Chapter 65 Your Highness is refused again. If you wish to remarry, this humble subject will fight for you…
Just then, a low cough came from the bed. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chu Yueyuan jumped off the man's arms, quickly tidied her clothes and hair, and lifted the gauze curtain to go inside.
"Princess, are you awake? Do you still feel unwell anywhere?"
Xie Nianzhi had already sat up. Perhaps because of the dim candlelight in the hall, Chu Yueyuan felt that her complexion seemed even worse than before, her pale face devoid of any color.
Even so, she was still beautiful, a haggard and frail sickly beauty.
"Ahem... Your Highness, I thank you for your concern."
Xie Nianzhi's eyes flickered slightly when he saw the man behind the young empress dowager: "Cousin Weijin, what brings you here?"
Pei Muwei stepped forward, her usually cold voice softening slightly: "The Empress Dowager sent someone to tell me you fainted. How are you feeling now?"
Xie Nianzhi shook her head slightly, forcing a smile: "I'm fine, but my cousin is very busy with official duties. Don't let me delay him... cough cough..."
Pei Muwei handed over a cup of tea: "I heard from the Empress Dowager that you were wronged at the flower arrangement banquet today. It was my fault for not arranging things properly; I thought that having the Wu family intervene would be enough to protect you..."
He paused, then said, "You should recuperate at the Prince's residence first. Wait until Xie Yu finishes his imperial examinations before you start moving around."
Xie Nianzhi held the teacup in both hands, gazing intently at the man, her eyes involuntarily reddening. She said softly, "So it was my cousin who invited Madam Wu... cough cough, it's my fault for being so useless, wasting your kindness... cough cough..."
Pei Muwei comforted him, saying, "You're still sick, so don't worry too much."
Seeing the affectionate pair of cousins, Chu Yueyuan wisely went around to the screen depicting mountains and water and asked someone to inform Jin Tong, who was brewing medicine in the side hall.
A short while later, Jin Tong carried the heated medicine into the bedchamber: "Your Majesty, the princess's medicine is ready."
Chu Yueyuan glanced at the medicine bowl on the tray and asked, "Why wasn't any candied fruit prepared?"
Jin Tong replied, "Imperial Physician Huang said that this medicine contains cardamom and orange peel, and it cannot be eaten with warm-natured candied fruit, otherwise it will reduce the efficacy of the medicine. I have prepared a cup of flower tea for the princess. If the princess finds it bitter, she can drink the flower tea to suppress the bitterness."
Chu Yueyuan nodded: "Alright, then go and help the princess take her medicine."
"This servant obeys."
Jin Tong walked to the bedside and squatted down. She picked up the celadon medicine bowl, scooped up a spoonful of medicine, and brought it to Xie Nianzhi.
Xie Nianzhi leaned against the gold-threaded soft pillow, lowered her head, and her lips just touched the porcelain spoon before she recoiled as if burned by fire. Her brows furrowed suddenly, and a thin layer of water rose in her eyes.
Jin Tong hurriedly moved the porcelain spoon away, causing the medicine bowl in her hand to tilt, and the dark brown medicine immediately splashed out, splattering onto Xie Nianzhi.
"hiss..."
She took a soft breath, immediately covered her forearm, and bit her lower lip tightly, as if trying her best to suppress the pain, tears welling up in her eyes.
Jin Tong looked terrified. She quickly put down the medicine, knelt down, and kowtowed, saying, "This servant didn't mean to..."
Pei Muwei strode forward and grabbed Xie Nianzhi's hand. When he saw the red mark on her forearm, his face darkened and his gaze swept coldly over Jin Tong, who was kneeling on the ground.
"Is this how you usually serve the Empress Dowager—negligently and carelessly?"
Jin Tong trembled, too frightened to know how to answer.
Xie Nianzhi gently tugged at the man's python-patterned sleeve, her voice weak: "I accidentally knocked over the medicine bowl, cousin, please don't blame His Highness's people..."
Hearing the commotion inside, Chu Yueyuan stepped gracefully in from behind the landscape screen.
