The Buddhist hall in the side hall of Shoukang Palace.
Concubine Jin knelt on the futon, absentmindedly glancing at the empress dowager who was muttering something in front of her. She felt anxious, but it was inconvenient for her to get up and leave.
Since she entered the palace, she had diligently visited and ingratiated herself with the old lady, but she still received no favorable response. She was inexplicably being cared for, and so, she usually dreaded seeing the servants in Shoukang Palace who were responsible for delivering messages.
"Yinzhu, bring me my bracelet."
"yes."
Concubine Jin watched as the maid handed over a string of brown bracelets. Immediately afterwards, the sound of sandalwood beads colliding could be heard.
It seems that I can’t go back for a while!
She adjusted her kneeling position, pretended to stare at the Buddha statue with a pious look, and flipped through the Buddhist scriptures at hand to pass the time.
A small bead fell to the ground.
Then the second and third beads came along, and the bracelet suddenly broke, and the Buddhist beads that had been specially obtained fell all over the floor!
Concubine Jin quickly reached out to stop a few, carefully picked them up, and brushed off the dust: "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, I have found some for you."
“How could this be!”
The Queen Mother had an expression of surprise. She clasped her hands together, bowed to the Buddha statue, and silently recited scriptures, without paying any attention to the damaged bracelet.
At this moment, Aunt Zijin hurried in: "Empress Dowager! The Emperor has returned to the palace. It is said that he encountered an assassin in the suburbs of Beijing..."
"What?! What happened to the emperor?!"
"Don't worry, Queen Mother. The Emperor is safe and sound. Nothing's wrong at all. The capital's guards have already apprehended the thief, and he's awaiting trial in the Heavenly Prison." Zi Jin immediately told the truth and comforted her. "That's right, Liu Ying has suffered!"
Yin Zhu, who was waiting quietly beside him, moved her red lips when she heard this, but due to the rules, she didn't say a word.
The Queen Mother's heart was in suspense again: "Liuying... why is that child here too? Is she okay?"
"After I learned about the emperor's condition, I didn't have time to ask any more questions. I only saw the Imperial Hospital rushing towards the Changsheng Palace. It looked like he was seriously injured!"
"Then the child in her belly..."
Imperial Concubine Jin could no longer sit still and stood up to salute: "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, I am worried that the Emperor is not well and would like to go to the Hall of Eternal Life to check on him."
"The Emperor is so busy right now that he has no idea what to do. I'm here to assist him. What are you going to do?!"
The Queen Mother still disliked her and rejected it outright.
Upon seeing this, Zijin and Yinzhu helped the empress dowager up on either side and left the Buddhist temple.
——
"Your Majesty, Xi Baolin's condition is not good, and the heir is also... Do you want to protect the heir, or..."
"Asshole! I just want her to live well!"
Xie Yanci was so furious that he immediately dropped the inkstone and smashed it against the screen not far away.
The Empress Dowager happened to enter the palace and was frightened by the noise: "What happened to the Emperor?"
"Mother, why are you here?"
"I heard something happened here, involving an assassin. How could I not be anxious?" She glanced at the inner hall surrounded by imperial physicians. "Is Xi Baolin still unconscious?"
"Yes, she was seriously injured."
The moment the carriage broke apart, he was pushed to the opposite position. Relying on his martial arts skills, he was not injured and landed safely.
However, the woman disappeared from his sight, rolled down the slope, hit a huge rock, and fell into a coma!
When he found her, the clothes on her left shoulder had become heavy from being soaked in blood. She clenched her teeth, her right hand was weakly covering her abdomen, and her face was covered with a layer of paleness.
The Empress Dowager sighed and whispered, "Emperor, tell me honestly, what happened? You can go on a secret visit, but where are the shadow guards you brought with you? Where are the imperial guards? Why haven't they been used yet?"
