Traveling day and night, Nan Yi was brought to the palace by Zheng Yong, but he was already unconscious. His injuries had not yet healed, and he fell into a coma again due to exhaustion from the journey.
In Jingren Palace, Consort Tong personally took care of her, and the head of the Imperial Medical Academy was ordered to rush back to the capital from the Summer Palace ahead of schedule to treat her, and finally managed to wake her up.
After Nan Yi's arrival, Consort Tong hadn't slept well for several nights. Only after her injuries stabilized did she go to catch up on sleep, and she also sent her personal maid to serve Nan Yi.
Early in the morning, Lijuan, the head maid of Jingren Palace, led the younger maids into the West Warm Pavilion.
Nan Yi had worked up a sweat last night, so Li Juan asked someone to bring warm water to wash her body and change her into clean nightgown. She personally combed Nan Yi's hair into a simple and neat style and placed a soft pillow behind her so she could lean against it.
"Thank you!" Nan Yi said sincerely. Compared to Qingyun and the others in the mansion, the maids in the palace served her with great care and attention. They washed and combed her hair gently, without making her feel embarrassed.
Lijuan smiled upon hearing this, "You're too kind, young master. It's just my duty."
She took a bowl of congee from the maid and fed it to Nan Yi, then casually explained, "When you had someone from His Majesty's side bring you back in the middle of the night, it really scared Her Majesty. She was relieved when she finally woke up. Her Majesty said that you should stay here and rest until you are well enough to come and see you again."
Nan Yi didn't want to be fed, so she took the bowl from Li Juan's hands, tilted her head, pursed her lips, and smiled shyly, "I'm sorry to have troubled Your Majesty. Nan... Yi Lan will definitely take good care of Your Majesty in the future."
"Pfft~" Lijuan covered her mouth and burst out laughing, thinking to herself that this concubine was really interesting. Instead of expressing gratitude, she only talked about being filial to the Empress. After all, she was a girl from the Tong family, straightforward, honest and kind, and her heart was with the Empress.
Her master's usual care for her was not in vain.
But her temperament... Lijuan waved to the maids beside her, ordering them to leave.
"Your Highness, you should only say these words in Jingren Palace, and absolutely not say them elsewhere, lest you cause trouble. Just keep them in mind, Your Highness," Lijuan instructed.
Since Consort Tong had already married into the Fourth Prince's household, she should be filial to her mother-in-law. Who was her mother-in-law? She was Consort De of Yonghe Palace, one of the four imperial concubines in the palace, and she was known for her calculating nature.
Nan finished the porridge in his bowl, took the handkerchief from Lijuan's hand to wipe his mouth, and then said, "I know your good intentions, but I know in my heart who is good to me."
"Lijuan, please pass on a message to Her Majesty, to reassure her that my injury will not implicate her. I cannot go into the details, but I can only say that it concerns matters of the court and has nothing to do with the palace."
Lijuan covered her mouth and smiled, "Your Majesty is not worried at all. Concubine is overthinking it. The fact that His Majesty personally ordered someone to send you to Your Majesty's care, rather than to Consort De's palace, is enough to show that His Majesty trusts Your Majesty and also shows that His Majesty values Concubine."
Is that so? Aren't you worried? She didn't want to delve into the intricacies of the matter, just as she didn't want to understand how proud Lijuan was of having the Emperor entrust Consort Tong with taking care of her.
She stayed by Consort Tong's side for several days without changing her clothes. She saw how well Consort Tong treated her and remembered it in her heart. Compared to the one in Yonghe Palace, it was worlds apart.
"Lijuan, I want roasted lamb for lunch, and also a braised pork trotter and a sour fish soup." Nan Yi smacked her lips and complained, "I haven't been able to eat my fill these past few days. I've been eating soup and broth four times a day, and my intestines are getting thinner."
