The carved wooden windows of Tingyu Pavilion were sealed tightly with planks, and only a few streaks of sunlight managed to drill through the gaps, casting slender shadows on the blue brick floor. Jiang Rou stared at her ankles, chafed raw by iron chains, her fingernails digging deep into her palms. The handkerchief embroidered with a Twin Lotus design had already been torn to shreds.
"Miss, it's time to copy the Admonitions for Women." Qiuju, a maid, walked in carrying an inkstone, her voice timid. Ever since Jiang Rou lost her power, the maids who used to hover around her had fled one by one, leaving only this clumsy Qiuju behind.
"Get out!" Jiang Rou suddenly snatched up the inkstone and hurled it, splashing ink across Qiuju's face. "You all want to see me make a fool of myself, don't you?" Her voice was as sharp as a night owl's, echoing in the empty room.
Chapter 79