The empress is to be grounded in the frozen palace

Fortune stood there, almost lost of words. She didn't expect the empress to come up with such lame schemes and on top of that, she was the empress.

"Why would I push you and your maid? You clearly fell down on your own, how could I have pushed you?" Fortune asked.

"You pushed me and my maid and now you're saying I accused you wrongly, that I lied! How dare you be so disrespectful?" Meng Meng exclaimed trying her best to attract the attention of everyone.

All around, people had already heard this argument and began whispering to one another.

'She pushed the empress'

'She's so arrogant, what right does she have?'

'She's the emperor's favorite so she is so arrogant'

Hearing this, Fortune concluded that the situation was getting out of hand. She gritted her teeth as she thought of how she had let the little incident with the assassin incident pass without taking action, she now regretted the fact that she let the empress go so easily.

"Guards!" Meng Meng yelled and the guards appeared out of no where. "Take her!" She ordered, pointing her fingers at Fortune.

They advanced towards Fortune a bit reluctant, knowing she had a really good relationship with the emperor. One of them made the attempt to grab her but got hit really hard by Fortune, she slapped his hands off so fiercely.

"Get your stinky paws off me, hmph!"she scolded harshly.

Seeing this, Meng Meng thought of taking action immediately.

"Get the whip, she deserves to be flogged for her crime!" Meng Meng yelled and a guard came running with a really long and spiky whip.

"Don't you dare!" Fortune said "You framed me, you know I didn't push you, you just want an excuse to get rid of me." She added.

"That's a lie!" The empress maid spoke up. "You pushed the empress, I saw you. And when I asked you why, you pushed me as well."

'This won't do. I have to think of a way to get rid of this problem and fast' Fortune thought and bit her lower lip fiercely. She was so angry now.

"Please your highness, spare my Lady!" Lynne pleaded on her knees.

"I will only forgive her if she kowtows to me and beg for my forgiveness." Meng Meng offered with a sinister smile.

"Keep dreaming princess!" Fortune said "The only people that I will ever kowtow to in this palace are the empress dowager and the emperor. I don't care a damn if you're the empress, I don't know you!" After hearing this, Meng Meng's head caught fire. She was now more angry than before.

"Whip her! Whip her now!" She yelled frantically.

"If you dare, I will report you to the emperor. I am his favorite, do you want to imagine what he would do to anyone who lays a finger on me?" She threatened. The guards were now confused. What exactly were they going to do? Who were they going to listen to?

Meanwhile, Rei had quickly gone after Lixing Ji's troops. It wasn't long since they dispersed, so she was likely to catch up with them.

"Aren't you Fortune's maid? She sent you to me, does she miss me already?" Lixing Ji asked with a proud smile.

Rei was short of breath. She exhaled and finally said.

"Mistress, she's in trouble!"

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" He asked in return.

"The empress, she framed mistress and wants to whip her!"

"What?!?" He exclaimed with wide eyes and without thinking, turned his horse around and headed for the palace. 'Silly girl, I just left and you've already gotten into trouble. You better be alright' he thought

Rei stood there a bit uncomfortable. She still had to go back to the palace and Lixing Ji left without even saying a word. Then, she saw a hand stretched down at her. She looked up and saw that it was Yan Zhou.

"Come, I'll give you a lift back!" He offered.

"No, no need! I wouldn't dare."

"Its my call. You don't expect to walk back to the palace and still meet the action, do you?" He said and she gave it a quick thought. He was right, how was she going to get to the palace on time by foot? She felt a bit shy by his offer and timidly took his hand. With one light swift, Yan Zhou lifted her up and sat her down on his horse.

"Whoa, you maids are so skinny that I could lift you up so easily!" He said but she kept her head down. She didn't want him to see her flustered look but he saw it anyway and only smiled. He hit the reigns, gave the command of a retreat to the troops and sped ahead.

Meanwhile in the palace. The guards held on to Fortune.

