Chapter 40
The arrow pierced the air with a sharp, whistling sound.
The next moment, Lin Cui, who was holding Bai Mihan by the neck, collapsed to the ground!
The dust in Hanxi Courtyard was thrown upwards and was clearly illuminated in the bright, scorching sunlight, but Bai Mihan felt a chill run through her body.
This cloud of dust carried away the only wet nurse in her twenty years who had been devoted solely to her, Bai Mihan.
The coldness permeated my limbs and bones, penetrating to my very core.
A sticky splatter appeared on Bai Mihan's cheek; it was blood from Lin Cui's throat, pierced by an arrow.
It was hot and viscous, with a strong smell of rust.
Bai Mihan's eyes widened as she reached out to touch her cheek, her fingertips brushing against a sticky liquid.
Blood dripped from her fingertips, staining her eyes red.
Bai Mihan slowly raised her head and looked at the man outside Hanxi Courtyard.
He wore a dragon robe, his figure was tall and imposing, and he was handsome and aloof.
He was also the man she once loved so much that she was consumed by jealousy, but she no longer dared to love him.
She slowly turned around, her eyes filled with confusion, and the pain in her heart made it hard for her to breathe.
A warm trickle slowly flowed from the spot on her neck where Lin Cui had stabbed her, but she paid no heed.
Her wet nurse lay on the ground, bright red blood gushing from her throat, her unclosed eyes filled with worry.
She had just helped her wet nurse take her medicine not long ago, and she had promised her wet nurse that she would let her leave the palace and allow her to live out her days in peace...
"Wet nurse—" The woman's voice cracked, filled with grief and disbelief!
Bai Mihan's vision gradually darkened and then collapsed to the ground into nothingness.
Sheng Yu stood with his hands behind his back, silently watching the scene before him, his eyes devoid of any emotion. He spoke calmly, "Go and summon the imperial physician to treat Consort Bai."
That old man got off easy.
The eunuch accepted the order and left.
The Empress's lowered eyes were filled with coldness. After this incident, she would never continue to confine Bai Mihan to her quarters.
After all, the imperial concubines in the capital were almost killed by palace servants.
Ha, Bai Mihan does have some brains, but unfortunately, they're not enough to steal her beloved Jiaojiao away.
The Empress turned and left without saying a word, but Sheng Yu grabbed her wrist.
"It's not that I still have feelings for her, it's just..."
"You are the ruler of a country, an emperor, and you have no need to explain to me." The empress pushed Sheng Yu's hand away and left resolutely.
Just like when the two of them were deeply in love, and Sheng Yu had just ascended the throne, he was forced to take a concubine.
"Your Majesty!" Sheng Yu's expression turned slightly annoyed.
The Empress turned her head and smiled. "Look at me, I was so worried about Jiaojiao that I forgot His Majesty's current status. I thought it was like back then, when I could throw tantrums at you without any restraint."
Her smile was so beautiful that it made Sheng Yu feel momentarily dazed.
"This concubine takes her leave." The Empress bowed and then left.
She stepped out of the palace gate and took Lingwu from Muzhi's hands.
Seeing the baby's pure, bright eyes, the Empress's heart, which had just been filled with sorrow, was soothed. "Mother will definitely let Jiaojiao live freely from now on, without being troubled by this world."
Mu Zhi lowered her head and pretended not to hear anything. Secretly, she also hoped that the young prince could be like what the Empress had said.
Ling Wu did not nod as enthusiastically as usual, after all, this body's lifespan was only five years.
But the Empress was unaware that her heart was filled with thoughts of her beloved daughter. "My darling, would you like to come with me to the Phoenix Palace to see the beautiful dresses I made?"
"good."
"How about Jiaojiao sleeps with Mother tonight?"
"good."
After succeeding, the empress's gloom vanished, and her face was full of smugness!
"How about Jiaojiao stays with Mother for a few more days this time?"
Lingwu didn't answer for a moment, but the Empress's eyes were already blurry with tears. "Jiaojiao, do you not like your mother and only like your father? Your mother is so sad, your mother is going to cry..."
The little dumpling shook its head eagerly, "I like it, I like it!"
