Yiyuan Hall
Nalan Yun'er was leaning against the soft couch with her eyes closed, her delicate eyebrows tightly furrowed, her lips slightly pursed, one hand supporting her head, her magnificent phoenix robe cascading from the couch to the floor, forming a graceful arc on the fine glazed tiles.
She wore a phoenix crown with outstretched wings, and her jet-black hair was meticulously styled. She was extremely beautiful, with delicate features, radiant skin, and rosy lips. Her eyes, covered by long, curled eyelashes, would have been even more beautiful if it weren't for the scheming God of Light.
She was extremely agitated at this moment. The inner palace was quiet, and the palace servants were waiting outside. The incense was burning, with a faint fragrance of osmanthus, which could calm the mind and repel mosquitoes, but it could not soothe the Empress's mind at this moment.
Nalan Yun'er was pondering how to deal with the current situation, but she couldn't come up with any perfect solution... At this moment, Cuiping walked in with her head down: "Your Majesty, Consort Xian has arrived."
Nalan Yun'er slowly opened her eyes, which were filled with impatience and disgust, and slowly rose, holding Cuiping's hand: "Tell her to go to the front hall."
As soon as she spoke, the palace servants outside immediately ran out.
In the front hall, Consort Xian leisurely sipped the tea served by the palace maids, clearly in a very good mood. Upon seeing the Empress enter, she immediately led her maids to greet her, her smug expression replaced by "respect and worry": "Your Majesty, I greet you."
With a virtuous and proper smile on her face, Nalan Yun'er gently raised her hand and said, "Sister, please rise quickly and take a seat." As she spoke, she walked straight to the phoenix throne above and sat down with elegant posture.
Consort Xian scoffed inwardly: "Empress, I've heard a lot of gossip lately. How are you?"
Looking at her hypocritical face, the Empress gently shook her head: "Thank you for your concern, sister. I am fine. It is just that my father has made such a grave mistake, and I am also saddened. I am grateful for His Majesty's magnanimity, which allows me to sit here and chat with you."
"In that case, sister, you must take good care of your health. His Majesty is kind and will certainly not hold a grudge against you." Consort Xian, with her slender fingers, gently wiped the non-existent tea from the corner of her mouth with a lotus-colored handkerchief. Although her face showed concern, the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned.
Nalan Yun'er smiled faintly: "What you say is very true, sister. After all, the harem still needs me, and I will certainly take good care of my health." As she spoke, she gently touched her forehead, her voice tinged with weariness.
Seeing this, Consort Xian rose to take her leave: "Your Majesty, please rest well. I will take my leave now."
After speaking, Consort Xian did not wait for the Empress to reply. She gently lifted her skirt, turned around, and left with her maid.
As Nalan Yun'er watched her walk away, she could no longer suppress her anger and embarrassment. She grabbed a cup of hot tea and slammed it onto the carpeted hall. Steam rose up, startling the palace servants, who knelt on the ground, too afraid to utter a sound.
"That damned Mu Wanyu (the name of Consort Xian), how dare she come to me and act like a bully!" She was so angry that her chest heaved violently, and her eyes were fixed on the spot where Consort Xian had disappeared, as if they were filled with poison.
"Your Majesty, please calm down," Cuiping said, gently wiping her hands with a handkerchief.
Nalan Yun'er closed her eyes and slowly nodded.
After leaving the Empress's palace, Consort Xian chatted happily with Yilan behind her, overjoyed. As darkness fell, two maids followed behind, carrying lanterns. The group passed through the Imperial Garden, past a lotus pond, the air filled with a delicate fragrance.
"Yilan, can the Empress make a comeback this time?"
"Your Highness, this servant thinks..." Before Yilan could finish speaking, she heard a cry of alarm from the person in front of her. She instinctively tried to grab her, but Consort Xian had already fallen into the lotus pond. Several maids panicked and shouted for help.
Yilan lay on the shore trying to grab her, but Consort Xian struggled and drifted further and further away from the shore, her body sinking deeper and deeper. With the night obstructing their vision, the group couldn't see where Consort Xian was at all.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Consort Xian!"
"Help! Help! Her Highness Consort Xian has fallen into the water!"
......
Hearing the cries for help, the imperial guards patrolling nearby rushed over: "What's going on?"
"My lord, Consort Xian has fallen into the lotus pond! Please go down and save her!" Yilan was so anxious that she was almost crying.
Upon hearing this, several imperial guards threw off their swords and jumped into the lotus pond, retrieving the drowned Consort Xian.
Yilan kept pressing on Consort Xian's chest, but Consort Xian didn't move at all. Yilan cried in distress, but still refused to give up. The maidservants beside her hurriedly went to fetch the imperial physician, while the imperial guards stood by, not knowing what to do, and could only stand by and watch.
Emperor Jingcheng had come to the Imperial Garden to relax, but as he walked with Zheng He'er, he heard a commotion by the lotus pond and walked over with a frown.
Zheng He stepped forward twice: "What's all this commotion about?"
Everyone turned around and saw the cold-faced emperor standing there. They immediately knelt down and said, "This servant greets Your Majesty!"
Di Jingcheng slowly walked forward and looked at the woman lying on the ground: "What happened?"
Yilan stepped forward, crying, "Your Majesty, Consort Xian has fallen into the water! Your Majesty, please save her!"
Di Jingcheng did not respond. He looked deeply at the pale-faced woman lying on the ground, who seemed to have already died. He made no move, thinking of Azi, who had framed him with the Empress in their past life. Now that she was dead, it was for the best.
Seeing that the emperor made no move, Yilan could only cry and plead from the side, clearly feeling utterly desperate.
At this moment, a maid arrived with the imperial physician, and hurriedly knelt on the ground, saying, "Your Majesty, I greet you."
Emperor Jingcheng stared at the woman on the ground for a while before slowly saying, "Let's treat Consort Xian."
The imperial physician stepped forward to take Consort Xian's pulse, checked her breathing, and found that her neck pulse had stopped beating. He shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, Consort Xian has already stopped breathing."
Upon hearing this, Yilan burst into tears and clung to Consort Xian, no longer caring that the Emperor was still nearby. All she knew was that the young lady she had followed since childhood was gone, and she was overwhelmed with grief. She seemed unable to believe that Consort Xian was dead, and desperately pressed on her chest, trying to force the fluid out of her lungs.
"Miss, Miss, wake up! Miss, Yilan can't bear to part with you! Waaah~"
Everyone lowered their heads in unbearable sorrow, but Di Jingcheng coldly watched the scene before him, completely unmoved. In his previous life, he had also collapsed to the point of utter despair while holding Azi's cold corpse, and now he would not show any mercy.
He lightly flicked his sleeve, turned to leave, and was met by Consort Shu, Wu Qianru.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
"Rise. Let Consort Shu handle this matter." Emperor Jingcheng said, then turned to leave.
Consort Shu curtsied slightly: "Yes, Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off."
Before Emperor Jingcheng could even get far, Consort Xian, who had been lying on the ground like a corpse, suddenly stirred. She vomited water, and her whole body trembled. Everyone nearby, except for Yilan, was terrified. The imperial physician had just pronounced Consort Xian dead! What was this? A resurrection?
Consort Shu was also startled and almost stumbled and fell to the ground, but fortunately her maid caught her.
Emperor Jingcheng was stopped by Consort Shu: "Your Majesty, Consort Xian has woken up."
Di Jingcheng's eyes were full of impatience. He wasn't quite dead yet?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
