RPAGF Chapter 167 Things are different now
Chapter 167 Things are different now
The movement on the corridor attracted the palace maids who were originally from the West Palace, but most of them were afraid of Concubine An's identity, so they only dared to look from afar and did not dare to approach at all.
Ji Anni was worried about alarming Concubine Baogui and wanted only to drive Concubine An away.
But the other side had more people and more power, blocking the road like a lump of iron, not moving at all.
"Zhao Ji, I'm here today for serious business. If you dare to block my way, don't blame me for being punished." Concubine An tried hard to maintain her last bit of calmness and warned in a low voice.
"Punish? How? Do you want to hit me here?" Ji Anni also challenged. In fact, she was not afraid of Concubine An taking action, but she was afraid that Concubine An would not take action. Because as long as Concubine An took action first, she could justifiably fight back in self-defense.
Concubine An sneered: "My sister is a delicate girl, I can't afford to hit her..."
Concubine An was not fooled. She dragged out the end of her words a little longer, sounding a little sarcastic, and her cold eyes swept over her coldly, causing Ji Annie to shudder.
This woman must be up to something bad again.
Sure enough, Concubine An's gaze slowly shifted behind Ji Anni.
There was only one person standing behind Ji Anni, and that was Hua Rong.
As soon as Hua Rong's eyes met Concubine An's, she couldn't help but take a half step back, looking a little panicked. Hua Rong was always very calm and rarely showed panic in front of others. It seemed that Hua Rong was instinctively afraid of Concubine An, but she didn't know why.
"My Lady, I am the one who is stopping you now. You don't have to take it out on others."
Ji Anni took half a step back and blocked Hua Rong behind her.
In fact, even Ji Anni herself did not expect that she would stand up to protect Hua Rong one day. Before this, she saw Hua Rong as a stubborn woman who did not need anyone's protection. It was precisely because she was such a strong girl that after she suddenly showed a trace of fear just now, Ji Anni had to subconsciously protect her behind her.
Concubine An added: "Sister, you are of noble status now, I dare not punish you, but the humble maid behind you... I can beat her or punish her whenever I want. If you know what's good for you, just get out of the way, otherwise..." When she said this, she winked at the nanny beside her, and immediately three old palace maids with flesh on their faces walked towards Hua Rong.
"Who of you dares to take action?" Ji Anni had seen Aunt Rong punish Xiao Yanzi, so she knew that these old maids were extremely ruthless.
The maids stopped after being threatened by Ji Anni. Perhaps they had heard some rumors about Concubine Zhao, and knew that this imperial concubine dared to go against the Empress Dowager and Princess Tianning. She was not a vegetarian rabbit, and they could not afford to bully her.
"Zhao Ji, do you really not want to give way today?" The last trace of smile on Concubine An's face was frozen into ice, and her eyes pierced towards Ji Anni like a sharp sword.
"Empress..." Hua Rong gently tugged at Ji Anni, as if trying to dissuade her.
This tiny movement of hers hurt Concubine An's eyes badly and drew her attention back to her.
Concubine An pointed at Huarong and screamed, "Huarong, you are fine now. You have a concubine to support you. Even the nanny can't beat you. I asked you to serve Zhaoji so that you can remind her at any time that there are rules in the palace and laws in the world. But look, she still doesn't know the rules, is lawless, and is tyrannical. This is your dereliction of duty. You should be punished for dereliction of duty. Do you think you should be punished? - The nanny can't beat you today, but do you think you should be beaten?"
These words made Huarong lower her head.
After a long time, Huarong's low voice came out from her mouth blocked by her hair: "This slave should be punished..."
"Hua Rong?" Ji Anni turned around and glared at her, not believing that she would say such a thing.
What surprised Ji Anni even more was yet to come. Hua Rong slowly raised her right hand, and then with a "slap", she slapped herself loudly.
"Hua Rong!" Ji Anni shouted in a low voice and subconsciously grabbed her right wrist.
There was another "slap" sound, and Huarong raised her left hand and slapped herself again.
Ji Anni was so stunned that she couldn't speak. She held Hua Rong's hands tightly, so tightly that she wanted to break them.
Although the two slaps from Hua Rong hit her own face, at the same time, Ji Anni also felt a burning pain in her heart, as if she had been slapped hard by Hua Rong - in front of Concubine An.
“Heh… heh…”
A gloomy laugh came out of Concubine An's mouth intermittently. She seemed to be trying hard to hold it back, but she couldn't help it. After shrugging her shoulders slightly a few times, she burst into shocking laughter.
"Hahaha, Zhao Ji, did you see that? I didn't hit her, and my nanny didn't hit her either. She hit herself! ... Just for a master like you, she hit herself! Haha... Zhao Fei, you should be proud."
Unable to hear Concubine An's sarcasm, Ji Anni could only hear the two slaps from Hua Rong just now.
She couldn't understand why Hua Rong hit herself. With Hua Rong's proud personality, it was impossible for her to do such a thing.
Could it be that Hua Rong's panic when she faced Concubine An's gaze just now was not accidental? Could it be that there is some deeper connection between Hua Rong and Concubine An?
There was no time to think about it, as Ji Anni was pushed hard on the shoulder by Concubine An.
Unprepared, Ji Anni's body tilted and her shoulder hit the wall.
Concubine An led a large group of palace maids and nannies she brought with her towards Concubine Baogui's room.
At this time, Ji Anni no longer had the strength to chase after and stop them. All her strength seemed to have been dispersed by the two slaps from Hua Rong just now. At this moment, she truly felt her own powerlessness. Even Hua Rong, whom she wanted to protect in a moment, stood on the side of Concubine An.
"Why..." Ji Anni stared at Hua Rong.
In fact, she didn't want to ask for a result, but just wanted to express her complete incomprehension.
Hua Rong didn't make a sound, just stood there quietly, without even raising her head.
"Why..." Ji Anni asked again.
This time, she not only didn't understand the meaning of Hua Rong's two slaps, but she also didn't understand the meaning of her silence.
"Hua Rong... you are eloquent and it's impossible that you can't speak. Do you know that you look like, like..."
Ji Anni couldn't say the words after "just like".
"Like what, Madam?" Hua Rong finally uttered a small voice, slowly raised her head, and a faint smile flashed in her dim eyes. That smile was numb, heartbreaking, and sad.
"Slave... just like a slave." Ji Anni said these two words that she was most reluctant to say, and they were also the two words that she was most reluctant to use on Hua Rong.
Hua Rong was not surprised or aggrieved after hearing this. She just smiled and asked, "My Lady, things are different now... Do you think I am not a slave or something else?... My Lady, you just asked 'why', I will tell you now... I am just a dog that she has kept for three years. Is this reason enough?"