Quick Transmigration: The Day I Blew Up My Housemate

1.9 Servant of the Cold Palace (9)

Back at the Yonghe Pavilion, the situation was hectic. Eunuch Zheng nearly had a heart attack at the prime age of nineteen when he saw what had happened to the emperor.

'An assassination attempt?'

As the head of eunuchs, Zheng He was taught to remain composed at all times. And despite the worries in his heart, he was the first to collect himself. As the servants erupted in clatters of messy speculations on what could have happened to the emperor, he gave a resounding order.

He yelled for the imperial guards. "Secure every corner of the Yonghe Pavilion! Close the palace gates!"

He then turned to the gossiping maids.

"Not one word gets out of this room. Otherwise, it's your heads that will roll!"

The chattering immediately came to a halt.

Two bodyguards were already carrying the emperor out of the courtyard's doors.

"Send for the imperial physician to wait at the inner court," he told an attending subordinate eunuch. Fortunately, the emperor had only seemed to pass out and his dragon body was unharmed.

Eunuch Zheng then addressed Concubine Zhou, who looks unruffled by the event despite having her hands slippery with sweat.

"Niangniang, something major has happened to the emperor. This eunuch will take his leave now." He rushed after the emperor without waiting for a response.

Concubine Zhou felt her heart beat a million times per second, her hand clenching and unclenching as if she could squeeze the sweat out. She slid out of her chamber to cool her head.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw a figure coming in from the side gate. She felt red eyes that were ablaze with unhidden fury locking down on her from a few distances away.

Her heart gave a start. "Wan Mei!"

Concubine Zhou tried her best to meet Feng Mian's eyes with a steady gaze. Somewhere inside her, there was a feeling of guilt that she refused to acknowledge. She hardened her voice.

"Where were you? Why are you soaking?"

Feng Mian stood in front of her drenched and unblinking. Like death warmed over.

"What of it? It's not the first time I've been drenched." Feng Mian had forgone all common courtesy between master and servant, no longer referring to herself as 'this servant'. The moment she saw Concubine Zhou, all her anger and disappointment came to surface.

System 555: "Uhhh... Xiao Mian, maybe you should calm down a bit."

"NO! YOU CALM DOWN!" Her temper flared.

Now, even the maids in the room were peeking out from the paper windows to see the continuation of tonight's drama.

'Yo, first the emperor was found passed out at Yonghe Pavilion. Then, the concubine's own personal maid was picking a fight with her own mistress, looking to sign a death wish. Why is tonight so festive?'

Concubine Zhou was caught off guard. She knew she was in the wrong, but felt her dignity as a master was trampled on by the uncivil approach.

She kept her voice firm to disguise her guilt. "Pardon me?"

"YOU SHOULD BE!" Feng Mian yelled in a burst of anger.

Now, even the concubine's anger was stroked. "Insolent! How dare you! I am your mistr一一"

"一一NO. NO. You... don't get to say anything. It's my turn now. You listen!"

Feng Mian didn't know where to start, and at what point things went so wrong. She brushed back the wet fringe stuck to her forehead in frustration. Like a bottle of oil that spilt over, her mouth began to spill all her years of grievances.