"Sister..." Shen Xihe was the first to arrive at the scene. Shen Yingluo called out softly upon seeing her, then immediately lowered her head, overwhelmed with shame.
"Zhenzhu, go in with A Xi to check the situation," Shen Xihe instructed.
After the incident, An Zhengyi had been seriously injured and couldn't be moved far, so she was carried to this nearby resting pavilion. The imperial physician arrived just moments after Shen Xihe and had only just entered.
Shen Xihe glanced at her: "Stay calm."
After these two words, Shen Xihe went to the pavilion on the rockery where An Zhengyi had fallen. Examining the trail, she noted it was summer and the bluestone-paved path showed no traces that could benefit Shen Yingluo.
After a brief inspection, Shen Xihe descended to find the Youning Emperor arriving with several princes and ministers. Xiao Huayong, who had attended court that morning, also arrived with them. Spotting Shen Xihe, he stepped to her side.
After the formal greetings, the Youning Emperor asked, "What happened?"
"I am unaware of the full circumstances," Shen Xihe replied calmly. "Since this involves Huaiyang and Lady An, and only Huaiyang is present now, for fairness, perhaps we should wait until Lady An regains consciousness for both to explain before Your Majesty."
Shen Xihe's words made the Youning Emperor pause instead of immediately questioning Shen Yingluo, before he nodded slightly.
Shen Yingluo remained silent with bowed head, yet her heart gradually settled. She knew An Zhengyi wouldn't let this go easily, and uncertain how severely An had injured herself, she had felt at a loss. But with Shen Xihe standing beside her, she inexplicably felt reassured, her thoughts growing clearer.
After waiting outside for about fifteen minutes, the Chief Imperial Physician emerged first, followed closely by Zhenzhu and A Xi. Zhenzhu's gaze when she looked at Shen Xihe was grave.
Shen Xihe raised a subtle eyebrow, thinking: It seems An Zhengyi has gone all in.
"Your humble servant pays respects—"
"Skip formalities. How is Lady An?" interrupted the Youning Emperor.
The Chief Imperial Physician bowed. "Your Majesty, Lady An had recently suffered severe abdominal injuries. Today's fall from height caused impact with sharp rocks, aggravating old wounds. While not life-threatening... but..." He trailed off, seemingly unable to continue.
"How is my daughter? I beg for clarity," pressed An Jingnan urgently.
The physician glanced inquiringly at the Emperor, who commanded, "Speak plainly."
"Lady An has sustained internal injuries... I fear she may never bear children," the physician finally said with pity.
Shen Xihe looked to Zhenzhu, who nodded confirmation.
An Zhengyi was indeed gravely injured—not mortally, but her womb had suffered extensive damage. While she might conceive, she could never carry a child to term, effectively losing the ability to become a mother.
Zhenzhu suspected this wasn't solely from the current incident—An's old arrow wound likely already rendered her infertile. But without evidence, she couldn't voice this suspicion. As the Crown Princess's attendant, with the new injuries inflicted by the Crown Princess's sister, such claims would sound like excuses.
Even without Zhenzhu's input, Shen Xihe understood: An Zhengyi could only stake so much because she was already incapable of motherhood. No wonder she dared approach the Eastern Palace despite the Crown Prince's potentially short lifespan.Although the status of young women in this dynasty had slightly improved compared to previous eras, an unmarried woman who could not bear children—especially one born into such a family—was essentially a discarded pawn. Even if used to secure alliances through marriage with talented but low-born scholars, she would be deemed unreliable.
An Zhengyi understood this well. Coincidentally, at this time, the Emperor needed someone to enter the Eastern Palace, and she needed to reestablish her own value.
"Your Majesty..." An Jingnan wept bitterly upon hearing this. He did not complain or demand that the Youning Emperor intervene, but his grief and plea evoked even greater sympathy.
"When will Lady An wake up?" the Youning Emperor asked solemnly.
"This..." The Chief Imperial Physician glanced at Sui Axi. "Lady An was in unbearable pain, and it was Young Master Sui who used acupuncture to relieve her suffering."
Sui Axi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Lady An can wake at any moment." With his acupuncture, he could rouse An Zhengyi and temporarily numb her pain.