"Then why does Jiaojiao only want to stay at your father's place and not at her mother's?"
"go!"
Having successfully abducted Ling Wu, the Empress was so happy that she forgot everything that had just happened, leaving Sheng Yu with unbearable guilt.
Phoenix Palace
The Queen's bed has been widened, and there is a soft, pink quilt inside.
Mu Zhi couldn't help but smile. It seemed that the Empress had been planning this for a long time.
A palace maid stepped forward to announce something, but the Empress dismissed her with a single glance.
The Empress did not change her posture of holding Lingwu on the couch. She knew in her heart that she was the mastermind behind finding the phoenix hairpin, but since the matter had been settled, there was no need to rush. Nothing could compare to her beloved Jiaojiao.
Sitting on the small couch, Lingwu could also see the furnishings around her.
The Phoenix Palace before us is understated in every way, yet it is decorated with many ornaments from the frontier regions, which must have been gifts from the Empress's father, the General Who Guards the North.
"Does Jiaojiao like her mother's palace?"
"like."
The Empress's hands were behind her back, but Lingwu could vaguely see a sliver of azure fabric.
Seeing the expectant gleam in the Empress's eyes, Lingwu did not expose her.
The Empress coughed lightly, then blushed slightly. "Mother hasn't embroidered in a long time, so Jiaojiao mustn't find it offensive."
Seeing the little dumpling nod, the Empress finally took it out after some hesitation.
The azure-colored silk gauze shimmered and sparkled in the bright sky outside the window. Like a blue sky veiled by a thin layer of clouds, it was as dazzling as the sunlit sea, shimmering and radiant.
This is a child's dress, made of rare and precious silk from the distant South China Sea.
The clothes are adorned with koi fish patterns woven from silver threads. The stitches are dense and delicate, and each stitch looks as if it has been measured repeatedly, with the boundaries of each thread clearly visible.
The koi fish shimmered with dazzling luster under the shimmering light, so lifelike that they seemed to be real living creatures.
The skirt is embroidered with lotus flowers in silver thread, delicate and exquisite, symbolizing that every step brings forth a lotus blossom.
Children grow quickly, and some people had tried to dissuade us from using sharkskin yarn when making such products.
But after being treated coldly by the Empress, that person realized that Ling Wu's position in the Empress's heart seemed to have already surpassed that of the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.
She even embroidered by lamplight, each stitch meticulously placed.
"pretty!"
The little dumpling hugged the skirt tightly, her face full of affection.
The Empress smiled gently, stroking Lingwu's slightly disheveled hair. "Jiaojiao, take a nap. When you wake up, Mother will dress you and comb your hair, okay?"
The little dumpling looked very reluctant, but still obediently put down her skirt, which inexplicably softened the Empress's heart.
After placing Lingwu on the couch and covering her with a quilt that felt cool but not cold, the Empress gently patted Lingwu's back and hummed a lullaby from the common people.
Once the little baby was sleeping peacefully, the Empress quietly instructed the maid to move the ice basin further away. She then stared at Ling Wu for a long time before getting up.
She wanted to know who dared to be so audacious as to carry out this act of exchanging hairpins!
On the other side, Sheng Yu, who had returned to the Qianqing Palace but had not seen Ling Wu or the Empress, sighed softly, but was not angry.
Zhang Delu stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Prince Ning is still waiting outside because of Consort Ning's confinement. What do you think?"
Sheng Yu tapped her fingers on the table. "Is there any result regarding the Phoenix Hairpin matter?"
"This... Her Majesty the Empress is investigating, but... as you know, Her Majesty doesn't particularly like this servant."
Zhang Delu added in his mind: Isn't it all because of Your Majesty that the Empress dislikes the entire Qianqing Palace!
Of course, the whole room is except for the young prince and Muzhi.
Sheng Yu twirled the ring on his fingertip, and a dark figure knelt in the shadows. "Your Majesty, the mastermind is indeed Consort Ning."
Sheng Yu remained noncommittal, then looked at Zhang Delu.
Zhang Delu's eyes had already understood. He solemnly said, "This servant understands!" But there was a hint of cold laughter in his tone.
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