Emperor Jingcheng turned around and stood there quietly watching. Zheng He'er also looked at Consort Xian not far away with a puzzled expression.
Consort Shu stepped forward: "Imperial Physician, please examine Consort Xian."
The imperial physician wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and stepped forward to take the pulse of Consort Xian, but was suddenly thrown aside by Consort Xian, who sat up abruptly, and he fell directly to the ground, crying out, "Ouch!"
Yilan quickly hugged the newly seated Consort Xian, exclaiming, "Your Majesty, thank goodness! You're finally awake! You scared me to death! Waaah~"
Consort Shu stepped forward and said gently, "Sister Xianfei, let the imperial physician take a look at you."
The imperial physician looked at her with a grave expression. The imperial guards and maids beside her, after their initial shock, were filled with curiosity. With so many eyes on her, she felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Consort Xian looked up blankly at the crowd surrounding her. They were all dressed in ancient costumes, with ancient headdresses and makeup, and the people around her carried dim palace lanterns. Looking down at herself, she was soaking wet and also dressed in ancient costume. She raised her hand to touch her hair, which had now come undone, leaving only a head of soaking wet hair, from which she had even grabbed a piece of waterweed.
Seeing this, Yilan was almost moved to tears and gently tidied her hair: "Your Highness, let me help you. Please let the imperial physician examine you first."
Consort Xian was momentarily confused about the situation and nodded mechanically. Consort Shu breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this and glanced at the imperial physician beside her. The physician quickly stepped forward to examine Consort Xian.
"Your Highness, Consort Shu and Consort Xian are both in good health, but they may have caught a cold. I will prescribe some medicine for them, and they will be fine after taking it."
"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Imperial Physician. You may go back now."
"Your subject takes his leave."
Consort Shu dismissed the imperial guards standing nearby. Emperor Jingcheng, who was standing not far away, looked at Consort Xian, who had a blank expression, and felt something was strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He looked away and left.
Consort Xian met his cold gaze and was startled. Who was this man? How could he be so terrifying?
"Alright, quickly send Consort Xian back to recuperate properly, and be careful not to make any mistakes," Consort Shu instructed her maid.
"Yes, Your Highness."
The maid of the Virtuous Consort helped her up from the ground, and the Noble Consort took off her cloak and carefully draped it over her. Seeing her dazed look, she assumed that she was frightened: "Sister, you must be frightened. Go back and rest."
Consort Shu's concern was genuine, and Yilan knew she was kind-hearted. After thanking her, she left with Consort Xian.
Consort Xian returned to the palace, allowing the palace servants to bathe and change her clothes. She drank the medicine brought by the imperial physician, and then lay alone in the magnificent Chaoxia Palace. Looking at the purple silk curtains above her head, she looked around the hall and sighed deeply. Yes! She had transmigrated! But she didn't know where she had transmigrated to.
She doesn't have much information right now, only that everyone calls her Consort Xian, and that the woman just now was Consort Shu. She was rescued from drowning and is now a member of the ancient emperor's harem. The only saving grace is that her rank isn't too low, and her situation isn't too tragic.
She'd find out the rest later. As she pondered, she recalled the man's gaze from earlier, as if he harbored a grudge against her. Could that man be the emperor? No way! Wouldn't that mean she was doomed?
Imagine this: a graduate student from one of the world's top 5 universities in the 22nd century, who was reading research papers one second ago, accidentally fell asleep at her desk, and woke up the next second to find herself in a strange ancient world, as a miserable concubine! Ugh! I want to die!
The virtuous concubine scratched her hair in frustration, then covered her head with the blanket, feeling depressed.
Yilan brought in a bowl of bird's nest porridge and called softly, "Your Majesty, are you asleep?"
Consort Xian lifted the covers: "What's wrong?"
"Your Majesty, you have caught a chill today. Please have some bird's nest porridge to nourish your body."
Consort Xian nodded, took the food, and slowly began to eat. She had to admit, it was delicious, far better than the genetically modified foods she ate in modern times. Now that she was here and no longer had to endure the grueling life of a graduate student, she might as well enjoy it!
"Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell?"
Consort Xian shook her head: "Yilan, I'm a little confused about what happened today."
Yilan assumed she was just overly frightened and patiently told her what had happened that day.
"Your Majesty, are you really not feeling unwell anywhere?" Yilan asked with great concern.
"It's nothing, just a bit of a fright. I'll be fine after a few days of rest," Consort Xian shook her head.
"By the way, Yilan, what do you think of the Emperor's attitude towards me now?"
Yilan thought that Consort Xian was worried that the Emperor would dislike her even more, so she lied against her conscience: "Your Majesty, when the Emperor saw that you had fallen into the water, he personally ordered the imperial physician to treat you. The Emperor is very concerned about you."
"Really?" Consort Xian expressed her doubt, and the thought of the emperor's icy gaze made her shiver.
"Yilan, what is Consort Shu's character like? Was she truly sincere today?" Consort Xian's questions were all based on the events of today, and she was quite comfortable with these titles, perhaps a habit retained from the original owner of the body, so it did not arouse Yilan's suspicion.
"Your Highness, this servant believed that Consort Shu has always been kind-hearted, and today she has shown genuine sincerity towards Your Highness."
Consort Xian nodded: "You should go and rest first. I'm tired too."
"Your Majesty, please rest well. This servant will take her leave now." Yilan left, turning back every few steps.
Consort Xian lay in bed thinking and slowly fell asleep.
The next day, news of Consort Xian falling into the water spread throughout the palace, and many concubines came to visit her. She also learned a lot about what was going on in the harem. After all, she was quite intelligent and could manage to cope in the harem.
Emperor Jingcheng was busy with affairs of the court and did not pay attention to matters of the harem. Nalan Mingyan's affairs were progressing smoothly and he had collected enough evidence. So, while the court and the harem seemed to be at peace, Nalan Mingyan suddenly launched a coup in the middle of the night, leading his private army straight to the capital. Emperor Jingcheng responded calmly and captured the traitor in just one hour.
When Nalan Yun'er received the news, she collapsed to the ground, her expression blank, muttering, "It's all over, everything is over! Why didn't Father listen to my advice? Before I could prepare everything, you forced me to abdicate without my knowledge, Father! You're so foolish!" Nalan Yun'er was heartbroken, while Cuiping knelt sadly on the ground beside her.
"Your Majesty, please take care of your health! His Majesty is kind and benevolent. You have been married to him for many years, and he will surely remember your past relationship."
Nalan Yun'er laughed self-deprecatingly: "Old feelings? The Emperor and I have been like strangers since our marriage. I am still a virgin, so what old feelings could there be between me and the Emperor? Hahahaha..."
She burst into maniacal laughter, a mixture of sorrow and mockery: "I've been nothing but a joke from beginning to end! A joke, all a joke! Even that vile Consort Xian is far better than me!"
"Your Majesty!" Cuiping was filled with reluctance and heartache. Her eldest daughter used to be a bright and cheerful young lady from the Prime Minister's mansion, but since entering the palace, she had become a resentful woman. She was truly heartbroken.
Nalan Yun'er lay sprawled on the ground, waiting for something...
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