Dawn was breaking, with the first light piercing through the darkness, but it lacked its usual strength, casting a feeble glow amidst the lingering shadows.
A carriage raced through the abandoned streets, the whip raining down on the horses’ backs like raindrops, the coachman’s voice almost breaking with fear and panic.
The hurried queen inside was even more anxious, no longer able to maintain her usual composure, repeatedly lifting the carriage curtain, urging the carriage to go faster.
"Hurry up, hurry up, we’re still not there yet," the Empress’s trembling voice commanded, her hand tightly clutching the curtain while the nanny beside her held onto her mistress, fearing that the rushing carriage would throw the Empress out.
"Whoa—" As soon as the carriage arrived at the Crown Prince’s Mansion, two guards swiftly took over the reins. The Empress couldn’t wait for the step stool and jumped down, heading straight for the study.
"Your Majesty—" Zhu Wen t her in the corridor and without any unnecessary words, said, "His Highness has finally stabilized."
"Nonsense, why didn’t you tell earlier? You all have quite the nerve," the Empress blurted as she walked in, pulling aside the inner curtains, causing people to hurriedly clear a path.
Empress Xiao imdiately saw Zheng Congyuan lying on the bed and rushed over.
"My son—"
Pushed aside, Zheng Nianru was caught by Nanny Yun, who was almost trembling in shock.
The Empress had co? Of course, it was her own son; how could the Empress not co?
So what about the Commandery Princess? How could she be here?
Nanny Yun didn’t dare to worry about anything else and started leading her Commandery Princess out, and Fu Dong, coming to his senses as well, paled as he helped pull Zheng Nianru along.
Zheng Nianru knew very well who the newcor was. Yet, she sneered coldly in her heart, so what if she knew? In her previous life, Empress Xiao was also late to arrive, but what difference did it make whether she ca or not?
But Zheng Nianru finally left. Despite the night being fraught with danger, the Imperial Physician had said that the situation had stabilized; there was no longer any need for her to stay.
As Zheng Nianru left the inner chamber, she ran into Qi Zhu rushing in. Taken aback, Qi Zhu didn’t delay and saw Zheng Nianru out herself.
Fortunately, Empress Xiao’s entire attention was on Zheng Congyuan, lying on the bed; she hadn’t noticed Zheng Nianru’s departure at all.
Nian Xia, holding water, saw her mistress leave and quietly moved, ready to withdraw as well. But the Empress intended to care for him herself, and the nanny next to her called Nian Xia over, and Nian Xia had to hold the washbasin by his side.
Gradually, Zheng Congyuan’s fever subsided, and his wounds began to close. What remained was to simply take good care and recover. The Imperial Physicians had also had a brush with death and were finally able to save their own lives.
Empress Xiao could not help but scold the Imperial Physicians again. They had already been berated by Zheng Nianru once and had developed so psychological resilience. The Empress’s scolding was certainly frightening, but it wasn’t as harsh as that young girl’s, who seed to stab their hearts with every word, as if failing to save the Crown Prince would make them eternal sinners, as though they were betraying the common folk and their ancestors alike.
"Your Majesty, His Highness needs to rest, and you’ve been through a lot as well. Perhaps you should rest in the outer chamber first," Zhu Wen suggested, now that the Crown Prince’s condition had finally stabilized.
"Zhu Wen, co with ," said Empress Xiao, glancing once at the inner chamber before getting up to leave.
As soon as they reached the study, Zhu Wen imdiately knelt down.
"I have failed in my duties."
"Has the assassin been identified?" Although Empress Xiao kept herself out of worldly affairs, she was no fool; she too could not fathom why her son would be targeted. Moreover, Zheng Congyuan was highly regarded in the imperial court; there seed no reason for an assassination.
Zhu Wen paused for a mont but relayed all the findings, especially about the Second Prince taking hundreds of young n and won, which had sparked public outrage.
After listening, Empress Xiao angrily swept a set of docunts from the desk to the floor, spilling ink everywhere. Zhu Wen didn’t dodge, letting the shattered porcelain slice open his hand and forehead.
"Noble Consort Wen, I originally thought she was just acting out of concern for the Second Prince, so I turned a blind eye to her excesses. But I never expected her to harm Congyuan. Zheng Muyuan was already a dead man. It really is..." Empress Xiao dared not finish the phrase ’karmic retribution.’
Although Master Yin He was eerie, his spellcasting was powerful, capable of doing things beyond the average person’s ability. Empress Xiao was well aware of the Mystical Arts he practiced. Yet, in this matter, Empress Xiao maintained a wait-and-see attitude, neither involving herself nor opposing; after all, everyone knows what it ans to resurrect the dead.
"Your Majesty, His Highness has awakened—" Nanny imdiately reported, her voice filled with tears of joy.
Empress Xiao imdiately gathered her thoughts and stood up to go.
Nian Xia gave Qi Ling a look—the look that implied, ’Can I go now? Hurry it up.’
Qi Ling nodded slightly, and as soon as Nanny left, she quickly arranged for Nian Xia to depart. Nian Xia tiptoed to the doorway just as Nanny, who was on her way back, imdiately grabbed Nian Xia’s hand.
"Quick, bring the water here." Nian Xia wanted to cry but had no tears. Should she leave or should she fetch a basin?
Nian Xia was kept behind again; Nanny seed to have grown accustod to her and was quite pleased.
Empress Xiao sat by the bed, tears swirling in her eyes, looking at Zheng Congyuan, who had regained consciousness.
"Mother, do not worry, your son is already..." Empress Xiao imdiately silenced Zheng Congyuan.
"You’ve just awakened. Do not speak so much. It’s good that you are awake, that you are awake. Now drink the dicine first." Empress Xiao said gently, taking the dicine bowl from Nian Xia’s hands and personally attending to Zheng Congyuan.
Zheng Congyuan’s gaze fell on Nian Xia, sowhat dazed. During his unconsciousness, he seed to have heard her voice—not an illusion, but her actual presence.
However...
Zheng Congyuan took another look at Empress Xiao and decided not to look at Nian Xia anymore.
...
Noble Consort Wen initially thought the note sent to Qiandao Temple would take several days to reach Master Huo Yi.
However, to her surprise, within a day, Noble Consort Wen received news from Master Huo Yi and had Master Chang Zhen take Ho Sheng and Master Yin He back to Qiandao Temple.
Noble Consort Wen did not care much for Ho Sheng’s life, but now that Master Yin He was involved, and Master Chang Zhen suggested that the diseases of Ho Sheng and Master Yin He shared the sa pathology, only Master Huo Yi could resolve it.
But as Master Chang Zhen was preparing to leave with the two n, they discovered that Master Yin He had disappeared.
The Master Yin He who had always been curled up inside the iron cage was missing, and there were no signs of damage on the cage itself. Yet, Master Yin He had vanished completely.
Noble Consort Wen panicked and turned Bushou Palace upside down but still failed to find any trace of Master Yin He.
anwhile, over at Qishun Building, Xing Yu was clearing the wilted branches in the wooden corridors of the rear courtyard. The Commandery Princess wanted to create a wisteria trellis, so the existing roses had to be moved elsewhere.
As a result, Xing Yu stumbled upon a dark shadow amidst the dense thicket of roses.
Xing Yu poked the shadow, finding it motionless. A chill ran down her spine—why did it look like soone she knew?
"If you’re alive, get moving, or I’ll bury you as fertilizer for the flowers." Xing Yu wasn’t foolish. Clearly, the person was alive, and while the black clothes were strange, Xing Yu recognized them. This person was dangerous, a real tough case.
Nevertheless, she kindly offered to let the person escape.
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