Baoyue was so terrified her face turned deathly pale, but she breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words. Rising to her feet, she said, "Please follow this servant, Your Majesty."
Leading the way, Baoyue still trembled with fear when she saw the bloodstains in the hall that had yet to be cleaned. Carefully navigating around them, she brought the Empress Dowager and Mammy Chen to the inner chamber's entrance.
Upon entering the inner chamber, a thick, cloying metallic scent hung heavily in the air, trapped by the tightly shut windows and doors. Only faint sobs and incoherent murmurs came from behind the beaded curtain veiling the bed.
The Empress Dowager's gaze swept the room and immediately fell upon a longsword lying on the floor. Its blade gleamed coldly, clearly a weapon of exceptional quality, now stained vividly with blood. A large pool of blood had gathered where it had fallen. Her expression shifting, the Empress Dowager turned and walked toward the beaded curtain.
Baoyue lifted the curtain, allowing the Empress Dowager and Mammy Chen to see Feng Lingsu on the bed.
Feng Lingsu was wrapped in a brocade quilt, tightly bound over it with a silk ribbon. She writhed and struggled weakly, managing only to twist the brocade quilt into a tangled mess. As the Empress Dowager and Mammy Chen approached, both paused slightly in surprise.
The last time they had seen Feng Lingsu was on Yan Zhen's wedding day half a month ago. Since then, she had remained secluded in Changxin Palace, never stepping outside. Later, rumors spread of her serious illness and that Changxin Palace had been tainted by an unclean Evil Spirit. The Empress Dowager, being unwell herself, naturally hadn't visited. Thus, this was her first sight of Feng Lingsu in a fortnight. In just half a month, Feng Lingsu seemed to have aged ten years. Once elegant and impeccably groomed, she now appeared as a sallow, dark-eyed, sickly, and prematurely aged middle-aged woman. Tightly bound, she was visibly distressed, her face streaked with indistinguishable tears and sweat. She seemed trapped in a nightmare-like stupor; though her eyes were open, they showed no recognition of the Empress Dowager or Mammy Chen.
Standing before the bed, the Empress Dowager and Mammy Chen studied Feng Lingsu's face.
Mammy Chen couldn't help but say, "Noble Consort? Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has come to see you."
Feng Lingsu's eyes shifted slightly, as if she saw the Empress Dowager, or perhaps not, and she continued to struggle in discomfort.
Mammy Chen sighed and turned to Baoyue. "What is going on here? Did you truly summon physicians for Her Majesty? How could her condition deteriorate to the point she doesn't recognize anyone?"
Baoyue hurriedly replied, "We did, we did! Prince Cheng sent for them, and we servants did as well. But the physicians couldn't determine what exactly is wrong with her. They only said she is burdened by profound worries, yet these past days, she hasn't encountered any difficulties..."
Not only had she faced no hardships, but with the Empress and Crown Prince having fled the palace secretly, Yan Qi's opportunity had arrived. Given Feng Lingsu's nature, she should have been overjoyed.
The Empress Dowager frowned deeply. Noticing Feng Lingsu's lips moving as if murmuring something, she leaned closer to listen carefully. It seemed Feng Lingsu was repeating "Qi'er." The Empress Dowager's brow furrowed further. "She wishes to see Yan Qi. Has Yan Qi visited these past few days?"Upon hearing this, Bao Yue hurriedly said, "Prince Cheng came the day before yesterday to visit Consort Feng, but whatever Consort Feng said seemed to upset him greatly. He didn't return yesterday, and before leaving, he instructed Bao Die to ensure Consort Feng takes her medicine properly. He also said unless it was something important, there was no need to call for him. Because of this instruction, when Consort Feng became agitated today, Bao Die tried to deceive her. Consort Feng likely realized Bao Die was following Prince Cheng's orders and in a fit of rage..."
Remembering Bao Die lying in a pool of blood, Bao Yue still felt a lingering fear.
Mammy Chen glanced at the Empress Dowager and asked, "Your Highness, should we summon the imperial physician or Prince Cheng?"
The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes. "Call them both. Send someone to the palace to summon Prince Cheng, and have the hall cleaned for the imperial physician to examine Consort Feng."
Bao Yue promptly acknowledged the order. Mammy Chen then said, "Your Highness, perhaps you should return first? It's getting late, and you've already seen..."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, stopping Mammy Chen, then turned to look at the low couch by the window not far away. "I'll wait over there. Consort Feng's illness seems rather peculiar."
