Xiao Li looked at Ji Cheng with her welled up eyes and were trying to not let her tears to fall.? She felt extremely wronged and upset seeing the way he treated Zhao Ming.

  Ji Cheng has shut her mouth by saying that no one could interfere in Zhao Ming's decisions. He is clearly showing her that Zhao Ming is the Empress and she is nobody.

  She could feel that he was referring to her when he was saying this. His eyes were cold and distant, like he was talking to a stranger.

  She tightly clenched her fists in anger and tried to control her expressions and not show much of expressions. She was angry and frustrated but could not show them outright.

  She was feeling immense hatred and anger towards Zhao Ming but could not show it at this moment. She glared at Zhao Ming from side-eyes and pursed her lips.

  She tried to clench her fists tight which resulted in her nails digging into her skin making it red and painful. Though this pain was nothing in comparison to the pain she was feeling right now.

  She felt like someone was squeezing her heart which caused it to pain and sorrow.

  Due to anger, her eyes were welled up in frustration and resentment. Those tears were mixed up with anger and sorrow.

  The rage was because Ji Cheng has given all the powers to Zhao Ming and also indirectly warned her to not do anything to her.

  The sorrow is because the man she loves was looking tenderly at another woman. She has married him because she loved him when she saw him for the first time.

  Though she was not his first love, nor he wanted to marry her. But because of the marriage alliance and to keep his Empire safe, he has to take that step and marry her.

  She had thought that after marrying him, she will be able to change his heart and will make him love her in return.

  She was always proud of her beauty and attributes as a feminine elegant woman. No one can resist her charms but Ji Cheng never glanced at her the way he looked at Zhao Ming.

  When she came into the palace, she realized that Ji Cheng behaves differently around Zhao Ming.

  Though he was not expressive and his face was always cold and distant but she can see the warmth in his eyes which were nowhere when he looks at her.

  She noticed that Zhao Ming doesn't know about his feelings yet but she understood that Ji Cheng feels something for her.

  That's why, since she came into the palace, she tried to create distance and problem between the two. She tried her best to not let the two converse with each other and always busied Ji Cheng with Wen Xu to not let him go to lotus pavilion.

  As Ji Cheng went to war after his marriage with Zhao Ming, they didn't get time to converse with each other and without communication, problems can easily arrive in a relationship.

  And with Xiao Li around, the situation got worse which led to Zhao Ming think that Ji Cheng does not love her and even hated her.

  His look and behavior towards Zhao Ming has changed so much since she woke up from the coma and has become more expressive than ever before.

  She could not understand why he has become this way, but she hated this feeling.

  She loves him but he loves another woman. She was his wife, but he never get intimate to her neither there is any relationship between them as husband and wife.

  She has to sleep in a cold and lonely bed while waiting for his highness who does not seem to come.

  She has thought before that if she removed Zhao Ming from the way, she could get the heart of Ji Cheng.

  But even after Zhao Ming went into the coma and did not show any signs of waking up, Ji Cheng never came to her.

  'She did so much just to remove Zhao Ming from between but even after so much trouble she could not get his heart, yet this Zhao Ming did not do anything, and she gets everything.'

  Xiao Li looked at Zhao Ming and glared at her with her sharp eyes.

  ' This bi*ch. She didn't even die even after happening so much. She is so thick-skinned'. Xiao Li cursed Zhao Ming inwardly as she closed her eyes lightly.

  …


  " Zhao Ming, I give you all the powers of Empress from now on. You can deal with this maid the way you want. No one can interfere in your affairs." he looked at Zhao Ming and said in a soft voice.

  Zhao Ming looked at him with her shy expression with her tinted red cheeks. She felt that this action of Ji Cheng was one of his best actions, she had seen since she came into this world.

  Ji Cheng has finally gave her all the powers of the Empress. She was so glad that Zhao Ming was the Empress, not a mere maid.

  Otherwise, her situation would have been different. She sometimes shudders just by thinking about it.

  She pursed her lips and nodded.

  The maids in the kitchen were shocked to see the interaction between Zhao Ming and Ji Cheng.

  Previously, they had seen that their relationship was not that good because they were not seen together in public.

  Moreover, Wen Xu always humiliated Zhao Ming and denounced her as an Empress.

  So they thought that Zhao Ming was an unwanted Empress and they never took her seriously.

  However, seeing their interactions today, they were shocked. They were now scared because earlier they were gossiping with Hao Mei and was afraid to get implicated with Hao Mei as well.

  Their expressions have become pale and was afraid of Zhao Ming that she will punish them as well. They looked at Hao Mei nervously and felt their body trembling seeing her pitiful state.

  She was sitting on the cold and dirty ground and no one bothered to help her up.

  …


  Zhao Ming glanced at Xiao Li and then turned her attention to Hao Mei. Her expressions became cold and indifferent.

  " You said that I can't transfer you from the kitchen, right? You were right. I was wrong to transfer you to the lotus pavilion earlier." Zhao Ming said to Hao Mei seriously. There was a slight smile on her face.

  But the smile was not gentle but it was evil. Her smile sent shudders to Hao Mei but she tried to control her emotions.

  She felt that Zhao Ming was regretting her actions earlier and she ignored Zhao Ming's sly expressions.

  Hearing her words, Hao Mei felt relieved and thought that she will change her decision because Ji Cheng has given her power and she has to restore her kind and angel-like image.

  However, Zhao Ming's next words made her body to freeze.

  " Because you do not even belong to the lotus pavilion as well. You not only disrespected your master but you refuse to accept my order as an Empress." Zhao Ming continued as she looked at Hao Mei with her piercing eyes.

  " You refuse to follow my orders and not only that, you created such a big scene when I tried to punish you, which forced Consort Xiao Li and his highness to come here. You don't deserve their attention. " she sneered at her.

  " Who do you think you are? They came all the way here leaving all their work just because you created such a mess. Because of you, the work has also stopped. You 're such a disgrace as the head of kitchen staff." she ' tsk' as she shook her head gently.

  " You wasted everyone's time and also your melodrama and stubbornness halted the workings of the kitchen. So… "

  Zhao Ming paused in her words and then continued after glancing at Xiao Li before speaking.

  " So……you're not suitable to work in the palace. We can't let anyone work in the palace, who is disrespectful towards their masters and looked down on the crown of the Empress."

  " Even if you don't respect me, you should at least respect the crown, that you didn't. So you don't deserve to serve the royalty. You're living off at the royalty while backstabbing them and bi*ching about them behind their backs." she plainly said.

  Hao Mei's expressions have turned ugly hearing all the allegations by Zhao Ming. Her body trembled in fear as she looked at her in worry.

  " You can take your stuff and leave this palace. And don't force me to throw you out. If you have a bit of shame left, you can pack your clothes and leave. I don't want to see you again in this palace. " she said firmly to her.

  Hao Mei was shocked when Zhao Ming asked her to get out of the palace. Earlier she was only demoted to the lotus pavilion.

  But now she was being kicked out of the palace.

  Zhao Ming actually throws her out of the palace, that too in the presence of Xiao Li and Ji Cheng.

  Zhao Ming did not even care that Ji Cheng is right beside her and she did not maintain her image as a kind and magnanimous Empress, instead, she kicked her out in their presence.

  She was ruthless enough to kick her out of the Palace. She did not even hesitate and punished her without any mercy.