Chapter 358: Leaving Liu Qing in Bixi Palace
Wen Li'er leaned forward immediately, her voice full of concern.
"Hurry up. Wan'an, your injuries haven't fully healed yet, so there's no need for such a grand ceremony."
She signaled the palace maids to come forward and help her.
But Wan'an slightly turned sideways to avoid the palace maid's hand, touched the ground with his forehead again, and choked with sobs:
"I am well and thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. You provided a lavish burial for my tragically deceased family members and arranged for my younger brother to study with my cousin... I could never repay you for this kindness, even if I served you like a slave."
Wen Li'er looked at his humble and grateful appearance, and then at Liu Qing who was shivering beside him like the last dead leaf in the autumn wind, and her heart was filled with sorrow.
The source of all this was the bloody revenge that Nong Zhigao had initiated in order to capture her...
Behind this so-called "favor" are five irretrievable lives of the Liu family and the eternally unhealed trauma of the two siblings in front of him.
"Wan'an..." Her voice was also a little hoarse.
"Stand up and speak. I've said before that all of this is... what I owe to your Liu family."
She signaled to the palace attendant again: "Please take a seat."
The palace servants quickly brought in two thick brocade and embroidered cushions.
Only then, with the help of the palace maids, Wan'an endured the severe pain in his legs, stood up with difficulty, and slowly moved to sit on the embroidered cushion.
Seeing her brother getting up, Liu Qing also wanted to stand up with the help of the palace maid, but it was her first time stepping into the deep palace that symbolized supreme power.
It was the first time I was in such a magnificent and majestic palace;
It was also the first time that he faced a noble person from the royal family at such a close distance.
Fear had already made her exhausted, and her legs were as soft as cotton.
The palace maid who supported her tried hard but was unable to lift her up for a while.
Wen Li'er winked at Qiu Ying.
Qiuying understood and immediately stepped forward, gently holding Liu Qing's arm, and helped her up steadily, placing her on another embroidery cushion.
Liu Qing's head was almost buried in her chest, her hands were tightly twisting the corners of her plain clothes, her knuckles were white, and her breathing was rapid and fragmented.
Wen Li'er slowed down her voice, trying to make her tone sound gentle and harmless, and asked with concern:
"Are you used to living in the Wen Mansion? How are your injuries recovering? Is Liu Can okay?"
Wan An replied respectfully, "Your Majesty. Lord Wen and Madam Wen have treated me and my brother with unwavering kindness. Not only have they invited the best doctors in Kyoto to treat me and Qing'er, but they have also taken meticulous care of our food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Thanks to Your Majesty and the Wen family, my life has been saved. But this left leg..."
He pressed his knees lightly, a look of helplessness passing across his face.
"His muscles and bones were damaged, and I'm afraid he'll be somewhat disabled, making walking a bit difficult, but he can still carry out his daily duties, which is a great blessing. As for my younger brother, Liu Can... thanks to the Empress, he's doing well in the Wen Mansion. Lord Wen personally inquires about his studies, and the young master treats him very kindly. Can is sensible and studies very hard. He says he'll pass the imperial examinations in the future to repay the Empress and the Wen family's kindness."
When talking about his younger brother, Wan'an smiled.
Wen Li'er felt relieved when she heard this, and her gaze turned again to the girl who was almost curled up into a ball.
"Is this Miss Liu Qing?"
Her voice was extremely light and soft, like the brush of a feather.
When Liu Qing heard her name being mentioned, her breathing became more rapid and her shoulders leaned towards her brother.
Wan An looked at her like a frightened bird, his eyes filled with heartache and deep helplessness.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Qing'er... has been extremely frightened since that tragic incident, and her mind is completely broken. She's been terrified all day, afraid to see strangers. At night, she suffers from nightmares, often waking up in tears. She's taken a lot of medicine, but... it's had little effect."
His voice dropped, a little embarrassed.
"This servant...this servant has the audacity to bring Qing'er to the palace to meet the Empress today. I truly have a favor to ask. I beg the Empress to show mercy."
Wen Li'er had already vaguely guessed something in her heart. She looked at Liu Qing's fragile appearance and said softly, "Go ahead."
Wan An took a deep breath, grasped his knees tightly with both hands, and supported himself to get up from his seat and kneel down again.
Hua Zhan took a step forward quickly and placed his palm firmly on his shoulder, stopping him from kneeling.
Wan'an struggled twice but failed to break free, and his face turned red with anxiety.
Wen Li'er spoke softly, "Wan'an, I told you that you have difficulty walking, so you don't need to kneel anymore. If you have any requests, please feel free to ask."
Wan'an then lowered his head and bent his back very low, almost to ninety degrees.
