Xie Yanqing sent someone to pass the herbs to Wen Yu. As she walked back along the corridor, she heard the palace servants whispering about something.
"Since entering the palace, the Imperial Concubine has been showered with favors by His Majesty. How could she ever cry like this? Not only His Majesty, but even we servants feel pity for her."
"Have you heard the reason? The Emperor has always doted on the Imperial Concubine and would certainly not want to see her cry. There's no one in the palace who would deliberately contradict the Imperial Concubine. Where does this grievance come from?"
"We definitely didn't hear the details! Anyway, she cried for the first half of the night, and then she got tired and stopped crying. But this morning, after His Majesty left, the aunt who was in charge of the Imperial Concubine's makeup said that her peach blossom eyes were so swollen that she couldn't even go to the Fengluan Palace to see the Emperor!"
…
The topics discussed by the palace people would naturally attract Jingning's attention.
Before Wen Yu could explain what she had seen and heard on the way, she heard Jing Ning's vivid description: "The Emperor was worried about the Imperial Concubine's poor health, so he relieved her of the burden of the six palaces. He also allowed the Imperial Concubine to accompany the Empress Dowager to worship Buddha. What a great gift! But she seemed to have misunderstood and cried in the palace, which worried the Emperor..."
"It's such a shame you don't tell stories in teahouses." Wen Yu stepped over the threshold, smiling and gathering his sleeves. "When I was still in the palace, I would occasionally go out to buy stories. The storytellers in the capital were no match for you!"
"Eh? Really?!"
"Of course." Wen Yu pointed at Jing An who was busy. "Look, your sister is so tired that her back is bent. She's so interested in talking about rumors about His Majesty. Why don't you go and help her?"
"Oh, Sister Wenyu, I understand. I'll go right away!"
After everyone in the outer room had done their job, she entered the inner room and placed the small package in front of Wei Shuyi.
"Miss, these are the herbs. Should we boil them in Sangyuxuan or go to the next room?"
"Just tell her I've fallen ill in Yongxiang, and you just need to take care of the medicine." Wei Shuyi picked up the food box he had prepared long ago, "Once it's ready, put it in here, and we'll go give her another dinner."
Wen Yu stood there without moving, with the worry on his face undisguised.
She asked gently, "What's wrong? Are you worried?"
"Miss, you are too kind-hearted. If it were me, someone who had harmed me, even if they died in front of me and were torn into pieces by five horses, I wouldn't even look at them!"
"I understand your concerns." Wei Shuyi held Wen Yu's hand and reassured her, "I saved her only for the truth. If she repays kindness with hatred, I will repay her double!"
"All right."
It has been some time since I last delivered meals to Wang Chang's courtyard.
The concubine was out of favor and had a bad temper, so naturally her subordinates became lazy and indolent. In just one night, the desolation in the courtyard was even worse than before.
The palace servants who had been pretending to sweep up the fallen leaves were now slacking off somewhere.
Wei Shuyi pushed open the door. Naturally, no one was inside to serve Wang Changzai. The two windows were wide open, and dark cloth was carelessly thrown on the floor, unattended.
"You, you...is it Minmin who is here?"
Wang Changzai sat up with great difficulty. Judging from the way she fumbled around, she could no longer see clearly and had to rely entirely on her hearing to distinguish the movements around her.
"Wen Yu, please stand guard at the door. I have something to say to her."
"Be careful, young lady. Call me immediately if anything happens!"
Wei Shuyi placed the food box on the dusty table, took out the food one by one, and brought the bowl of medicine over.
"It's me. Just lean back and don't move. Drink the medicine."
"What medicine?!"
"Didn't you say you were waiting for me to come and take revenge?" She supported Wang Changzai's body and teased him intentionally, "Well, I have poison in my hand, do you want to drink it?"
The woman tilted her head slightly, trying to listen to her words.
Then he reached for the bowl and drank it all in one gulp without hesitation!
Finally, he murmured, "How long will it take for the attack to happen?"
"I have no idea."
"Nine Cauldrons Nirvana Pill... You went to find the antidote for me?! Who gave it to you?" Wang Changzai's face changed. He waved his hands in confusion, trying to grab her. "Why did you save me? Aren't you afraid that I will join forces with others and continue to harm you?"
Wei Shuyi looked at the nearly blind woman with a pang of pity. "You could have done that, but you risked your life going to Yongxiang to save me. For that, you were stung by a scorpion and burned by flames, and you haven't recovered yet. Tell me, why?"
"I said, after I fulfilled my promise with that person, I won't do anything to harm you again. I know their character better than you do! So, that day, I was afraid something might happen to you, so I went to Yongxiang and saved you."
She recalled the incident lightly, as if it were as simple as releasing an ant.
Wei Shuyi continued to take out cakes and handed them to her: "Then it's the same for me. You saved me once, and I will repay you once. It's even. This is your favorite rose shortbread. Eat it while it's hot."
"You, don't you have anything to ask?"
"No, I just don't want to waste the herbs. I'll feed you all the medicine while you're still alive. As for these pastries, I made them especially for you because I can't stand those people in your palace."
Wang Changzai did not refuse. She looked straight ahead with blank eyes, chewing the pastry in small bites and letting the crumbs fall on the couch.
Wei Shuyi stepped forward to clean it up for her, but new ones continued to fall.
"You're already an adult, but you don't even pay attention to what you eat. You've made the bed dirty. How can you continue to rest?"
"Will Minmin care about me?" Tears welled up in her sunken eye sockets. "They don't care about me anymore. No one cares about me. After I woke up yesterday, I gradually lost my sight. Next, I might not be able to hear anything either. After losing all five senses, I'm going to die."
What kind of Wang Changzai is the real one?
Was she the woman who, with her hands on her hips, defied the powerful, repeatedly provoked Song Wanyi, only to beat her into submission? Or was she the woman who recanted her confession in front of the emperor, plotting every step and nearly dooming her?
Or was it the strong-clad benefactor who rushed into the sea of fire, threw down the dart, and pulled her out of the abyss?
Wei Shuyi didn't know what to say in response and could only remain silent.
After finishing his pastry, he patted the quilt carelessly and suddenly asked, "Has anything big happened in the palace recently?"
"event?"
"You can tell me anything related to the emperor."
She recalled Jing Ning's vivid description today: "I heard that the emperor removed Concubine Jin from her position as assistant to the six palaces. She cried for a long time."
"Do you think the Emperor is truly protecting her, or is he taking this opportunity to punish her?"
Wei Shuyi hadn't expected Wang Changzai to pick up the conversation: "These are just rumors spread by the palace maids. The emperor has favored the imperial concubine for many years. I don't think this decree is targeting her deliberately..."
“Minmin!”
Wang Changzai found the position of Wei Shuyi's left hand and suddenly grabbed her wrist!
"What's wrong?"
"Stop investigating, okay? Just treat it as cherishing your life, just treat it as listening to my advice! No matter how many innocent people die in the palace, it won't hurt her in the slightest. Don't you understand?!"
Suddenly, it was like a thunderclap out of nowhere.
She sat on the edge of the bed, facing the window where the cold wind was blowing. Although it was April, she felt cold all over.
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