Physician Zhang took Cheng Suyun's pulse and found that her injuries appeared to be serious.
These are all superficial injuries; the bruises and swelling are all on the face, which have a significant impact on appearance, but they do not harm the internal organs.
However, Physician Zhang was a shrewd man, and he would never show off his medical skills or pretend to be an expert and say it was a trivial matter.
He kept Empress Ye's instructions in mind and told Empress Dowager Cheng and Cheng Suyun that he must rest quietly and not leave the house before the scabs have formed, otherwise the dust flying outside would easily stick to his skin.
If it grows in there, it might end up with a face full of pockmarks in the future.
“That won’t do. Sister Suyun is going to the sacrificial festival, and it won’t be long,” Yue Jiang whispered worriedly in Empress Ye’s ear.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Suyun was visibly frightened, tears welling up in her eyes. If she hadn't just had her medicine applied, she would have burst into tears.
She glanced sideways at Yue Jiang, who was watching her make a fool of herself, unwilling to lose face.
“It’s alright. I can wear a veil on that day. I can’t bear any great harm. The festival is a big day for us orphans to pray for our deceased relatives. I’ll go even if it’s raining knives down on me.”
"Princess Yuejiang has no relatives who sacrificed for the country, so she naturally does not understand. Suyun can enlighten the princess that day."
“I was looking forward to it,” Yue Jiang said, overwhelmed with emotion. She went straight to Cheng Suyun’s bedside, took her hands and thanked her, “Sister Suyun really keeps her word.”
"What counts?" Cheng Suyun didn't know what Yue Jiang was up to, but she was injured and couldn't compare to Yue Jiang, who was healthy. She couldn't even shake off her hand.
Yue Jiang warmly reminded me: "Last time, I asked you to be among the orphans on the day of the memorial festival and listen to their opinions for me."
"I was overjoyed that you agreed so readily, but seeing how badly Sister Suyun was injured, I didn't want to trouble her any further. I didn't expect you to still be willing to help, so I, Yuejiang, am naturally grateful to you."
"No, I didn't..."
"Your Majesty," Yue Jiang interrupted Cheng Suyun when she saw that Cheng Suyun was about to object, and turned to speak carefully to Empress Ye.
"It was that day at the East Palace. I remember Sister Suyun gave His Highness a lot of beautiful pastries, but unfortunately His Highness didn't come back, and Sister Suyun took the pastries away with her."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Suyun's face immediately flushed red, and her words stammered out.
Yue Jiang was practically using her shameful secrets to provoke her. Empress Ye must also know about what happened in the pastries. She looked to Empress Dowager Cheng for help.
Empress Dowager Cheng's loving demeanor remained unchanged. She did not believe that even if Yue Jiang became the Crown Princess of Jing Kingdom, the position that should belong to Cheng Suyun would be gone.
"No, your aunt has been with the Empress for so long, how can you stand below her?"
Empress Ye calmly emphasized, "Mother has forgotten that a Noble Consort is a Noble Consort. It's nothing that she's been included in the Imperial Genealogy. But Su Yun's behavior is impolite and makes us a laughing stock for the Yue Kingdom's envoys."
"What do you mean?" Empress Dowager Cheng asked in shock, glancing at Empress Ye and deliberately making her point clear beforehand: "Does the Empress mean that Su Yun is not allowed to enter the royal family in the future?"
Empress Ye's gaze remained gentle yet firm. She glanced at the person on the bed and smiled, "Of course. Suyun and Jingyi get along well, and I would love to have a daughter like Suyun."
"If Mother Empress feels the time is right, your daughter-in-law can discuss with His Majesty the matter of Su Yun being admitted as an heir."
This level of attitude was sufficient, and Empress Ye did not intend to stay any longer, giving her instructions before leaving.
"Suyun, get some rest. You need to be energetic that day."
Empress Ye then left with Yue Jiang.