"Your Majesty. I know my status is lowly and my body is disabled. I have no other desires in this life. I only wish to serve Your Majesty as a slave in the Bixi Palace until my death."
"Ran...Ran Qing'er is still young, and her mind is damaged. This servant...this servant really doesn't feel comfortable leaving her alone outside the palace."
"So... today, I, your servant, have the audacity to bring Qing'er here to beg Your Majesty... beg Your Majesty to show mercy. Could you... could you take Qing'er in as a lowly maid in the Bixi Palace?"
"She would sweep the yard and wash the clothes."
"As long as she can stay in the palace and let me... take care of her from time to time, that would be great! Please, Your Majesty, have mercy on her."
After he finished speaking, he lowered his head even lower, as if he wanted to shrink into the dust.
The hall was completely silent, with only the sound of Liu Qing's breathing, which she tried hard to suppress but was still clearly audible.
She seemed too afraid to even take a slightly larger breath, and her face turned red and her body trembled even more violently.
Wen Li'er fully understood Wan'an's concerns.
No matter how nice the Wen Mansion is, it is still a place for guests after all.
For a mentally damaged girl, the fear and loneliness will be magnified infinitely in an unfamiliar environment.
And in this deep palace, under the watchful eyes of her own brother, perhaps... it can bring her a sense of security?
She stood up and, with Qiuying's support, walked towards Liu Qing very slowly.
As she approached, Liu Qing's body tensed to the limit, as if she was about to jump up and run away in the next second, but was nailed to the spot by the huge fear.
"Liu Qing, don't be afraid. Raise your head and let me see you."
Liu Qing used all her strength and raised her head very slowly, her movements were extremely stiff.
It was a face so pale that it was almost transparent, with delicate features. Between the eyebrows and eyes, one could vaguely see some resemblance to Wan'an, which was exactly what a young girl should look like.
However, those almond-shaped eyes, which should have been clear and bright, were now filled with deep fear and helplessness, like a fawn that had been cornered by hunters and had nowhere to escape.
Wen Li'er reached out and gently patted her shoulder.
"Don't be afraid," her voice was soft and gentle with a soothing power.
"This Bixi Palace belongs to me. No one can hurt you here. Your brother is here too."
She withdrew her hand and turned her gaze to Wan'an.
"I... agree. I will allow Liu Qing to stay in Bixi Palace and serve as my second-class maid. Qingzhu will personally guide her and gradually familiarize her with the palace rules and affairs. Qingzhu is careful and steady, and will take good care of her."
Wan'an suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of disbelief.
His lips trembled violently, words of gratitude stuck in his throat, but he couldn't utter a single word.
He struggled hard to break free from Hua Zhan's hand that was subconsciously trying to hold him down again, and almost fell to the ground, his forehead hitting the cold floor tiles heavily and continuously, making a dull "dong dong" sound.
"Your servant...your servant thanks the Empress for her great kindness! Your servant...your servant..."
He burst into tears, but his heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally fell back to earth at this moment.
Seeing her brother kneeling and kowtow in such excitement, Liu Qing didn't dare to sit down anymore. She hurriedly slid down to her knees, resting her forehead on the ground, and leaning against her brother.
Wen Li'er looked at Nanny Qin.
"Mammy, please arrange a quiet place for Miss Liu Qing to live, closer to Wan'an. Her daily expenses should be the same as those of a second-class palace maid, and she should also be provided with some thick, warm clothing and bedding. She's new here and she's been frightened, so please take good care of her."
"Yes, my lady, I understand."
Nanny Qin responded respectfully, and her eyes were full of pity when she looked at Liu Qing.
She stepped forward, her voice as gentle as possible: "Miss Liu Qing, please follow me."
Liu Qing raised her head blankly and looked at her brother.
Wan'an nodded at her vigorously with tears in his eyes, encouragement in his eyes.
Liu Qing then bit her bloodless lower lip, stood up timidly, and followed closely behind Nanny Qin, looking back every few steps.
Wen Li'er looked at Wan'an, who was still struggling to calm down. "You should also go down and have a good rest. Your health is the most important thing. You must recover before returning to duty. I won't need you for a day or two here."
"Your servant...your servant obeys your command! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration!"
Wan'an stood up with difficulty with the help of the palace servants.
He tried to straighten his hunched back so that he could walk more steadily.
But the injured leg still dragged him down, making his back look both humble and stubborn.
Wen Li'er looked at his departing back, feeling mixed emotions.
Outside the window, the late autumn wind swept across the courtyard, picking up a few yellow fallen leaves, which swirled down.
At this moment, Wen Li'er would never have thought that her soft-heartedness today would cause her so much trouble in the future.
A humble and timid girl today can become arrogant and domineering tomorrow.
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