Chapter 81 Enraged and Terrified
Several months passed peacefully and sweetly.
On this day, which happened to be the late spring and early summer, the lotus flowers in the lotus pond of the Imperial Garden were just beginning to bloom. The Empress was in high spirits and invited several high-ranking concubines and women from the Eastern Palace to go and admire the lotus flowers.
Su Jingyu was naturally among them. She wore a light blue silk palace dress embroidered with lotus blossoms, which was fresh and elegant, and complemented the newly blooming lotus in the pond. She accompanied the Empress, chatting and laughing, and was charming and lovely.
Consort Zhang and Consort Wang Chenghui from the Eastern Palace also accompanied them.
Halfway through admiring the lotus blossoms, the Empress grew tired and ordered everyone to rest in the pavilion and have some tea and snacks. Su Jingyu chatted with the Empress for a while, and then noticed a cluster of white lotuses in the distance that were blooming beautifully, with petals layered upon each other like jade carvings. She wanted to take a closer look, so she led Yunshu and Jinshu to stroll along the edge of the pond.
Seeing this, Consort Zhang rolled her eyes slightly, and also made an excuse to get some fresh air. She followed at a distance with her maids, but her gaze kept drifting towards the slippery Taihu stones and the rugged artificial hills by the lotus pond.
Su Jingyu was bending down to admire the white lotus when she suddenly heard a short scream and a splash from not far behind her!
"Oh no! Consort Zhang has fallen into the water!" The palace maid's shrill cry shattered the tranquility of the garden.
Su Jingyu's heart tightened, and she turned around abruptly. She saw the water near the artificial hill in the lotus pond churning violently, and Consort Zhang was struggling in the water, flailing her arms wildly, clearly unable to swim. The water was deep, and the rocks of the artificial hill were slippery; the palace servants were momentarily panicked, and the eunuchs who could swim had not yet arrived.
Seeing that Zhang Liangyuan's struggling strength was gradually weakening and her mouth and nose were about to sink into the water, Su Jingyu didn't think twice and hurriedly said to Yun Shu, "Quickly go and call someone!" Before she finished speaking, she took off her inconvenient embroidered shoes, tore off her outer robe, and jumped into the lotus pond in front of everyone's horrified gazes!
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess!"
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
Exclamations arose. The Empress rushed over upon hearing the news, and upon seeing the scene, her face turned deathly pale.
Su Jingyu grew up in Jiangnan and was skilled in swimming. However, the lotus pond in the palace had not been cleaned for many years, and the bottom of the pond was full of slippery aquatic plants. In addition, Zhang Liangyuan was in a panic and scratched wildly, making the rescue extremely difficult.
Su Jingyu exerted a great deal of effort to support Zhang Liangyuan's chin from behind to prevent her from choking on water, while struggling to swim towards the shore. The pond water was still cold in late spring, quickly soaking through their clothes, chilling them to the bone.
Zhang Liangyuan's struggles exhausted her. By the time the eunuchs and palace attendants who could swim arrived and worked together to pull the two of them ashore, Su Jingyu's lips were pale, her body was soaked, and she was shivering slightly from the cold.
"Quickly! Summon the imperial physician! Bring clean clothes and a cloak!" the Empress ordered urgently, and then ordered people to quickly carry Consort Zhang, who had choked on water and fainted, to the nearest palace for treatment.
Su Jingyu was wrapped in a thick cloak by Yun Shujinshu and sat down in the pavilion. The Empress held her cold hand, feeling both heartache and lingering fear: "You child! How could you be so reckless! There are eunuchs who know how to swim, why did you have to go down yourself! If something had happened to you, what would Zhan'er have done!"
