Who Would Understand, Her Ladyship Wrote A Hundred Palace Regulations - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: I Want to Reward You

“Your Majesty… Your Majesty…” Li Jieyu hurriedly kowtowed and begged for mercy.
“I was really innocent… It was really Ning Wanyin who pushed me…”

Helian Qi frowned impatiently. “Enough.”

Wang Degui immediately dragged Li Jieyu away with several eunuchs.

Li Jieyu insisted that Ning Wanyin had pushed her.

She thought that even with Tang Miaoling as a witness, her testimony wouldn’t count because she was Ning Wanyin’s cousin.

Without reliable evidence, she and Ning Wanyin would each have their own version of the story, and the emperor wouldn’t punish her without a thorough investigation.

But she didn’t expect the emperor to demote and expel her without even asking a question.

Helian Qi’s gaze fell on Tang Miaoling. “What are you doing here?”

Tang Miaoling glanced nervously at Ning Wanyin and stuttered. “I… I came to give my cousin some medicine.”

“You two are really close,” Helian Qi said, looking at her with some surprise.

Ning Wanyin also looked at Tang Miaoling.
Was she here to give her medicine?

Tang Miaoling quickly handed the porcelain bottle she had been holding to Ning Wanyin. “This is good for reducing swelling…”

After saying that, she bowed to the emperor and hurriedly took her leave.

Helian Qi held Ning Wanyin’s hand and entered Lingxue Pavilion.

The moonlight cast a starry glow, and the ripples on the lotus pond shimmered.

Because of her knee injury, Ning Wanyin walked with difficulty, even though she was trying her best to control herself.

Helian Qi didn’t think she had suffered much, but seeing her struggling to walk, he felt a pang of sympathy and asked unexpectedly, “Do you blame me for not protecting you?”

Ning Wanyin’s thoughts turned quickly. The emperor was obviously referring to the incident in the Empress Dowager’s palace that morning, when he didn’t protect her.

She couldn’t answer whether she blamed him or not.

If she said she didn’t blame him, it would be an admission that the emperor hadn’t protected her.

Who would dare to blame the emperor to his face?

Saying she didn’t blame him would be the same as blaming him.

“What do you mean, Your Majesty?” Ning Wanyin thought for only a moment before responding with a surprised expression.
“Haven’t you always been protecting me? If it weren’t for Your Majesty’s sense of justice, I would have been bullied by Li Jieyu… Ah, I mean, Li Gui Ren.”

Helian Qi’s gaze fell on her knees. “I was talking about the Empress Dowager’s punishment…”

“The Empress Dowager’s reprimand is a matter of course. How could Your Majesty violate the rules and regulations because of me?” Ning Wanyin smiled faintly and looked at Helian Qi.

“Besides, the Empress Dowager has never liked me. If it weren’t for Your Majesty’s sake, today’s punishment would have been more severe than just a small reprimand.”

“Your Majesty has already protected me, and I am grateful,” Ning Wanyin said.

With the Empress Dowager’s power, it would be easy for her to find a reason to execute any concubine who was powerless.

The fact that she was still alive was because the emperor had spared her life.

Helian Qi was taken aback. He had always disliked foolish women and appreciated intelligent ones.

Ning Wanyin seemed delicate and spoiled, but she was actually clever and knew how to handle situations.

He was impressed by her again.

At first, he had only felt a novelty about her, but now he was truly interested.

Helian Qi saw that she was walking carefully and gingerly.

He suddenly swept her up into his arms and strode through the garden path, instructing the eunuchs following them. “Wang Degui, go and summon the imperial physician to take a look.”

Wang Degui bowed and left.

When they entered the pavilion, Helian Qi saw the spoiled food on the table.

Ning Wanyin tugged at Helian Qi’s sleeve, eager to tell him about the situation. “Your Majesty, the food sent by the Imperial Kitchen was inedible…”

Her stomach growled at that moment, indicating that she was really hungry.

Helian Qi’s brow furrowed, and he felt a surge of anger. “Summon the head of the Imperial Kitchen immediately. Order them to send proper food!”

The eunuchs following them went to carry out the order.

Soon, the female imperial physician and the head of the Imperial Kitchen arrived almost simultaneously.

The head of the Imperial Kitchen knelt down trembling, accompanied by a young eunuch. “This servant is guilty! The servants below were careless and sent the wrong food to Lingxue Pavilion.”

The young eunuch also pleaded guilty. “This servant is guilty! I made a mistake and handed over the wrong food.”

