Now that he was awake, and the imperial physician said there was nothing seriously wrong, Yinreng insisted on returning to Yuqing Palace.
No matter how much Emperor Kangxi tried to persuade him, he remained steadfast in his refusal to spend another night on the imperial bed.
He was unconscious and unaware before, but now that he's awake, he's still occupying the imperial bed and not moving. Isn't this a case of not distinguishing between ruler and subject?
For now, nothing's wrong, but in a few years or a decade or so, once the merit of saving the emperor fades, he might just turn into someone who already has his eyes on the throne.
After Tong Wanyan repeatedly reminded him that none of the crown princes had a good ending, Yinreng became much more cautious than before.
The Empress Dowager, an outsider, saw things more clearly than Emperor Kangxi; she knew that Yinreng's decision was correct.
"Your Majesty, Hongzhao and Tana, those two little ones, haven't seen their father all day yesterday, they must miss him," the Empress Dowager said.
Emperor Kangxi recalled the scene of Hongzhao's eyes welling up with tears because he missed his father, and felt extremely sad.
"I will summon the imperial physician to inquire," Kangxi said hesitantly.
The person who came to deal with Kangxi was still the head of the academy.
The other imperial physicians had no intention of getting involved in the matter, so the head physician had no choice but to come over despite the difficulty.
After the abbot rambled on about pharmacology in a mysterious way, leaving Kangxi dizzy, he confidently said, "If we carry the Crown Prince back in a sedan chair, as long as we walk slowly and steadily, it won't affect his wounds."
Once the envoy spoke, Kangxi had no reason to refuse.
Under Yinreng's earnest gaze, he let him go back.
Yinreng hurriedly boarded the sedan chair and was carried back to Yuqing Palace while lying flat on his back.
Tong Wanyan followed slowly beside him, listening to him say, "I have never walked like this before. Lying flat like this and looking at the Forbidden City has a unique charm."
“Then you can enjoy the scenery, Your Highness. After we return to Yuqing Palace, you’ll have to stay in your room for half a month. You’ll only be able to see the view from a small window from dawn till dusk,” Tong Wanyan said.
The gentle voice carried an eerie undertone.
Yinreng whispered, "Is it too late for me to go to the Qianqing Palace now?"
I have a feeling that I'll be subjected to domestic violence when I get back!
Tong Wanyan was wearing platform shoes, which allowed her to see Yinreng's face.
She smiled gently at him: "Too late."
Yinreng closed his eyes in despair; he no longer wanted to look at the scenery, as the Forbidden City's scenery was not beautiful at all.
Tong Wanyan and Yinreng slowly walked towards Yuqing Palace. The journey, which should have taken half an hour, took them more than an hour to return.
The eunuchs carrying the sedan chair were strong and steady, and there was almost no swaying along the way. Even the occasional small bumps, like a baby cradle, actually rocked Yinreng to sleep.
After watching the eunuch place Yinreng on the bed, Tong Wanyan's smiling face instantly lost its smile.
She couldn't see how badly Yinreng was injured in the Qianqing Palace, but now that she could examine him closely, the more she looked, the more distressed she felt.
In the Qianqing Palace, after Tong Wanyan and Yinreng left, the Empress Dowager stayed behind and asked Kangxi, "Your Majesty, you have given Consort Tong so much praise. When the Crown Princess enters the Eastern Palace in the future, how should she conduct herself?"
Kangxi said, "It depends on whether the Crown Princess can bear the magnanimity of an empress, and whether Bao Cheng's heart will change. When the Empress Dowager married Emperor Taizong, she was only a secondary consort."
"Does the Emperor mean that descendants will have their own blessings?" the Empress Dowager asked.
Kangxi stood with his hands behind his back: "The master said she was a lucky star, and I now somewhat believe it. In any case, she saved Baocheng's life. Moreover, the Empress Dowager said that Your Majesty has excellent judgment. I believe that someone you like cannot be wrong."
