Outside the window, the sun is shining brightly, birds are chirping and flowers are fragrant. The spring breeze blows over a few peach trees, and the delicate petals of the peach blossoms fall slowly with the wind. A few sparrows playfully chase after the petals, their beaks blowing out joyful tunes.

  Yan Xijun sat at the desk in front of the window, opened a book, but had no intention of reading it, unable to calm down, her gaze followed the window outside, looking at those few birds, and a little envy arose in her heart.

  Its been two hours already, they should be back by now! Yan Xijuns hand holding the book tightened slightly, and the book was creased.

  What will happen next? Will they betray her?

  Yan Xijun thought back to the morning when she instructed them to do this, and Wenqins expression at that time could be said to have been completely shocked, while Xuelian was still calm as usual, as if she had seen such things before.

  "Yan Xijun, come out for Ben Gong!"

  It seemed as if the voice of Queen Sister came from outside, Yan Xijun came back to her senses, startled in her heart, threw down the book in her hand and rushed out in a panic.

  A crowd of people had gathered in the courtyard, led by her sister Yan Wuxin, who had brought several eunuchs and palace maids with her, staring at her with fiery eyes.

  "Sister, whats wrong?" Yan Xijun asked slightly flusteredly. Whats wrong with sister? Has the matter been exposed? Is she here to interrogate her?

  "Whats wrong? Hmph, look at the good deed youve done!" Yan Wuxin coldly snorted and threw a package wrapped in paper from his wide sleeve to Yan Xijuns face, shouting loudly.

  Yan Xijun looked at the package on the ground with a puzzled expression and asked: "Sister."

  "Yan Xiu Jun, what do you want to do? Do you want to ruin the good things of this palace?" Yan Wu Xin pointed at Yan Xiu Jun who was standing aside, shouting angrily. If it wasnt for that cheap girls timely report, she really wouldnt have known what kind of thing her fourth sister would do. If she dared to do something wrong to her, she would definitely make her suffer.

  "My sister doesnt understand what Im saying!" Yan Xijun calmly faced Yan Wuxins fiery gaze, speaking peacefully.

  "Return to the palace and deceive me! Bring them over!" Yan Wuxin raised his hand, and several eunuchs brought two palace maids from behind the crowd.

  "You know these two, dont you?" Yan Wuxin pointed at the two disheveled palace maids to Yan Xijun and said, "The package under your feet was found on them!"

  Yan Xijun recognized the two disheveled palace maids at a glance, who were none other than Wenqin and Xuelian, whom she had sent to search for the hidden red flower. On their pale cheeks were several obvious finger marks.

  Yan Xijun was shocked, and when she looked at the thing under her feet again with a puzzled expression, it was wrapped tightly, and she asked in confusion: "What is that...?"

  "Safflower! What does sister want to do with this safflower?" Yan Wuxin stepped closer, walking up to Yan Xijuns side, her eyes piercing as she looked at her.

  "This......this......?" Yan Xijun was made extremely uncomfortable by her sharp eyes, and was shocked into speechlessness. Had she discovered the truth?

  Yan Wu Xings voice was icy cold as she said, "Yan Xi Jun, the palace warns you, next time if you dare to come uninvited again, deceive the palace and ruin the palaces good deeds, the palace will not forgive you lightly!"

  Yan Xijuns scalp felt numb as she stared at Yan Wuxin, unable to utter a word. She wasnt afraid of her sisters warning, but rather she had already lost hope in them. One of them must have betrayed her, or else her sister wouldnt have arrived so quickly.

  "Bring them here! Take these two slave girls away and give each of them ten heavy slaps!" Yan Wuxin shouted loudly, ordering the eunuchs beside him.

  Yan Xijun took a step forward and blocked the eunuchs, looking at Yan Wuxin and saying: "Wait, sister, what crime have they committed?"

  The ten slaps were no joke, and two weak women couldnt take them. Its likely to cause loss of life.

  Yan Wuxin said: "What crime? They privately picked and stored red flowers, this is the crime they committed!"

  "And you, sir, recklessly ordering your servants to do foolish things, will ultimately not be able to escape responsibility. The palace is punishing you by forbidding you from having dinner tonight."

  "Master!" Wen Qin saw that the Empress was not joking and really wanted them to be punished, so she cried out in fright, hoping that Master could save the Empress from punishing them.

  Yan Xijun saw that Qin had already been frightened pale, her legs trembling. Seeing her sisters gloomy face, she suddenly knelt in the direction of her sister, "Please spare them, Juner is willing to take their punishment!"

  "Just because of your status, you want to take their punishment? Yan Xiu Jun, use your brain, you are the master and they are your slaves. How can a master take a beating for his servants?"

  Yan Wu Xin emotionlessly gave orders underground, sternly shouting at those eunuchs: "Hurry up and give it to me!"

  Those eunuchs saw that the empress had become enraged, and they immediately pushed Wenqin and Xuelian to the ground. Two of the eunuchs pinned down their hands and feet, not allowing them to move, while the other two eunuchs took out large wooden boards and began to beat them.

  "Bang," a board fell, and two miserable cries were heard!

  Wen Qins face turned pale with pain, and tears welled up in her eyes. She slightly raised her head, just in time to see the Empresss ruthless face. In her heart, she felt a surge of regret and fear, thinking that if she had known earlier, she wouldnt have reported this matter to her, and now she would be beaten for it.

  Xue Lian simply closed her eyes, silently enduring. She was very clear in her heart that the queen obviously wanted to teach her a lesson. As her pawn, she didnt even report this matter to her, and she had every reason to be angry.

  She was also in pain, secretly gritting her teeth and regretting that she had listened to the emperors words. If he hadnt said it wasnt necessary to report everything to the empress, she wouldnt have suffered this punishment.

  Its not entirely her fault, Yan Hou was able to find out about this so quickly, it must have been Wen Qin who informed on her. Yan Hou is really not simple, even the people closest to the master were bought off by her.

  Xue Lian was beaten while thinking about her troubles, and before she knew it, several boards had passed, when she realized that the pain was unbearable, Wen Qin had already been sighing repeatedly beside her.