"What? Are you all mute?"
Eunuch Yin raised his voice when he saw that no one answered.
Startled by this, the Royal Concubines became as silent as cicadas in winter, losing all their previous gossiping energy, each one fearing to be implicated.
"If you don't speak, then don't blame this Eunuch for being impolite."
Eunuch Yin's face turned cold, seemingly ready to get serious.
These Royal Concubines were called future Consorts, but in his eyes, they were no different from palace maids.
Before receiving the Emperor's favor, Yan Qu Hall was ultimately still his domain.
Even if there were a few from prominent families among them, he no longer cared.
The rumor of evil spirits in the palace could be a minor or major issue.
This matter now concerned his own head, so Eunuch Yin naturally would not show any more pleasantries.
If he handled it poorly, his life might end in confusion.
It was also the first time these Royal Concubines had seen Eunuch Yin look so terrifying; they all stood up, bowed their heads deeply, and were as obedient as little quails.
However, as time passed, the few Royal Concubines who had just been gathered together, chatting animatedly, silently glanced at one of them.
Just a moment ago, they were all sweet, calling each other'sister,' but now, with disaster striking, they scattered, fully demonstrating what 'plastic sisterhood' in the harem truly meant.
The person being stared at turned pale, her small hands clenched, knuckles white, clutching her skirt tightly, enduring the pressure from everyone.
She was scared.
She didn't know how Eunuch Yin would punish her, and she dared not accept her unknown fate.
She was just a common-born virtuous woman, chosen by the Flower and Bird Envoys and brought into the palace.
Flower and Bird Envoys were messengers dispatched by the palace to various regions to select beautiful women from across the land.
Although her parents tried their best to oppose this, who could defy the Emperor's will?
Her family had no high-ranking officials to protect her, nor money to bribe the Flower and Bird Envoys.
Every year, batch after batch of teenage virtuous women were chosen and entered the deep palace this way.
These Talent sounded good, but apart from those with outstanding beauty or special opportunities who were chosen as Consorts, most could only serve as ordinary palace maids throughout their lives.
Therefore, most parents from common families did not wish for their daughters to enter the Forbidden Garden, to pursue a vague and uncertain future.
Due to her humble background, she had always walked on thin ice in Yan Qu Hall, usually flattering other "sisters" with early gossip, but now it had ironically become her death warrant.
Cold sweat dripped down her cheeks, and the gazes of those around her felt like knives cutting into her.
"If she keeps holding out, they might lose patience."
"Forget it..."
Thinking this, her mind relaxed, and with dim eyes, she resigned herself to fate.
But just then, a faint voice suddenly responded from the crowd:
"Liang Chuchu."
"What did you say?"
Eunuch Yin looked in the direction of the voice and immediately found the speaker.
This was a Talent he didn't have much impression of, who was now speaking softly.
"Liang Chuchu told me; she said she couldn't sleep last night and found a ghostly shadow outside her window."
This Talent mustered her courage and spoke everything she knew.
"I, I also heard it from Liang Chuchu."
Another Talent immediately echoed, belatedly.
She had hesitated for a long time, just about to speak, but didn't expect someone to beat her to it.
Although a sense of relief instantly arose in her heart, moments later, she also, as if possessed, followed suit and spoke.
Though a small voice in her mind told her to stay silent, under a strange impulse, she still said what she wanted to say.
"That's right, I also heard it from Liang Chuchu when I met her this morning."
The first Talent who spoke looked at her with gratitude, but she instinctively avoided the other's gaze, then immediately gathered her courage, looked up, and nodded gently.
"Me too, I also heard it from Liang Chuchu."
"Me too."
"Me too..."
With the two of them starting, others also chimed in, and Liang Chuchu's name echoed throughout the hall in waves.
"It's that Liang Chuchu again!"
Eunuch Yin listened to the Royal Concubines uniformly calling out the same name, gritting his teeth in anger.
Ever since this Liang Chuchu entered the palace, his Yan Qu Hall had not known peace.
Now she even dared to spread rumors and stir up unrest, which was simply unforgivable.
"Go, find Liang Chuchu."
Eunuch Yin turned hurriedly, preparing to first apprehend Liang Chuchu, the culprit, and then deal with the matter.
No matter what, he couldn't let her continue spouting nonsense.
If the rumors spread out of Yan Qu Hall, then Eunuch Yin would have to take the blame for this little madam.
But Eunuch Yin had only walked a few steps when he suddenly turned his head, causing the Royal Concubines, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, to collectively hold their breath again.
"If you dare to gossip again in the future, watch your tongues!"
All the Royal Concubines shrank back in fear, no one daring to utter a sound.
Eunuch Yin was also too lazy to argue with them further and quickly led his people to find Liang Chuchu.
...
Watching the hurried departure of Eunuch Yin, Wang Suyue in the crowd couldn't help but frown quietly.
"Liang Chuchu has been acting strangely lately; could she really have encountered a ghost or been possessed?"
These two rivals were usually at odds, always looking for trouble and bickering with each other.
But now, seeing the situation escalate, Wang Suyue felt a little worried.
"I knew her behavior had been strange these past few days."
Recalling the recent encounters with Liang Chuchu, Wang Suyue's suspicions were further confirmed.
"Wang Suyue, that's enough; don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. If you piss me off, we'll just go down together..."
"Wang Suyue, you win this time, I admit defeat, but we'll see about next time..."
"Sù Yuè, how can we say we grew up together? Although there were occasional conflicts, they were all just playing around. Why do you have to be so serious..."
"Yuè Yuè, do you remember when I called you a glutton when we were little, and you cried? After you beat me up that time, I never called you a glutton again, you know. We shouldn't hold grudges like that..."
"Sister Wang, your little sister knows she was wrong, please spare me! I won't dare to do it again! All the money my father gave me before I entered the palace is gone. If this continues, I'm really going to starve to death..."
Recalling the last time Liang Chuchu had cried uncontrollably while hugging her leg, Wang Suyue's heart couldn't help but ache slightly.
She remembered she had only kicked Liang Chuchu then, and left with a remark: "How inexplicable."
Now that she thought about it, weren't these all signs of Liang Chuchu being possessed?
The more Wang Suyue thought, the more guilty she felt, believing that if she had noticed Liang Chuchu's abnormality earlier, perhaps she wouldn't have reached this point today.
"Slap!"
A crisp sound echoed in the quiet hall, and the other Royal Concubines stared blankly at the suddenly frenzied Wang Suyue and the clear handprint on her face.
"I'm truly despicable!"