"Song Zhao!"
Song Zhao was originally lying quietly on the couch, but upon hearing Xiao Jingheng calling out from outside the door, her face suddenly turned ugly.
She clutched her lower abdomen tightly, moaning in pain.
"Your Majesty..."
"How are you feeling?" Xiao Jingheng rushed over and sat on the edge of Song Zhao's couch, tightly grasping her hand covered in cold sweat.
It was evident that he was very nervous, with a thin layer of grayness on his face.
"This concubine's stomach hurts badly..." Song Zhao uttered this sentence weakly, then gritted her teeth tightly, trying her best to endure the pain.
The humming in her nostrils was like dense needles, pricking Xiao Jingheng's heart over and over again.
He grasped Song Zhao's hand tighter and tighter. "Don't be afraid, I am with you. You will be fine. The imperial physician will arrive soon, just endure it for a while."
Almost as his words fell, Xiao Yinzi pulled Judge Chu in, panting as they hurried over.
Xiao Jingheng didn't even let Judge Chu catch his breath before he made room and urged him to immediately take Song Zhao's pulse.
Judge Chu knelt down in front of the couch, took out a handkerchief to pad Song Zhao's wrist, and carefully took her pulse.
But strangely,
Song Zhao's pulse was clearly disproportionate to the pain she was exhibiting.
Judging from the pulse, there was nothing wrong with Song Zhao, her body was very healthy.
But she looked painful, constantly shouting that her abdominal pain was unbearable?
This left Judge Chu in a dilemma.
He couldn't say that Song Zhao was pretending either, after all, when people are extremely frightened after a shock, the body can also produce phantom pain.
So first he soothed Song Zhao's emotions and said,
"Mistress, relax. This official has examined and found mistress' pulse to be normal, the imperial heir is safe and sound without any harm."
Upon hearing this, before Song Zhao said anything,
she obviously heard someone next to her breathe a sigh of relief.
Without raising her eyes, she knew that the person who let out this breath must be Xiao Jingheng.
Then she heard him ask Judge Chu, "Why does Imperial Concubine still feel unbearable abdominal pain?"
Judge Chu said, "It may be because the sedan chair shook when it fell just now, frightening the mistress, or she bumped into something. Anyway, it’s not a big problem. This official will prescribe the mistress a sedative decoction to soothe her nerves, and decoct some pregnancy medicine for the mistress to take, then she can relax."
Upon hearing these words, Song Zhao’s tightly knitted brows finally relaxed slightly.
She held her lower abdomen more tightly, sighing with lingering fear,
"As long as nothing happens to the child, that’s good..."
The imperial physician withdrew with a bow to instruct the palace maid on the medication.
Xiao Jingheng sat down next to Song Zhao again, casting an angry look at Xiao Fuzi and shouted:
"How can you be so negligent in your duties!?"
Xiao Fuzi was so frightened that he knelt down on both knees, trembling and said: "Y-Your Majesty...Please forgive this slave's crime...We pass through the south passage every day from Chang Le Palace to Chao Yang Palace, but I don't know why there was grease on the passage today. The palace maid carrying the sedan chair slipped, startling the Mistress."
As he spoke, he knocked his head to the ground, nearly injuring himself, before choking out:
"Fortunately nothing happened to the Mistress and the imperial heir, even if this slave were to die thousands or tens of thousands of times, it would not atone for the crime!"
Xiao Jingheng had already heard from Xiao Yinzi about why Song Zhao's sedan chair shook.
At this moment, his eyes were fierce. He suspected in his heart,
Anyone could see that this was no accident, but someone deliberately tried to harm Song Zhao.
After silently pondering for a moment, he solemnly said:
"Jiang Deshun, take some people to investigate and see how the grease got onto the passage. Also, take all the palace maids who carried the sedan chair today and cane them to death!"
"Your Majesty," Song Zhao pulled Xiao Jingheng's arm, speaking weakly, "This concubine was not injured at all. The sedan bearers also did it unintentionally. This concubine is pregnant and can’t bear to see bloodshed. Could Your Majesty be merciful and let them off lightly?"
Xiao Jingheng was silent for a while before he changed his tone and said, "Since Song Zhao pleaded for them, then I’ll let them off the hook. Each person is to be paddled twenty times and sent to Xin Prison to do hard labor. They shall not be allowed to serve their masters closely anymore!"
After speaking, he glanced down at Xiao Fuzi who was still kowtowing and said coldly:
"Get up now. With your head injured like this, how can you still take care of your mistress?"