"Let go of me!" Fortune said and flipped them one by one to the floor. Her strength was not predictable at all.

"Come on, hold her." Meng Meng ordered and they finally strengthened their grip on her.

"She's so fierce and violent!" One of the guards exclaimed

"I wonder were she gets that strength from. She has a small figure." Another said.

"I warn you, things will not end well for all of you!" Fortune yelled at them.

Meng Meng's maids moved towards her for some reason and Fortune took them both in one go and they landed on the floor.

"You still dare to harm my maids?" Meng Meng ratted.

"Why not? After all, one of them is 'guilty' for having sent an assassin to disfigure my face" Fortune emphasized on the guilty so that it would prolong in Meng Meng's eardrum clearly.

"This is as a surprise to get everyone, the news had not gone out so no one knew the basic details about it." Fortune continued with a sneer

Meng Meng was silent for a while. She didn't expect Fortune to bring that up at this time.

"Why so silent? Cat caught your tongue?" Fortune had a smug on her face as she stared at the wordless empress.

"Shut up!" She yelled and turned to the guard who held the whip.

She snatched it and immediately whipped Fortune who hissed in pain but, kept the smug on her face just to irritate the empress.

"What a painful whip! I wonder what will become of me once you're done?" Fortune said and started laughing.

Meng Meng clenched onto the whop and raised it. She started whipping without concerns as she vented her anger out without thinking of the consequences.

However, during this period, Fortune tried to protect what she valued the most; her face. She made sure that the whip didn't touch her face at all and that was all she was concerned about.

Just when Meng Meng noticed that Fortunes beautiful face was still in tact, she raised the whip to ruin it but was held back by a certain someone.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lixing Ji asked with rage written all over his face.

'Oh no! Why is he here? Shouldn't he be out?' Meng Meng thought as she trembles under his hold. His grip was damn tight and it was sure to leave a mark.

Lixing Ji flung her away and rushed towards Fortune. By now the guards had let go and Fortune staggered, feeling a bit dizzy from loosing blood.

"Your majesty, she pushed me and also slander me. I was just giving her a light punishment." Meng Meng tried to speak her way out of it.

Lixing Ji's expression darkened. He stood before Fortune who smiled even in this condition.

"Is that what happened?" Lixing Ji asked and her smile widened.

"Is that what you think?" She asked and flicked her eyes slowly. "But let me tell you, this woman is so mean and bad. She's cunning and evil. Wait, why did you return?" She asked as she suddenly remembered that he went away a while ago.

"How can I stay away while you're like this?" He asked and she chuckled. She staggered towards him and touched his face lightly.

"How am I? I'm fine, aren't I? Look, my body maybe bleeding but my face is still in tact. That's the most important thing!" She gave him two thumbs and then collapsed on him. He caught her immediately "Don't worry, I'm okay but," she paused as she rested on him, her voice was beginning to sound faint.

"What, where does it hurt? I'll get you treated right away!" He said panicking.

"No no, the pains are bearable but, my hair, its in a mess now. Can you get her back for me?" She asked and he nodded "Thanks, I'll just sleep for a little while. I expect good news from you when I'm awake!" She said and closed her eyes.

He knew she was just sleeping and not dead so he didn't worry too much, but seeing the wounds on her body, he got really angry.

"Shouji!" he called and the head guard answered. "I want all those who were involved, detained and whipped." He ordered.

"And the empress?" Shouji asked and he looked at Meng Meng who was trying to put up an innocent face and intimidated appearance.

"Hear my decree!" Lixing Ji said "The empress is to be grounded in the frozen palace and not to come out until I say so!" He ordered and Meng Meng started pleading but he payed a deft ear to her. He carried Fortune up and took her to his chambers.

He later called the imperial physician to check on her. Her wounds we're not too severe but had fainted due to the lost of too much blood, so she had to take adequate rest.

Since she was breathing fine, Lixing Ji didn't worry too much and just sat by her till she woke up.