In the end, Yu Jingchen left He'an Palace, but he arranged for someone to take care of him. However, the Empress Dowager said she would take care of him personally.
Nan Zhiyun had calmed down and let the Empress Dowager hold her, nestling herself in the Empress Dowager's arms.
"Is Yun'er hungry? The imperial kitchen staff just brought over some food," the Empress Dowager asked.
Nan Zhiyun shook her head. After experiencing such a scene, she couldn't eat anything and even felt nauseous.
"Then shall I stay with Yun'er to rest?" the Empress Dowager comforted her gently.
"Mmm," Nan Zhiyun closed her eyes. The Empress Dowager was coaxing her like a child to sleep, and Nan Zhiyun fell asleep in no time.
"Remove all these incense sticks. Anxin, go and bring me the calming incense that I usually use," the Empress Dowager ordered.
“Yes,” An Xin said, leading her people away. Then she took the calming incense that the Empress Dowager had mentioned and lit it.
Only after Nan Zhiyun had fallen asleep did the Empress Dowager dare to get up.
"Your Majesty, you haven't had much rest these past two days. I'm here to look after you, so please go and get some rest," An Xin advised.
"No matter who stays, I will not feel at ease. You may leave." The Empress Dowager waved away everyone except An Xin.
“Your Majesty…” An Xin made no attempt to hide her worry.
"What does the Emperor intend to do with Lady Wen's body?" the Empress Dowager asked.
"It seems they were simply thrown into a mass grave," An Xin replied.
"Let them find it," the Empress Dowager said, her tone turning somewhat cold.
"How does Your Majesty intend to deal with this?" An Xin asked.
"Given what she has done, I cannot quell my hatred without reducing her to ashes..." the Empress Dowager said.
“Yes…” An Xin was not frightened, but she was genuinely surprised. She hadn’t expected the Empress Dowager to go to such lengths.
An Xin had followed the Empress Dowager all the way, so she knew how difficult it had been for the Empress Dowager to get to where she was now. The Empress Dowager was also a member of the late Emperor's harem; what hadn't she seen? Her hands were certainly not clean. The power struggles within the late Emperor's harem were probably the fiercest, so how could the Empress Dowager have reached her current position without some cunning? She had never been a good person.
"Does Your Highness have any other plans?" An Xin asked.
"Now that things have come to this, it's time for the Emperor to know some things. Let's just release that matter, and the Emperor will naturally investigate," the Empress Dowager said confidently, as if everything was under her control.
"Yes," An Xin said, a hint of worry creeping in.
"There's no need for anyone to serve us here tonight," the Empress Dowager said.
“Yes,” An Xin understood the Empress Dowager’s meaning.
It was late at night, and Nan Zhiyun was sleeping peacefully, a rare sight. There was no one else in the room, and a faint fragrance lingered in the air—a comforting scent—along with two candles.
When Yu Jingchen arrived, Nan Zhiyun was still sleeping soundly. He had originally thought that Nan Zhiyun would have trouble sleeping today, but he didn't expect her to be sleeping so well.
Yu Jingchen walked up to Nan Zhiyun and slowly sat down by the bed. He didn't know why he came here. After returning home today, he kept thinking about the scene of Nan Zhiyun covered in injuries and the scene of Nan Zhiyun seeing Wen Shi die. So he couldn't help but come here, as if he felt at ease coming here. He didn't even know why he felt this way.
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