"When I saw the situation was critical, I didn't have time to think..." Su Jingyu's teeth chattered, and she forced a smile. Her voice was weak, but her words were clear. "The father of Consort Zhang is a renowned general who fought for the country. She is the daughter of a court official and also a member of the Crown Prince's household. At that time, the situation was critical, and if the rescue had been delayed even slightly, her life might have been in danger. If something had really happened to her in front of the Empress Dowager and me, it would be a small matter if we couldn't explain it to General Zhang. I'm afraid that some unpleasant words would spread in the court and among the people, damaging Your Highness's reputation for benevolence and also chilling the hearts of the soldiers."
"Your Highness...I really didn't want Your Highness to be troubled or criticized in the slightest because of this matter. Besides, I was young in Jiangnan and I know a little about swimming. I couldn't bear to see people in danger in front of me, so...I jumped in without thinking too much."
Upon hearing this, the Empress was first taken aback, then her eyes revealed a more complex expression—a mixture of heartache, admiration, and deep emotion.
She patted Su Jingyu's hand and sighed, "Good child, it's admirable that you think so far ahead. But... no matter what, you must first take care of your own safety. If you fall ill, Zhan'er is afraid she'll turn the world upside down. Never mind, let's not talk about that now. Go back and take good care of yourself, and make sure you don't develop any chronic illness."
Su Jingyu nodded obediently: "Your subject will remember Your Majesty's teachings."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a figure shrouded in coldness, dressed in black, swept up to the pavilion like the wind. It was none other than Crown Prince Xiao Jingzhan, who had rushed over after receiving the news.
His face was ashen, and his phoenix eyes were churning with a terrifying storm. His gaze swept across the chaotic scene like a sharp arrow, finally settling on Su Jingyu, who was soaked to the bone, her hair disheveled, her face as pale as paper, and still trembling slightly.
The air around him seemed to freeze instantly. He took a few steps forward, pushed aside the palace servants surrounding him, and scooped Su Jingyu up from the stool in his arms!
His arm muscles were taut, and the veins on the back of his hands were bulging, showing that he was using a great deal of effort to control his emotions.
He felt the coldness and slight trembling of the person in his arms, as if a knife had been plunged into his heart. He was filled with anger and fear, and almost felt like he was about to breathe fire.
"Zhan'er, Yu'er did it to save..." the Empress tried to explain.
"Your subject understands." Xiao Jingzhan interrupted the Empress, his voice so cold it could drop ice shards, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "Your subject will take her back first. I will trouble Your Majesty to handle the aftermath here."
After saying this, without waiting for the Empress's response, he picked up Su Jingyu, turned around, and strode towards the East Palace with hurried and heavy steps, carrying an overwhelming rage that he could not suppress.
Wherever he went, the palace servants all knelt on the ground, silent as cicadas in winter.
Back at the Liuli Pavilion, Xiao Jingzhan kicked open the bedroom door, carefully placed Su Jingyu on the bed, and shouted sternly, "Get out! Summon the imperial physician! Prepare hot water and ginger soup!"
The palace servants hurried out, trembling with fear. He personally tore off her wet, cold cloak and clothes, wrapped her tightly in a dry, warm quilt, and kept rubbing her icy hands and feet, his face terribly gloomy.
"Your Highness..." Su Jingyu called out softly, trying to comfort him, seeing his horrified expression.
Though she was disheveled, her black hair, like a waterfall, clung wetly to her pale cheeks and graceful neck, making her small face appear even more pitiful and endearing. Water droplets slid down her delicate chin and into her fair, smooth collarbone, adding to her breathtakingly fragile beauty.
But this beauty, in Xiao Jingzhan's eyes at this moment, only made his anger and fear burn even more fiercely.
"Shut up." Xiao Jingzhan roared, his phoenix eyes bloodshot as he glared at her. "Su Jingyu, who gave you the guts to jump into that cold water?! What do you think you are? Invincible? Or do you think you're incredibly lucky?!"
He was furious and terrified. When he heard the news that she had fallen into the water, he felt dizzy and his heart clenched with pain.
Seeing her disheveled and weak state, fear overwhelmed him like a tidal wave, igniting a raging fire of anger.
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