As soon as the chief eunuch finished speaking, palace guards swiftly entered and took Concubine Qin away.
Concubine Qin was still in a daze.
By the time she realized what was happening, she let out a terrified scream: "Impossible! His Majesty would never treat me this way! I demand to see the Emperor—mmph—"
The once-arrogant concubine had fallen from grace in an instant. The guards gagged her with a cloth and dragged her out without hesitation.
The palace maids who had served Concubine Qin turned deathly pale, stumbling to their knees. The chief eunuch looked at them with pity. "You will all serve in the laundry court. Life will be hard, but at least you'll keep your heads."
Trembling, the maids lowered their heads and filed out of Changle Palace.
A gentle breeze swept through, leaving Changle Palace in eerie silence.
