If not abolished

Chapter 171: Debate (1)

While people were waiting anxiously here, three people on the other side were sitting together with their own thoughts. Oh, no, there were only two people sitting there. Qingluan was just about to sit down.

Concubine Guo immediately said, "Concubine Li, I'm afraid you haven't had the tea brewed by Qingluan. This girl is very skillful. She used to comb my hair when I was here. She combed it very well. I think her tea brewing skills should be good too. Why don't we drink the tea she brewed herself? What do you think, Concubine Li?"

Concubine Li felt a chill on her back and said with a smile: "Sister, after all, sister Qingluan's status is still the same as before... If you want to drink tea, there is a maid in my palace who makes delicious tea. Would you like to try it?" Concubine Li never wanted to offend anyone. Even if Qingluan was just a concubine, she didn't want to have a grudge with her. After she finished speaking, she kept her eyes on the door, hoping that the Crown Princess would come soon.

"I've drunk the tea in your palace before, but it's nothing new. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone else come and try something different?" Concubine Guo insisted that Qingluan come.

Seeing this, Concubine Li remained silent and just watched how Qingluan would respond.

"It's my honor that Your Majesty wants to drink the tea I make. I'll go make it for you right away." Qingluan naturally obeyed the advice. What else could she do? If she didn't want to go, Concubine Guo would have plenty of ways to punish her. The Crown Prince didn't like her yet, so the Crown Princess had no reason to protect her. She had to walk her own path in the future. Since she had chosen this path, she would go on no matter how difficult it was. What did this little thing matter?

"Did Concubine Li see that? You were standing up for her, but she agreed to it all by herself. This servant who just became the master cannot change her habits?" Concubine Guo said this before Qingluan walked out.

Qingluan's figure was visibly stiff, but it was only for a few seconds, and then she walked out as if nothing had happened.

After Qingluan left, Concubine Li spoke up, "Wasn't what Sister Guo said just now too harsh? If this gets to His Highness' ears, it won't sound good, right?"

"You are just a coward. If she has the guts, just go ahead and complain. If your maid is favored by His Highness and is made a concubine, you will be able to swallow this anger... I know what you say about me behind my back. I can't do anything to His Highness, but I can always vent my anger on her, right?"

"Sister Guo, even if you are angry, things have already come to this point. Moreover, it's the first day this person has arrived and you are already making things difficult for him. When the Crown Princess holds you accountable, it will be more trouble than it's worth." Although Concubine Li usually stands on the side of the Crown Princess on some matters, Qingluan lives with her now, and she can't stand it if she makes trouble every other day.

"You are afraid of the Crown Princess, but I am not. Crown Princess, please feel free to come. I am afraid that she is hiding in the dark and dare not come out." Concubine Guo now feels that all this is the work of the Crown Princess, who is manipulating everything from behind.

"We are all sisters. There is no need to be afraid. We will have to live together for decades in the future." Concubine Li still advised her to maintain harmony.

"After decades of living together, it's hard to say for sure. Fortune and misfortune can happen at any time. Who can say for sure? What if the Crown Princess suddenly..."

"Sister Guo, you can't say this casually, you can't say it..." Concubine Li was frightened by her words and dared to interrupt her.

"Alright, alright, look at you. After all these years, you are still so timid. You dare not think or say anything."

Now neither of them spoke anymore until Qingluan came in with tea and cakes.

"Your Majesty, please." Qingluan naturally gave it to Concubine Guo first. Concubine Guo didn't know whether she was distracted for a moment or did it on purpose, she lost her balance and the teacup fell down. Qingluan didn't have time to retract her hand, and some of the scalding hot tea poured onto her hand, scalding her so much that she couldn't help but scream.

"what……"

"Sister Qingluan, what should we do? Go and ask the imperial physician to come..." Concubine Li also shouted in fear.

Concubine Guo was also stunned. She didn't expect this to happen. She really lost her composure for a moment.

The Crown Princess had just stood up when she heard that the side hall was going to call in the imperial physician. She was also surprised. Did Guo make people need to call in the imperial physician so quickly?

"Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on that side? What's going on?" the Crown Princess asked in a low voice.

"I did send someone to watch over it. This happened suddenly, and I didn't expect it..." Yun Jin also complained bitterly. She didn't expect Concubine Guo to be so...

"Okay, go get the imperial physician quickly, and then come with me to see what's going on?" said the Crown Princess with her eyes closed.

"Yes."

When the Crown Princess arrived with the imperial physician, Qingluan's hands were already covered with blisters, and the back of her hands were red, which was still a bit creepy at first glance.

"Why is Concubine Guo here? What happened to Concubine Qingluan's hand?" The Crown Princess first asked the imperial physician to treat Qingluan, and then turned around and began to ask about the whole story.

Concubine Li glanced at Concubine Guo, then lowered her head and said nothing.

The Crown Princess followed her gaze and looked at Concubine Guo. Concubine Guo was not a person who would hide anything, and there were so many witnesses here, so she could just tell the truth.

