The first concubine, who had poured the ice water on Leng Ruoshuang, spat out blood and collapsed, her breathing shallow, after Liu Ruyi struck her back with a palm strike.
The maidservant behind the concubine, witnessing her mistress spitting blood after being struck by Liu Ruyi, was so terrified that she became flustered. She let out a few screams before rushing out of the room and disappearing into Leng Ruoshuang's courtyard.
Shivering uncontrollably from the icy water that had drenched her, Leng Ruoshuang curled into a ball.
Liu Ruyi rushed over, her face etched with concern, and tightly embraced Leng Ruoshuang.
“What are you two waiting for? Hurry and change your mistress into a clean set of clothes,” Liu Ruyi roared at Fang'er and Xi'er, who had yet to snap out of their daze.
Fang'er remained motionless upon hearing Liu Ruyi's command, but Xi'er was terrified by Liu Ruyi's outburst. Her arm still ached from where Liu Ruyi had pulled it the previous night, and she harbored a deep-seated fear of Liu Ruyi.
Immediately, Xi'er fetched a clean set of clothes for Leng Ruoshuang and handed it to Liu Ruyi.
In fact, Xi'er had just changed Leng Ruoshuang into a clean outfit when the concubine, lying on the ground, had splashed her with water, rendering Xi'er's efforts in vain.
Then, Xi'er and Aman, along with Liu Ruyi, busily helped Leng Ruoshuang change into another set of clothes. They then replaced the thoroughly soaked quilt and mattress with clean ones before finally settling Leng Ruoshuang down to rest.
At this moment, the maidservant who had run out earlier returned, leading the unhurried King Qing into the room.
Everyone in the room quickly bowed to King Qing, except for Liu Ruyi, who remained seated by Leng Ruoshuang's bedside, comforting her daughter.
“King Qing, I never expected you to bully my daughter like this behind my back.”
Liu Ruyi questioned King Qing with a tone of accusation.
King Qing was not angered by Liu Ruyi's lack of deference. After all, she was the one who had agreed to help him remove the infertility curse.
“Heh! This is not my fault! I did promise to arrange for someone to take good care of Leng Ruoshuang. However, the King Qing's mansion is vast, and I have so many concubines. I simply don’t have enough time to manage their petty squabbles over favor,” King Qing said nonchalantly.
Liu Ruyi clenched her fists tightly within her sleeves, her fingernails digging deep into her palms, but her expression remained impassive.
“King Qing, I propose a deal with you. If I find someone to help you lift the infertility curse, I want your promise to establish my daughter as the King Qing's Consort. Furthermore, I require your assurance that your first son must be born to my Shuang'er,” Liu Ruyi stated with a solemn expression.
Hearing Liu Ruyi’s words, King Qing’s eyes blazed with fury, his teeth grinding together, and his whole body trembled.
“Liu Ruyi, do you not think your demands are excessive? Considering your and your daughter’s current status, let alone becoming King Qing's Consort, she is not even qualified to be a secondary consort. My father, the Emperor, would absolutely not agree to her becoming King Qing's Consort,” King Qing retorted mockingly, his face flushed red.
Liu Ruyi pondered for a few seconds. She knew deep down that her daughter was unlikely to become King Qing's Consort, but she still wanted to fight for a sliver of hope for her daughter.
Subsequently, her gaze sharply swept over the maidservants in the room, signaling King Qing to have the servants withdraw from Leng Ruoshuang's chamber.
King Qing understood her intention and raised his hand above his head in a waving gesture. Xi'er and Fang'er immediately lifted the concubine, who had fallen unconscious on the ground, and together with other maidservants, they exited the room.
After all the maidservants had left, Liu Ruyi slowly spoke to King Qing: “If I were to exchange this earth-shattering secret that the current Emperor has concealed for over a decade, Your Highness, do you think establishing my daughter as King Qing's Consort is worth it?”
Liu Ruyi’s calculations were running wild.
Upon hearing this, King Qing's initially somber eyes suddenly lit up, like two small flames ignited in the darkness. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
“That depends on what the secret is. You might as well tell me alone,” King Qing said, full of curiosity.
“This secret will not be revealed to you until you establish my daughter as King Qing's Consort. In any case, this secret will greatly aid your future succession to the throne.”
“Very well, if this secret proves beneficial to my succession, I can agree to establish Leng Ruoshuang as King Qing's Consort. However, if this secret offers me no assistance, I will make your daughter suffer a terrible fate.”
King Qing’s deep-set eyes, like bottomless black holes, were dark and lustrous, yet they glinted with specks of starlight, exuding a chilling aura. His gaze seemed fixed on an unseen point, his face displaying an inscrutable expression.
Later, King Qing immediately ordered that Leng Ruoshuang be granted the treatment of King Qing's Consort and personally warned the concubines and servants in the mansion who had previously disrespected Leng Ruoshuang.
Those who had offended Leng Ruoshuang in King Qing's mansion became cautious.
—
King Leng's Mansion
After everyone finished their hot pot meal, the servants busied themselves with cleaning. The Emperor, the Empress Dowager, Grand Tutor Xia, and others resumed playing Dou Dizhu with Jun Mohan and the Xia brothers.
Meanwhile, Leng Ruoli was busy preparing skincare products for several female guests.
Because Leng Ruoli had been away for a long time, the skincare and daily necessities she had prepared for the Empress Dowager, Madam Xia, and her two aunts had been depleted. Therefore, she immediately restocked them upon her return.
Furthermore, the Empress Dowager and Old Madam Xia’s massage devices had run out of power, so she needed to retrieve them into her spatial dimension to recharge them before returning them.
After Leng Ruoli finished these tasks, she had not been seated in the main hall for long when her eldest cousin, Xia Annan, who had been silent until then, approached her. He was wearing a white robe with a belt, his hair neatly combed and tied with a jade crown, and he moved with a steady gait, exuding an ethereal aura.
“Cousin Li'er, I haven’t quite figured out the gift you gave me last time. Could Cousin Li'er tell me how to use this?” Xia Annan asked, his face flushing with embarrassment.
“Cousin, the gift I gave you is a harmonica. I knew you had a special fondness for musical instruments since childhood, so I gave you a harmonica. Actually, playing the harmonica is quite simple. Just put it to your lips and blow, find the rhythm. You can try it,” Leng Ruoli said with a sweet smile.
Upon hearing Leng Ruoli's words, Xia Annan immediately brought the harmonica to his lips and blew softly. He was initially unaccustomed to it, but as he found his rhythm, he became more proficient, and the music became increasingly pleasant.
“Thank you, Cousin Li'er!” Xia Annan said politely.
“Cousin, why are you being so formal with me! Heh heh, let me see, your face turned completely red after just speaking a few words with me,” Leng Ruoli teased, noticing Xia Annan’s reserved demeanor as he spoke to her.
Xia Annan: “…”
His younger cousin was truly…