When Yinreng returned to Yuqing Palace, it was just getting dark.
Tong Wanyan stayed by his side for two hours while he slept, without eating or drinking a drop of water.
The moon hung high, and its silvery light poured into the room, creating a gentle and tranquil atmosphere.
Tong Wanyan blinked her tired eyes: "Stop pretending to be asleep, aren't you hungry?"
Yinreng, who had just woken up, felt Tong Wanyan beside him and dared not open his eyes.
He slowed his breathing, pretending he hadn't woken up.
"If you don't wake up, my lord, I'm afraid I'll get sick if I don't eat or sleep all night," Tong Wanyan threatened lightly.
The threat was remarkably effective; Yinreng's eyes snapped open, his expression sharp and alert.
"Xiao Yan, I'm sorry," Yinreng said, feigning pitifulness and acting coquettishly.
His voice, usually clear and bright, suddenly became childish and pitiful, especially when he looked sick.
Tong Wanyan glared at him helplessly: "You have done a good job protecting the emperor, and you are a filial son. What's wrong with that?"
Yinreng got excited and said, "I also think I'm not wrong. But if Xiaoyan is unhappy, then I'm wrong. Making Xiaoyan worry is making things worse."
Tong Wanyan pretended to pinch his grinning face, but as soon as her hand got close, she realized that apart from a layer of skin, she couldn't pinch anything else.
In just over a day, a plump person can lose almost all the flesh on their face; one can only imagine how much they must have cried.
No wonder Emperor Kangxi was unwilling to let Yinreng move; he looked too sickly.
"Little Yan wants to pinch my face, I'll let you pinch it." Yinreng closed his eyes, raised one side of his face, and assumed a posture of letting Tong Wanyan's devilish claws ravage him.
He didn't get a hand, but he did get tears.
Tears fell drop by drop onto the back of Yinreng's hand, cold and painful to see.
"Xiao Yan, don't cry, it hurts me. I will protect myself from now on, and I won't shield myself again." Yinreng stopped teasing Tong Wanyan and said seriously, "If I had been calmer back then, I could have used the tray next to me to block it. If I hadn't been hurt, Xiao Yan wouldn't have been afraid, right?"
“I never imagined that you would be assassinated in the inner palace of the capital.” Tong Wanyan’s voice was thick with nasal congestion, and she even forgot her usual honorifics.
She was genuinely terrified.
If Yinreng were to lose his life because of this, what would be the point of her living in this time and space?
It's rare for someone to fall deeply in love with you in two lifetimes, and for them to genuinely care for you. Yinreng holds a place in Tong Wanyan's heart that is so important that she herself is unaware of it.
Once Tong Wanyan started crying, she couldn't stop.
This was the first time Yinreng had seen her cry so much; the fear and anxiety in her eyes made his heart ache.
"Don't cry, it was an accident this time, it won't happen again. I'll protect you for the rest of my life, won't I?" Yinreng coaxed softly.
“It’s not that I’m blaming you, my lord. Anyone would have rushed to save the emperor in that situation. Besides, the emperor is your father, and the bond between father and son is extraordinary. It’s just that the situation when the imperial physician arrived is terrifying to even think about. If it weren’t for you, my lord, I would have gone with him.” Tong Wanyan said, unable to stop crying.
Her light makeup was ruined by tears, and Yinreng's heart felt as if it had been squeezed and squeezed, a sour pain.
"Go together for what? To the Yellow Springs?" Yinreng asked.
Tong Wanyan glared at him with red eyes: "Don't talk nonsense."
"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore. Everything's fine now, isn't it? In half a month, when I've fully recovered, you can bully me as you please," Yinreng promised.
"Then it's settled. Once Your Highness recovers, you'll have to make amends for the fright you caused me. Half a month is just enough time for me to think about what to punish Your Highness for!" Tong Wanyan frowned, deliberately trying to scare Yinreng.
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