Part 3
“Her Highness’s pulse is much steadier.” Lin Nanjun reported, and after asking in detail about coughing, appetite, and other related matters, he said, “Recuperate for a few more days, and Her Highness will be completely recovered.”
This illness had indeed dragged on for a while.
Zhao Yiyi knew this was inseparable from her heavy thoughts in the past few days. Thinking of this, she sipped her tea and said softly, “With Physician Lin’s words, I feel much more at ease.”
After all, this was the palace city, and the Emperor was here today. It wasn’t suitable for Lin Nanjun to stay long. He still left two medical women to watch the Empress’s condition and retreated to the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Lin Nanjun left, but Gu Zhen didn’t leave.
The two sat opposite each other. Zhao Yiyi casually picked up a book from the table to read. It happened to be Zuo Zhuan , one of the teaching contents of the Imperial Academy.
However, after a while, the pages didn’t turn much.
She had naturally read Zuo Zhuan , and even listened to the teacher explain and recite chapters carefully. She should be familiar with the content, not to mention knowing it by heart. Definitely not like today, like learning a new book.
Since she couldn’t read it, she turned her head, staring at the pear blossoms outside the window in a daze. A strand of hair quietly slipped from her lily bun, hanging down to her temple.
Gu Zhen reached out, intending to tuck it behind her ear, but Zhao Yiyi subconsciously shrank back, avoiding his touch.
“Must you be like this with Zhen?” he asked in a deep voice.
Zhao Yiyi turned her head slightly and said softly, “This consort dares not.”
Staring at her jade-like profile, Gu Zhen realized somewhat sadly that her saying she didn’t want to have any connection with him anymore was from the heart.
Precisely because of this, the stinging pain in his chest became more unbearable, as if something was gnawing at his internal organs.
Tightening the hand hidden in his sleeve, he forced himself to calm down and asked her, “Then Empress, what exactly do you mean?”
“This consort was just startled, so I shrank back a bit.” Zhao Yiyi replied warmly.
“You just don’t want to be close to Zhen so much?” How could he believe such a lie? So he asked directly.
Zhao Yiyi opened her mouth, supporting herself with her hands behind her back, shrinking back slightly to look at him. “This consort made it very clear the day before yesterday.” In his gaze that darkened inch by inch, she didn’t pause at all. “Now, this consort no longer likes Your Majesty.”
Not liking anymore, how could I still want to be close?
She said it too lightly, so lightly that Gu Zhen felt his internal organs were about to be burned through. He couldn’t help but dejectedly admit that the Empress might not be as unimportant to him as he thought.
He should care about the Empress.
Since when?
Gu Zhen thought confusedly, but couldn’t remember.
Being looked at by him like this, Zhao Yiyi was slightly uncomfortable, so she gently turned her head away and said warmly, “Does Your Majesty have anything else? This consort got up a bit early today and is a little sleepy.”
It was a disguised eviction order.
Gu Zhen’s brow gradually turned cold, and he stood up. “Zhen also remembers there are still matters unfinished. Empress, rest well.”
Zhao Yiyi was really sleepy.
Not long after the Emperor left, she planned to take a nap on the low couch, but a female official entered and reported, “Your Highness, the second Miss He asks for an audience, saying she wants to apologize to Your Highness.”
“Apologize for what?” Zhao Yiyi changed her outer clothes, not even raising an eyebrow.
The female official said, “It’s for the matter of Physician Lin that day. She said after recovering today, she heard that it was because of her illness that Physician Lin was kept at Shicui Palace, delaying Your Highness’s diagnosis and treatment. She felt guilty and came specifically to apologize to Your Highness.”
Zhao Yiyi’s movement of changing clothes paused, then she said flatly, “Let her go back.” Just after dealing with the Emperor, she really didn’t have the mind to deal with another person.
The female official agreed.
However, just as Zhao Yiyi lay down on the low couch, the female official returned. “Your Highness, that Miss He is kneeling outside Suzhang Gate, saying that if Your Highness refuses to see her, you must be unwilling to forgive her. If Your Highness refuses to forgive, she will keep kneeling there.”
Zhao Yiyi felt annoyed.
Wind-cold consumes one’s energy the most. She hadn’t fully recovered, her head was groggy, and at this moment, her blood surged, and hostility arose.