She smiled slightly and said, "This medicine is so bitter and astringent, how can anyone bear to drink it directly? Jintong, why don't you go and ask Physician Huang again to see if it can be taken with honey water?"
Jin Tong understood that Chu Yueyuan was trying to help her out of a difficult situation. She raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye and quickly bowed and retreated.
The palace maid who served the medicine has left, so who will take over?
Xie Nianzhi's cheeks were flushed, and she gazed at the man in front of her, a glint of light in her eyes.
At the same time, a pair of fair, smooth hands picked up a celadon medicine bowl that was emitting wisps of steam.
Chu Yueyuan smiled and looked at the sick Xi Shi on the bed, and said gently, "Medicine is only effective when it is drunk while it is hot. I will feed the princess the medicine."
"Doesn't Your Highness hate the smell of Chinese medicine the most?"
Pei Muwei calmly took the medicine bowl from Chu Yueyuan's hand. He stared at her, his dark eyes calm and deep, as if he could see through her little thoughts.
He said in a nonchalant tone, "Just send a more attentive servant instead."
Xie Nianzhi released her grip on the man's sleeve. Her eyelashes lowered, and a gentle smile touched her lips: "Cousin is right. I am ill, how can I trouble Your Highness to personally feed me medicine? Someone else will suffice..."
Chu Yueyuan selected a steady and reliable nanny to serve Xie Nianzhi with the medicine.
The waterline markings in the water clock point to the hour of Hai (9-11 PM).
It was late at night, and Changxin Palace had been uninhabited for a long time. Many doors and windows were still broken and unrepaired, making it unsuitable for living.
She walked out of the palace gate, summoned Jin Tong, and planned to change the sleeping quarters for Princess Nianyi.
Jin Tong's eyes were still red, and when she heard Chu Yueyuan ask her to clean up the side hall next to Fengqi Palace, her eyes widened.
"His Highness wishes to keep her in the palace..."
"Otherwise what? The princess is still ill; how can we send her out of the palace in the middle of the night?"
"We could just have the Imperial Stud send them out in any carriage..."
“Nonsense, this matter should not be publicized. Tonight, the Imperial Stud will be ordered to prepare carriages and horses. If this gets to the ears of Princess Zhaohua and her people, it will inevitably cause another uproar.”
Jin Tong lowered her head, twisting the handkerchief in her hands. After hesitating for a while, she finally couldn't hold back her grievances and choked out, "Your Highness, I really didn't scald Princess Nianyi. The bowl of medicine looked steaming, but I actually tested the temperature and it wasn't hot at all!"
Chu Yueyuan stood under the eaves, the octagonal palace lanterns hanging from the eaves swaying gently in the night breeze. The plum blossoms painted on the lampshade were broken by light and shadow, casting mottled floral shadows on her skirt.
She sighed softly, "I know."
Jin Tong was not even twelve years old when she began taking care of the bedridden Hu Shi. At that time, Chu Yueyuan was writing stories to earn money, so Jin Tong helped Granny Xu prepare medicine. The little girl, who was as thin as a bean sprout, did everything from cleaning and soaking the medicine to adjusting the heat when decocting it, and she did it better than the experienced waiters in the medicinal cuisine restaurant.
Chu Yueyuan gently stroked the back of her head and coaxed her softly, "I know perfectly well that it's the Regent who's blind!"
Although she understood Xie Nianzhi's intentions, Chu Yueyuan couldn't bring herself to dislike her.
Xie Nianzhi today is just like she was on the night of the palace coup a year and a half ago. The woman suddenly lost everything, was imprisoned, and only wanted to find someone to rely on.
Moreover, the woman's feelings for the regent were always genuine.
Unlike myself.
Thinking of this, Chu Yueyuan couldn't help but feel guilty. She felt that she shouldn't have known the other person's thoughts, yet still snatched the medicine bowl first, destroying the little bit of hope that the woman held in her heart.