Helian Qi ignored them and asked the female physician, who was examining Ning Wanyin’s injuries behind the curtain. “How is Ning Meiren’s injury?”

“The concubine’s knee is swollen and bruised. She needs medicine to promote blood circulation and rest for a few days to recover,” the female physician replied respectfully.

Helian Qi’s expression softened slightly. “Leave Ning Meiren’s injury to you. Take good care of her.”

“Yes!” The female physician quickly took out a bottle of medicine from her bag and carefully applied it to Ning Wanyin’s knee.

Helian Qi walked to the door and looked at the head of the Imperial Kitchen, who was kneeling outside. “You can’t even handle such a small task properly. You’re not fit to be the head of the Imperial Kitchen. You shall be sent to the Laborious Warehouse.”

“Your Majesty, please forgive me! I know my mistake… I know my mistake…” The head of the Imperial Kitchen hurriedly kowtowed and begged for mercy.

Helian Qi ignored his pleas. A small eunuch wouldn’t dare to do such a thing without the head of the Imperial Kitchen’s knowledge.

If he didn’t know, he was even less qualified to hold that position.

Wang Degui made a gesture, and the eunuchs accompanying him immediately dragged the head of the Imperial Kitchen and the young eunuch away.

The female physician finished applying the medicine and bowed before taking her leave.

The table was set with a sumptuous feast.

Ning Wanyin walked out with Lian Rui’s support and bowed. “Thank Your Majesty for standing up for me!”

She meant every word of this sentence.

She was really hungry.

Helian Qi saw her trembling and stepped forward to support her. “Sit down and eat. You’ve been wronged today, and I want to make it up to you. What do you want? Just tell me, and I’ll grant it to you.”

The room fell silent at his words.

Grant her anything she wanted.

The emperor’s intention was clear: he wanted to promote Ning Wanyin.

Except for occasional promotions during festivals, concubines were usually promoted based on their merits.

This included getting pregnant, serving the Empress Dowager or the emperor when they were ill, managing the harem, or having family members who had achieved great things.

Serving the emperor in his chambers was also considered a merit, but it could only be used for promotion once.

Ning Wanyin had already been promoted once due to serving the emperor.

Promoting her again without any merit would be against the rules.

However, the emperor’s words were like imperial edicts.

It was well-known that the emperor favored Ning Wanyin, so promoting her would not be too surprising.

The palace maids and eunuchs in Lingxue Pavilion looked at Ning Wanyin with envy.

If their mistress was promoted, they would naturally receive rewards.

“I’ve been wronged because the Imperial Kitchen didn’t arrange things properly. How could I ask Your Majesty to make it up to me? Your Majesty has already shown great kindness by providing this feast,” Ning Wanyin replied humbly and politely.

Helian Qi insisted. “I want to compensate you because I care about you. What do you want? Just tell me.”

“Your Majesty’s kindness is overwhelming, and I dare not decline. May I ask Your Majesty to replace some of the people in my palace?” Ning Wanyin asked.

Wang Degui was taken aback.

This was a great opportunity, and she didn’t want a promotion?

She wanted to replace some of the people in her palace?

If the emperor stood up for her today, the head eunuchs would surely replace anyone she wanted when she went to the Imperial Household Department tomorrow.

Helian Qi was also surprised. She didn’t want a promotion?

Although it was against the rules, his words were the rules.

With him protecting her, no one would dare to say anything.

“The people in your palace are indeed not suitable. You can replace them as you see fit,” Helian Qi said.

Her servants had failed to protect her, and they deserved to be replaced.

As soon as Helian Qi finished speaking, all the palace maids and eunuchs in Lingxue Pavilion, except for Lian Rui, knelt down and trembled, bowing their heads to the ground.

“Thank Your Majesty for your kindness!” Ning Wanyin bowed.

“They didn’t protect you properly, so they deserve to be punished. This isn’t a reward. Tell me what you want as a reward,” Helian Qi asked again.

Wang Degui understood that the emperor was determined to reward Ning Meiren.

He quickly prepared his draft of congratulatory words for the promotion of Ning Jieyu.

Ning Wanyin hesitated for a moment.

If the emperor was determined to reward her…

“May I ask Your Majesty to grant me a small kitchen?” Ning Wanyin asked tentatively, looking at Helian Qi.

Wang Degui’s mental draft took a hit.

Congratulations Ning Jie… Small Kitchen?