After the banquet, Nan Zhiyun and Nan Su didn't even have a proper conversation before she prepared to return to He'an Palace, after all, her current status was that of an imperial concubine.
Halfway through the journey, Nan Zhiyun called for a stop. Qianxia helped Nan Zhiyun down.
"What's wrong, Your Highness?" Qianxia asked.
"No need for this. I'm a little dizzy from drinking. I'll walk back myself and sober up a bit," Nan Zhiyun said. Qianxia didn't try to persuade her further. She followed Nan Zhiyun slowly back, letting Xia Yi and the others go first with the sedan chair bearers.
Nan Zhiyun remained silent the entire way, and Qianxia didn't want to disturb her. However, the weather was rather cold, and the ground was icy, causing Nan Zhiyun to walk much slower. Just then, Xia Yi approached.
"Your Majesty, the sedan chair has fallen into the pond in the Imperial Garden," Xia Yi said.
"What happened? Why did you fall down when you were perfectly fine?" Qianxia frowned.
"The people carrying the sedan chair were walking across the stone bridge over the lotus pond when, perhaps because it was too cold and the ground was icy, they lost their footing and the sedan chair fell off," Xia Yi answered truthfully.
“Go and investigate thoroughly to see if it’s really just a coincidence. Luckily, Her Majesty wasn’t on the palanquin today; if she had been, it would have been a serious matter,” Qianxia said.
Xia Yi naturally understood the importance of this matter. Nan Zhiyun, on the other hand, didn't say much.
“Your Majesty…” Qianxia looked at Nan Zhiyun.
"It's alright, let's go back." Nan Zhiyun didn't react much. Just then, Yu Jingchen arrived.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Qianxia and the palace maids quickly bowed upon seeing him. Nan Zhiyun was surprised to see Yu Jingchen here.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," Nan Zhiyun curtsied slightly. Yu Jing stepped forward and said, "It's good that you're alright." Yu Jingchen helped her up.
He was startled when he heard that Nan Zhiyun's sedan chair had overturned into the pond. Although Nan Zhiyun wasn't on it, he was still worried and rushed over.
"Your hands are so cold, are you chilled?" Yu Jingchen held Nan Zhiyun's hand.
"I drank quite a bit today, but I didn't stop you because you seemed happy. How are you feeling now? Are you alright?" Yu Jingchen asked, noticing that Nan Zhiyun's face was flushed.
"I am fine," Nan Zhiyun replied.
"Let me take you back. The ground is icy, be careful not to slip." Yu Jingchen took her hand. Nan Zhiyun moved her lips, but did not refuse.
“I noticed you enjoyed the kumquats and grapes today, so I’ll have someone send them over to you tomorrow. But I’ve heard that kumquats can cause internal heat, so it’s best not to eat too many.” Yu Jingchen took the initiative to start a conversation.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Nan Zhiyun didn't refuse. Why not take it? Who would turn down food? Nan Zhiyun pouted slightly.
"Are you tired today?" Yu Jingchen asked, starting another conversation.
Nan Zhiyun is also honest about being "tired".
"Get some rest when you get back, and drink a bowl of hangover soup so you don't have a headache when you wake up tomorrow morning," Yu Jingchen instructed.
Speaking of tomorrow...
"Your Majesty..." Nan Zhiyun called out tentatively, perhaps a little embarrassed or perhaps a little hesitant.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
"You said before that I could be with my father and the Empress Dowager during the New Year. Is that alright?" Nan Zhiyun asked.
"Yes, we can do it together." Yu Jingchen seemed to really enjoy patting Nan Zhiyun's head.
“Then tomorrow…” Nan Zhiyun continued.
"Will you stay in the palace or outside?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager hasn't been feeling well lately, but I spoke to her about it today, and she said that if I wanted, she would take me back to the General's Mansion to have the New Year's Eve dinner with my father," Nan Zhiyun said.
"Then go back. You can go back with the Empress Dowager tomorrow. I will have someone escort you. You must not leave your side, lest you encounter danger." The last assassination attempt was not an accident.
Moreover… Yu Jingchen is now somewhat wary of the Empress Dowager. After all, given what he found out before, he can't completely trust her. Even if she won't harm Nan Zhiyun, it's hard to guarantee she won't have other intentions.
"Okay," Nan Zhiyun readily agreed. She was happy to be able to go out and have dinner with her father. If he wanted someone to accompany and protect her, so be it.
Yu Jingchen escorted Nan Zhiyun back to He'an Palace. Inside, Xia Yi and the others were already kneeling in the courtyard, begging for forgiveness.
"This servant greets Your Majesty and Your Highness." Xia Yi led his men in bowing.
"What are you doing?" Consort Shu asked them.
"Today's events were all due to our negligence. Fortunately, Her Majesty was not in the palanquin. If she had been, we would have been culpable. Therefore, we are here to apologize to His Majesty and Her Majesty and beg for your punishment," Xia Yi said.
“It’s not something you can control, so what’s the point of punishing him, Your Majesty…” Nan Zhiyun looked at Yu Jingchen.
Yu Jingchen understood what she meant, but he didn't wake her. Nan Zhiyun gently tugged at Yu Jingchen's sleeve: "Your Majesty, the ground is cold."
“They’re right. If you don’t do things right, you should be punished. Kneeling for a while is too lenient.” Yu Jingchen was unmoved. Nan Zhiyun wasn’t upstairs today. What if she were?
Her health was already weak, and falling into the pond in the dead of winter could be disastrous. She's been working in the palace for so long, how could she not handle these things properly? Besides, are there no paths in the Imperial Garden? Why did she have to walk on that bridge?
"Go inside and sit down. I'll take care of things here," Yu Jingchen said to Nan Zhiyun.
Nan Zhiyun knew that Yu Jingchen had his own reasons, but she felt that not everyone should be treated this way. Even if someone really had a problem, that was only one of them, not everyone.
She actually disliked this approach, not because she was particularly kind, but because she felt it was truly distressing to see innocent people suffer because of bad people. The innocent were being punished by those in power because of those who were at fault, and with no right to refuse or beg for mercy. She disliked arbitrarily punishing people, perhaps because she herself had been punished many times, and therefore she was averse to such practices.
She knew that because those people were of lowly status, they had neither the right nor the qualification to resist. This world, as Yu Jingchen said, was unfair; people were divided into different classes, and the rules were always made by those of the highest class. The high class was noble, and the lowly were base. She didn't understand.
When she was little, she didn't want her father to go to the battlefield. He would hold her and point to the pedestrians on the road, saying, "My dear, look, after your father wins the battle, these people can live peacefully like they do now. You are happy now because of them. So your father is going to war to repay their kindness. Your father also wants them to be happy!"
"Nannan, you must remember, these are the people we need to protect. The reason why Nannan can dress up beautifully and eat well every day is because of them, so Nannan must protect them too." This is what Nansu often said to her.
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