Gu Yunyao walked into the pavilion with small steps under the gaze of all people. The chief maid, Song Qin of Xiaoye Chamber followed her.

Gu Yunxi stared at Gu Yunyao with nervous and concerned eyes ever since she walked into the pavilion in a hurry.

Her clear, emotionless, and bright eyes were opened widely and filled with many complex moods. She missed Gu Yunyao and felt surprised, confused, and sad, which had become thin water vapour that filled her eyes.

After separation for one year, Gu Yunyao's health status seemed to be very bad.

Her magnificent and precious dress seemed to be very loose. It was not difficult to imagine how thin her body was under the clothes.

Her hair was pulled back into a chignon, which seemed to be moving with the cloud. Two to three hair clasps were inserted into her hair at the side of her head. Her thin face was wearing heavy makeup, which could not hide her morbid countenance.

Gu Yunxi was shocked. Her heart seemed to be cut by a sharp sword. The pain was indescribable.

She missed her elder sister day and night. Now she was in front of her, but she did not dare to claim kin. Gu Yunxi was overwhelmed by grief.

Gu Yunxi was locked up in the stone house for one year. She did not know what had happened to her sister during this period. Why was she like this?

She had to hide the pain in her eyes and heart and bear the torment as if she had been going to be cut into pieces physically and mentally. She saw Gu Yunyao walking up to the Imperial Noble Concubine in a hurry and kneeling. With somewhat shame in her pale face, Gu Yunyao said.

"God bless you, Your Grace. Please forgive me for being late and impolite."

"Zhaoyi Yu, get up quickly!"

Wan Yuyao slightly lifted her eyes. With a slit between her upper eyelid and lower eyelid, her eyes were glimmering. She said in a cold voice.

"How could I afford such a greeting? Now you are the most delicate in the imperial harem. I could not catch up with you. I have to participate in the Girl's Meeting which is held once a year with all of the other sisters under the burning sun in the summer. I never dared to break the rule."

Her voice was deliberately ambiguous. She was debasing Gu Yunyao with words of praise. Gu Yunyao's cold sweat perspired immediately. She lowered her head and her voice was trembling.

"I am not offending you deliberately. I felt dizzy when I got up in the morning and lay a moment more before making up and changing my clothes. Therefore, I am late."

Wan Yuyao crooned. Her smile between eyebrows and eyes became cold.

"I know that you felt uncomfortable. You have done your best to come here. However, we have waited for you for a long time. The embroidered work is delayed. These embroideries need to be presented to Empress in Kunning Palace to check later."

"I am trusted by Empress to hold the Girl's Meeting every year without any mistakes and accidents. It is difficult for me to deal with your problem. In front of Empress, if I cannot present the embroideries, I will not be forgiven easily."

Gu Yunyao's heart was shivering. Her fingers in the sleeve were crossed. She gritted her teeth and said in a faint voice.

"I know that I am guilty. I would like to be punished."

Sister!

Gu Yunxi looked scared. Her face was surly.

There were many questionable points after careful consideration.

Based on Gu Yunyao's character, she would not forget to send a palace maid to report that she could not come or would be late even if she felt uncomfortable.

Obviously, Wan Yuyao was revenging for the right and wrong gratitude and grudges in the imperial harem before. She was exaggerating Gu Yunyao's problem because she wanted to find the shortcoming of Gu Yunyao.

But Gu Yunxi could not understand why her sister lowered her head and acknowledged her mistake so easily.

When she was puzzled, Song Qin who was also kneeling suddenly opened her mouth and said loudly with an aggrieved voice.

"Your Grace, please cease to be angry. It was not Zhaoyi Yu's mistake. The messenger made a mistake and said that the Girl's Meeting would be held in The Kanfang Pavilion..."

"Song Qin, close your mouth..."

Before the chief maid finished, Gu Yunyao shouted and interrupted her.

Wan Yuyao heard clearly. She frowned. The color of her beautiful eyebrows was like a mountain far away. She was sitting on the high chair and the upper part of her body leaned forward a little. She raised her eyebrows and asked.

"Delivered the wrong message? Who?"

"Your Grace, please do not believe Song Qin."

Gu Yunyao lowered her head, tried her best to suppress her anxiety, and said determinedly.

"Song Qin gave a confused account of the whole story because she was anxious, which could not be believed. It was my fault. I mistook The Jinli Pavilion for The Kanfang Pavilion. So, I was late because I took a detour after finding my mistake..."

After Gu Yunyao finished, she was laughed at by Sun Shengsheng beside her.

"Zhaoyi Yu is so good at making up stories. Do you think that all of us including the Imperial Noble Concubine are stupid? If you remembered the wrong place, could all palace maids of Xiaoye Chamber make the same mistake?"

After hearing this, Gu Yunyao's eyes were widely opened. She was startled, kneeled on the ground, and became speechless.

After seeing this, Sun Shengsheng became more brazen. She curved her eyes and eyebrows and continued while playing with the handkerchief.

"Everyone knows that the time and place were informed by Yingluo who followed the order of Your Grace. Are you blaming Your Grace for making fun of you?"

The atmosphere became trenchant and silent. Gu Yunxi's heart sank. She took a deep breath and gave Sun Shengsheng a sidelong glance.

She had not been in the Palace for a long time but was defiant and sowed discord. If she gained a firm foothold in the imperial harem in the future, other concubines would not have an easy life.

Other concubines were silent and lowered their heads with submissive eyes. All of them were careful about their expression.

Wan Yuyao suddenly put the teacup in her hands on the table. After a "bang" sound, the eyes and eyebrows of Lihu beside her were suddenly erect. She said ruthlessly.

"Shut up, how dare you be so impolite, shout and wrangle in front of the Imperial Noble Concubine?"

The concubines were unprepared for such a situation. All of them were surprised with no doubt, which was indicated by their beautiful faces.

Sun Shengsheng trembled and stood up to worship.

"Your Grace, I was wrong. I was doing this for you because I cannot allow anyone to show disrespect to you. I broke the rules because I was anxious."

Wan Yuyao stroked the golden edge of the teacup slowly. The colored gemstone on three finger stalls produced bright but cold light.

Wan Yuyao said slowly with a smile on her face.

"Jieyu Sun, I can understand you. But the imperial harem has rules. All concubines serve the Emperor. We should be like sisters and help each other. But you made trouble on every hand today. Do you want Zhaoyi Yu and me to become estranged?"

Sun Shengsheng was greatly frightened. She kneeled immediately, felt aggrieved, and was about to cry.

"Your Grace, I do not dare and never thought about that..."

Wan Yuyao's eyes and eyebrows were composed. She flapped one hand upon the table vigorously and looked at the frightened Sun Shengsheng with vicious and insidious eyes.

"If I do not punish you today, you will never watch your mouth. Send Jieyu Sun to Violent Room of Yongning Palace. Punish her according to the rules of the Palace."

"Your Grace! Your Grace forgive me. I will never be like this. Your Grace..."

Sun Shengsheng felt as if all her strength had gone. Her eyes were filled with tears. Two eunuchs grabbed her arms and dragged her away when she was crying.

It was not difficult to imagine what would happen to her.

She would not be killed but the physical pain due to punishment could not be avoided.

As the old saying went, the greedy and lazy people could not be beaten, but a thoughtless person would be punished!