But at that time, she felt a nameless anger in her heart. Seven parts of this anger were because Jin Tong had been wronged, and what was the other three parts?
She dared not investigate further.
Jin Tong perked up and nodded, saying, "This servant knows what's important. I'll go to Fengqi Palace right away and vacate a room for the princess."
Chu Yueyuan smiled and gently pinched her nose: "Good Jin'er, on your wedding day, I will give you a ten-mile-long red dowry."
"This servant will not marry unless Your Highness marries first."
"What nonsense are you talking about? I was already married long ago."
"Then...this servant will wait for Your Highness to remarry."
"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll have Lin Mu take you away tomorrow, and I won't ask for a single penny of betrothal gifts!"
Jin Tong dared not argue back, her face flushed, she stomped her foot and ran away angrily.
Chu Yueyuan smiled smugly. She turned to return to the palace, but her expression froze slightly, and the smile on her face vanished.
Under the moonlight, the man leaned against a vermilion pillar, the moonlight flowing along his handsome features, casting shadows on his high, straight nose. The shadows were thick and dark, making his face appear even more profound. His dark eyes reflected the flickering candlelight in the corridor, a faint light shimmering in them, causing a stir in the heart of anyone who looked upon them.
He said, "If Your Highness wishes to remarry, I will make a new phoenix crown for you."
This was the second time he had offered her the position of phoenix.
Chu Yueyuan felt that the man was like a seductive enchantress, bewitching her with the most alluring conditions in the world.
He lured her into depravity, making her fall into darkness with him.
Silently reciting the Diamond Sutra for exorcism in her heart, Chu Yueyuan raised her chin, her dimples revealing a hint of sadness: "I am quite satisfied with the phoenix crown on my head right now."
Pei Muwei gazed at the woman's beautiful face, his expression devoid of any emotion, and simply said, "That maid is more enlightened than Your Highness."
Chu Yueyuan retorted without hesitation: "My maids are better at recognizing people than you, my dear minister."
Pei Muwei could easily discern the hidden meaning in the Empress Dowager's words. He frowned slightly and explained earnestly, "Nianyi has suffered too many injustices in the past."
But these grievances weren't inflicted on her by Jin Tong!
Chu Yueyuan swallowed her words to avoid appearing harsh... or overly concerned.
She does care.
Chu Yueyuan didn't want to get too entangled with him on this topic, so she said that she had already made arrangements for Princess Nianyi to stay in the palace overnight.
"No need, Your Majesty has already had a carriage prepared."
Chu Yueyuan frowned slightly: "The princess is still ill, can she withstand the bumps and jostles of the carriage?"
Pei Muwei said, "It is Nianyi who insists on leaving the palace. Your humble servant will escort her back to the Prince's residence."
As the two were talking, Xie Nianzhi walked out of the hall, wearing a plain cloak. The bright moonlight enveloped her, illuminating her beautiful face.
Like a night-blooming cereus blooming in the night, it appears stunning.
She bowed gracefully, her voice gentle and calm: "Although I have thanked the Empress Dowager many times today, I still feel it is not enough. When Your Highness needs me in the future, I will do my best to help."
Chu Yueyuan went up to help her up and said with a smile, "Your Highness is too kind. You should rest and recover. In a few days, I will have Imperial Physician Zhao go to the Prince's residence to take your pulse."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave now."
Chu Yueyuan stood under the corridor, watching the two leave with a calm gaze. The moonlight stretched the shadows of the man and woman, which were neither close nor distant, into a long shadow.
The steps outside Changxin Hall were in disrepair, with many stone steps missing a corner. She saw the woman's graceful figure sway slightly, and the man reached out and supported her forearm, never letting go.
Chu Yueyuan took a deep breath of the cool night breeze and walked towards the Phoenix Perch Palace without turning her head.
That night, she had a strange dream.
She dreamt that she boarded a carriage with the Regent and Princess Nianyi. They seemed not to see her. The two looked at each other and smiled, talking about their past experiences at the Princess's residence.