The Youning Emperor then entered the inner chamber with his attendants.
Sui Axi applied acupuncture to An Zhengyi, and she soon awoke. Due to the needles still in place, her face was pale, but she seemed largely free of pain.
The Youning Emperor looked at Shen Yingluo and An Zhengyi and asked, "Why did the two of you clash?"
An Zhengyi, permitted to recline halfway, bowed her head in silence, fragile as a porcelain doll that might shutter at the slightest touch.
"Your Majesty," Shen Yingluo stepped forward, her back straight and her gaze steady. "It was Lady An who sought out Huaiyang and spoke disrespectfully, even slandering my elder sister repeatedly in an attempt to drive a wedge between us. Huaiyang did not understand why Lady An behaved this way and could only retreat. Though the pavilion entrance was narrow, Huaiyang is certain she did not touch Lady An. Yet as Huaiyang passed by, Lady An suddenly fell backward.
At the time, only Huaiyang and her wet nurse Tan Shi were present, along with Lady An and her personal maid. From below, it may have appeared as though Huaiyang pushed Lady An.
Huaiyang grew up in the palace, blessed with Your Majesty’s favor, yet never dared to act arrogantly. For over a decade, she has never easily quarreled with anyone. Your Majesty knows Huaiyang’s character well. I implore Your Majesty to judge this matter fairly."
Indeed, Shen Yingluo was not one to act overbearingly, but the harm An Zhengyi had suffered was severe, and the matter could not be dismissed based solely on Shen Yingluo’s past conduct.
The Youning Emperor questioned Shen Yingluo’s wet nurse, Tan Shi, whose account matched Shen Yingluo’s. An Zhengyi and her maid, however, gave a different version: An Zhengyi had wanted to marry into the Eastern Palace and asked Shen Yingluo to persuade Shen Xihe, but Shen Yingluo grew angry and pushed her down.
With conflicting accounts and no other witnesses, and given that An Zhengyi had suffered such severe injuries—while An Jingnan lamented his failure in raising his daughter—the situation was delicate. Had An Zhengyi only sustained superficial wounds or even internal injuries that could be healed, compensation might have been considered. But now, with her fundamental ability to bear children destroyed, the harm to an unmarried young woman was irreparable.
"Crown Princess, in your opinion, how should this matter be resolved?" the Youning Emperor directly asked Shen Xihe.
Firstly, it involved Shen Yingluo, and secondly, as it concerned the inner court, Shen Xihe, who held palace authority, was duty-bound to handle it.Shen Xihe smiled faintly: "Your Majesty, this matter cannot determine right from wrong. The eldest An lady is severely injured and will not find a good husband in the future. The best solution now that satisfies both sides is to admit the eldest An lady into the Eastern Palace."
No one had expected Shen Xihe to directly accept An Zhengyi's marriage into the Eastern Palace. Many clearly saw that this might be An Zhengyi's ultimate goal, but they all thought achieving it would require considerable effort.
After all, it wasn't Shen Xihe who had injured An Zhengyi, and Shen Yingluo wasn't close to Shen Xihe. If Shen Xihe ignored this matter, at worst, the Youning Emperor would merely punish Shen Yingluo.
"Do you truly think so?" The Youning Emperor also felt uncertain and surprised.
"Yes." Shen Xihe nodded.
"Elder sister..." Shen Yingluo had just spoken when Shen Xihe shot her a sharp glance.
"Jingnan, what do you and your daughter think?" The Youning Emperor then asked An Jingnan and his daughter.
An Jingnan glanced at An Zhengyi, who lowered her head shyly: "We leave it entirely to Your Majesty's decision."
"Qilang, do you agree?" The Youning Emperor finally asked Xiao Huayong.
From the moment Shen Xihe spoke those words, Xiao Huayong had been staring at her intently, without blinking. Shen Xihe met his gaze calmly. The couple's eyes met—one calm and unruffled, the other seething with anger.
Only when the Youning Emperor asked did Xiao Huayong clench his fist: "Your Majesty, your son is unwilling!"
After saying this, Xiao Huayong bowed and turned to leave.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is momentarily angered because I made the decision without consulting him first," Shen Xihe quickly explained. "I will go persuade the Crown Prince immediately."
OpenNovel