Lijuan twitched her lips upon hearing this, and tidied up the porridge bowl. "The imperial physician said that you must abstain from meat and fish, and avoid spicy and pungent foods for half a month. Your diet must be light. This servant would not dare to change your diet without authorization."
"So, I have to be vegetarian for half a month. Half a month without meat, wouldn't that kill me?" Nan Yi rubbed his stomach and smiled ingratiatingly at Li Juan. "Good girl, please be lenient with me. Just give me a small dish of each portion."
Lijuan shook her head firmly.
Nan Yi was disappointed, thinking to himself that his own girl was the best. If it were Qingyun or the others, they would have been conquered by him long ago.
"If you don't have braised pork, I'll have some meat soup, or at least let me smell the aroma," Nan Yi said, pouting.
Lijuan was speechless. How could she be so greedy for meat? Just smelling the aroma of meat, how could she even think of that? She still shook her head and refused.
Nan Yi, disregarding his pride, continued to beg for meat. "Lijuan, don't always listen to the imperial physician. Look at me, I've become so thin from hunger that I can't even eat properly. How can I possibly recover? I heard that His Majesty will be returning to the capital in five days. What if His Majesty wants to see me and I'm still lying in bed unable to get up? If His Majesty asks why my injury hasn't healed yet, I can't very well say that I'm hungry."
Lijuan, "..."
Finally, after being pestered by Nan Yi, Lijuan had the imperial kitchen make her a bowl of meat soup. The imperial chef dared not add too much seasoning, so he just sprinkled some salt into the soup.
Nan Yi held the meat soup in her hands, and a fishy smell rushed into her nose. She almost vomited, so she didn't get to eat the meat soup.
After that, she never asked for meat again.
Lijuan was overjoyed and went to report to Consort Tong. Consort Tong tapped Lijuan's forehead with her fingertip and said with a smile, "You little rascal, you're even playing tricks on your mistress! She really wants to eat, so have the imperial kitchen make some for her. A little meat won't hurt."
"No, Your Highness. The wound on Consort Tong's waist is too large. If her diet is not proper, I am worried that it will leave a scar. Consort Tong has fair skin and a beautiful face. I am afraid that leaving a mark will not be beautiful."
Lijuan was serious; she took everything the imperial physician said to heart. If it didn't work, it didn't work, but it was for the good of her master. It was only half a month; she could just bear with it.
Consort Tong chuckled, "Alright, Your Majesty, I can't argue with you. You can make the arrangements. Yilan is a very lucky girl. She has caught His Majesty's eye, and her life in the Fourth Prince's residence won't be bad."
"Your Majesty, what do you mean?" Lijuan was completely confused; the Empress's words seemed nonsensical.
Consort Tong strolled to the palace entrance, glanced at the sky, and said thoughtfully, "Don't you think she looks a lot like someone?"
Lijuan was taken aback. She recalled the appearance of Consort Tong and compared it with the important figures in her memory. Then she shook her head decisively, "Your Majesty, this servant can't think of anyone who Consort Tong resembles."
Consort Tong withdrew her gaze and let out a long sigh. "Indeed, I forgot that you entered the palace late and have never met her."
Perhaps some have forgotten that another ill-fated woman once appeared in this palace, the emperor's second empress.
The emperor treated her no worse than his first wife, but in the end, she was not blessed with good fortune.
Yilan was a girl from a collateral branch of the Tong family who was selected to enter the palace. In fact, she was related to the late Empress Niohuru by blood.
Niohuru's cousin married the youngest brother of Yilan's grandfather. Because of this relationship, she was qualified to marry the Fourth Prince and become a concubine.
When she first met Yilan during the talent show, she was quite surprised. Yilan resembled Yilan in appearance and temperament, but Yilan was too gentle and lacked the forthright and magnanimous spirit of the late empress.
The man in Yonghe Palace, following his own nature, tormented his wife over some personal grudges, and unfortunately the Emperor happened to see it. Because of his affection for his wife, how could His Majesty be happy to see this?
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