111 You Reap What You Sow (2) Bonus chapter, here is the bonus!

"I pay my respects to the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy eternal peace and blessings."

As the Empress arrived, everyone bowed in unison. Minghe assisted the Empress to a soft couch.

"I finally manage to take a moment of rest," the Empress remarked, "yet you all are causing such a clamor out here. Do you truly wish to deny me peace?"

"We are at fault, Your Majesty. Please forgive us."

"So, you are the Empress?" Huyan Ya stood up and asked.

"Presumptuous!" Minghe scolded.

"Minghe, Concubine Ya is new to the palace; pay it no mind."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Concubine Ya, are you settling into life in the palace?" the Empress asked gently.

"I—"

"Before the Empress, you should refer to yourself as your servant," Minghe corrected.

"Minghe, it will take time for Concubine Ya to learn the palace etiquette. There is no need to be so insistent."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Empress, everything is fine for Ya in the palace. The Emperor treats me very well, and seeing you today, I think you are quite kind as well. However, some people are not. Since we are speaking of palace etiquette, I did not expect to find people even less knowledgeable of it than I am."

"Oh? What happened here?"

Jiang Ziqian rushed forward. "Oh, Empress, it is like this. Concubine Ya arrived a bit late. We were just discussing how she had not yet come to pay her respects, and Consort Tong took it quite seriously, saying that, by rights, she should be punished by being sent to the laundry bureau. But who would have thought, Concubine Ya arrived just then. Upon hearing this, she was displeased and remarked that while Consort Tong is a consort, she has no right to send her to the laundry bureau. Consort Tong became angry, insisting that Concubine Ya was ignorant of etiquette and status, and moved to slap her. We tried to dissuade her to no avail, and the servants dared not intervene. So, Consort Tong struck Concubine Ya herself."

"What?" The Empress stood up in anger, pointing at Zhang Bitong. "Consort Tong, as a consort, how dare you treat a sister this way? Concubine Ya is a princess of the Xiongnu and of noble status. Considering she is new and unfamiliar with our rules, the Emperor and I had already agreed not to hold her to them until she had properly learned the rites. Not only did you fail to lead by example and guide her, but you used your position to lash out at her today? Consort Tong, do you acknowledge your fault?"

Zhang Bitong had not expected things to escalate to this point. The Empress was clearly siding with Huyan Ya, and Jiang Ziqian and the others were adding fuel to the fire, eager to see her punished.

"Empress," she retorted, "I was merely disciplining her according to palace regulations."

"Presumptuous! The Emperor and I have already given our word. Do you mean to say your palace regulations supersede the Emperor's decree?"

Zhang Bitong, seeing this, had no choice but to soften her tone. "Empress, I was unaware of this. One who does not know is not guilty; I beg the Empress to spare me this time."

Lin Tanwei smiled languidly. "Just moments ago, we tried to persuade you, Sister Tong, that one who does not know is not guilty and not to hold it against Concubine Ya. What did you say then?"

"I—"

"Consort Tong, for a woman of your rank, your heart is remarkably narrow. You refuse to listen to counsel and act solely on your own whims. Today, you struck Concubine Ya without cause, damaging the harmony between our two nations. I shall certainly report this to the Emperor. You may withdraw."

"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong." Upon hearing that the matter would be reported to the Emperor, Zhang Bitong realized the situation had spiraled out of control. She knelt hastily. "I beg you, Empress, do not tell the Emperor. I am willing to change."

The Empress ignored Zhang Bitong and turned to Huyan Ya. "Concubine Ya, you are the one who has been wronged. In your view, can you forgive Consort Tong?"

Huyan Ya lifted her chin proudly, gave a disdainful laugh, and said, "Before I entered the palace, I heard that the laws of the Great Jin were strict and that palace regulations were not to be defied. Consort Tong’s boldness and insolence today were merely because she relied on her status as a consort. In my view, she must be punished to teach her a lesson and serve as a warning to other consorts in the harem. I believe this will also assist Your Majesty in managing the palace."

The Empress nodded. "I believe Concubine Ya is quite right."

