She lay there as always, and every time Yinzhen got up in the early morning to go to court, he would see this beautiful woman sleeping soundly.
But unlike before, Qian Shengyan's face was pale and her lips were slightly dry, making her look particularly haggard.
Fortunately, he is still breathing.
Yinzhen withdrew his hand from under her nose, his hand trembling slightly as he clenched it into a fist. He sat quietly by the bed, watching her for an unknown amount of time.
Su Peisheng didn't dare invite the Emperor to breakfast; he was practically begging the gods and Buddhas, even willing to give his life, to wake Consort Xi up quickly!
"Yanyan..." Yinzhen called out, his voice hoarse. He hadn't eaten anything all day, only being urged by Hongli to drink a couple of sips of tea.
He grabbed Qian Shengyan's hand and called out again, "Yanyan..."
Please, get well soon...
A short while later, Yinxiang and Yinlu came again to ask for permission to depart for Jingling.
While waiting outside the door, Yinlu said to Yinxiang with great concern, "Thirteenth Brother, you know... after we come back from the ancestral worship, we also need to start preparing for the Winter Solstice, this..."
Yinxiang sighed deeply, understanding Yinlu's meaning.
During the fasting period before the Winter Solstice Heaven Worship Ceremony, the Emperor was not allowed to "inquire about illnesses and offer condolences," but since Consort Xi had done so, how could the Emperor not inquire?
Moreover... to put it bluntly, Consort Xi was stabbed in a vital spot and has been unconscious for a day and a night. It's uncertain whether she will wake up or not; what if something unexpected happens...
Yinxiang couldn't guess what Yinzhen would do, and he was worried that Yinzhen might do something impulsive. At this moment, he also wanted to pray to the gods and Buddhas, begging the Eternal Heaven to make Consort Xi recover quickly!
"Thirteenth Brother, do you think we should start preparing for the investiture of the Imperial Noble Consort...?" Yinlu dared to ask such a question!
Yinxiang glared at him, but then he thought about it again. It wasn't impossible; a serious illness leading to a promotion to bring good luck was a possibility. But bringing it up now felt somewhat ominous...
When they met Yinzhen, the emperor didn't say anything, and neither of them dared to mention the Imperial Noble Consort or not. They only talked about the Winter Solstice worship ceremony.
There were countless matters to attend to, and none of them could be delayed. Yinzhen rubbed his forehead and finally said, "We will depart this afternoon."
"yes!"
“Since the inner palace is uneasy, I will not go there. I will only take Hongli and Hongzhou with me, traveling light and simply,” Yinzhen added.
Yinlu opened his mouth as if to say something, but Yinxiang had already agreed: "Yes."
Before the emperor could finish speaking, they needed to understand why they should travel light and simply: because they needed to go and return quickly.
Yinzhen had already neglected state affairs all day yesterday, and was in no mood to deal with them today. He was to depart for Jingling this afternoon, and with the round trip, preparations, and sacrificial rites, it would take at least five or six days to return…
Five or six days...
"Father, your son..." Hongli hesitated, "Your son is worried about Mother..."
Yinzhen understood his meaning. Hongli wanted to stay and accompany Qian Shengyan, but it would be unfilial not to attend the three-year memorial service for his grandfather.
He patted Hongli on the shoulder without saying anything, and Hongli just lowered his eyes and didn't make any further requests.
Outside the palace, Yinlu was still talking to Yinxiang: "The other concubines are fine, but the Empress... shouldn't she accompany the Emperor?"
Yinxiang glanced at him speechlessly. The Emperor was assassinated, and instead of coming to his aid, the Empress turned and ran away. Would that please the Emperor? She even took him to the sacrificial ceremony... Now that the Emperor says the Empress is ill, then the Empress can only be ill.
For the entire morning, Yinzhen did not eat or drink anything, nor did he read a single memorial. He simply stayed by Qian Shengyan's bedside. It was only after Hongli, along with Fuerguochun and Hongshan, knelt and begged Yinzhen to take care of his health that he finally ate a small bowl of porridge.
They were to depart for Jingling that afternoon. Yinzhen hoped that Qian Shengyan would open her eyes and look at him, but she never did.
Hongli was also very worried, so he gave Ferguchun a few more instructions: "Neither Father nor I are here. Fortunately, the garden is under martial law now, and the Empress cannot come out either. You just need to stay at Jiuzhou Qingyan with Hongshan and take good care of Mother. No one can say anything against that."
"Don't worry, Fourth Brother, I know." Folgochun held Hongshan in his arms. The little girl seemed to have grown up overnight. She calmly sniffed and forced a smile at Hongli. "I will definitely take good care of Mother."
"Take good care of yourself and Hongshan too." Hongli patted the little girl's head, seemingly feeling that she deserved a reward. "When Mother is better, Brother will take you to play." He paused, then added somewhat reluctantly, "Let's invite Zhang Qinglan and the others."
"Brother!" Folgol stamped his foot, "What kind of time is this for you to say this!"
"Alright, that's enough, I'm leaving." Hongli patted Foerguochun's head again and pinched Hongshan's cheek. "Listen to your sister."
"Goodbye, brother." Hongshan waved obediently, and Foerguochun's eyes were also red: "Fourth brother, have a safe journey and take good care of Father Emperor."
"Okay, I'm leaving."
Hongli was genuinely worried. As the eldest son of Consort Xi, he had always helped his mother take care of his younger siblings, but now that his mother was seriously injured and in a coma, he wasn't there...
Unfortunately, despite my great concern, I had to leave.
The emperor's carriages took some people away, but the number of guards protecting the Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall was not reduced. Fortunately, the Yuanmingyuan Garden is still relatively peaceful now.
Folgochun turned around and sat in the seat where her father had just been sitting, raising her hand to grab Qian Shengyan: "Mother..."
Wake up soon!
In the Lotus Pavilion, Empress Ulanara waited for a long time, only to receive news that the Emperor had already departed. She grabbed the young eunuch who had brought the message in disbelief: "Does the Emperor not need me to come? I am the Empress! How can I not be present for the triennial sacrificial ceremony?! How could the Emperor not take the Empress with him?"
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