Chapter 89 A Zhao, what's wrong with you?
Yun Zhao took a deep breath and suppressed the complaint of "being too bold" in his heart.
She told herself that she must be patient. Why bother with a blind and restless patient?
She picked up a soft, dry towel and walked behind him. Gently, she wrapped it around his damp, black hair, pressing it gently and sucking the moisture from it. Her voice was steady, as if she were stating the most ordinary fact. "Your Majesty, even if the Shanggong Bureau had the utmost courage, it would never dare to shortchange the Purple Palace in the slightest. The silver bone charcoal has been distributed in full. Perhaps it's because Your Majesty bathed for so long, the steam has settled, and the palace is so empty, that the charcoal has cooled a little. I'll have another basin brought up shortly."
Her fingertips, through the soft cloth, inadvertently touched his scalp and the skin on the side of his neck. The contrast between the warm fingertips and the cool, wet hair formed a sharp contrast, bringing an indescribable shudder.
Xiao Jin seemed to be somewhat comforted by this meticulous and attentive service, but he remained unforgiving, snorting through his nose: "Sweet words... move faster, I'm sleepy."
The hall was silent for a moment, with only the subtle sound of a soft towel rubbing against hair and the occasional crackling sound from the charcoal basin.
The misty water vapor mixed with the faint fragrance of soapberries filled the air, miraculously dispelling the tension that had been felt when reviewing memorials, and giving rise to a sense of ordinary home-like tranquility and... an indescribable ambiguous warmth.
After drying the hair, Yun Zhao served the soothing tea at the right temperature.
Jin only took two or three sips from her hand, then frowned and pushed it away.
Yun Zhao helped him lie down, tucked in the quilt for him, and said softly, "Your Majesty, Su Die and the others will be on duty tonight. I... need to go back to my bedroom."
She had a dull pain in her abdomen and her period had come suddenly, so she needed to go back and deal with it as soon as possible.
In addition, my old ankle injury had not healed yet, and I was busy all day and didn't even have time to change the ointment.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jin's face darkened. "I just told you to sleep with me. Did you not hear me, or did you deliberately forget?"
Yun Zhao was helpless and could only whisper, "Your Majesty, I have reasons to go back."
Xiao Jin felt inexplicably irritated, and his tone suddenly turned cold: "Then go back! You don't have to serve me tomorrow!"
"Yes, I'll take my leave." Yun Zhao responded straightforwardly. After bowing, he quickly retreated, and his steps even had a barely noticeable haste.
Su Die quietly stepped forward to serve, but Xiao Jin angrily shouted, "Get out!"
Su Die was so frightened that she knelt down and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, please calm down! Concubine Yun and Concubine Zhao have repeatedly instructed this servant to take good care of Your Majesty... And, Concubine Yun didn't leave for no reason. She... she really has something to hide."
Xiao Jin paused: "What's the reason?"
Su Die's voice became increasingly soft, almost as thin as a mosquito's: "When the palace lady left, her skirt... seemed to be wet. I'm afraid it was... her period..."
Xiao Jin was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized something - no wonder she looked tired today, and her mood seemed a little low, plus her foot injury had not healed yet... He had not noticed it at all, and was still blaming her.
His heart softened inexplicably, and the nameless anger dissipated instantly, leaving only a trace of indescribable depression. He waved his hand and said in a softer tone: "Forget it, get up and serve. Where is Zhang Fuan?"
Zhang Fuan, who had been waiting outside the hall, immediately bowed and went inside: "Your servant is here."
"Pass on my oral instructions and order Wu Lingyu from the Imperial Food Bureau to go to Yun Zhao's bedroom immediately and serve her well. There must be no mistakes!"
"Yes! I will go and convey the order right away!" Zhang Fuan accepted the order and hurriedly retreated.
…
Although Wu Lingyu was surprised when she received the oral order, she immediately rushed to Yun Zhao's residence.
Yun Zhao had hurriedly changed her dirty clothes and dealt with her menstrual period. The soiled skirt was temporarily soaked in a basin of water in the corner.
Her face was a little pale, and she was bending over with difficulty, applying ointment to her swollen and painful ankle.
Wu Lingyu walked over quickly, her voice gentle but unyielding: "Shang Gong, please let me come."
Yun Zhao looked up when he heard the voice, very surprised: "Wu Sishan? No need to bother, I can do it myself..."
Wu Lingyu was straightforward and said, "Your Majesty has specifically ordered me to come and serve the Imperial Concubine."
Yun Zhao heard this, and a complex emotion flashed through his heart. He stopped refusing and said softly, "...Then I'll have to trouble Sister Wu."
Wu Lingyu's technique was skillful and gentle. She cleaned the wound, applied medicine, and bandaged it. After the treatment was complete, she carefully spread the ointment and blew gently to relieve the discomfort: "The swelling on your ankle hasn't subsided yet, you should rest well."
Yun Zhao already considered Wu Lingyu a trusted confidant, and his words carried a rare hint of fatigue and truth: "I've just taken over the position of Shang Gong, and there are so many things to do, it's really hard to find time. I'm relieved to have Sister Wu in charge of the Shang Food Bureau. But the other four bureaus... especially the Shang Yi Bureau and Shang Bei Bureau, are so complex and intertwined that they're the biggest headache."
As Wu Lingyu packed up the medicine bottles, she said, "Since entering the palace, Shang Gong has been overcoming difficulties along the way. Everyone has seen that you are decisive and swift, but it's rare to see you face such a difficult situation."
Yun Zhao couldn't help but sigh softly and rubbed his forehead. "Sister Wu, please stop teasing me. Three thousand palace servants, so many affairs, how can one person handle it all? I'm just trying my best to hold on."
Wu Lingyu consoled her, "Gong Gong, please rest and relax. Overthinking is exhausting. Get some good sleep. Perhaps you'll have a solution tomorrow when you wake up."
Yun Zhao originally wanted to drink a cup of hot tea to calm his mind, but Wu Lingyu considerately handed him a cup of warm water: "It's late at night, it's better to drink some warm water to prevent the tea from affecting your sleep."
Yun Zhao took the drink, feeling a slight warmth in his heart. "Thank you, Sister Wu. I'll have to trouble you with His Majesty's breakfast tomorrow."
Wu Lingyu smiled and tucked the quilt in for her. "Don't worry, Lady Shang, I will make all the necessary arrangements. Please rest well, I will take my leave."
…
It is late at night and everything is silent.
Yun Zhao fell into a bizarre nightmare.
The tragic death in her previous life, the humiliation in the Imperial Music Bureau, the cold despair... all these fragmented and terrifying scenes were intertwined together, strangling her breath.
"No... don't... let me go..." She muttered helplessly in her dream, her body trembling slightly, and fine cold sweat oozing from her forehead. She was unaware that she had a low fever.
Suddenly, she screamed, broke free from the nightmare, and sat up abruptly, her heart pounding. She subconsciously hugged her knees tightly, buried her face in them, and trembled uncontrollably, as if she was still in the bone-chilling ending of her previous life.
Just as she was still in shock and breathing rapidly, a deep and familiar male voice, with a hint of subtle concern, suddenly sounded in the quiet bedroom:
"A Zhao, what's wrong with you?"
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