed in plain robes, her hair loosely tied with a wooden hairpin, she entered Zhaoyang Hall with a calm demeanor.

Though Noble Consort Rou had been in the palace for years, she was still under thirty—in the prime of her youth.

She had always loved dressing to the nines, adorning herself in elaborate, glamorous attire.

Her sudden simplicity gave the emperor pause.

As soon as she entered, Noble Consort Rou kowtowed deeply, addressing the emperor and empress: "This concubine is guilty."

What little anger remained in Emperor Jiazheng vanished completely at her gesture.

Before the emperor could speak, Empress Nie frowned and interjected: "Enough. The floor is cold, and summer clothes are so light. If Noble Consort Rou kneels too long and catches a chill, she might pass it to the Seventh Prince—how could that be allowed? ... Someone, bring her a seat."

Consort Bai stiffened, turning to Emperor Jiazheng.

But the emperor merely nodded, clearly in agreement with Empress Nie.

Consort Bai felt another surge of frustration.

A perceptive palace maid promptly helped Noble Consort Rou rise and guided her to a seat.

Consort Bai, boiling with resentment, immediately cried out again, cradling her injured hand: "It hurts, it hurts so much!"

Empress Nie barely glanced at the injury and offhandedly ordered: "Imperial Physician, be gentle when dressing the wound."

The physician bowed in acknowledgment.

Consort Bai gaped in shock at Emperor Jiazheng, who remained silent.