Mammy Chen sighed. Falling ill was one thing, but falling so gravely ill and even causing a death was truly worrisome. She helped the Empress Dowager to the low couch and poured her some hot tea. Noticing the Changxin Palace staff were all in disarray, the Empress Dowager said, "Go and assist them. Make sure everything is cleaned thoroughly, then question the others to see if you can uncover anything. This matter is quite strange." After a pause, she added, "Also, check on that maid and have the Household Affairs Department arrange compensation."
She was referring to Bao Die. Mammy Chen quickly nodded. "Understood, I'll go check immediately. Please wait here."
The Empress Dowager nodded, and Mammy Chen left. Once Mammy Chen was gone, only the Empress Dowager remained in the inner chamber. She took a sip of hot tea, feeling the bloody scent in the room dissipate slightly before exhaling slowly. Because the Empress Dowager was present, the others dared not be careless and quickly cleaned the bloodstains in the inner chamber. The commotion seemed to disturb Feng LingSu on the bed, who opened her eyes and began murmuring again.
Hearing the sound, the Empress Dowager rose and walked to Feng LingSu's bedside...
"Qi'er... Qi'er..."
Feng LingSu kept repeating Yan Qi's name, but the Empress Dowager couldn't recall anything amiss with Yan Qi recently.
The Empress Dowager leaned closer. "Consort Feng? Yan Qi will be here soon..."
Feng LingSu's pupils trembled violently, as if the name "Yan Qi" had struck a nerve. She struggled fiercely, but her hands and feet were bound in the quilt, leaving her unable to reach anything. With great effort, she gasped, "Qi'er... don't... don't compete... listen to your mother..."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's brow furrowed instantly.
She knew Feng LingSu's nature all too well. Over the years, Feng LingSu had been devoted to the Emperor, but how much of it was genuine affection and how much was for securing favor and power, the Empress Dowager saw clearly. If something had happened to the Empress and the Crown Prince, Feng LingSu, true to her past behavior, would have closed her doors and celebrated secretly, while urging Yan Qi to spare no effort in contending for the position of Heir Apparent. With the Crown Prince gone, Yan Qi would indeed be the most suitable candidate.
But now, Feng LingSu was actually telling Yan Qi not to compete!?Feng LingSu was already so disoriented that there was no possibility of her putting on an act or pretending in front of the Empress Dowager. So why had she changed her mind?
Feng LingSu’s illness had come on strangely, and her attitude toward Yan Qi contending for the throne was even stranger. It was said that in recent days, she hadn’t been wandering around Chongzheng Hall anymore. All of this seemed to have some hidden reason behind it. The Empress Dowager’s suspicions grew heavier, and she couldn’t help but ask, “What if Yan Qi insists on contending?”
Feng LingSu seemed to vaguely understand. Her eyes suddenly widened, her voice filled with terror.
“No… don’t contend… He… he won’t let you become the Crown Prince…”
Her low, hoarse voice carried fear and dread, as if she were afraid of being overheard by someone. “Don’t contend… beg… beg for a fiefdom… Qi’er… listen to your mother… Mother would never harm you… The Crown Prince… the Crown Prince is a cautionary tale…”
The Empress Dowager caught a name in Feng LingSu’s fragmented words, and her expression shifted slightly.
The Crown Prince is a cautionary tale?! The Emperor wanted to depose the Crown Prince because he was involved in a corruption case, but Yan Qi wasn’t! What did Feng LingSu mean by this?!
“What happened to the Crown Prince? How could Yan Qi be like the Crown Prince?”
Feng LingSu shook her head, her pupils rapidly dilating, as if she were hiding some terrible secret deep in her heart, too afraid to speak it aloud.
The Empress Dowager’s suspicions grew even stronger, gnawing at her like a hundred claws scratching her heart. “Consort? Why wouldn’t the Emperor pass the throne to Yan Qi? The Crown Prince and Yan Qi are both the Emperor’s children, it’s not as if…”
“No… it’s not… it’s not like that…”
The Empress Dowager had only asked a normal question, but before she could finish, Feng LingSu grew even more terrified, shaking her head and struggling. And the words “it’s not” struck the Empress Dowager’s heart like a heavy hammer! She’s gone mad! Feng LingSu has gone mad!
The Empress Dowager’s chest heaved with anger, but seeing Feng LingSu’s fearful tears streaming down her face, she also felt pity for her.
