Attacked in the Cold Palace
Consort Rong's words were still ringing in my ears when a soft rustling sound came from outside the courtyard, like something stepping on fallen leaves. My heart tightened, and my agent's instincts made me immediately stand up and shield Consort Rong behind me: "Don't make a sound, there might be a problem."
Under the moonlight, several dark figures scaled the courtyard wall, wielding short knives. They were the "desperate criminals" mentioned when Consort Shu was taken away—they were still determined to seek revenge. "Sister A-Zhao!" Ya-Huan's voice came from inside the house. Startled awake by the noise, she peeked out but was pulled back by Consort Su, who covered her mouth and gestured for her to be quiet.
The leading figure charged straight at me, a short knife gleaming coldly in the moonlight. I dodged to the side, but didn't notice another attacker behind me—just as the knife was about to pierce me, the Empress Dowager suddenly rushed over, blocking the blade with her cane, which instantly cleaved in two. "Ah Zhao, run!" The Empress Dowager's voice was urgent, yet still resolute.
Consort Rong reacted quickly, grabbing an embroidery hoop and throwing it at the shadowy figure. Although it didn't cause any harm, it bought me time. I seized the opportunity to snatch the leader's dagger and subdue him, but in the process, another person's knife slashed my arm, and blood instantly seeped out. "Ah Zhao!" Consort Su shouted, rushing out of the house with freshly brewed herbs in her hand, and splashed them directly at the shadowy figure— The scalding herbs made the shadowy figure scream in pain, slowing his movements by a fraction of a second.
Just then, the sound of imperial guards' footsteps came from outside the courtyard. They were men sent by the Empress to reinforce the defenses—she had indeed considered everything carefully, knowing that the remnants of Consort Shu's faction might come to retaliate. Seeing this, the shadowy figure quickly scaled the wall and fled, leaving only a few drops of blood on the ground.
"Ah Zhao, how are you?" Consort Rong rushed over, tears instantly streaming down her face as she looked at the wound on my arm. "It's all my fault, I didn't remind you earlier..." Consort Xian also came over, her face pale but still concerned: "Let Consort Su treat your wound, make sure it doesn't get infected." Ya Huan also ran over, holding a clean strip of cloth in her hand, and whispered: "Sister Ah Zhao, let me bandage this for you. I used to bandage Grandma's wounds, I'm very good at it."
Su Fei pulled me into the house and carefully cleaned my wound, her movements as gentle as if she were handling a fragile treasure: "Bear with it, the herbal medicine might sting a bit." As she bandaged me, she blamed herself: "It's all my fault, I didn't find them sooner, and you got hurt." Looking at the worry in her eyes, I felt a surge of warmth in my heart, but also a bitter taste—in reality, injuries are common, teammates will bandage each other, but in the end, very few survive.
After my wound was treated, Consort Rong stayed by my side, bringing me water and wiping my sweat, afraid that I might be uncomfortable. Consort Xian sat to the side, asking Ya Huan to brew some brown sugar ginger tea, saying it would ward off the cold. Consort Li was also awakened. She took her pipa and sat by the bed, gently playing it. The soothing melody was like a warm current flowing through my tense nerves.
Lying in bed at night, the wound on my arm still throbbed faintly, but my heart was filled with warmth. Consort Rong, worried I might be uncomfortable that night, specially moved a small stool to sit beside the bed, holding my hand: "If you can't sleep because of the pain, talk to me. I'll tell you stories from my childhood." Her hand was warm, and holding it reminded me of the training field when my teammates held my hand and said, "Don't be afraid, you'll get better"—but that time, my teammates never came back. Consort Rong, however, was right beside me now, so real that I couldn't bear to let go.
In a daze, I seemed to return to the scene of our final mission. Amidst the ruins, my teammates' blood stained my sleeves, and the beeping of the heart monitor filled my ears. Suddenly, the scene changed. The ruins transformed into a small hut in the Cold Palace, and the bright smiles of my childhood friends gradually blurred, eventually becoming the pale face of Consort Rong. She held my hand and whispered, "Ah Zhao, don't be afraid, I'm here."
I opened my eyes abruptly and saw Consort Rong still sitting by the bed, her eyes full of concern: "Did you have a nightmare? You kept shouting 'Don't come any closer'." I nodded, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead, my resolve to not wake up strengthened—here, someone would be anxious when I was hurt, would stay by my side when I had nightmares, and would stand up for me when I was in danger, while in reality, there was only endless pain and loneliness.
The next morning, the Empress came to see me, carrying the best wound medicine. She said, "It's just a minor injury, why make such a fuss?" But her eyes held worry: "If you encounter something like this again, remember to protect yourself first, don't fight it head-on." She put down the medicine and handed me a brocade box: "Inside are tonics bestowed by the Emperor, good for your wound." After saying that, she turned to leave, but paused at the door and whispered, "Take good care of yourself, don't let them worry."
Consort Rong opened the brocade box for me; inside were various precious tonics. Ya Huan leaned over to look and said with a smile, "Your Majesty the Empress may be sharp-tongued, but you still care about Sister A Zhao!" Consort Su also smiled and said, "Once you've recovered, let's hold another banquet to celebrate your safety." Consort Xian, sitting to the side, nodded, "Alright, then we'll make your favorite osmanthus cake together."
Looking at their smiles, my heart was filled with happiness. Although the wound on my arm was bandaged, I felt no pain; this unusual calmness made me feel even more at ease—I truly felt their care, truly possessed this warmth. The "beep beep" sound in my ears was still there, but now it was no longer a symbol of a nightmare, but a reminder to cherish the beauty before me.
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