The Forbidden Garden, with its high palace walls and dimly lit, empty houses, could not be considered desolate. At least the houses for people to live in were relatively tidy, except for the lack of human presence.
It is said that this place was originally a retirement home for elderly palace maids and eunuchs, but later, for some reason, it became a forbidden area for the imprisonment of certain special prisoners.
Nan Yi was sent to a long-abandoned courtyard in the Forbidden Garden.
The yard was overgrown with weeds, but fortunately the house was still in good condition and could be used as shelter. However, she was mentally confused and her mind was sometimes clear and sometimes not.
As soon as it got dark, Nan Yi hid inside the house in fear.
It was called a house, but no one had lived there for a long time. The house was empty and deserted, with no furniture or belongings. It was pitch black all around. Nan Yi was starving, and the fear brought by the darkness made her curl up in a corner, burying her head between her knees and trembling.
When Zheng Yong climbed over the wall and lit the oil lamp, the scene inside the room made his heart ache; in the end, he couldn't save her.
Feeling a tightness in his chest and a dryness in his throat, Zheng Yong sighed inwardly, placed the oil lamp on the ground, and slowly squatted down in front of Nan Yi.
He reached out to brush aside the long hair that was obscuring her face, but just as he touched the messy hair on her shoulder, Nan Yi suddenly looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion. "Who are you?"
Zheng Yong's hand froze, and he withdrew it, taking out something from his pocket. "I'm sorry I'm late. It took me some time to get this antidote."
Nan Yi glanced at the pills in his palm, but instead of taking them, she asked, "Am I injured? Why do I need to take medicine?"
Zheng Yong smiled and took out another paper package and spread it in front of her. When Nan Yi saw the food, her breathing became noticeably rapid, and her lifeless eyes stared blankly at the paper package.
"If you take this medicine, you can have the chicken leg."
Zheng Yong felt a blur before his eyes, and the pill in his palm was already in Nan Yi's mouth. Then, she looked at Zheng Yong expectantly, as if to say, "Look, you've taken the medicine."
"You..." Zheng Yong wanted to scold her, but considering her current state, he swallowed his words and handed the chicken leg from the paper bag to Nan Yi.
Nan grabbed it and ate it, his eating manners were quite rude.
"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Zheng Yong noticed the oil stains on her lips and tried to wipe them away for her, but Nan turned her head away and ate even faster, as if she was afraid that the person in front of her would take it from her.
Zheng Yong shook his head with a chuckle, turned around and spread the bedding and other items he had brought on the ground. He then walked around the yard, his brows furrowed tightly.
It was an autumn night, and the house was dirty, stuffy, and infested with snakes, insects, rats, and annoying mosquitoes. How could she possibly sleep peacefully?
Tonight, Nan Yi can only make do for one night.
He had already learned of Consort Tong's plea for mercy, and tomorrow, Prince Yong would send people to serve him, which would make things much better for Nan Yi.
Zheng Yong sprinkled insect repellent powder in the four corners of the room, then patted the blanket on the floor. "Nan Yi, if you're tired, take a rest. I'll keep watch for you tonight."
"Nan Yi?" There was no sound behind him. He turned his head and saw a girl in the corner holding an unfinished chicken leg, her head resting on her knees, her eyes closed, her brows still furrowed even in her sleep.
The medication took effect.
Zheng Yong quietly moved over, took the chicken leg from her hand, and planned to pick her up and put her on the quilt to rest.
As he approached, a hand suddenly gripped his neck; if he moved even slightly, she could instantly snap his throat.
Zheng Yong merely blinked, his expression unchanged, his eyes fixed on the head buried in his knees.
Nan Yi's quick thinking indicates that the drug in her body has been neutralized and she has regained her senses.
"Nan Yi," Zheng Yong called softly.
Nan Yi slowly raised his head, his pupils gradually focused, and after a moment of blankness, his eyes regained their clarity.
She glanced at the man whose groin she was gripping, and her lips twitched. "Brother Yong?"
“It’s me. Are you all better?” Zheng Yong confirmed.
Nan Yi withdrew her hand, awkwardly rubbing it on her dress. Strange, why would she attack Brother Yong?
Her mind was foggy. She shook her head, propped it up on both sides of her head with her hands, and said through gritted teeth, "Why is my head so heavy? Ouch~ My hands are so sore too."
"Don't rush, take your time. It's normal to feel sore. You don't know, you fought four top experts from the Imperial Palace all by yourself today. If you hadn't been exhausted, the outcome would have been uncertain."
"Me...fighting a master?" Nan Yi rubbed his dull head, his mind filled with disbelief.
As the heaviness in my mind dissipates, memories are like a fog being cleared away, and the events that happened not long ago gradually flood into my mind.
The scene was vividly imprinted in his mind as he rushed through the scene. After a long while, Nan Tan, covered in sweat and looking like a lost soul, sat on the ground and muttered a tearful accusation, "Brother Yong, Liang Fei has ruined me."
How unlucky I am!
She must have lost her mind to give in and drink that medicine.
"I know, I will..." Zheng Yong thought to himself as he helped her return it. Consort Liang? He had always thought he would not get involved in the palace intrigues, but since he met her, he found that he had already fallen into it, willingly and without complaint.
In the Forbidden Garden, trapped in a terrible predicament, Nan Yi never imagined she would end up in such a state. She couldn't believe it, but reality forced her to accept it.
She tried to get up, but her physical weakness told her that the internal energy she had accumulated over two lifetimes was completely gone.
The dantian was now completely empty.
"Sigh, be careful." Zheng Yong helped her up. Although he felt sorry for her and empathized with her, he couldn't help but show his emotions. He comforted her in a slightly hoarse voice, "If you lose your internal strength, you lose it. As long as you have the cultivation method, it's just a matter of time for you."
Nan Yi smiled bitterly, "It's easy for you to say. How long did it take me to achieve even a little success in internal energy cultivation? If I spend another ten or eight years, I'll be much older and will have long lost that perseverance."
Supported by Zheng Yong, Nan Yi walked to the door. In the dim light, the high palace wall, which she used to be able to leap over with a single bound, now looked stinging to her eyes. She opened her mouth with difficulty, "Brother Yong, do I still have a chance to get out?"
"Yes, I will," Zheng Yong said without hesitation.
After Nan asked the question, she heard his answer and suddenly laughed for no apparent reason.
She can certainly go back, if she can hold on.
She hadn't forgotten who Tong Yilan had married, and that he would one day occupy that position, if he still remembered her.
Kangxi, she finally fell into his hands.
Therefore, Sun Wukong could not escape the Buddha's palm.
Nan Yi closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them again. The vulnerability in her eyes had faded, and she turned to Zheng Yong. "Brother Yong, could you please pass on a message to the Prince?"
"you say."
"Please tell him that I am fine. Please take care of the two elder sisters in Tongzhou. As for Yiren and Xiaoshunzi who have been serving me, please ask Your Highness to set them free."
Yiren and Xiaoshunzi had served her for many years and had accumulated a considerable amount of savings. After leaving, they could live a life of leisure and wealth, which was better than continuing to serve as servants. This was the last thing she could do for them as their mistress.
"I'm afraid that won't work." Zheng Yong said with a faint smile, "The Imperial Concubine knelt before the palace and begged the Emperor, who agreed to send two servants in to take care of you."
"Imperial Consort?" Nan's eyes lit up, but not wanting Zheng Yong to see, she turned her head away as if to hide it.
When she was brought over by the guards, she clearly remembered crying out that person's name, but his indifferent gesture of turning his head away left a deep mark on her heart.
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