Unexpectedly, after she had waited for a long time, the Little Eunuch finally came out and said, "The Ginseng and Lingzhi are all gone. The rest are here. Take them!"
After speaking, he tossed her a few packets of medicine and walked away.
Zhaoer looked at the prescription, then at the medicine, her face turning bright red with anger.
This is the Imperial Pharmacy! What medicine wouldn’t you have? You just don’t want to give it!
There was no one left in the room. No matter how loudly she yelled, no one could hear her!
Zhaoer was furious. She didn’t know whether to leave or stay, so she just stood there waiting in frustration.
Finally, another Little Eunuch arrived. She hurried over, begging earnestly, and at last managed to obtain some ginseng root fibers and powdered Lingzhi for the medicine.
"Although the items aren’t the best, they’re certainly better than nothing!"
She had done her best.
「...」
Lady Shih lay asleep on the bed, oblivious to everything.
Tear stains still glistened at the corners of her eyes.
She frowned, as if, even in her dreams, the Emperor was kicking her repeatedly.
"No! No!"
Zhaoer rushed in hurriedly.
"My lady!"
She called out, waking Lady Shih and helping her sit up.
"My lady, the Imperial Physician has been here. Your maidservant is going to brew your medicine!"
Lady Shih nodded.
"Go on."
"My lady, please don’t go back to sleep. If you feel drowsy, get up and walk around a bit!"
Lady Shih, remembering the terrible dream, quickly nodded in agreement.
「...」
The Empress Dowager indeed no longer interfered with her affairs.
Noble Concubine Shih, meanwhile, had heard about the events of two days ago.
Uncertain of what exactly had happened, she sent Ying Yue to check on Lady Shih and deliver some gifts, but she never visited again herself.
Lady Shih now had items bestowed upon her by the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and Noble Concubine Shih.
So, for the time being, her life was manageable.
But... why did she still feel so uneasy in her heart!
"The Emperor is certainly very handsome. No wonder all the Honored Ladies in the palace scheme so desperately to win his favor!"
"But... why does he detest me so much?"
That night, the Emperor hadn’t been angry.
He had been so passionate in bed, desiring her over and over again.
He had murmured something indistinctly, like, Qingqing...
"Who is Qingqing?"
(In ancient times, a woman’s given name was rarely used. In the palace, everyone was addressed by their titles; for instance, she was called Xia Jieyu.)
Could it be that the Emperor mistook her for another woman?
But... but even so, there was no need for him to be that furious, was there?
Was it something I did wrong?
Zhaoer soon brewed the medicine and brought it in.
The medicine was somewhat bitter, but Lady Shih still drank it.
No matter what, life had to go on, didn’t it?
She couldn’t just die!
After Lady Shih drank the medicine, Zhaoer applied ointment to her wounds. Her forehead was also injured; she must have knocked it somewhere.
There was a cut that needed careful attention. It mustn’t leave a scar!
The naive Lady Shih did not yet realize how perilous her situation in the palace had become.
Zhaoer had concealed everything from her.
However, Consort Yun Pin arrived.
She came bearing gifts to visit her.
As soon as Consort Yun Pin entered, she hurriedly stopped Lady Shih, who was about to curtsy, and helped her up.
"Sister Shih, please rise. You’re injured; you should lie down!"
Then, like a concerned elder sister, she helped Lady Shih to the edge of the bed.
"Lie down now, dear sister!"
Lady Shih was apprehensive, but she lay down nonetheless.
"Thank you, Consort Yun Pin!"
Consort Yun Pin smiled.
"We are all sisters here. Since we both live in the same palace, it must be fate that brought us together!"
"I heard you were injured, so I brought you a few things. Please don’t disdain them!"
With that, she instructed Cai Die to bring over the food box.
Inside were two pounds of bird’s nest, two baskets of pigeon eggs, two prime wild ginseng roots, two large Lingzhi mushrooms, and various precious medicinal balms.
"These were all gifts from the Emperor in the past. I don’t have much use for them, so I’m giving them all to you, Sister!"
With that, she presented all the items.
Though presented as a gift, it was, in reality, a bestowal from a superior, and one couldn’t refuse it.
Zhaoer hurriedly accepted them, thanking her profusely. Lady Shih also quickly expressed her gratitude.
Consort Yun Pin smiled and said, "There’s no need for thanks! We’re sisters!"
Lady Shih also offered a smile.
Consort Yun Pin chatted idly for a while longer, then sighed.
"Sigh! Sister Shih, you truly are fortunate! To be able to serve the Emperor so soon after entering the palace!"
"As for us old-timers, we rarely even get to see the Emperor’s face!"
Lady Shih was somewhat puzzled.
"I heard from the Empress Dowager that the Emperor always distributes his favor evenly. How could it be that..."
She stopped mid-sentence, her face turning bright red as she belatedly realized the implication of her words.
Consort Yun Pin’s eyes glinted, and she chuckled. "Well, it’s because of that Xia... Oh! AHEM!"
Lady Shih looked puzzled. "Xia who?"
Consort Yun Pin smiled and waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, it’s nothing, nothing at all. I shouldn’t say more..."
After a moment of thought, Lady Shih asked, "Your Highness, are you implying that Xia Jieyu is highly favored?"