"This slave is deeply grateful for Your Majesty's favor and Mistress's kindness."
Xiao Fuzi wiped his tears and climbed to his feet. He wanted to continue serving by Song Zhao's side, but heard Song Zhao say:
"With your head bleeding like that, how can you still serve me? Go and get yourself cleaned up properly first."
Xiao Fuzi choked back tears and acknowledged the order before withdrawing respectfully.
After he left, Song Zhao leaned on Xiao Jingheng and her body shook involuntarily,
"Your Majesty...is someone trying to harm this concubine today?"
Xiao Jingheng did not answer her directly,
but put his arm around her shoulders, gently caressing her clavicle with his fingertip, his tone almost gentle,
"Compared to the safety of the imperial heir, I’m more worried about you."
Song Zhao was deeply moved and moved closer towards Xiao Jingheng’s embrace.
She was perfectly sober despite putting on an act.
When she heard that there was nothing wrong with the imperial heir earlier, she also clearly heard Xiao Jingheng's long, relieved breath.
So one shouldn’t take the sweet words of an emperor seriously,
otherwise you’d only have yourself to blame for the heartbreak.
*
After leaving the sleeping chambers, the injured Xiao Fuzi went straight to a small room in the southeast corner of Chang Le Palace instead of properly treating his forehead wound.
Pushing open the door, he saw Yun Shan sitting on the bed.
She had taken off her shoes and socks, and seemed to be examining the redness and swelling on her ankle.
Seeing this, Xiao Fuzi immediately turned his back, embarassing Yun Shan to the point of blushing fiercely. She panicked and pulled the quilt to cover her legs:
"Y-You, how come you are here? Did something happen to the Mistress?"
"Mm. His Majesty is very affectionate and is accompanying the Mistress right now."
Xiao Fuzi stood there stiff as a piece of wood, facing the tightly closed door of the small room, unmoving, like he was facing the wall to reflect on his mistakes.
Amused by his silly behavior, Yun Shan giggled
"Pfft~ You look like a Chinese oak sapling. I've covered myself, turn around and talk to me."
Only then did Xiao Fuzi turn around, scratching the back of his head awkwardly,
"How are you? I didn't expect the sedan chair to shake so violently just now. It frightened me watching it. Did you get hurt?"
"Song Zhao!"
Song Zhao was originally lying quietly on the couch, but upon hearing Xiao Jingheng calling out from outside the door, her face suddenly turned ugly.
She clutched her lower abdomen tightly, moaning in pain.
"Your Majesty..."
"How are you feeling?" Xiao Jingheng rushed over and sat on the edge of Song Zhao's couch, tightly grasping her hand covered in cold sweat.
It was evident that he was very nervous, with a thin layer of grayness on his face.
"This concubine's stomach hurts badly..." Song Zhao uttered this sentence weakly, then gritted her teeth tightly, trying her best to endure the pain.
The humming in her nostrils was like dense needles, pricking Xiao Jingheng's heart over and over again.
He grasped Song Zhao's hand tighter and tighter. "Don't be afraid, I am with you. You will be fine. The imperial physician will arrive soon, just endure it for a while."
Almost as his words fell, Xiao Yinzi pulled Judge Chu in, panting as they hurried over.
Xiao Jingheng didn't even let Judge Chu catch his breath before he made room and urged him to immediately take Song Zhao's pulse.
Judge Chu knelt down in front of the couch, took out a handkerchief to pad Song Zhao's wrist, and carefully took her pulse.
But strangely,
Song Zhao's pulse was clearly disproportionate to the pain she was exhibiting.
Judging from the pulse, there was nothing wrong with Song Zhao, her body was very healthy.
But she looked painful, constantly shouting that her abdominal pain was unbearable?
This left Judge Chu in a dilemma.
He couldn't say that Song Zhao was pretending either, after all, when people are extremely frightened after a shock, the body can also produce phantom pain.
So first he soothed Song Zhao's emotions and said,
"Mistress, relax. This official has examined and found mistress' pulse to be normal, the imperial heir is safe and sound without any harm."
Upon hearing this, before Song Zhao said anything,
she obviously heard someone next to her breathe a sigh of relief.
Without raising her eyes, she knew that the person who let out this breath must be Xiao Jingheng.
Then she heard him ask Judge Chu, "Why does Imperial Concubine still feel unbearable abdominal pain?"
Judge Chu said, "It may be because the sedan chair shook when it fell just now, frightening the mistress, or she bumped into something. Anyway, it’s not a big problem. This official will prescribe the mistress a sedative decoction to soothe her nerves, and decoct some pregnancy medicine for the mistress to take, then she can relax."