In this state, Feng LingSu wouldn’t dare to lie, but how could she utter such heart-wrenching words?!
The Empress Dowager’s heart raced, and countless scenes flashed through her mind. She swayed slightly, struggling to keep her balance, and had to support herself on the windowsill to sit down. But this movement startled Feng LingSu even more, causing her to shrink toward the foot of the bed like a worm, babbling incoherently.
“I don’t know, I don’t know anything… I don’t know anything…”
“The Emperor… the Emperor is the Emperor… I don’t know anything…”
Feng LingSu’s voice weakened as she trembled, but the Empress Dowager’s face turned icy. She stared fixedly at Feng LingSu’s face, which had aged dramatically in just half a month, unable to comprehend what had turned this Consort Feng, who had always taken such care to appear delicate and beautiful, into this state. The Feng LingSu of the past had cared most about the Emperor’s favor and her own appearance, but now, she seemed like a completely different person. Even more frightening were the ghostly words she spoke, which no one could understand!
Soon, Mammy Chen entered and was slightly surprised to see the Empress Dowager sitting by Feng LingSu’s bed while Feng LingSu cowered at the foot. “Your Highness, what’s wrong?”
The Empress Dowager remained deep in thought and did not answer. After a moment, she said, “Call the maid who was just here back in.”
Mammy Chen looked puzzled but turned and went out to summon Baoyue back inside. The Empress Dowager asked Baoyue, “These past few days, when Consort Feng has been speaking nonsense, what has she been saying?”Baoyue was slightly taken aback and hurriedly replied, "The Noble Consort keeps calling out Prince Cheng's name, occasionally mentioning the Emperor once or twice. She seems to be hoping for His Majesty's visit, but with recent affairs keeping him busy, the Emperor hasn't come to Changxin Palace... The Noble Consort also said... she told Prince Cheng to go to his fiefdom, not to... not to contend..."
These words were no different from what the Empress Dowager had heard earlier. It appeared the Noble Consort had been repeating these things for days, though the young palace maids couldn't comprehend their meaning.
"How did the Noble Consort refer to the Emperor when she spoke of him?"
Baoyue quickly responded, "This servant heard her twice, seemingly saying 'the Emperor is just the Emperor'..."
Baoyue looked confused, clearly not understanding Feng Lingsu's meaning. However, the Empress Dowager's expression darkened upon hearing this. "What other unusual behavior has the Noble Consort displayed?"
After brief consideration, Baoyue answered, "The Noble Consort... seems terrified, as if she's seen... seen something dreadful. Because of this, she requested people from the Imperial Observatory a few days ago, but it was useless... No one knows what exactly has happened to Her Ladyship..."
The Empress Dowager frowned. "When did the Noble Consort's condition begin..."
Baoyue promptly replied, "It started after the Fifth Princess's wedding..."
The Empress Dowager seemed lost in thought for a moment before finally nodding. "Very well, summon the imperial physician."
Baoyue nodded and went out to call the physician. The Empress Dowager composed herself and attempted to stand, but found herself unable to rise. Mammy Chen, observing this, quickly supported her. "Your Highness... You..."
Leaning on Mammy Chen's arm to stand, the Empress Dowager shook her head. "Let us wait a while longer, until Yan Qi arrives."
Mammy Chen nodded and helped the Empress Dowager to another seat. Shortly after, the imperial physician entered, and Feng Lingsu was released from her restraints. After checking her pulse, the physician offered the same diagnosis as before. The Empress Dowager waved him away to prepare prescriptions. After waiting for the time it takes two incense sticks to burn, Yan Qi finally arrived. Having learned of the situation at Changxin Palace upon entering the palace, he hadn't expected the Empress Dowager to be waiting there. Seeing her, Yan Qi didn't dare be negligent and promptly paid his respects.
The Empress Dowager asked coldly, "What has your mother said to you during her recent illness?"
Yan Qi hesitated, but the Empress Dowager stated, "The maids have already revealed everything. You need only speak truthfully."
With no alternative, Yan Qi nodded. "Imperial Grandmother, recently Mother keeps insisting that I request a fiefdom from Father Emperor and go live there..." He smiled bitterly. "With so many matters unfolding in the capital, how can I possibly leave? Yet Mother remains quite persistent..."
Yan Qi's account perfectly aligned with previous reports. The Empress Dowager nodded silently, offering no further comment.
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