Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 24 Cold War
A long silence fell over the hall.

The rare warmth that had gathered in Jiang Lanye's eyes vanished instantly because of her words, replaced by the indifferent look she knew best.

Song Yi's palms were covered in a layer of slippery sweat as she gripped the edge of the bed, nearly slipping.

She unconsciously licked her dry lips, feeling as if the air around her had frozen.

"I"

She tried to explain, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn't utter a word.

"it is good."

Jiang Lanye coldly uttered this single word, then stood up and stopped looking at her.

"Leave now."

Having said that, he strode out of the Zichen Palace.

The sedan chair quickly came to a stop outside the palace.

Xi Chun hurriedly picked up the clothes and jewelry she had just brought and watched as Song Yi limped over with difficulty.

After she boarded the sedan chair, she returned to the familiar Xianyue Pavilion.

She looked extremely disheveled; her hair was soaked with sweat and stuck to her forehead. She was too afraid to walk and could only move forward little by little.

Hearing the noise, Consort Xiao pushed open the door and stared wide-eyed.

"Why are you back?"

Song Yi glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Ever since Consort Xiao angered Jiang Lanye last time and returned in disgrace, she has been staying obediently in Xianyue Pavilion, not even daring to step out of the palace gate.

But as time went on, she couldn't help feeling resentful seeing Song Yi's empty room.

Since they are both substitutes, why can she shamelessly cling to His Majesty's side every day, while I can only hide in Xianyue Pavilion and dare not even go out?

Consort Xiao looked Song Yi up and down, then asked, "What happened to your leg?"

Xichun whispered from the side, "Cai Nu's leg is injured."

A hint of schadenfreude flashed in Consort Xiao's eyes as she sneered, "So it was His Majesty who disliked you."

Song Yi looked at her with a half-smile: "If you weren't rejected, then how did you get back?"

"you!"

Consort Xiao glared at her, strode up to her, and said, "Everyone has times when they fall out of favor. Now that His Majesty is tired of you, what right do you have to speak to me like that?"

"You must never forget that I am a Jieyu, and you are just a Cainu."

As she spoke, she reached out and poked Song Yi's shoulder with her finger.

Song Yi's eyes turned cold, and she immediately raised her left hand to grab her wrist.

"Do not touch me."

She spoke slowly and deliberately.

Xiao Jieyu was intimidated by her gaze and dared not move for a moment.

"Don't forget who saved you back then. Otherwise, after you received those thirty lashes, it's questionable whether you'd even be able to stand before me and speak to me now."

After saying that, she forcefully shook off Xiao Jieyu's hand and slowly moved over.

Xiao Jieyu stared intently at her back, wishing she could stare a hole through her.

The reason she was forgiven by His Majesty that night must be because His Majesty was reluctant to actually punish her; he was just saying it to scare her.

Does Song Yi really think she's someone special, that she can make Jiang Lanye stop being angry with just a few simple words?

Anyway, she's fallen out of favor and is disliked by His Majesty, so she'll still have to obediently return to Xianyue Pavilion. There's still a long way to go, we'll just have to wait and see.

After Song Yi returned to the room, she said, "Xi Chun, please boil some hot water for me. I want to take a bath."

She felt incredibly sticky all over and couldn't stand it anymore.

"Yes." Xichun was about to leave when she added, "Remember to ask Qiuchan to help too, we can't let her always slack off."

Ever since Qiu Chan was punished by her to kneel down last time, she seems to have given up and become completely unbearable. Sometimes you can't even see her for a whole day, and you don't know where she's hiding to slack off again.

Xichun is honest and quick-witted, and usually does most things by herself.

The sound of cicadas could be heard from outside the door:

"Xichun, are you stupid? Do you really think she's capable? If she were capable, she wouldn't have come back today. All that talk about pampering her, she still got kicked out. Why are you still following her around?"

Xichun quickly said, "Sister, please keep your voice down. Cai Nu is feeling unwell right now, you..."

Song Yi stood up, propped herself up on the table, opened the door, and looked at Qiu Chan.

"Autumn Cicada, you should leave."

Both of them suddenly shut their mouths.

Seeing that Qiu Chan had no reaction, Song Yi patiently emphasized again: "You should leave now, and you are not allowed to return to Xian Yue Pavilion unless necessary."

Qiu Chan was still carrying a bucket of hot water. Upon hearing this, she slammed the bucket to the ground and said, "Fine, let's go."

Xi Chun was stunned. "This..."

Song Yi said, "You don't need to spoil her. I have more than just the two of you maids around me. If she doesn't want to serve, someone else will. If she really wants to go back to the flower room as a servant, then go back."

Qiu Chan, with a sullen face, strode back to her room as if in a huff.

She didn't have many clothes, so she quickly gathered them up.

She came out again, looked at Song Yi, and her expression was unnatural.

"Other concubines give their maids a little silver when they're dismissed, so you wouldn't, Miss Consort, would you?"

Song Yi smiled slowly, "Even if I had money, I would never give it to you. Now get lost."

Qiu Chan's face flushed red and then turned pale. She said directly, "This servant takes her leave."

After she left, Xichun couldn't help but mutter to herself, "She's shameless."

After Qiu Chan left, the palace maid immediately stepped forward and helped Xi Chun carry the hot water inside.

Song Yi couldn't soak directly in hot water, so she sat on a chair, took off her clothes, and Xi Chun wrung out a handkerchief and carefully wiped her down.

Looking at her focused expression, Song Yi suddenly smiled.

"Xichun, thank goodness you're here."

Xichun quickly said, "Cainu, please don't say that. This servant is meant to serve her master. These are all things this servant should do."

After saying that, she couldn't help but say, "Cai Nu, your body is so fair and tender."

She doesn't look like a palace maid who came from the laundry department at all.

The people in the laundry department worked exceptionally hard, exposed to the wind and sun all day long. Even if their hands were soaked in water until they were raw, they still had to continue washing clothes. Unlike Song Yi's hands, which were as white as jade, with slender fingers and delicate skin, she didn't look like someone who had done rough work.

Then, Xiyue noticed a small red mole on Song Yi's side.

She gently touched it with her finger: "Cai Nu, you have a mole here."

Xi Chun didn't notice that Song Yi's eyelashes trembled.

She didn't know she had a mole on her side until three years ago, when she and Jiang Lanye were passionately entwined on the dragon bed, he would kiss that spot again and again with his hot and burning kisses, telling her in a hoarse voice that he loved that red mole the most.

Xi Chun reminded her that she should be more careful in the future and not let the red mole show.

Just then, Xiao Jieyu's voice came from outside again.

"Some people, as soon as they come back, hide in their rooms. Just how shameful are they? In this harem, the women whom His Majesty despises are not even as good as a bird."

"When I think back to how arrogant she was back then, I was really scared. I thought she could get away with anything from me, but now it seems she's nothing special."

Xichun angrily said, "Cainü, she's gone too far!"

(End of this chapter)