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Zhang Qing had assured everyone that the situation was under control, yet Yuchi Zhao, disregarding his dignity, sprinted with such urgency, a scene he had only witnessed once before, when the Former Empress Dowager had been gravely ill, on the brink of death.

Following Zhang Qing, the Young Eunuch also dashed out of the Star Palace, hastening after the Emperor. With Cao De present, the Punishment Bureau had no part to play.

In an instant, the palace hall was empty. Huang Zude stood motionless, peering out helplessly, uncertain of what to do or where to go. He wanted to mention that he had some knowledge of snake venom and whether he could follow along...

However, no one answered him, and not daring to leave, he had no choice but to sit cross-legged and recite medical scriptures in the hall.

At Lian Hua’s end, the bound individuals were loudly protesting their innocence, wailing and begging as if trying to "reason" their way out.

Thankfully, Lian Hua was far enough away, as these individuals were swiftly knocked to the ground by the alert guards, securely captured, and tightly bound with hemp ropes.

Xiao Jizi broke out in a cold sweat, realizing his oversight, thankful that his master had wisely kept a safe distance. Should anything have happened to his master, His Majesty’s fury would be unimaginable; every last one involved would be severely punished.

He and Xiao Qing stood on either side of their master, warily watching over the few individuals.

Xiao Linzi, with the assistance of eunuchs who had come to help, gathered around Lian Hua. Steward Zhang repeatedly instructed them to protect the mistress of Canglan Court well, for no one understood the paramount importance of the figure before them better than they did.

Amongst these people, a sturdy brute with a face covered in horizontal flesh was yelling the loudest, kicked to his knees, his eyes revealing a fierce glint as he continued to shout, "We are merely struggling commoners.

Why must the Noble Lady oppress us? Just because one has a noble status, can one arbitrarily arrest people without cause?

Is there no justice within the palace walls? "

Another scrawny fellow with the face of a weasel chimed in, "Exactly, exactly! While the Noble Lady enjoys luxuries, we lack basic necessities, toiling arduously only to be oppressed by the Noble Lady. How are we supposed to live? Brothers, isn’t that right?"

Upon hearing these words, the craftsmen became somewhat agitated. Xiao Jizi and Xiao Qing kept a close watch on the crowd, ready to protect Lian Hua and lead her away at the first sign of trouble.

The guards and the Interior Work Department personnel were on high alert as well, keenly aware that if anything happened to the charming Noble Lady before them, they would not be absolved of involvement. Regardless of their innocence, they would be imprisoned.

Lian Hua showed no fear, sneering dismissively as she pushed past Xiao Jizi and Xiao Qing, declaring loudly, "Struggling commoners? Hardly. You are nothing of the sort. Xiao Jizi, throw the things that were found onto them. Let’s see the ’good deeds’ they’ve done!"

Now more than ever, she was convinced of their guilt.

"Yes!" Xiao Jizi responded loudly, trotting over to bring the bag of Serpents to the side of those individuals, dumping it onto them indiscriminately.

Xiao Jizi was ruthless, ensuring a bit landed on each person so that everyone had a share.

Fearing exposure, the individuals frantically tried to avoid the snakes despite being bound at the hands and knees. Their writhing on the ground did not hinder their efforts to dodge.

Seeing this, Xiao Jizi spat disdainfully.

Their loud cries and commotion only solidified his faith in his master’s discernment.

Had the individuals not been priorly aware of the snakes being poisonous, they would have been puzzled first, rather than instinctively hiding.

They definitely knew the snakes were venomous, and that was why they tried to avoid them.

Observing the scatter of Serpents on the ground, the guards and Interior Work Department personnel grew apprehensive, grasping what might have transpired.

They suspected that the Serpents had been found in the Side Hall and were likely planted by someone in the Main Hall.

If a traitor among them was uncovered, they feared they couldn’t escape being implicated.

With this in mind, they were even more fearful and showed greater reverence for the person before them, hoping that when the time came, their cooperation would merit leniency from the Noble Lady.

Having initially thought the Serpents were alive, the broad-faced brute and the weasel-faced man cautiously avoided them until they realized the serpents were dead, then regained their courage and started shouting again, "What does this have to do with us?

With these items, the Noble Lady intends to frame us.

We are thoroughly searched upon entry and exit, why splash such dirty water upon us? "

"Today, the Noble Lady treats us as less than human, capable of slandering us," they said. "Tomorrow, if the Noble Lady finds us displeasing, she could directly have us thrown into prison..."

As they spoke, the group started to clamor again, seeking to incite the crowd.

Lian Hua’s small face tightened, her gaze icy cold. These people were surely Serpent’s brats, ordinary folks did not have their eloquence or their ability to incite; as for how they unleashed it, she didn’t care, as long as she identified these brats as the culprits.

Holding the rattan in her hand, her eyes fierce, she fixed her gaze on the man with the puffy face and stepped closer to him.

At first, the puffy-faced man was shouting loudly, but as Lian Hua bore down on him with her stare, his voice grew weaker and weaker. He looked at the person before him, adorable in appearance, yet exuding an aura of ferocity that made his heart pound, unable to meet her gaze directly.

Lian Hua stepped in front of the puffy-faced man, raised the rattan, and put all her strength into a swing that brought it crashing down on his face, eliciting a pained scream, "Ah," as a deep red welt instantly appeared.

The rest fell silent, as silent as cicadas in winter. They never expected that the pretty, soft-looking girl would strike without hesitation.

Having dealt with the puffy-faced man, Lian Hua felt a release for the malevolent energy in her heart. Just the thought of Nanny Qi almost falling victim was enough to make her fury surge uncontrollably, as if she had experienced something similar before, and she loathed those who harmed others.

Xiao Jizi and Xiao Qing, following after her, praised her actions, admiring their mistress for being so decisive and resolute, finding it exhilarating.

With his hands bound behind him, the puffy-faced man could not reach his face and writhed on the ground, howling in pain.

After beating the man, Lian Hua felt much better. Pointing at the others, she ordered, "You, you, and the rest of you, take off your socks and stuff them in their mouths." That man’s screaming was as bad as a pig being slaughtered, giving her a headache.

The ones she pointed at jumped, scared. They had just witnessed the Noble Lady’s fearsome beating. Afraid, they were relieved to hear they only had to use socks to gag mouths and promptly removed their shoes and socks with quick hands and feet.

The man with the sharp, monkey-like face was terrified, but still mustered the courage to make a fuss, fearing that not struggling meant certain doom.

Seeing this, Lian Hua’s eyes darted to him and she pointed, threatening, "Keep making noise, and I’ll stuff all these Serpents into your mouths to swallow!"

They let snakes loose to harm others; they should taste what it’s like to be threatened by snakes. That was what she wanted, but it would disgust her, so for now, she refrained.

Immediately, the sharp-faced man dared not make another sound, shrinking like a turtle, followed by several others doing the same.

The scene abruptly quieted down. Craftsmen, guards, members of the Interior Work Department, and the people borrowed from Xiao Linzi—all of them did not dare to make another sound or to act rashly. Their adorable mistress spoke such cruel words; they really dared not speak.

Only the ones tasked with stuffing socks dared to move.

Meanwhile, the people from Canglan Court remained calm and composed. Lian Hua, with the rattan in her hand, watched these people move about slowly, her mind focused on what to do next.

Xiao Jizi, seeing that the scene was under control, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. While protecting Lian Hua, his peripheral vision caught a human shadow through a broken door not far away.

His glance shifted slowly, and his heart skipped a beat in fright. He stammered, "His... His Majesty..." His Majesty!