“Then let her kneel!” Zhao Yiyi was really annoyed too.
Talking to her properly doesn’t work. What is this doing? Trying to force her out to accept her apology and put on a harmonious show, or deliberately letting the whole palace know the Empress is harsh and ruining her reputation?
She likes to kneel, then kneel.
The female official was suddenly startled, but seeing the usually good-tempered Empress looking impatient at this moment, she responded讷讷 (stammeringly) and retreated.
After the nap, someone came from Wanchun Palace, summoning the Empress over.
Zhao Yiyi dressed and groomed herself as usual, dressing herself meticulously before following the palace servant from Wanchun Palace out.
“Look at what you’ve done!” As soon as she entered Wanchun Palace, the Empress Dowager said angrily, “Xunling, this child, is kind-hearted. Knowing about the matter of you calling away Lin Nanjun that day, she felt guilty and ran specifically to Jiaofang Palace to apologize to you. You did well, making her kneel outside for more than half an hour! If the sun hadn’t been too strong and caused her to faint, she would probably still be kneeling in front of your hall!”
Consort Dowager He comforted softly, “Sister, maybe Her Majesty the Empress didn’t know about this. If she knew, how could she bear to let Xunling kneel outside for so long?”
“A living person kneeling outside the hall, could she not know?” The Empress Dowager was furious, and didn’t soften her tone even when speaking to Consort Dowager He.
Zhao Yiyi replied softly, “Replying to Mother, this daughter-in-law felt that Miss He was not at fault in this matter, and was unwilling to accept her apology, so I didn’t go out to see her.”
The pink-shirted beauty had a face like a lotus, the jewelry in her hair shimmering gently in the light, and her voice was soft and pleasant.
“I ordered people to persuade Miss He several times. Perhaps she had made up her mind, Miss He refused to leave no matter what.”
The Empress Dowager asked coldly, “Xunling fainted. Do you mean it’s still her fault?”
Zhao Yiyi shook her head gently. “This daughter-in-law does not mean that.”
The Prince of Yan was also in Wanchun Palace today. Hearing this, he busily smiled and said, “Mother, this Miss He is also sincere. Imperial Sister-in-law persuaded her. If she wanted to see Imperial Sister-in-law to apologize, just talk properly and go a few more times. Why kneel under the big sun?”
The Empress Dowager’s anger didn’t diminish by half, but became even more annoyed.
The Prince of Yan busily beckoned an attendant and whispered, “Go quickly to Zichen Palace and tell Imperial Brother about this.”
After listening to the Prince of Yan’s attendant’s report, recalling the Empress’s attitude today, Gu Zhen just sneered and said coldly, “In the future, there is no need to bother Zhen with the Empress’s affairs.”
The attendant was shocked in his heart. Just as he was about to accept the order and leave, he saw the Emperor pacing alone in the hall for a few rounds, then striding out ahead of him.
That direction… was clearly towards Wanchun Palace.
Several struggles and hesitations in his heart, he finally couldn’t convince himself.
Gu Zhen thought to himself, I’m just going to take a look, just a look. However, riding in the leather carriage, he disliked the slow speed of the carriage. His heart beat rapidly, and his hands on his knees unconsciously clenched his robes.
Leaning on the carriage and closing his eyes, he suddenly thought that he might care about the Empress more than he thought.
The distance to Wanchun Palace was neither far nor near. Usually a short journey, he felt chaotic at this moment. After getting off the leather carriage, he walked quickly into the hall. The palace servants guarding the door didn’t even have time to salute before seeing the Emperor’s figure pass by.
Walking outside the door, an angry rebuke drifted from the open window: “You are so vicious, can’t even tolerate a person, must you put her to death?”
Almost instantly, he understood who was being scolded.
His heart also tightened at that moment.
Author’s Note:
Gu Zhen: $%^&&@##!*!!!
Today’s update, chirp chirp chirp! Still 30 small red envelopes~ (Want nutrient solution woo woo)
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Thank you so much for the chapters! Just fyi, this is the same chapter as the previous one
Hi, you’re welcome, and thank you for letting me know!
Hello, it seems it’s the chapter 40.2 was an error. It was 40.3. I’ve edited it. Thanks again!
Hello, I’m wondering if you’re the same person who tip me in ko-fi? I left you a private message in ko-fi. Feel free to reach out to me there. Thank you so much!