The princess regretted it.

Chapter 220: Read more sutras and gather 1 point of Buddhist affinity

Qiuwen had been by Zhang Xinrou's side for so many years, relying on the favor Zhang had once bestowed upon her. She had always acted superior within the palace, acting bossy and bossy, and few dared to give her a hard time. As a result, she was quite arrogant. In her eyes, the frail Concubine Cen was merely lucky to have received the Emperor's favor, and was not a threat at all. Therefore, she did not take Concubine Cen seriously.

At this moment, facing Concubine Cen's rebuke, she still stubbornly pursed her lips, refusing to bow her head. She looked directly at Concubine Cen, "Are you really so kind as to come visit my queen? Why didn't I see your kindness before? Please don't be so hypocritical. Everyone in the harem knows about the rift between you and my queen. Now that my queen has fallen from grace and is under house arrest, you suddenly come here and claim to have good intentions. How can Qiuwen believe it?"

Concubine Cen did not say anything, but looked at Qiu Wen coldly. This person was Zhang Xinrou's confidante, and she had helped her do countless shameful things over the years. She might have been involved in the loss of her child.

After a while, Concubine Cen slowly spoke: "Mingyue, slap her!" Mingyue was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized that her queen wanted her to go forward and slap Qiuwen in the face. She slowly walked up to Qiuwen and raised her hand to slap her.

Qiu Wen glared at him and shouted angrily, "How dare you!"

Mingyue's hand paused in mid-air. She glanced at Concubine Cen in bewilderment.

Concubine Cen's calm voice came: "Hit."

Mingyue swung her arm and slapped Qiuwen across the face repeatedly, leaving her face swollen. She was stunned; it was the first time in years she had been hit like that. She didn't react for a long moment, the stinging pain surging across her face. She snapped back to her senses and shouted, "Bitch, how dare you hit me?" Then she charged at Mingyue.

"Qiu Wen, are you looking for death?" Concubine Cen's cold words stabbed at her like an icy sword. Qiu Wen froze in her place. She turned to look at Concubine Cen. Her face was still sickly pale, and she looked delicate and frail. But her eyes, as if hardened by ice, stared at her with such coldness and brooding intensity that she shuddered.

Although Qiu Wen was filled with rage, she didn't dare to act rashly. She knew her current situation was extremely unfavorable. If she acted impulsively, she would probably bring disaster upon herself. However, she couldn't swallow this anger and could only glare at Concubine Cen and Mingyue fiercely, her eyes looking as if she wanted to eat someone.

"Qiu Wen, are you dissatisfied? Not to mention that I am in charge of the six palaces now, I am also a concubine appointed by the emperor himself, and you are just a palace maid. You are so contemptuous of me and contradict me. It would not be too much for me to beat you to death with a stick." Concubine Cen's low voice echoed in the main hall. Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, cold and piercing, with unquestionable majesty and a deep sense of oppression.

Qiu Wen looked at Concubine Cen's cold gaze, listened to her seemingly calm but in reality murderous words, and her heart suddenly tightened. Only then did she begin to feel truly afraid. She lowered her head involuntarily, and cold sweat instantly broke out on her forehead and back. The sweat slowly slid down her spine, soaking her clothes, but she didn't dare raise her hand to wipe it away. Her legs began to tremble slightly.

Concubine Cen watched her reaction, slowly closing her eyes and pondering. She wasn't a kind person, but she knew now was not the right time to take action against Qiu Wen. In this palace, every move was under everyone's scrutiny, and she couldn't let the emperor think she was cruel and ruthless, flattering the powerful and bullying the weak.

Furthermore, the Zhang family's influence in the court remained, and no one could predict what would happen in the future. Concubine Zhang's unwavering confidence in the harem stemmed from her mother's family's support and her own children. These factors combined to make Concubine Cen overly cautious, forcing her to swallow her anger for now, as she still had a long way to go.

Thinking of the child, Concubine Cen felt even more hatred in her heart, "Why can't I have children? Isn't it because of you? How dare you use this to hurt me. I will never let you go." Concubine Cen looked coldly at Concubine Zhang who had not yet woken up on the couch, and said to herself.

After a long moment, Concubine Cen sighed softly, as if exhausted. "Qiu Wen, I'm thinking of Concubine Zhang, who needs someone to take care of her, and you're someone she's used to. I'll forgive you this time today. If it happens again, don't blame me for being cruel. Take good care of your mother, comfort her, recite more sutras, and gather some Buddhist karma. After all, Princess Jiaoyu is also under house arrest, crying and making a fuss every day, refusing to eat or drink. I think she's worried about her mother. As long as she's alive, Princess Jiaoyu can rest in peace, right?"

After saying this, she made a subtle gesture to Mingyue, ready to leave this dangerous place. Mingyue understood and supported Concubine Cen as they slowly walked out of the palace.

Qiu Wen still kept her head down, her body trembling, until she heard the footsteps of Concubine Cen gradually fading away. Then she slowly raised her head, her eyes full of fear and unwillingness. She looked in the direction where Concubine Cen left, and secretly vowed to take double the humiliation she suffered today.

Qiu Wen, enduring the burning pain on her face, hurriedly turned and walked towards the soft couch, anxiously tending to Concubine Zhang lying there. At this moment, her heart was filled with worry and concern for Concubine Zhang, and she had long forgotten the humiliation she had suffered. In her heart, Concubine Zhang was her support and hope in this harem.

She looked at the unconscious Concubine Zhang and silently cursed the coldness and ruthlessness of the palace. Ever since the Empress was confined, the ugly faces of the people in the palace had been exposed. Those who had once flattered her had now become cold and distant, and some even took advantage of her misfortune and bullied her wantonly.

But Qiuwen firmly believed that all this was only temporary. She carefully smoothed Concubine Zhang's messy hair, her eyes filled with determination. She knew the weight of her responsibility now lay upon her, and she must devote herself wholeheartedly to caring for the Empress.

In her opinion, the Empress had only temporarily lost her power. With the Empress's beauty and talent, her two children, and the power and influence of the Grand Tutor and the Minister in the court, they would certainly not sit idly by and would definitely try their best to help the Empress regain the Emperor's favor.

As Qiu Wen gently wiped Concubine Zhang's forehead with a warm handkerchief, she silently thought to herself: if the Empress could regain her favor, she would definitely find out all those villains who dared to look down on them today and make them pay a heavy price for their actions.

Her eyes gleamed with the flames of revenge, a hatred that seemed to ignite the air around them. She whispered softly in Zhang's ear, "Your Majesty, rest assured. Qiuwen will remain by your side, never abandoning you. None of those villains will escape; they will receive the punishment they deserve." Her words were filled with loyalty to Zhang and a determination for future revenge. In the silent palace, only her resolute voice echoed, as if declaring their unyielding resistance to this heartless court.