Chapter 28: Pitying Her

Helian Qi had just returned from hunting, his body was covered in sweat, he just wanted to bathe and change clothes, he didn’t have the time or energy to appreciate paintings.

He impatiently glanced at Ning Zi Yin, and was immediately stunned.

The butterfly hairpin in Ning Zi Yin’s hair was Ning Wanyin’s favorite. She wore it every day, and she had praised him for this set of jewelry countless times.

He was immediately unhappy. Ning Wanyin said she liked it so much, but she turned around and gave it to someone else.

Was that liking?

Who wouldn’t cherish something given by the Emperor? How could she be so casual about giving it away?

Helian Qi looked at Ning Wanyin with displeasure, his eyes narrowed slightly. He had come in with Consort Zhuang, and he hadn’t paid attention to Ning Wanyin…

Now he noticed that she was dressed exceptionally plainly today.

She looked completely different from when she usually saw him.

Her plain appearance was also beautiful, but what was striking was her slightly red eyes, she must have just cried.

It was normal for her to cry with joy when she saw her mother, but he had a feeling that something else had happened today besides a happy reunion.

“Appreciating paintings?” Consort Zhuang glared at Ning Zi Yin, she was very sensitive to her rivals, she instantly understood, “What are you, you want His Majesty to critique your painting, do you even deserve it?”

Then, she looked at Ning Wanyin with mockery, “You’re so generous, you’re sending your sister to His Majesty. What, do you need to have your own sisters compete for favor?”

As soon as she said that, Ning Zi Yin was both ashamed and angry, her face flushed red.

Although that was what she meant, it was so embarrassing to say it directly.

“Lady Consort Zhuang, what are you saying, my cousin is still a young lady, don’t ruin her reputation.” Ning Wanyin tried to cover it up, her voice was weak and a little guilty.

Consort Zhuang rarely had the chance to argue with Ning Wanyin, she pressed on, “Dare you say you didn’t mean that? Look at how plain you’re dressed today, you’re making yourself a foil for her, you’re such a good sister, you’re not afraid that she’ll be favored and step on you later.”

“I will never forget my sister’s kindness, I will definitely help my sister.” Ning Zi Yin quickly defended herself, afraid of leaving a bad impression on the Emperor of being ungrateful.

Consort Zhuang laughed triumphantly, “You slipped up. You’re here for His Majesty, a young lady, seducing your sister’s man, aren’t you ashamed? Your Ning family is also a noble family, is this the etiquette and morality of your family?”

Ning Zi Yin was speechless for a moment, her face flushed red with anger.

Ning Wanyin tried hard not to laugh.

The women in the palace, none of them were simple. It’s just that the opponents Consort Zhuang had encountered before were too difficult to deal with.

Change to a simpler one, and she won the argument!

“Consort Zhuang, you go down first.” Helian Qi’s expression was unusually calm when he was in a bad mood.

“Your Majesty… I want to serve you with your bath…” Consort Zhuang tugged at his sleeve and acted coquettishly.

Helian Qi’s tone was devoid of any emotion, “I’m in the mood to appreciate paintings. You wouldn’t understand, go and rest.”

Consort Zhuang was speechless, she glared at Ning Wanyin angrily, “I’ll take my leave.”

Consort Zhuang left angrily, muttering under her breath, “It’s shameless to send your cousin to compete for favor…”

Seeing that the Emperor had sent Consort Zhuang away, Ning Zi Yin thought that the Emperor was protecting her, her face flushed with shyness, “Your Majesty, my sister and I each painted a picture of summer lotus, please, Your Majesty, appreciate them.”

The maids presented two paintings.

Helian Qi recognized Ning Wanyin’s painting at a glance, it was a kind of chaotic ugliness.

In comparison, the other

One painting was unremarkable, but it looked much better in comparison.

But the Emperor had no appreciation for the other painting, only a sense of frustration for Ning Wanyin.

Because, it was his teaching.

