FID – Chapter 1070

Chapter 1070: She Dared to Scold the Emperor!

Watching the young woman walk out unharmed, the emperor was at a complete loss.

The entire Eternal Longevity Palace was deathly silent.

All the palace maids, eunuchs, attendants, and even the guards still inside the hall dared not breathe.

The emperor rarely showed emotion, but today, they could clearly feel the rage emanating from him.

It was terrifying.

That girl from the Saintess Tribe had truly angered the emperor.

She was a mere servant, but she dared to defy the emperor—audacious to the extreme.

Nearly everyone speculated on how the emperor would deal with the Saintess Tribe afterward, yet no action came.

Liu Yusheng returned to the Palace of Longevity first, where Elder Qian Fang was waiting in the hall.

Just as she arrived, Qian Fang was about to speak, then immediately sensed the difference in her aura.

The usual careful, timid demeanor was gone, replaced by a calm and composed presence never seen before.

Her eyes, clear yet icy, revealed nothing of her inner thoughts. Even Qian Fang, who prided herself on reading people, could not detect any other emotion in them.

This was not Qian Mei.

“You…”

“Elder Qian Fang, my apologies. If there’s an opportunity in the future, I will explain everything to you carefully, but today is not the right time.”

“What on earth—”

“I am not Qian Mei. However, my affairs will not involve the Saintess Tribe, so please rest assured, Elder.” She offered only this brief explanation which was hardly an explanation at all.

Qian Fang went from utter confusion to a solemn, contemplative expression.

No wonder the emperor had repeatedly summoned her alone. It must have been because he realized she wasn’t the real one.

But when had this person infiltrated their Saintess Village? Who was she truly, that she could provoke such fear in the emperor?

Liu Yusheng gave Qian Fang a fleeting glance, then returned to her room to gather her belongings. She went nowhere, waiting for someone to come.

As she expected, shortly after returning to the Palace of Longevity, the entire palace was heavily surrounded by troops.

The Saintess Tribe were frightened and unsettled. When they saw Liu Yusheng emerging from the side hall, every one of them wore an expression of mixed emotions.

This person had been among them for so long, and not a single one had noticed anything amiss.

Thankfully, she had never intended to harm them; otherwise—

Outside the hall, a slender, graceful figure cut through the heavy guard, walking slowly forward. She stopped before Liu Yusheng, their eyes locking.

“Long time no see, Princess Consort of the King of Nanling.”

P-Princess Consort of the King of Nanling?!

The Saintess Tribeswomen exchanged stunned glances. The person who had been living among them for months was the Consort of the King of Nanling?!

Even with limited information, just hearing ‘Nanling’ was enough to know where she came from. And the King’s Consort title made it all the more clear how prestigious her identity was.

Immediately, everyone’s hearts leapt.

The King of Nanling’s Consort had appeared in their Xiliang imperial palace, disguised and blending in. What was she intending to do?

Her identity had already been exposed; how could the emperor easily let her off?

And her fate…

No one dared to imagine.

Liu Yusheng quietly stared at Shan Lai’s faintly smiling face, finding the smile insufferable.

So she raised her hand and wiped that smile away.

Like brushing away dust.

Slap! The crisp sound rang through the main hall.

Shan Lai raised a hand to her stinging cheek and composed herself. “Princess, have you forgotten? This is Xiliang, not Nanling where you can do as you please. Here, no one will give you face.”

She lifted her hand, intending to mimic the gesture.

But the woman blocked her effortlessly and, with a reverse motion, slapped her across the face again.

She shot her a mocking smile and retorted, “No matter where I am, you have no right to touch a single hair on me.”

The calm facade on Shan Lai’s face finally cracked. In Xiliang—here—Liu Yusheng actually dared to provoke her again and again!

Did she really think she was still the unimportant healer girl at the Nanling imperial palace, someone who could be bossed around at will?

“Lay a hand on me, and you’re touching the life of your Xiliang emperor. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and try.” The woman completely ignored Shan Lai’s eyes, now reddening with rage, speaking with a calm, leisurely tone.

It was as if she were genuinely waiting for her to test it.

The heavily armed guards surrounding them were, in her eyes, nothing at all.

They exerted no pressure on her whatsoever.

Her plain face, serene eyes, and composed demeanor shone brilliantly at that moment.

Among the outer guards, a man in a crimson silk robe peered through the gaps in the crowd, his eyes locked tightly on her, an unusual brilliance swirling within.

Within the inner circle, Shan Lai’s eyes had turned blood-red; several times she had tried to leave marks on the woman’s calm face, to shatter her poise, but in the end, she dared not act, leaving nothing done.

She could only watch the woman brush past her, moving with the same relaxed ease as she had in the Nanling imperial palace.

“The Princess Consort of Nanling is visiting the Xiliang imperial palace as a guest. As the host, the Xiliang emperor’s hospitality leaves much to be desired. Someone, go back and tell him: if he’s dealing with me, a mere weak woman, there’s no need to send out a battalion of guards. What a ridiculous display.”

“……”

The Saintess Tribeswomen listening to her words couldn’t help but think: the Princess Consort of Nanling has some serious nerve.

To keep a straight face while turning sneaking into the palace into a ‘visiting as a guest’—her skill at twisting right and wrong seemed honed from birth.

Not only thick-skinned, but also born with the courage of a lion.

She dared to insult the emperor!

Qian Lan and Qian Xue huddled behind the elder.

They trembled as they watched the woman slowly leave the Palace of Longevity under the heavy guard.

Qian Fang glanced at Shan Lai, still standing at the hall’s doorway, but this time didn’t approach to speak.

At that moment, she realized she didn’t truly understand Shan Lai as much as she had thought.

Pulling the Saintess Tribeswomen along, Qian Fang left through the side door of the hall, leaving the entire palace empty in an instant.

Shan Lai remained standing in place, her eyes still blood-red, hands tightly curled, desperately restraining the surge of rage and humiliation within her.

As the guards withdrew, the person who had originally been hiding in the back appeared.

It was Prince Shunyang whom she had summoned.

But what she wanted him to see was not this.

She had assumed that with Liu Yusheng’s identity exposed, surrounded by heavy troops, the woman would show her shame, panic, or tears—acting like any ordinary person.

After all, she was born to a small peasant household; how worldly could she really be? Even as a princess married into the Nanling royal family, her lowly origins and narrow experiences wouldn’t change.

She was merely a sheltered flower, fortunate to have Heaven’s favor, so how could she weather a storm?

But reality was contrary to her expectations.

The one who looked foolish was herself, in front of him.

Soft footsteps receded behind her. She stiffened and turned her head. “Your Highness, where are you going?”

He was walking in the same direction Liu Yusheng had taken.

“To see the true face of the King of Nanling’s Consort. I’m curious: what kind of woman could the King cherish so deeply in his heart?” The man didn’t look back, hands behind his back, walking with casual ease.

“That is the emperor’s chosen person.”

“Can others not take even a glance at the person my great-grandfather wants? Then must all the concubines of the harem always veil their faces?”

Shan Lai turned, watching the prince’s retreating figure. Her gaze wavered, and her ten fingers, already curled tightly, dug into her palms until they bled.