Chu Yueyuan didn't want to listen; she wanted to get out of the car, but no one could hear her.
She watched as the Regent and Princess Nianyi grew closer and closer, eventually embracing. Unable to bear watching any longer, she lifted the curtain and jumped out of the carriage.
But instead of falling to the ground, she inexplicably fell into the Regent's arms.
The man stared coldly at her with his long, narrow eyes, his gaze indifferent and distant, a mocking curve playing on his thin lips: "Does Your Highness think that I, your humble servant, would be as foolish as Shen Zizhan and Meng Xun, waiting for Your Highness to change your mind?"
"I didn't keep you waiting!"
She shouted those words in anger, but it was already bright outside the window.
A gentle breeze lifted the pale purple gauze curtain with its intertwined floral pattern, and golden sunlight pierced through the thin fabric, casting hazy floral shadows on the smooth blue bricks.
The incense from last night has not yet dissipated, mixed with the fresh scent of morning dew.
Chu Yueyuan slowly came back to her senses, and when she recalled that dream, she only felt it was absurd and laughable.
She couldn't remember how many stories she had told Xiao Yun last night before finally coaxing the energetic dragon cub to sleep. By the time she finished washing up, dried her hair, and climbed onto the phoenix bed, exhausted, it was already midnight.
She slowly sat up, supporting herself on the edge of the bed, her voice slightly hoarse: "Yu Luo, water..."
She called out several times, but Yu Luo never brought her warm water. Suspicious, Chu Yueyuan pulled back the bed curtains and was surprised to find that there was not a single palace servant in the room.
Yu Luo, Bao Luo, Bi Luo, and Yao Luo, all the people who served her closely, have disappeared!
Chu Yueyuan doubted that she was still dreaming, but her throat was so dry and sore that she staggered off the bed, walked barefoot to the table, and poured herself a cup of cold tea.
After drinking three cups in a row, my throat, which felt like it was being scraped by a knife, finally felt a little better.
Chu Yueyuan poured the fourth cup of tea, but before she could bring it to her lips, she suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps.
"Your Highness...Your Highness!!! Ouch..."
It was Xiao Yanzi. He ran very fast, but tripped and fell hard at the threshold. He didn't bother to pick up his cigarette butt hat that had been thrown off, and scrambled over to Chu Yueyuan.
He looked up, his fair face bearing several deep scratches, his eyes filled with tears, and cried out urgently, "Your Highness... His Majesty is going to kill someone!"
Chu Yueyuan's expression suddenly changed, and the celadon teacup slipped from her fingers with a crisp "crack," shattering into pieces. The icy tea soaked through her bare, snow-white feet.
She steadied herself against the rosewood table with its dragon and phoenix design, forcing herself to calm down, and asked with a frown, "What happened?"
Xiao Yanzi didn't even have time to wipe away her tears before quickly recounting what had happened that morning.
It turned out that after Xiao Yun woke up, he started to throw a tantrum, constantly shouting that his maternal grandmother should come to the palace. When Xu Mama heard these words, she thought that the emperor was just making excuses to skip class, so she used the same excuse she had used before to fob him off, saying that Du Shi was sick.
This time, Xiao Yun was not fooled. He cried and shouted, refusing to give in.
Xu Mama and Jin Tong had no choice but to take out toys from the storeroom to coax him, but Xiao Yun didn't even look at them. He smashed all the toys and was about to rush out to find Du Shi.
The palace servants quickly tried to stop him, but fearing it might harm the emperor's health, they dared not intervene too forcefully.
Xiao Yun struggled and screamed, and finally pulled out a short sword from somewhere. He opened the scabbard and began to slash wildly. He seemed to have his soul stolen, which frightened the palace servants of Fengqi Palace into scattering and fleeing.
"Your Highness, this servant's face was scratched by the Emperor. The Emperor also hit Yu Luo, Bao Luo, Aunt Jin, and even Granny Xu was slashed by the Emperor with a sword..."
"The Emperor also said that if he wasn't allowed to see Lady Du, he would kill all the servants..."
