On the other side, King Han ran out of King Wu's palace, shouting that he wanted to return to the palace.
His personal eunuch, seeing that he was unable to ride a horse in this state, summoned a carriage.
The carriage swayed back and forth, and the King of Han couldn't hold it in and vomited all over the carriage.
Upon arriving at the palace gate, the young eunuch asked for help, and they carried the Prince of Han towards the Side Pavilion.
It was quite a distance from the palace gate to Renshou Palace, and King Han had been drinking the whole way, sobering up considerably.
When he reached the main gate of Renshou Palace, he suddenly stopped.
Inside the gate of Renshou Palace, a young woman in a pale yellow dress was talking to an old nanny.
She wasn't exactly stunningly beautiful; her features were merely delicate. Her clothes were ordinary, but the moment she stood there, she was like a red plum blossom blooming in the snow, captivating everyone's attention.
The King of Han always felt that the women in the palace were lifeless. Even his father's concubines, no matter how beautiful or stunning they were, were like jade or wood carvings, rigid and lifeless.
Only she was bright and lively.
The King of Han stood there, gazing intently at the other man, until the man finished speaking, turned and walked out of the gate of Renshou Palace, where he saw him.
"Sixth Prince?"
She blinked, looking surprised.
The King of Han suddenly came to his senses, his face instantly turning as red as fire. He lowered his head and stammered a reply.
"Lilac Girl".
Seeing his flushed face and the smell of alcohol on him, Dingxiang frowned immediately.
"You've been drinking? Why are you so young and not learning good things? Drinking is bad for your health, especially your liver..."
Dingxiang, caught up in her professional habit, started rambling on and on.
The King of Han blushed even more.
"I...I know I was wrong. I didn't want to drink it either, but my third brother insisted on making me drink it. I promise I won't do it again."
Dingxiang wrinkled her nose, muttered a curse under her breath at the King of Wu, and then continued.
"Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever? Drinking is one thing, but why are you out in the wind? Didn't the people around you remind you?"
The eunuch standing nearby was so frightened that he knelt down.
"I am guilty!"
The King of Han hurriedly said, "I don't have a fever!"
"Nonsense, your face is so red and you don't have a fever? Go back quickly, let me take a look at you."
Without a word, Dingxiang pulled him into his open cloak and dragged him forward.
The King of Han looked at her hand holding his wrist and felt a strange sensation rising in his heart.
He felt even more dizzy, his feet felt like they were walking on cotton, he didn't feel cold at all, and his heart felt warm.
Moreover, her heart was beating very fast, thumping, and her breathing became rapid.
She cares about me...
The King of Han thought to himself with delight.
When they returned to Side Pavilion, Dingxiang instructed someone to boil water for him to bathe, and while they were at it, she took his pulse.
"Luckily, you didn't catch a cold, but you still need to be careful. Take a hot bath later, drink some ginger tea to warm yourself up, and then go to sleep, understand?"
The King of Han nodded, his eyes fixed on her without blinking.
Dingxiang stood up, looked around, and muttered to herself.
"Why is this place so deserted? Not even a charcoal stove lit? Has someone been withholding your supplies? These money-grubbing bastards! This is outrageous! I'm going to tell the Imperial Concubine right now!"
She lifted her foot to leave, but the King of Han grabbed her arm.
"I...no...no one withheld my things. I've been staying out recently, and they didn't know I was coming back today."
Dingxiang glared at the eunuchs outside, looking at him suspiciously.
"Really? Don't be too soft-hearted. You are the King of Han now. You should act with authority and punish them when necessary. If anyone bullies you, go and tell His Majesty."
Dingxiang remembered how badly he used to be bullied; a prince who couldn't even get enough to eat.
The King of Han responded with a smile, his eyes sparkling.
Dingxiang looked around and, seeing that everything was still in order, she felt relieved.
"I'm leaving now."
She waved and walked out.
The King of Han instinctively wanted to keep her, but hesitated when the words came out.
With that moment of hesitation, when I looked up again, Dingxiang had already walked far away.
King Han stared blankly at the doorway, the pale yellow figure constantly replaying in his mind.
Dingxiang was unaware that the King of Han had developed feelings for her; she was simply acting out of a doctor's instinct, worrying that he might fall ill.
Once back at Changqing Palace, Dingxiang put the matter out of her mind.
As soon as she entered the room, Song Xibai looked at her with a smile.
"How is the situation at Renshou Palace?"
"There's nothing seriously wrong, it's just that she's getting old and her health is deteriorating. Alas... I think the Empress Dowager's health is such that she probably doesn't have many years left."
Dingxiang sighed.
The previous stroke was so dangerous; although she survived, it left her with lasting health problems. The Empress Dowager is almost seventy; no matter how much she recuperates, she can never fully recover.
Song Xibai paused for a moment, then sighed as well.
She didn't have any good solutions in this situation.
"Take good care of yourself! I'll send more people over, and the imperial physicians will be on standby at any time."
Dingxiang nodded: "I think the Empress Dowager herself knows what's going on. The nanny tried to feed her medicine, but she didn't want to drink it, saying that it would be a waste and useless."
"This isn't a solution... I'll go with you tomorrow!"
Song Xibai frowned deeply.
So, the next day, Song Xibai and Dingxiang went to Renshou Palace together.
Renshou Palace remained the same, except that there were few people in the courtyard. The front and rear halls were filled with the scent of incense. As Song Xibai walked around the front hall, he heard the soft chanting of sutras.
An old woman came out from the Buddhist hall, followed by a person.
Song Xibai looked closely and was surprised.
It was actually Consort De?
What is she doing here at this time?
As the thought crossed her mind, Song Xibai stepped forward and greeted them.
When Consort De saw her, her eyes flickered, and she gave her a half-bow.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Imperial Concubine."
Song Xibai dared not accept it and dodged to the side.
"What is Your Highness doing? You are my elder, how can you bow to me?"
Consort De looked apologetic.
“A few days ago, my daughter-in-law was disrespectful and offended the Imperial Concubine. Today, I happen to be here, so I apologize to the Imperial Concubine on her behalf.”
As she spoke, she bent down to offer her greetings.
Song Xibai quickly raised his hand to support her.
"You're being too polite. We're all family, just chatting for a bit, it's nothing."
Consort De grabbed her sleeve with her hand, her face full of gratitude.
"Your Highness is so magnanimous that it makes me... cough cough, it makes me feel ashamed."
After exchanging a few polite words, Consort De left, looking extremely grateful.
Song Xibai watched her retreating figure, lost in thought.
No matter what, she was the late emperor's concubine. Her humility made people think she had suffered some injustice!
Song Xibai turned to Wei Hong and instructed, "Have someone keep an eye on Cining Palace, and also, find out what rumors are circulating in the palace."
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