While washing Xu Guifei's feet, I coincidentally encountered her having a fit of anger, and she was cursing someone from the Phoenix Palace without holding back at all.

　　It was because the Emperor went to sit for an hour on the Queen's birthday.

　　"What a despicable wretch! I underestimated you! Do you all think you can bully me, an outsider? You dare to take advantage of a little bit of status and think I wouldn't dare to teach you a lesson? Be careful with your life!" She angrily scolded the palace maid kneeling on the ground, her delicate and beautiful face still radiant.

　　The palace maid remained as quiet as a quail, unable to speak.

　　Everyone knew that she was cursing indirectly, but no one dared to say more.

　　It was because this beauty was obtained by the Emperor at the cost of exchanging the city, and since entering the palace, the other three thousand beauties were like illusions, and all the Emperor's favors were concentrated on this one person.

　　If it weren't for the fact that the Queen was the Empress Dowager's niece and had a childhood relationship with the Emperor, I'm afraid even that one hour wouldn't be able to keep Emperor.

　　I lowered my head and remained silent, carefully wiping the fair and delicate feet with a cloth.

　　The beauty continued to be angry, as if tired of the silence where no one dared to resist, she kicked me in the chest in a fit of rage.

　　The other foot fell into the basin, splashing foot-washing water onto my face.

　　The warm sensation and the pain in my chest made me gasp for a breath, but I managed to endure it without making a sound.

　　Xu Guifei lowered her head and glanced at me just now, coldly laughing, and used the back of her foot to lift my chin, forcing me to look up and meet her gaze.

　　"What? Are you daring to harbor resentment against this Palace now?" I raised my head, but kept looking down, carefully wiping the under-chin area of her foot with the silk handkerchief in my hands, and softly said, "This servant doesn't dare.

　　This servant is only worried that just now, did Niang Niang hurt her foot?" She was taken aback, sneering, "A lowly servant is just a lowly servant, only fit to wash this Palace's feet." I smoothly replied, "This servant is indeed a servant, but still a servant who serves Nian Nian, and is just as noble as the servants in other palaces.

　　Being able to wash your feet is a blessing this servant has accumulated for eight lifetimes." My words exceeded her expectations, but also slightly eased her expression.

　　"You're a visionary." She didn't say any more because a low, deep male voice came from behind, "Jiao Jiao." I paused in my foot-washing motion.

　　Fortunately, Guifei was overjoyed and didn't notice this anomaly.

　　She ran barefoot towards the man not far away, her voice delicate and gentle, as if a feather lightly brushed against one's heart, making it itch.

　　"Emperor~ Why have you come? Weren't you supposed to be accompanying the Empress in the Fengluan Palace? I thought you had already forgotten about Jiao Jiao." As she spoke, a sparkling teardrop flowed from the corner of her eye.

　　A beauty shedding tears was truly heart-wrenching.

　　Pei Qi felt the same, even more so.

　　Because of this single tear, he offered up the entire city.

　　"Nonsense, I only view Miaoyan as a younger sister.

　　It just happened that queen Empress was also there today, so I stayed for a bit longer.

　　How could I forget about Jiao Jiao?" "Really?" Guifei asked naïvely.

　　Pei Qiman's eyes were full of tenderness as he embraced the beautiful woman in his arms.

　　Desire surged in his eyes, but suddenly he noticed that she was barefoot.

　　He asked, "Why aren't you wearing shoes?"

　　"Isn't it because this humble concubine wanted to see Your Majesty quickly? Does Your Majesty blame me?" she replied.

　　"Hahaha, how could it be your fault? Anyone in this world can be at fault, but it will never be yours, my sweet and delicate one!" Pei Qiman laughed, carrying the beauty towards the bed.

　　His voice could be heard, "The palace maid who washed your feet, punish her with an hour of kneeling outside."

　　I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation because I had already walked outside.

　　The imperial city in winter was freezing, and the footwashing water on my face seemed to have frozen instantly, making me feel as if my face was freezing too.

　　"Go and kneel quickly, you lowly thing! Did you really think it was so easy to please the imperial concubine? Pah!" The palace maid in charge was not satisfied and kicked me hard on the knee.

　　So I kneeled heavily in the snowy ground, surrounded by faint mocking laughter.

　　Of course, there was even louder laughter inside the palace hall.

　　And so, I kneeled there quietly, listening.

　　Perhaps the laughter was too piercing, or maybe this winter was just too cold, but I had another hallucination.

　　I saw a soldier in armor walking towards me, compassionately holding my hands.

　　"Why aren't you going inside? It's so cold here.

　　Su Niang, let's go inside," he said.