"The queen asked you to get the crab roe cakes, did you go get them? Don't forget!"
"Yes, yes, this slave will never forget it." Zhuer nodded as he spoke, not even thinking that this was just his rhetoric, simply to get him out of his way.
As expected.
"Come here! Arrest this little maid to the Za family!" He said, directing the several little eunuchs behind him.
"Eunuch, what did Pearl do, and Eunuch wants to arrest Pearl?" Pearl was so frightened that she knelt on the ground, confused.
"What did you do? You know it yourself! When you get to the Queen, you'd better tell her in person! Humph! Take it away!"
The movements of the few young eunuchs were very fast, and they tied up Pearl in three strokes.
No matter how much she resisted, she couldn't get away.
"Father-in-law, Pearl didn't do anything! Father-in-law, Pearl was wronged!"
"Hmph! Whether you are wronged or not, you can tell me clearly in front of the Queen. The Za family will not know!"
After saying that, he flicked his whisk and took the lead in walking in front of everyone.
Pearl's eyes widened in horror, and her heart became a mess.
She always felt that she was getting closer and closer to the breath of death...
"Empress, Pearl has been brought."
"Bring her up, and everyone else must step aside."
The maids filed out after hearing this, and soon there were only a few people left in the palace.
"My dear, I don't know what mistake Pearl made. My father-in-law tied up Pearl. Your Majesty is so open-minded! My Majesty, Pearl is innocent. Pearl doesn't know anything!"
Pearl looked at the queen who was slowly approaching her, trembling with fear.
"Innocent? Didn't do anything? You didn't know anything?" The queen repeated what Pearl said in a soft voice, with grief in her eyes.
"Empress, Pearl...ah!"
Pearl wanted to explain herself again, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she was caught off guard by the Queen's slap.
"Innocent? If you are innocent, then my child is not innocent? Should he be killed by you at such a young age?"
"Empress..." Zhuer shook her head desperately, but her heart was filled with fear.
She actually knew? That's why she spoke ill of the princess in front of her, making herself think that she was going to do something to the princess, and this was also to expose herself.
Pearl collapsed to the ground, her whole body losing strength.
"Do you still want to explain? Do you still want to say that you are innocent? Are you forced to do so? You didn't mean to harm my children?"
The queen held Pearl's chin and stared at Pearl closely, her tone filled with sorrow.
"Empress, slave... I have never done this before..."
Zhu Er endured the pain and denied.
Once she admits it, she will face death. What's more, if she tells the truth about the matter, her family will suffer because of her.
She couldn't be so selfish. She had a younger brother who was just ten years old at home, and her father and mother were already old. How could she let them die innocently and tragically because of herself?
The princess's methods have always been vicious. If this matter spreads, she will definitely die!
Now Zhu'er only thought about whether Xiao Lanxin would let him go, but she didn't think about whether the queen would let him go if he didn't tell the truth.
"You don't want to tell the truth? That's good! I have plenty of ways to make you tell the truth." After saying that, the Queen winked at the Grand Eunuch beside her.
The father-in-law didn't know where he found the whip. He raised the knife in his hand, raised it high, and hit Pearl's back with a snap.
Accompanied by a high-pitched scream, the sound of a whip being slapped on the back could not be heard. Soon, Pearl fainted from the severe pain.
The Grand Duke probed her nose and found that she was still alive and not dead, so he told the queen the situation.
"Pour water on her to wake me up!"
With a crash, Pearl woke up again under the stimulation of the cold water. The pain on her back reminded her of the harsh whipping she had just received.
"Empress..." Zhuer looked angrily at the queen who was sitting on the phoenix chair, stretched out her hand, and crawled forward tremblingly.
"Zhu'er, you haven't done anything, really..."
Seeing that Pearl still refused to say a word after suffering so many punishments, the Queen was a little surprised, but then she was enveloped in anger.
"Zhu'er, I really envy your master that you work so hard for your master. However, I wonder if your master will believe you if she knows that I know what happened back then?
"
Pearl's originally pale face became even paler.
She knew that what the queen said was the truth. After so many years, she naturally knew what kind of person Xiao Lanxin was. If he knew that the queen already knew what happened back then, Xiao Lanxin would not care if he revealed it or not.
I won't pay attention to her anymore.
But when she thought of her family, Pearl hesitated.
"Your Majesty, Pearl doesn't know what you are going to say. What happened back then does Pearl not understand?"
"Oh! Don't you understand? I remember that when you entered the palace, you seemed to have said that you had a younger brother named Huzi, right? He should be only ten years old, right?"
"It's really pitiful. What if you enter the palace and become a slave at such a young age? I'm afraid the life from now on won't be that simple."
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt his feet being grabbed.
Looking down and taking a closer look, Pearl was lying on the ground soaked to the skin, begging for mercy in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, I will bear all the mistakes made by this slave alone. Please let my brother go..."
"Let it go? Why didn't you let me go back then?" The queen had a murderous look on her face. As soon as she mentioned what happened back then, she wanted to kill Zhu'er and Xiao Lanxin.
"Oh, by the way, tell me, will your master let them go? Your brother, your father and mother..."
"If you have the ability to ask your master to let your brothers go, I won't pursue them anymore, haha..."
The joking and cruel laughter spread in the palace and dissipated in the air. The hot summer wind blew in through the fine carved windows. It was obviously too hot to make people feel nervous, but Pearl felt a chill in her heart.
"My Lady, as long as you can protect my family and promise not to let them suffer any harm, and not to let the princess...'s people attack them, I will do anything..."
Pearl made up her mind, wiped away her tears, and kowtowed violently to the queen several times.
"Okay, I promise you that I will never do anything to your parents and brothers, and that I will ensure that they have enough food and clothing for the rest of their lives."
"What if the princess's people want to take action?"
"I will try my best to protect your family and never let them be harmed. Do you think this is okay?"
Pearl nodded, finally letting go of the big stone in her heart.
The lives of her family are more important than anything else, even if she has to sacrifice her life in exchange for it, it is still worth it.