Upon hearing these words, Song Zhao’s tightly knitted brows finally relaxed slightly.
She held her lower abdomen more tightly, sighing with lingering fear,
"As long as nothing happens to the child, that’s good..."
The imperial physician withdrew with a bow to instruct the palace maid on the medication.
Xiao Jingheng sat down next to Song Zhao again, casting an angry look at Xiao Fuzi and shouted:
"How can you be so negligent in your duties!?"
Xiao Fuzi was so frightened that he knelt down on both knees, trembling and said: "Y-Your Majesty...Please forgive this slave's crime...We pass through the south passage every day from Chang Le Palace to Chao Yang Palace, but I don't know why there was grease on the passage today. The palace maid carrying the sedan chair slipped, startling the Mistress."
As he spoke, he knocked his head to the ground, nearly injuring himself, before choking out:
"Fortunately nothing happened to the Mistress and the imperial heir, even if this slave were to die thousands or tens of thousands of times, it would not atone for the crime!"
Xiao Jingheng had already heard from Xiao Yinzi about why Song Zhao's sedan chair shook.
At this moment, his eyes were fierce. He suspected in his heart,
Anyone could see that this was no accident, but someone deliberately tried to harm Song Zhao.
After silently pondering for a moment, he solemnly said:
"Jiang Deshun, take some people to investigate and see how the grease got onto the passage. Also, take all the palace maids who carried the sedan chair today and cane them to death!"
"Your Majesty," Song Zhao pulled Xiao Jingheng's arm, speaking weakly, "This concubine was not injured at all. The sedan bearers also did it unintentionally. This concubine is pregnant and can’t bear to see bloodshed. Could Your Majesty be merciful and let them off lightly?"
Xiao Jingheng was silent for a while before he changed his tone and said, "Since Song Zhao pleaded for them, then I’ll let them off the hook. Each person is to be paddled twenty times and sent to Xin Prison to do hard labor. They shall not be allowed to serve their masters closely anymore!"
After speaking, he glanced down at Xiao Fuzi who was still kowtowing and said coldly:
"Get up now. With your head injured like this, how can you still take care of your mistress?"
"This slave is deeply grateful for Your Majesty's favor and Mistress's kindness."
Xiao Fuzi wiped his tears and climbed to his feet. He wanted to continue serving by Song Zhao's side, but heard Song Zhao say:
"With your head bleeding like that, how can you still serve me? Go and get yourself cleaned up properly first."
Xiao Fuzi choked back tears and acknowledged the order before withdrawing respectfully.
After he left, Song Zhao leaned on Xiao Jingheng and her body shook involuntarily,
"Your Majesty...is someone trying to harm this concubine today?"
Xiao Jingheng did not answer her directly,
but put his arm around her shoulders, gently caressing her clavicle with his fingertip, his tone almost gentle,
"Compared to the safety of the imperial heir, I’m more worried about you."
Song Zhao was deeply moved and moved closer towards Xiao Jingheng’s embrace.
She was perfectly sober despite putting on an act.
When she heard that there was nothing wrong with the imperial heir earlier, she also clearly heard Xiao Jingheng's long, relieved breath.
So one shouldn’t take the sweet words of an emperor seriously,
otherwise you’d only have yourself to blame for the heartbreak.
*
After leaving the sleeping chambers, the injured Xiao Fuzi went straight to a small room in the southeast corner of Chang Le Palace instead of properly treating his forehead wound.
Pushing open the door, he saw Yun Shan sitting on the bed.
She had taken off her shoes and socks, and seemed to be examining the redness and swelling on her ankle.
Seeing this, Xiao Fuzi immediately turned his back, embarassing Yun Shan to the point of blushing fiercely. She panicked and pulled the quilt to cover her legs:
"Y-You, how come you are here? Did something happen to the Mistress?"
"Mm. His Majesty is very affectionate and is accompanying the Mistress right now."
Xiao Fuzi stood there stiff as a piece of wood, facing the tightly closed door of the small room, unmoving, like he was facing the wall to reflect on his mistakes.
Amused by his silly behavior, Yun Shan giggled
"Pfft~ You look like a Chinese oak sapling. I've covered myself, turn around and talk to me."
Only then did Xiao Fuzi turn around, scratching the back of his head awkwardly,
"How are you? I didn't expect the sedan chair to shake so violently just now. It frightened me watching it. Did you get hurt?"