"Your Majesty—" Liu Yunmeng, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward, her face showing distress. "While Consort Tong was wrong, she was acting according to palace rules. Since she did not know, please grant her a light punishment and do not take this to the Emperor."

"Sister Meng," Lin Tanwei tilted her head toward Liu Yunmeng, "regarding the incident with Princess Xihe, although the truth eventually came to light, whose servant was it that led the Princess to such a dangerous place, providing an opportunity for others? Sister Meng, your ability to repay malice with virtue is truly admirable!"

"I—" Liu Yunmeng was rendered speechless by Lin Tanwei’s retort.

Lin Tanwei continued, "Empress, it is Concubine Ya who was wronged. You must listen to her wishes to properly console her."

The Empress nodded. "Yes, that is what I think as well."

"You... are you all conspiring together to deal with me?" Zhang Bitong pointed at Lin Tanwei, Huyan Ya, and the others, trembling with rage.

"Consort Tong, have you lost your mind?" Minghe reprimanded. "How dare you act so wildly before the Empress?"

"Empress, I did nothing wrong. You cannot punish me."

The Empress smiled. "I will not punish you; the Emperor shall decide this matter. Yunqing, take your mistress back to her palace. Remaining here is truly a disgrace and beneath the dignity of a consort."

"Yes!" Yunqing went to assist Zhang Bitong, whispering, "My Lady, you are the target of everyone here; it is useless to say more. Perhaps if you consider the Emperor’s affection, he will not be too hard on you."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Bitong calmed down slightly. Without even a formal bow, she left the Kuning Palace.

Back at her own quarters, Zhang Bitong paced like an ant on a hot pan. She sent Lan Yan and Xiao Yunzi to keep a close watch on the Yangxin Hall.

First, Lan Yan returned to report that Huyan Ya and the Empress had indeed gone together to see the Emperor. They had been inside for some time without emerging, and the outcome was unknown.

Hearing that they had truly gone to lodge a complaint, Zhang Bitong grew even more panicked.

"My Lady, please take care of your health; sit down and rest."

Zhang Bitong could no longer hold back her composure and roared, "How can I rest? It is that so-called princess, along with Jiang Ziqian and Lin Tanwei—they are colluding, adding fuel to the fire! And the Empress! Was she not ill and bedridden? How did she suddenly appear? They have joined forces because they cannot stand to see me thrive; they are deliberately making me suffer punishment. Those wretches, they have infuriated me!"

Yunqing hurried to soothe her. "My Lady, please calm your anger and protect your health! As long as the Emperor's decree has not been issued, there is still hope."

Although Yunqing tried to comfort her, I felt that this situation boded ill.

If Zhang Bitong had not lost her own composure, it would not have come to this. Huyan Ya is a Xiongnu princess, and she currently enjoys the Emperor's favor. Zhang Bitong struck first, and with the Empress adding her own voice, the Emperor would inevitably impose some form of punishment. I only hope it is a minor correction.

"Why are they not back yet? Are those two servants slacking off somewhere?" Zhang Bitong asked, staring anxiously toward the entrance.

Yunqing replied, "My Lady, no news is good news at this moment."

"I have fallen into the trap of those little vixens. I will certainly deal with them properly."

"My Lady—" someone suddenly called out. Zhang Bitong thought news had come from the Yangxin Hall, but she was surprised to see Hongxiu suddenly kneeling outside the door.

I saw something in Hongxiu's hand that looked very familiar. A shiver ran through me—was that not my chest binder?

On the day I was covered in wounds, I had removed the binder. It was stained with blood, and since I did not wash it, I had cut it into pieces and thrown it away. But how could it be in Hongxiu's hands now?

When she came into the room to serve me medicine that day, she must have noticed something unusual. She had followed me and retrieved it! No wonder her gaze toward me had been so strange these past few days.

I clenched my hands, cold sweat breaking out on my palms. If she had the binder, did she already suspect my true gender?

Was she here now to expose me to Zhang Bitong?

This Hongxiu—I had endured her insolence time and again, yet she refused to let me be. How could I stop her mouth now?

"What do you want? I have no time for your trivialities right now," Zhang Bitong said impatiently.

"My Lady, I have an urgent matter to report to you."