Chu Yueyuan found it hard to believe Xiao Yanzi's words.
Xiao Yunshang is not yet six years old. Like ordinary children, he occasionally throws tantrums, but he has never attacked anyone. He only shouts and cries for violence when playing shadow puppet shows with Xiao Yanzi and the others.
Most of the time, he was not even aware that he was an emperor.
Chu Yueyuan didn't even have time to fix her hair; she hurriedly put on an outer garment and rushed out.
From a distance, one could hear the sounds of porcelain shattering and a boy's hysterical screams coming from inside the west hall.
"I want to see my maternal grandmother!!!"
"You won't let me see my maternal grandmother! You're all evil spirits who harm people! Hey! I'm going to kill you all!"
Even after hearing Xiao Yanzi's account, Chu Yueyuan was still shocked by the chaotic scene in the West Warm Pavilion.
The glass screen was overturned on the ground, the red jade bead curtain was broken into only a few sparse strands, the shadow puppet cloth was torn in a large hole, and the ground was littered with porcelain shards and broken shadow puppets.
Wearing a golden five-clawed dragon robe, Xiao Yun held a short sword. This sword was a short sword that Chu Yueyuan had forged at the behest of the Imperial Household Department for his fifth birthday. It was an unsharpened sword, but now the blade was swinging wildly in the air, as cold as frost.
Jin Tong, Yu Luo, and Bao Luo's hair was in a mess. Some of them were holding mahogany tea trays, while others were holding wooden stools. They were all busy surrounding Xiao Yun.
Blood was gushing from the back of Xu Mama's hand. She cried out anxiously, "Your Majesty, I beg you, please put down the sword! Don't harm your imperial body!"
"Get out of the way, all of you get out of the way! I need to go find my grandmother!"
Xiao Yun swung his sword wildly again, roaring as he tried to rush out, but Jin Tong blocked him with a wooden stool.
Chu Yueyuan immediately ordered Xiao Yanzi: "Go outside the palace quickly and have Commandant Jing bring his men over."
Xiao Yun's situation was far worse than she had imagined. With just Jin Tong and a few other palace maids, they were almost unable to stop him. Fortunately, she had previously made a "three-point agreement" with the Regent and obtained thirty captured soldiers from him to guard outside the Phoenix Palace.
Xiao Yanzi accepted the order and then ran wildly out of the hall.
Xiao Yun continued to roar and swing his sword, his small body seemingly carrying endless ferocity, and soon he cut the mahogany tea tray that Yu Luo used for self-defense in half.
He seemed to still remember the last time Yu Luo reprimanded Madam Du, and glared at her fiercely: "It was you! You insulted my maternal grandmother! I will kill you!"
Yu Luo was so frightened that her legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground, repeatedly begging for mercy: "Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life!"
Xiao Yun, his eyes bloodshot with rage, raised his sword without hesitation toward Yu Luo, who lay limp on the ground.
"Yoona, put down your sword!"
Chu Yueyuan rushed forward, shielding Yu Luo behind her. She looked at Xiao Yun and tried to soften her voice as much as possible: "Yun'er, it's your mother. Listen to your mother, put down your sword, and your mother will send someone to bring your maternal grandmother to the palace right away, okay?"
Xiao Yun stared intently at the beautiful woman before him, his head tilting involuntarily. A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes as he repeated softly, seemingly understanding but not quite:
"Mother?"
Chu Yueyuan's eyes were full of smiles, and her tone was gentle: "Yes, Mother knows that Yun'er's favorite food is iced dumplings, knows that your lost baby tooth is hidden in the pine and cypress pavilion in the Imperial Garden, knows that you love watching shadow puppet shows, and your favorite part is the scene where Sun Wukong fights the White Bone Demon three times..."
She slowly took a step forward, reaching for the sword extended into Xiao Yun's hand, and then said gently, "Mother also knows that Yun'er is kind-hearted, obedient, and sensible, and would never harm anyone..."
Granny Xu and Jin Tong stared intently at the approaching mother and son, too nervous to even breathe.
