What more was there to say? Persistently clinging to the issue wouldn't yield any benefits. Those who had offended her had already been punished; her goal was achieved. She wouldn't feign reluctance anymore; she would take all the benefits offered, not leaving the slightest advantage behind.
That night, Xia Ruqing stayed in Zhaochen Palace, only returning to Qingya Residence the next day.
Before she even entered the door, she saw several Little Eunuchs. Trembling, they knelt in a line at the entrance of Qingya Residence. Standing beside them was the Chief Steward of the Imperial Kitchen, He Changshou, and the Steward of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Hai Dasheng.
Xia Ruqing understood the situation perfectly.
Without revealing too much, she stepped forward and, feigning ignorance, asked, "What brings you two Eunuchs here? What is going on?"
