Xiao Man lowered her head and cautiously said, "Replying to His Majesty, during the meal earlier, the Queen Consort drank some liquor. She has since gone to sleep, and this servant has been calling out for ages but couldn't wake her up!"
Helan Qi heard this, let out a cold snort, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Because he didn't say 'Rise' or 'You may stand,' all of the palace servants had no choice but to remain kneeling on the ground, not daring to rise without permission.
Perhaps being suppressed by Jiya for too long had warped Helan Qi's personality. It was likely out of an urge to regain the twenty-plus years of lost dignity that he treated both servants and officials with extreme harshness. For instance, at this moment, since he hadn't granted permission to stand, no one inside the palace, not even if they knelt until death, dared to rise. If anyone dared to stand on their own, they would face a fate worse than death — a life in utter misery!
