A Cutie Spoiled by Her Seven Uncles

Nanny Zhang responded, "Yes."

"There’s no need to send an Imperial Physician. Second Master Ji is a Divine Physician. If he cannot find a way, the physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau surely won’t either!"

Nanny Zhang again replied, "Yes," and then went to the Imperial Medical Bureau.

In the evening, Xie Pan’Er was taken from Chuxiu Palace to Cining Palace.

Throughout the day, Xie Pan’Er kept her head down, not daring to look up at Empress Dowager Xiao.

"What’s the matter? You’re not your usual self."

Xie Pan’Er remained silent, with her head down.

The Empress Dowager walked over to her, lifted her chin, and frowned at the sight.

"Who hit you?"

Empress Dowager Xiao’s anger was visible on her face.

"It’s all in the past."

"What do you mean ’past’? You are the future Empress. Your face represents the royal family; hitting you is like hitting me!"

Xie Pan’Er lowered her head, gloomily saying, "I’m just a candidate now, this face doesn’t belong to the royal family yet."

The Empress Dowager sighed, "You have a sharp tongue!"

She sighed and sat back on her phoenix throne, saying, "I’ll give you two days off to go home and spend time with your family."

Upon hearing this, Xie Pan’Er was initially delighted but then hesitated, "Do you mean the Ji Family?"

"You and the Ji Family are like grasshoppers tied on the same rope. If you don’t go to the Ji Family, where else can you go? As for your own parents, it’s only right that you visit them when you have the time!"

Xie Pan’Er gratefully thanked Empress Dowager Xiao and quickly returned to Chuxiu Palace to pack her things.

Shi Ning, seeing her pack, assumed it was because of their joint effort with a few others to harass her in the morning, made Xie Pan’Er want to withdraw. Feeling smug, she summoned a group of candidates to her room to ridicule her.

"Oh, has the little wild chick finally realized her place and decided to leave the Palace without participating in the selection?"

"Exactly, she has no status, no background, just the daughter of a declining family, and yet she managed to cling to the Ji Family. How did she even get to participate in the selection? What tricks did she use?"

"What? Do you want to learn my tricks?"

Xie Pan’Er, having packed, looked up coldly at the noblewomen mocking her.

The noblewoman, seeing her suddenly sharp gaze, shrank back in fear, hiding behind Shi Ning.

"If you’re so timid, don’t come out to bully people!

Seriously, being a toady and only knowing how to bark makes you a useless dog."

Holding her bundle, Xie Pan’Er headed for the door.

"Stop right there; who are you calling a dog?"

Xie Pan’Er ignored her.

The noblewoman quickly glanced at Shi Ning, "Miss Shi, this little tramp dares to disrespect you!"

Another noblewoman quickly added, "It seems like she still needs a lesson!"

With that, Shi Ning’s two supporters exchanged glances, then looked at Shi Ning, who nodded, "Catch her and beat her to death for me!"

The noblewomen rushed up, encircling Xie Pan’Er, grabbing her arms and hair, and kicking her in the shins.

Xie Pan’Er did not call for help but shouted loudly, "Da Feng, Da Feng..."

Hearing her shout that name, the noblewomen paused, puzzled.

"She couldn’t have been beaten stupid by us, right? Why is she calling for that beast Da Feng instead of help?"

Shi Ning said, "If she’s gone dumb, that’s perfect; it means she’s disqualified from the selection, which suits everyone just fine!"

The reason Shi Ning targeted Xie Pan’Er over the past few days was entirely due to information from her mother. She suspected that Xie Pan’Er had long been entangled with the Emperor; otherwise, the Ji Family wouldn’t have inexplicably adopted her as a foster daughter.

For the sake of securing her own future position, she had no choice but to eliminate Xie Pan’Er before the grand selection, using the unsuspecting noblewomen as her tools.

While thinking this, she casually pulled a hairpin from a noblewoman beside her, preparing to secretly stab Xie Pan’Er in the neck.

However, just as she was about to make her move, the skies suddenly darkened, and a sharp cry resounded from above. Da Feng swooped down toward them, grabbing Shi Ning, flew a lap around the Palace with her, and finally tossed her into the Garden of Cining Palace.

Da Feng’s actions alarmed both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

Naturally, Xie Pan’Er was also saved. Having composed herself, she walked to the palace gates and headed to the Ji Mansion.

At the entrance of the Ji Mansion, she triple-checked to make sure she looked presentable before heading straight to the courtyard of the Old Madam Ji.