Just as Chu Yueyuan's hand was about to touch the hilt of the sword, Xiao Yun suddenly took a few steps back, staring at her with a wary and fearful expression.
Those eyes, which were once as dark and bright as grapes, were now shrouded in scarlet. His pupils would shrink to the size of a grain of rice one moment and then suddenly dilate the next, like a frightened cat.
He shouted, "You...you are not my mother! My grandmother said my mother is dead! You are a demon! You ate my mother! I will kill you!"
Xiao Yun raised his sword and slashed at the demon in his eyes.
Everything happened so suddenly that Jin Tong and the others didn't even have time to react.
Chu Yueyuan raised the mother-of-pearl inlaid bronze mirror hidden behind her back. With a crack, the mirror shattered instantly, and flying shards grazed her cheek.
Immediately afterward, Xiao Yun swung his sword at her a second time, and Chu Yueyuan's heart sank as she lost her means of defense. She didn't want to see the ferocious expression on that youthful face, so she closed her eyes and raised her arm to shield her head. But the expected pain of losing an arm didn't come; instead, she heard Xiao Yun cry out in pain.
She hurriedly opened her eyes and saw Xiao Yun sitting on the ground, kicking and crying, pointing behind her and shouting that the Demon King was coming!
Chu Yueyuan turned around, her eyes flickering slightly, and her tense shoulders and neck instantly relaxed.
Pei Muwei discarded the short sword, reached out and carefully brushed aside the Empress Dowager's disheveled black hair, his fingertips hovering half an inch from the corner of her eye, his eyes suddenly darkening.
A trail of blood snaked beneath the woman's eyelids, like a stroke of cinnabar barely making a mark; a little higher and it would have ruined her beautiful eyes.
The burning pain made Chu Yueyuan feel a wave of fear.
Xiao Yun's wrist was gripped by Pei Muwei, who disarmed him. Despite the excruciating pain, he regained some of his senses and burst into tears at Chu Yueyuan:
"Mother, a demon is bullying me! Mother, save me! Waaaaah..."
When Chu Yueyuan heard the words "Mother Empress," her heart softened. She wanted to squat down and hug Xiao Yun, but Pei Muwei grabbed her wrist.
His gaze was calm as he reminded him, "Your Highness, we must not be careless."
Chu Yueyuan froze. She first looked around the chaotic warm pavilion, then saw Jin Tong and the palace maids' pale, terrified faces, and Xu Mama's blood-stained sleeves. Finally, she hardened her heart, gritted her teeth, and said:
"Commander Jing, use soft silk to bind the emperor's hands and feet, carry him to the side hall and take good care of him. The emperor is still young, so don't bind him too tightly, or you might hurt him."
Commandant Jing bowed and accepted the order: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will do my duty."
Xiao Yun gradually stopped crying, his clear eyes suddenly became empty, and his pupils shrank to the size of rice grains. When Captain Jing approached him, he suddenly reached out and scratched, shouting the same nonsense about killing monsters.
Fortunately, Commandant Jing was agile and quickly grabbed the young emperor's hand, binding it together in no time.
Chu Yueyuan couldn't bear to watch Xiao Yun struggle in pain, so she turned her head and ordered, "Summon Imperial Physician Zhao and have him examine the Emperor to see what's wrong with him."
After thinking for a moment, she added, "Also, send someone to the Chu residence to convey my imperial decree, saying that the Emperor misses Lady Du and wants to bring her into the palace."
Granny Xu urged urgently, "Your Highness, you must not let Lady Du enter the palace! It was when she was serving the Emperor that she talked nonsense all day long, causing His Majesty to have wild thoughts, which triggered his hysteria!"
Xiao Yun's crazy behavior today is as if he is possessed by a demon, which is indeed like hysteria.
Chu Yueyuan frowned and pondered, "Even if it's hysteria, there's always a trigger. Since His Majesty keeps mentioning Lady Du, why not summon her? Let's see if His Majesty will feel better after seeing her."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com