"You said that eagles are brave and free and cannot be restrained. Only on the grassland can they be warriors and kings. If they are trapped in a cage and their nature is worn away, they will no longer be eagles."
"I know that Zhaoyang is different from other princes and princesses. She is a blessing from heaven and the Qilin child of Daxia. She should not be buried in these palace walls."
Helian Su remained expressionless, staring at Helian Yu's peaceful sleeping face: "You blame me for forcing you to enter the palace, and now you can only be trapped in the palace?"
The Imperial Concubine lowered her eyes: "I dare not."
"Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Jiang has arrived."
"Come in and check Zhaoyang's pulse again."
Doctor Jiang entered the hall, knelt down in front of the bed, took a silk handkerchief as thin as a cicada's wing and placed it on Helian Yu's wrist. He gently placed one hand on her pulse, lowered his eyes, and looked solemn.
The moment of taking a pulse seems to freeze time, it is so slow and focused that one can only hear the steady breathing.
The people serving in the palace dared not breathe, for fear that Doctor Jiang would tell bad news, even if it was a speck of dust.
Doctor Jiang took his hand back and said, "Your Majesty, His Highness' pulse is stable and there is nothing serious. He will be awake tomorrow."
"Back off."
After Doctor Jiang left, the Imperial Concubine stood up and knelt on the ground.
"Your Majesty, since Zhaoyang is fine, please go back and rest. I will stay at Fengyang Pavilion until Zhaoyang wakes up."
Helian Su couldn't stay any longer, so he returned to the Yangxin Palace.
The Imperial Concubine stayed in Fengyang Pavilion all night until Helian Yu woke up.
The next morning.
The Imperial Concubine sat sideways in the chair, dozing off with her arms on the table. Dai Yan yawned once or twice from time to time and tried hard to keep his eyelids open. Ci Dong dozed off beside the couch.
Helian Yu woke up in a daze and kicked the quilt unconsciously. Ci Dong immediately woke up, pounded his numb legs, and crawled on his knees to the bed next to Helian Yu's pillow.
Helian Yu stretched lazily, and a comfortable moan came from her throat. Her fingers touched something warm and soft, which startled her and she suddenly shrank back and turned her head to look.
"Ci Dong? Why did you come in so early?" Helian Yu propped herself up on the bed, and the figures of the Imperial Concubine and Dai Yan came into her sight. She was puzzled, "Why is the Imperial Concubine in my palace?"
"Your Highness, you were assassinated yesterday and are in a coma. The Imperial Concubine has been taking care of you in the palace."
“I see…”
As the two were talking, the Imperial Concubine woke up and Dai Yan helped her sit down beside Helian Yu's bed.
"Is Zhaoyang feeling unwell?"
"No, I'm just a little hungry." Helian Yu smiled, "Madam, come up and take a nap?"
"No, I hope you wake up." The Royal Concubine's eyes were tired, but she still had a smile on her face. "Don't leave the palace today. Go see your father during lunch. He almost refused to leave last night."
"You are not allowed to leave the palace today, but you can have fun. You can go for a stroll in the Imperial Garden and the Rare Bird Garden. If you don't want to leave Fengyang Pavilion, you can call a dozen musicians and dancers, or call a troupe of actors, set up a stage, and sing all day long."
Helian Yu watched the imperial concubine leave, then skipped to Xingchun's room in his slippers.
Xingchun was a personal maid and a first-class palace maid. Although the room she lived in was not the best, it was much better than the large bunk beds of ordinary palace maids. At least she had a bedroom and an outer hall, which were clean and tidy.
Helian Yu quietly pushed the door open and looked inside.
Ci Dong whispered: "Your Highness, Sister Xingchun may not be awake yet, why not..."
"Your Highness?"
A hoarse voice interrupted Ci Dong.
Helian Yu pushed open the door upon hearing the sound and ran inside, with Ci Dong following closely behind.
She struggled to get up and salute, half of her body hanging outside the bed. The injury on her ankle made her unable to get down from the bed, and she was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes.
"Don't move!"
"You are injured!"
Helian Yu rushed over and pushed Xingchun's half body onto the bed.
"There's no need to salute now."
Xingchun lowered his eyebrows: "Thank you, Your Highness."
"Yeah, yeah, lie down quickly!" Helian Yu held Xingchun down, secretly sighing that she still had the strength even though she was injured.
Xingchun's tears slid down her face. She struggled to take out two silver notes from under the pillow and handed them to Helian Yu: "Your Highness, this is a silver note of 1,000 taels given to me by Lord Chang Zuo, and a silver note of 10,000 taels given by Lord Guoshi."
"Xingchun failed to help Your Highness, but caused Your Highness to be in danger. Xingchun is guilty and unworthy of this."
"Just take it if I give it to you." Helian Yu pushed the banknote to Xingchun, and with difficulty moved his eyes away, glancing at the vase beside the bed. "Don't worry about whether you feel guilty or not. The silver in your hand is yours. They are not short of money. You were seriously injured because Huayang wanted to kill me."
Xingchun was still in tears, choking with sobs: "I am willing."
"Since you are willing, it is only natural that I will collect the money." Helian Yu patted Xingchun's shoulder and squinted his eyes. "Take good care of your injuries during this period of time."
Xingchun smiled with tears in her eyes: "Okay."
"Cidong, you take care of Xingchun these days. Yingyue and Caiyun will take over for you first."
After giving the instructions, Helian Yu went straight to the small kitchen and urged the pastry chef to make some new creations.
Awakening Spring Room.
Ci Dong sat by the bed, holding the medicine bowl to feed Xing Chun, and teased: "I didn't expect that I would have the day to serve Miss Xing Chun."
Xingchun smiled and scolded her, raised her eyelids slightly and said goodbye to Dong, "Why, do you feel wronged by serving me?"
"How can that be possible! Come, girl, drink the medicine."
Xingchun sighed slightly, full of self-blame: "Yesterday on the Flower Festival, Your Highness should have been happy, but he was assassinated and nearly injured."
"Sister Xingchun, His Highness is fine. You should finish the medicine first and don't let His Highness worry about you." Cidong coaxed Xingchun, and made her drink the medicine, and then fed her a piece of winter melon candy, "Is it sweet?"
Xingchun's nose felt sour: "Of course it's sweet. How can it not be sweet if it's what Your Highness likes to eat?"
Ci Dong took out a white porcelain jar from his waist pouch and showed it to Xing Chun: "Come, Sister Xing Chun, guess what this is."
"Perfume? Rouge?"
Ci Dong laughed at her: "Sister Xingchun has really reached the age of 16 and is eager to be beautiful. However, I only guessed half right."
Ci Dong opened the small porcelain jar, scooped out a fingernail, and applied it on Xingchun's face. "This is the rejuvenation ointment given by His Highness. It's a good thing to protect our sister Xingchun's beauty!"
Xingchun blinked her eyelashes and pursed her lips without saying anything: "Cidong, I want to learn martial arts, do you think it's too late?"
Ci Dong's fingertips trembled slightly, "Good sister, we are palace maids, and it is our duty to serve His Highness. How can we have time to learn martial arts?"
"What if this happens again next time?" Xingchun's eyes were full of paranoia and his tone was full of stubbornness. "Even if I only kill one or two thieves, I will be worthy of His Highness."
Ci Dong remained silent. He applied the ointment on Xingchun's face, helped her lie down, and could not bear to hit her: "Our duty is to serve His Highness. The guards and Chang Zuo are responsible for protecting His Highness. Sister Xingchun, don't put the cart before the horse. If you want to protect His Highness, find what you are good at. As for martial arts, it's really too late."
(End of this chapter)