Nan Yan's figure had faded away from the Imperial Garden's gate. After a while, a miserable cry could be heard from the corner of the outside door.

"Aaarrgh!"

The Imperial Garden, that once had a harmonious atmosphere with dancing and music, was now coldly dispersed till it disappeared.

In rage, Zhu Yao went out the Imperial Garden. Without any means to settle his anger, he ruthlessly complained.

“Unexpectedly, for such an important matter, to even allow a little palace maid to make it fall through ! That d.a.m.n servant girl choose, neither earlier nor later, but precisely this moment to lose the High Advisor Ministry's key. How can she lose the key at such time !?"

Zhu Xuan walked while fanning himself.

“Yes, neither earlier nor later, but precisely at this time.”

His words were like a ridicule, as Zhu Yao listened to it, he knitted his brows. Suddenly, he looked at Zhu Xuan.

"You mean——”

Zhu Xuan only smiled then said,

“To lose the High Advisor Ministry's key but merely getting striked twenty times with wooden plank. Our Fourth Elder Brother grew up in the barracks, there, his military orders were as clear as mountains. He was more hard-hearted than all of us. Now that he has became Emperor, contrary to what one might expect he suddenly became kind and generous."

Zhu Yao suddenly frowned,

“Could it be, he did it on purpose ?"

“Otherwise ?”

"Then——”

He thought about it and suddenly became angry again.

“Then, why did you still plead for leniency for that little palace maid ?”

"I thought she really had lost the key, but it turned out to be——”

“If I had known earlier that it was like this, I should have her head cut off !”

He was red in anger and sweating in the hot sun.

Contrariwise, on the other side, Zhu Xuan still remain standing with the appearance of a light cloud. With an unstressed manner and shaking the folding fan in his hands, he smiled contently and leisurely uttered.

“Since it was done on purpose, that clever girl must be the Emperor's confidant. Since she is a confidant, how can the Emperor really kill her ?"

"I only took advantage of the situation for my own benefit by making her a favor.”

"But it is too easy for her !”

"Sixth Elder Brother,” Zhu Xuan then said with a smile.

“The Emperor said it correctly. You are too anxious, just be patient.”

"Besides, look at the other several thousands of palace maids in this palace. Which one can be as clever as this Si Nan Yan ?"

Nevertheless, he spoke in a indifferent tone.

“This servant girl is actually interesting.”

Nan Yan had been beaten with twenty boards.

Although Ye Zheng pa.s.sed the message later and those people had relaxed their strength. But, after all, it was still twenty boards.

After the beating, her forehead was thoroughly covered with sweats and her whole body was a little confused. Nan Yan only could vaguely see the road, at last, she faintly felt that someone came and carried her away.

Along the way, she only felt that the sun was so dazzling overhead that she could not open her eyes. Several times she was about to lose consciousness, but, was sobered by the dull pain from her back.

Then she heard the sound of the door opening and someone carried her into the Palace Hall.

Someone spoke softly——

“Call the imperial physician.”

“Yes.”

“Wait a minute. Go to the Harem again and find some palace ladies to come and give her medicine.”

"Yes"

After a while, someone really came. Nan Yan felt her clothes were untied. She suffered a little pain and wanted to reach out to stop them. But there was no strength left, she could only obliged to lie down quietly.

After applying the medicine, the painful area became a little better.

She looked up in a trance and looked around.

This, it looks like——

She thought about it before her eyes closed once again. And she fell asleep in a daze.

End of the Chapter