No matter who compared paintings with Ning Wanyin, when the Emperor was already in the position of a teacher, the result was only the difference between the paintings of his own student and those of outsiders.

No matter how good the outsider’s painting was, what did it have to do with him?

He felt a surge of annoyance. Knowing that Ning Wanyin was a bad painter, she deliberately compared paintings, wasn’t she using his precious student as a stepping stone?

Ning Wanyin was clearly forced.

It was ridiculous.

His concubine, could she be bullied?

“Get out!” Helian Qi impatiently pointed at Ning Zi Yin.

Ning Zi Yin’s face turned pale, she hurriedly knelt down, “Your Majesty, I don’t know what I did to offend you…”

“Your painting is ugly, get out!” Helian Qi was furious, his face was frighteningly gloomy.

Ning Zi Yin’s legs went weak, she had never seen the Emperor’s anger before, she was scared and confused, her mind went blank, she couldn’t react at all.

Wang Degui quickly went forward with a few eunuchs and dragged Ning Zi Yin out.

They didn’t dare to let her stay and be an eyesore.

Ning Wanyin knelt down and pleaded guilty, “Your Majesty, please calm down, it was my fault for arranging it improperly…”

“You want me to take your cousin into the palace? Do you think the favor I’ve given you isn’t enough?” Helian Qi asked impatiently.

Ning Wanyin bit her lip, her eyes filled with tears, she didn’t speak.

Lianrui secretly glanced at Ning Wanyin, with their years of tacit understanding as master and servant, she immediately knelt down and said, “Your Majesty, please understand, my mistress was forced… The old lady came in and immediately scolded my mistress, she insisted that my mistress listen to Lady Consort Cen… My mistress didn’t want to, so she sent a cousin, forcing my mistress to offer her to you…”

Lianrui was responsible for complaining, Ning Wanyin was responsible for lowering her eyes and shedding tears, looking pitiful.

The annoyance in Helian Qi’s eyes dissipated. The Ning family was still thinking of siding with the Cen family, it was ridiculous.

As for the little woman in front of him…

He was the one who was working with her, how could he let her suffer such injustice?

“Get up.” Helian Qi extended his hand towards Ning Wanyin.

Ning Wanyin was timid and didn’t dare to take his hand, she whispered, “I’m incompetent…”

“You’re not incompetent, it’s just that as a daughter of the Ning family, you can only be bound. Today, if that old woman had said anything outside about you not taking your grandmother seriously after you gained favor, tomorrow more accusations of unfilial piety would be thrown at you.” Helian Qi looked at her, a sense of pity arose in his heart.

Helian Qi wasn’t a kind and soft-hearted person.

As an emperor, he was cold-blooded and ruthless, he didn’t have much sympathy.

People only feel empathy when they can relate to the situation.

He was also bound by the word “filial piety,” he was also restricted. All the officials were watching, if he was an unfilial villain, he wouldn’t be able to inherit the throne.

It was because they shared the same pain that he felt pity.

Ning Wanyin looked up at him, the tears she had been holding back flowed down her cheeks with his words, “Your Majesty, I don’t want to send my cousin into the palace, I don’t like her…”

Helian Qi helped her up, his tone was unusually gentle and kind, “I won’t let her enter the palace, and I won’t let you be bullied.”

“Your Majesty, you’re so good to me…” Ning Wanyin buried her face in Helian Qi’s embrace, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist.

Helian Qi gently stroked her hair to comfort her. He hadn’t done anything, but this little woman was so easily satisfied.

Ning Wanyin was always obedient and sensible in front of him, it was rare for her to be so genuine, it made him feel that their relationship was closer than before.

Helian Qi held Ning Wanyin and went to the bathhouse.

Lianrui and Wang Degui discreetly retreated.

She realized belatedly that if it hadn’t been for Miss’s request to paint, Ning Zi Yin’s intention to compete for favor by stepping on Miss wouldn’t have been revealed.

How else could it make Ning Zi Yin look more hateful, the grandmother look more hateful, and Miss look more pitiful?

Miss is truly brilliant.