"In reply to the Crown Princess, I heard that Qingluan was made a concubine. After all, we were master and servant before, and I came to congratulate her. The Crown Princess will not say no, right?"

"If you came here with sincerity to congratulate me, then I would have nothing to say. But if you just came here to congratulate me, would Concubine Qingluan's hand have become like that?" The Crown Princess was too lazy to talk nonsense with her and went straight back to the matter of Qingluan's hand.

"Princess, please listen to what I have to say. After I came here, Qingluan specially invited us to have tea. Concubine Li can testify to this." Concubine Guo said to Concubine Li.

"Is that so?" asked the Crown Princess.

Concubine Li hurriedly replied: "Concubine Guo is right." Although it was Concubine Guo who insisted, Qingluan did not refuse, so it can be understood that way.

"Then she was drinking tea, did she pour the tea into her hands?"

"This is indeed my responsibility. When Qingluan handed it to me, I didn't hold it firmly, and that's how it happened."

"Was it accidental or intentional? I'm afraid only you know?" No one is a fool. This kind of thing is basically intentional. We are not children anymore. We can't hold a cup of tea steadily.

"You are wrongly accusing me, Crown Princess. I really didn't mean to do that today. If I really did it, I would just admit it. I am just a concubine, so I am not afraid of her. But if you want to wrongly accuse me, then you should show me the evidence, otherwise it is slander." Concubine Guo was really careless this time, so she was very confident. If she really wanted to pour the cup of tea into Qingluan's hand, her hand would be in serious condition, and there would only be a few blisters.

"The evidence is not simple. Aren't all the people present here witnesses? Concubine Li, you were there at the time. Did you see Concubine Guo deliberately pour the tea on Qingluan's hand?" The Crown Princess directly asked Concubine Li who was present.

Concubine Li thought for a moment and said, "It happened suddenly. I didn't see clearly whether it was Concubine Guo who did it on purpose."

"Are you sure you didn't see it?" The Crown Princess asked again to confirm.

Concubine Li shook her head. She was still frightened by Concubine Guo's words at the time and indeed did not pay attention. However, she felt that Concubine Guo was probably careless at the time. Just as she said, if she really intended to do that, Qingluan's hand would probably be crippled.

When the Crown Princess heard that Li also said so, and there was indeed no evidence to prove that Concubine Guo did it on purpose, it seemed that the matter had to be left alone.

Just at this time the imperial physician came out.

"Physician, how are you?"

"In reply to the Crown Princess, fortunately not many places were burned. I have already applied medicine to Concubine Qingluan. Please be careful not to get your hands wet in the next few days."

"Okay. Then there won't be any scars on my hands, right?" the Crown Princess asked again.

"It shouldn't happen if you apply the medicine on time."

"That's good."

"Since Qingluan is fine, you can go back." The Crown Princess looked mainly at Guo.

Concubine Guo bowed and took her leave. After she left, the Crown Princess asked Concubine Li again, "What happened today?"

"I think this is indeed an emergency today. Concubine Guo probably didn't expect it. Judging from her initial actions, she is indeed here to cause trouble today. However, it seems that she just wants to make Qingluan angry and be harsh with her words. She probably doesn't intend to hurt Qingluan or anything like that."

"So, what happened today was really an accident. She was absent-minded for no reason. You are usually a very careful person, but you didn't pay attention at the critical moment." The Crown Princess complained.

"It's my fault."

"How can you be blamed for this? Qingluan will be with you from now on, and similar things will probably happen to you a lot. You should also be aware of this." The Crown Princess advised.

"I understand."

"Okay, I'll be back first. I'll have to trouble you to take good care of Qingluan."

"Yes. Farewell, Crown Princess." Concubine Li watched the Crown Princess leave.

"Your Majesty, was what happened today really just an accident?" asked the maid.

"It doesn't matter whether it is or not." Concubine Li suddenly thought of something after she finished speaking, "By the way, why were you so slow in inviting the Crown Princess today?"

"Your Majesty, you don't know that when I first arrived, the Crown Princess was resting, and Sister Yunjin asked me to wait. Later, it was only after you went to call for the imperial physician that the Crown Princess hurried over." The maid told her what had happened today.

"You mean to say that the Crown Princess came here because she heard that we were calling for a royal doctor?"

"Yes, but it may be that the Crown Princess woke up at that time. Anyway, when Sister Yunjin heard that we needed to invite the imperial physician, the Crown Princess came out soon after."

"How could it be such a coincidence? I'm afraid the Crown Princess deliberately waited for something to happen here before coming here. I just didn't expect that this would happen so suddenly today."

"Ah, why would the Crown Princess do this?"

"There are many reasons. In short, they are just a fight between gods. We just shouldn't get involved." Concubine Li now knew why Qingluan was arranged to stay with her. She thought of Concubine Guo's words again. She didn't expect her ambition to be so big.