"It's all my fault," he said hesitantly. "I accompanied her to the Gaomei Goddess sacrifice, and I didn't want to spoil the people's fun, so I didn't clear out the suspicious people around me. That's how the assassin took advantage of the opportunity."
"Sacrifice?" The Queen Mother pondered for a moment. "Did you take her out of the palace during the Shangsi Festival?"
"Yes, I came up with this idea to pray for Xi Baolin's unborn child and agreed to accompany her to the suburbs of Beijing to offer sacrifices."
Who would have thought that such a misfortune would happen!
Wen Yu walked out carrying basins of blood, his expression dazed. As he passed the emperor, he hesitated several times to speak, but ultimately went back inside to help, carrying the cleaned copper basins.
The Queen Mother saw this scene and couldn't help but wonder, "Is the assassin targeting her? Her injuries are almost the same as those of a woman suffering from a difficult childbirth and hemorrhage."
"Those thieves were clamoring for revenge, and they spoke with an accent. I suspect they're connected to the remnants of the small kingdoms we conquered previously." Xie Yanci recalled the moment the double-headed hammer struck him. "Xi Baolin could have dodged it, but to save me, he forcibly blocked the thieves' heavy blow. That's why..."
"That girl is a simple-minded person, I don't find it strange. She was like this when she was still in Shoukang Palace. She would risk her life for anyone who treated her well. Your Majesty, when she wakes up, regardless of whether the heir is saved or not, you must not treat her unfairly!"
"Of course. I've already instructed that Xi Baolin's life be prioritized! If that child isn't meant for me, I can only... abandon him."
Even if he had been happy and excited about the arrival of the child, in front of her, it would take a back seat.
She must not die.
Jiang Yuanzheng had been busy for half a day, unable to stop the bleeding. His mind was at its limit, so he could only send his subordinates to report to the emperor. Naturally, he was met with a scolding.
"What a bunch of losers! They're getting paid, but they can't even stop the bleeding from their wounds?!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down! It's because the young lady's injuries are too severe, so..."
"Your Majesty! I beg you to call Imperial Physician Lu to give it a try!" Wen Yu rushed out of the inner hall and knelt down to plead, "There's this Imperial Physician who helps my young lady with her pregnancy. Perhaps he can help!"
"Lu Xingzhou?" Dean Jiang showed disdain and stopped him directly, "Your Majesty, he is not qualified. He has always only been able to do odd jobs in the Imperial Hospital. He has little experience and cannot serve..."
"You have so much experience, but you can't even stop the bleeding?!" Liang Cairen rushed into the Changsheng Palace and refuted his words. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I heard that Xi Baolin returned seriously injured and was extremely worried. I had no choice but to rush in with Doctor Lu. Please let the doctor save him first, and you can punish me however you want later!"
"Go, save people."
Xie Yanci was in no mood to bother about these things, so he waved his hand at Lu Xingzhou, indicating his consent.
Liang Cairen breathed a sigh of relief, then stared eagerly at the bright yellow curtain: "Xi Baolin is a blessed man, he will definitely survive this disaster, God bless you..."
"Child, don't you disbelieve in gods and Buddhas?" The Queen Mother's gaze fell on her. "I still remember how your blasphemous behavior in the past angered your grandmother so many times. It was truly unbearable to watch! Why are you praying for God's protection again today?"
"Because, because the person I care about is in danger of dying, there's really no other way. I'm willing to believe it just this once!" Liang Cairen rubbed her palms nervously. "If she survives, I'm willing to follow the Empress Dowager and devote myself to worshipping Buddha. I won't make trouble anymore... I won't make trouble anymore..."
This is a good thing.
But this child had no respect for propriety and repeatedly attempted to kill her biological father and stepmother, making her a notorious scourge in the capital. Even after she was taken to Shoukang Palace, she showed no restraint and refused to yield to any persuasion. Not only did she betray the good intentions of the family, but she also committed many mistakes.
How could such a person ever give in? The Queen Mother couldn't understand.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
