"No, no..." Yan Qing couldn't believe it. How could this be? No, she was just joking with me yesterday, she was perfectly fine just now, how could she be like this in less than an hour? She didn't believe it, and she didn't want to accept it.
"Imperial Consort, be mindful of your status." Yu Jingchen finally spoke, but his words were not so stern.
"Your Majesty..." Yan Qing looked at Yu Jingchen with a desolate expression, her eyes instantly becoming empty.
"Please accept my condolences," Yu Jingchen uttered two words.
"No... I don't believe it. Consort De was just trying to make me happy. How could she be gone like this? No way..." Yan Qing refused to accept this fact.
“The outcome is already decided. No matter how unwilling you are, you can’t change the fact that she’s gone,” Yu Jingchen said. Apart from Nan Zhiyun, he had never spoken to any of his concubines like this before.
Yan Qing knelt on the ground, continuing...
"Bestow upon Consort De the title of Jia, and bury her with the rites befitting a consort, placing her in the imperial mausoleum," Yu Jingchen said. The matter was already settled, and there was no point in dwelling on it any further.
"You should spend these next few days seeing Consort Jiade off on her final journey." That was all Yu Jingchen could do.
After saying this, Yu Jingchen prepared to leave, but... he had just turned around when he heard Yan Qing's voice.
"Your Majesty..." Yu Jingchen paused slightly upon hearing this.
"Now that I am in charge of the inner palace, do I have the authority to deal with the culprit who caused this outcome?" Yan Qing's voice was very soft, somewhat different from usual.
"After you've investigated, I believe you'll act with discretion." Yu Jingchen didn't give a direct answer.
“Yes…” Yan Qing’s eyes were filled with hatred. She would definitely take revenge. She would not let her Yingyue leave so mysteriously.
Yu Jingchen said nothing more and left directly. It seemed that the palace would not be peaceful today.
Watching Yu Jingchen's departing figure, Yan Qing slowly raised her head. She really had nothing left... absolutely nothing...
After leaving, Yu Jingchen went straight back to He'an Palace. When he returned, Nan Zhiyun had already changed her clothes and was standing at the door. Seeing Yu Jingchen arrive, Nan Zhiyun waved and said, "Your Majesty."
Nan Zhiyun ran over, and Yu Jingchen opened his arms, causing Nan Zhiyun to fall into his embrace.
"Your Majesty, how are you feeling?" Nan Zhiyun asked, somewhat worried about Yu Jingchen's mood.
"It's nothing," Yu Jingchen said, not caring much about these people.
"Her Highness Consort De..." Nan Zhiyun asked tentatively.
"It's gone." Yu Jingchen told Nan Zhiyun. Nan Zhiyun's heart skipped a beat. Gone? How could this be? Consort De was clearly...
"Alright, Yun'er, don't think about these things anymore. Don't let them affect your mood." Yu Jingchen gently patted Nan Zhiyun's head.
"Hmm..." Nan Zhiyun's voice was a little muffled. The atmosphere in the palace was really oppressive today. Spring had arrived, and so had the spring rain. The rain drizzled down, wetting the ground and making it muddy.
Cixi Palace
"Your Majesty, Consort De has left," An Xin reported.
"Hmm," the Empress Dowager didn't react, she just sat there, propping her head up with her eyes closed.
"The Imperial Concubine..." An Xin wanted to say something more.
"The Imperial Concubine and the Consort De are very close sisters, so it's normal that she can't accept it. She'll probably feel much better in a few days," the Empress Dowager said.
"Yes," An Xin said without adding anything further.
"Yun'er and the others have returned to the palace, haven't they?" The Empress Dowager changed the subject.
"We just arrived not long ago. His Majesty said before that there was no need to greet us. In addition, something suddenly happened to Consort De today, so there was no commotion," An Xin replied.
"She must be exhausted these days. I heard that her horse was frightened and injured. Have the imperial physician check on her again later." The Empress Dowager was still worried about Nan Zhiyun.
"Yes, Your Majesty, please rest assured." An Xin knew that the Empress Dowager valued and doted on Nan Zhiyun, so she had always been quite attentive to her.
"Have Yun'er been staying with the Emperor these past few days?" the Empress Dowager asked again.
"His Majesty has been with Consort Shu these past few days," An Xin said, pouring the Empress Dowager a cup of hot tea.
"This has taken long enough," the Empress Dowager suddenly said, catching An Xin off guard.
"What does Your Majesty mean by that? This servant doesn't understand," An Xin asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Yun'er's health has recovered, and it's time to consider having children," the Empress Dowager said clearly.
"Consort Shu is still young, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager doesn't need to worry too much, she will have her in time." An Xin smiled.
"Time is almost up, and I haven't heard any good news from Yun'er, so I'm worried." The Empress Dowager extended her hand, and An Xin quickly went to help her up. With An Xin's support, the Empress Dowager stood up.
An Xin didn't actually understand what the Empress Dowager meant by "time is almost up." These days, the Empress Dowager kept asking what day it was... always saying that there wasn't enough time...
"These days I've been thinking, have I made a mistake again this time..." It's unclear who the Empress Dowager was referring to.
"Let's find some time to summon Her Majesty to Cixi Palace. I still have so much to say to her," the Empress Dowager said, changing the subject.
"Yes," An Xin replied, feeling somewhat uneasy. She had a feeling that the Empress Dowager's words...
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