Empress, she is rising step by step

Chapter 17 You are just a dog beside her
  Later, he was selected to enter the palace, but he suddenly fell ill before he could go to bed. As time went by, let alone the emperor, even the slaves almost forgot that there was Cao Baolin in the palace. "

Zhu Ci nodded understandingly, and seeing Zhuang Xiaoxiao's reluctance and Cao Wenxi's eyes filled with tears, he couldn't help but sigh slightly.

"Looking at Zhuang Jieyu, if Cao Baolin doesn't follow the instructions, he won't give up. But if he does, she will never be able to hold her head up in the palace from now on."

"Yes, Zhuang Jieyu's move is really too much. Let's not talk about the overt and covert squeeze on her in the Queen's Palace."

Zhuying also frowned at the sight, "Cao Baolin has always been unknown and has no grudge against her. He actually humiliated her like this. Anyone with any sense of integrity would never agree to Zhuang Jieyu's ridiculous request."

Zhu Ci didn't want to look any further. As long as nothing unexpected happens, Cao Wenxi will definitely have to give in to Zhuang Xiaoxiao, no matter how willing she is to agree to her demands.

"The first level of officialdom kills people", and the same is true in the harem, not to mention that Cao Wenxi is still an unpopular concubine.

Zhu Ci turned around and was about to speak again when Zhuying suddenly tugged on her sleeve and showed her her mouth.

Zhu Ci was puzzled. He followed her line of sight and saw a man wearing a bamboo green round-collared robe standing in the white field. The collar and cuffs were embroidered with tulle patterns, and he was looking ahead with a heavy gaze.

"Your Majesty?!" Zhu Ci instantly understood why Zhuang Xiaoxiao dressed up delicately and gorgeously when greeting the Queen.

Why did she see Zhuang Xiaoxiao clearly leaving, but then suddenly appear in Chunse Garden? It turned out to be a premeditated plan.

Zhu Ci thought for a moment and then immediately paid attention. She pretended not to see Shen Que, turned around and hurriedly picked up her skirt and ran towards the lake.

"What's going on? I heard someone talking from a distance. I thought I heard someone wrong, but I didn't expect it was really you, Zhuang Jieyu."

With curiosity in her eyes, Zhu Ci leaned over Zhuang Xiaoxiao and looked at Cao Wenxi in front of her eyes.

Her eyes were filled with tears, but she resisted them from falling and bit her lip.

When they were closer, Zhu Cicai saw that her clothes had been washed and faded, and there was a musty smell upon closer inspection, which showed that her life in the palace was not easy.

"I don't know what this sister has done wrong. I hope Master Zhuang Jieyu has more. For my concubine's sake, please spare her this time."

"Looking at your face? Humph, who do you think you are and how much money do you think your face is worth? Don't think that with the support of the imperial concubine behind you, you can sit back and relax and rise to the top."

Zhuang Xiaoxiao already disliked Zhu Ci, but when he saw that she suddenly appeared out of nowhere and opened her mouth to intercede for Cao Wenxi, he became even more angry.

"The emperor only made you a concubine just to see how pretty you are. You have really forgotten your origins and regarded yourself as your master. You still want to be on equal footing with me. It's really ridiculous!"

Zhu Ci's face turned red with shame, "Why is Zhuang Jieyu so hostile to the concubine? The concubine never wanted to compete with Sister Zhuang for the emperor, nor did she want any glory or wealth. The concubine just wanted to be by the emperor's side forever. I’m satisfied.”

Zhuang Xiaoxiao looked back and forth at Zhu Ci and Cao Wenxi, and suddenly smiled.

"Well, seeing how pitiful you two are, let's forget it. I can only admit that I am unlucky. It's a pity that these shoes are made of Shu brocade."

Hearing this, Cao Wenxi breathed a visible sigh of relief. She turned her head and looked at Zhu Ci, who smiled kindly at her.

Zhuang Xiaoxiao had a look of regret on his face. He let go of his hand and the handkerchief fell lightly to the ground, just in front of Zhu Ci.

"Ah, it's my veil. Please help my sister pick it up for me."

Zhu Ci didn't think much. She squatted down and just touched the corner of the veil with her slender fingers. She seemed to catch a glimpse of something passing by, and then there was a heartbreaking pain in her hand.

Zhuang Xiaoxiao raised her foot and stepped hard on the back of Zhu Ci's hand, grinding it hard back and forth. With a bright and sweet smile on her face, she leaned forward slightly, looking sideways at Zhu Ci and deliberately lowered her voice. "Oh, what you think is so beautiful! You also want to always be by the emperor's side. If you don't use the mirror to see what you are, you think Concubine Bai will protect you. You are just a dog beside her. You said I If I treat you like this, if Concubine Bai knows, will she stand up for you?"

Zhu Ci knelt on the ground, holding the wrist of her right hand with her left hand. Of course Bai Xinrui will not stand up for her. Although she and Bai Xinrui are in the same boat, she will not care as long as it does not harm her actual interests.

Zhu Ci slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with tears, "I just told the truth. If Zhuang Jieyu doesn't like to hear it, just don't say it in the future. I don't know where I offended my sister in the past, but I still Please make it clear to Sister Zhuang, so I can correct it later."

"You didn't offend me in any way, I just want to see you." Zhuang Xiaoxiao paused, glanced at Cao Wenxi, and raised his red lips contemptuously.

"I just don't like you two."

Cao Wenxi felt guilty when he saw that Zhu Ci had been implicated because of him.

She knelt down with a plop, "It's all my concubine's fault. Zhuang Jieyu should forgive Zhu Yunv. If the emperor finds out..."

The words suddenly stopped, and Cao Wenxi's voice became a little more respectful, "My concubine Baolin, Mrs. Cao, bows to your Majesty. May your Majesty be safe."

Zhuang Xiaoxiao's head trembled, and he just remembered what he came to Chunse Garden this time. She turned around in fear and saw Shen Que walking up to her, his face looking frighteningly dark.

"Your Majesty?" Zhuang Xiaoxiao's legs softened and he fell to the ground.

"Concubine, please see the emperor."

Shen Que didn't say anything, and walked straight past Zhuang Xiaoxiao, gently lifting Zhu Ci up from the ground.

"Your Majesty?!" The tears Zhu Ci tried to hold back burst out the moment she saw Shen Que, rolling down her cheeks and falling on the back of Shen Que's hands, a piece of warm moisture.

Her voice was filled with deep grievance and a hint of joy.

"Your Majesty, why are you here?"

"I happened to be passing by here, but I didn't want to see this scene."

It always hurts when a beautiful woman sheds tears. Shen Que stretched out his hand and gently wiped away the tears on Zhu Ci's face.

"I've made you feel wronged. Does your hand hurt?"

"Concubine doesn't hurt." Zhu Ci had already studied how to cry to make people feel more compassionate.

Everyone can cry, but it also requires some skills. You should cry in a beautiful way, which can arouse a man's desire for protection. At the same time, you should not tear up your makeup, let alone shed tears all over your nose.

Zhu Ci sniffed and her eyes were red. As she said this, she couldn't help but take a breath of air.

"hiss."

Shen Que lowered his head and looked at Zhu Ci's hand. Her hands were white and delicate, with slender fingers as slender as green onions. But now there was a circle of black and green marks, bloody flesh and blood, and there was some slight redness and swelling around it.

　I have been unsure whether it will be recommended tomorrow, and I don’t know what the editor said. Just now, the editor told me that it can be recommended tomorrow, so there is no need to control the word count. Sorry to keep everyone waiting~
  　　Woohoo, I hope the editor got it right this time, I really can't stand the blow anymore...

(End of this chapter)