How could Cheng Suyun, lying on the bed, not understand Empress Ye's words? She would neither allow her to ascend the sacrificial altar nor enter the Eastern Palace, but would only accept her as her daughter.
Suddenly, she remembered Jing Yan's words and was heartbroken: "I thought His Highness was lying when he said that only Yue Jiang could accompany him on the day of the sacrifice, but it turns out it was true."
"No, I won't go that day. I won't stand on the platform with the orphans."
"You have to go, whether you want to or not. If you don't go, you'll have no reason to go in the future," Empress Dowager Cheng insisted.
She didn't believe Empress Ye's boastful words and remained nonchalant: "Sacrifices are all for the living to see. Without our Cheng family, if the orphans cause trouble, how can Jing Yan's face be good, or the face of the royal family be good?"
"Is there really still a chance?" Cheng Suyun wasn't sure.
Empress Dowager Cheng: "Jingyan wants to take Yuejiang to pray with the spirits of the deceased alone, but he also needs to see if the orphans present will agree."
"If he offends the orphans first, don't blame them for crying to him from below the stage that day."
“If trouble arises, and he wants the sacrificial ceremony to proceed smoothly, instead of being overturned like Yue Jiang’s charity ceremony, he still has to rely on the Cheng family. I will be there to oversee things for you that day.”
Cheng Suyun felt much better when she thought that Yue Jiang had fought for so long, but only gained the limelight on the day of the almsgiving. She could only see the true power of the Cheng family on the sacrificial festival.
"Thank you, Grandmother. I will definitely do my best that day," she said, determined to outshine Yue Jiang.
***
In addition to offering incense to the deceased during the festival, many food items are placed on the altar. After the sacrificial ceremony, people can take these items home themselves.
Therefore, those who came to participate in the sacrificial ceremony included not only orphans but also ordinary people.
However, because the orphans had an inseparable connection with this sacrificial ceremony, they were entitled to stand at the front, while the common people dared not rush to stand in front.
Li Dagen was beaten last time, and his buttocks were still injured. Several people had to help him stand up from the stage.
“We all suffered last time, but the Cheng family has compensated us. Princess Cheng was seriously injured last time, all for our sake. Princess Cheng must be on stage today,” Li Dagen said with conviction.
The person next to him whispered in agreement: "Definitely, definitely, we can't let the Cheng family down."
"We've all made enemies with the Princess of Yue, only Princess Cheng can guarantee our future treatment."
...
The whispers of the group spread throughout the village of orphans.
Yue Jiang and Jing Yan were riding in a royal carriage on their way to the sacrificial altar. Shops lined both sides of the road, and crowds of people thronged outside the carriage's curtains.
Through the bright yellow gauze curtain, Yue Jiang could vaguely see the people scrutinizing her carriage.
Yue Jiang looked back at Jing Yan, who sat calmly and silently, not uttering a word. Although she had a plan, she was still curious whether Jing Yan was panicking.
"Isn't Your Highness worried at all? Before you left the palace, His Majesty summoned you for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. What did he say?"
Before leaving the palace, Jing Huaixu called Jing Yan to his side to talk, and Yue Jiang happened to be beside Jing Yan at that time.
Although Yue Jiang was not summoned to the palace to speak, she saw Consort Cheng swagger out of the palace while she was waiting.
Consort Cheng looked at Yue Jiang with a sharp glint in her eye, as if she were watching a joke unfold.
Jing Yan calmly turned around and recounted the conversation in the hall: "Father Emperor believes that you and I cannot handle this situation today, and the Cheng family will definitely need to step in to resolve it."
"In return, I will grant Cheng Suyun the position of a concubine in the future."
"Does Your Highness think you can handle this?" Yue Jiang asked, concerned instead of responding to Cheng Suyun's silence on whether or not she was a concubine.
Jing Yan didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "The farmers should have finished spring planting and have a few days of free time now, right?"
Yue Jiang paused, her expression unchanged, and slowly raised her head to look at him.
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