Suddenly realizing the sword was aimed directly at her, Zhenzhen felt her mind go blank. In her shock, she made no move to dodge. Fortunately, just as Yin Qi's blade was about to reach her chest, a wine cup was thrown from the opposite seat, striking Yin Qi's sword with a sharp clang. Yin Qi's hand trembled, and the sword flew from his grip, falling to the ground along with the cup. Yin Ti immediately leaped up, rushed over to seize the sword, and then turned to look toward the source of the cup. He saw that the thrower was Zhao Ai, who was frowning intently at Yin Qi.
The sharp metallic clash of sword and cup abruptly shattered the peaceful atmosphere in the hall. Witnessing this, the Crown Prince rose in astonishment. Wang Muze, the Deputy Palace Commandant and Eastern Palace Supervisor standing beside the Crown Prince, promptly raised his voice to summon the palace attendants and guards to protect the Crown Prince.
Seeing his sword taken by Yin Ti, Yin Qi grabbed the wine ewer from the table and smashed it violently against a pillar behind him. Clutching the broken half of the porcelain vessel with its sharp edges, he swung it toward Zhenzhen. Zhenzhen swiftly turned and fled outward. Without even seeing what lay ahead, she ran a few steps and collided headlong with someone's chest. Looking up, she found herself face-to-face with Zhao Ai, who had thrown the cup and rushed over.
Zhao Ai pulled Zhenzhen, spinning her behind him, and stepped forward to confront Yin Qi. In that instant, Yin Qi's broken wine ewer was already sweeping toward them. Protecting Zhenzhen, Zhao Ai sidestepped, but Yin Qi's hand slashed downward, and the sharp porcelain edge sliced through the sleeve of Zhao Ai's left arm.
Seeing blood seep from his arm, Zhao Ai instinctively pressed his right hand over the wound. Yin Qi paused for a moment but soon raised the broken ewer again, poised to strike at Zhao Ai once more.
Without a second thought, Zhenzhen pulled the jade hairpin from her hair, stepped out from behind Zhao Ai, and instead shielded him behind her. Holding the pin with its sharp tip pointed outward, she shouted at Yin Qi, "Stop!"
She had rarely used this jade hairpin since Yin Qi gave it to her. Today was one of the few times she wore it, not so much to guard against Yin Qi harming her, but rather as a respectable accessory for entering the palace. Yet, it had ultimately been used as Yin Qi had intended.
Hearing her voice, Yin Qi froze. Staring at the pin tip aimed at him, his lashes trembled, and the light in his eyes instantly dimmed, filled with profound sorrow. His hand, still holding the broken ewer high, began to lower. Zhao Ai immediately seized Yin Qi's wrist and, with lightning speed, forcibly wrested the shattered ewer from his grasp.
Yin Ti rushed to his brother's side, wrapping his arms around him to restrain him. Meanwhile, several palace attendants, under Wang Muze's direction, hurried over and surrounded the Yin brothers.
Seeing Yin Qi subdued, the Crown Prince sighed in relief and ordered the attending imperial physician to quickly treat and bandage Zhao Ai's wound. Fengxian, hearing the commotion, rushed to Zhao Ai's side, first frowning anxiously at his injury, then softly urging him to sit down. Zhao Ai walked back to Zhenzhen, offering her a reassuring smile as she stood there, still shaken. Only then did he slowly retreat to his seat to allow the physician to examine and dress his wound.
Shortly after, Lady of Chen, who had been seated with the Crown Princess in the smaller hall for female guests, arrived upon hearing the news. With a look of panic, she knelt before the Crown Prince, repeatedly apologizing on behalf of her son, then turned to bow to Zhao Ai, pleading with them to consider Yin Qi's condition and show leniency in their judgment.The Crown Prince had resumed his seat at the head of the table, his expression restored to its usual calm composure. After silently observing Yin Qi, Zhenzhen, and Zhao Ai for a moment, he spoke gently to Lady of Chen, "We are aware of the eldest young master's condition. Trapped by his mental affliction and not in his right mind, his harming of Second Brother was not his true intent. I believe Second Brother bears him no grudge. It was also my oversight—I failed to inquire in detail about his recent condition before extending the invitation. The food and drink at the banquet may have inadvertently upset him, leading to this incident. Later, I will explain the matter to The Emperor. I trust His Majesty will not hold him accountable."
Lady of Chen tearfully bowed in gratitude, repeatedly praising The Emperor and the Crown Prince for their benevolence.
The Crown Prince then turned his gaze to Zhenzhen. In the moment their eyes met, Zhenzhen sensed the warmth and kindness he directed toward her and immediately realized he remembered her.
Shifting his attention back to Lady of Chen, the Crown Prince continued, "If I recall correctly, the eldest young master attacked this young lady, who was originally a palace attendant in the Bureau of Palace Provisions."
Lady of Chen nodded. "Indeed. This Wu Zhenzhen is a palace attendant from the Bureau of Palace Provisions assigned to the princely residence by Cifu Palace."
The Crown Prince added, "The eldest young master is by nature gentle and easily disturbed by unfamiliar people and situations. For his peace and well-being, it is truly unwise to allow unfamiliar attendants to serve him closely or handle his meals. Previously, the Eastern Palace made a similar mistake—an oversight on my part, as I failed to convey this matter to Cifu Palace."
Lady of Chen understood that the Crown Prince was referring to the earlier incident where a palace attendant bestowed by the Eastern Palace had been mistakenly killed by Yin Qi. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead as she lowered her head in shame. "It is my failure in educating my son, unworthy of Your Highness's grace..."
"Over the years, you have devotedly cared for the eldest young master. Throughout the palace, all who have heard of it praise your maternal devotion. How could you be at fault?" the Crown Prince consoled her gently before advising, "However, as the eldest young master's condition remains unsettled, it would be best for his meals and personal care to be handled by those who have served in the princely residence for many years, with patience and diligence. Strangers should not approach him, lest they provoke another episode of his affliction. Therefore..." He glanced at Zhenzhen and suggested to Lady of Chen, "Could you permit this attendant to return to the Bureau of Palace Provisions? The princely residence surely does not lack for servants. Keeping her there might risk angering the eldest young master again in the future, which would contradict the original good intentions of Cifu Palace."
Lady of Chen readily agreed, not daring to insist on keeping Zhenzhen, and explicitly expressed her willingness to allow her return to the Bureau of Palace Provisions. The Crown Prince nodded and instructed Wang Muze to report the incident at the Eastern Palace to the present emperor, specifically mentioning that if His Majesty had no objections, orders should be conveyed to the Chief of Palace Surveillance and the Bureau of Palace Provisions to bring Wu Zhenzhen back to the palace.
That day, the Prince of Yanping had been unable to attend the banquet due to a cold. Startled upon hearing of the incident, he disregarded his illness and hurried to the palace. Removing his official robes and black boots, he laid out a straw mat before the Hall of Blessing and Tranquility, kneeling in penitence and declaring his willingness to bear the punishment for his son.
After examining Zhao Ai's injury, The Emperor's response mirrored that of the Crown Prince. He stated that Yin Qi's actions stemmed from his mental affliction and should not be judged as those of a person in sound mind. Fortunately, Zhao Ai's arm injury was not severe, so the prince need not take punishment on his son's behalf. However, he urged strict supervision of Yin Qi, restricting his movements to prevent further harm to others.
Thereafter, The Emperor granted the Crown Prince's request and approved Zhenzhen's return to the palace. Upon receiving the directive, the Chief of Palace Surveillance and the Bureau of Palace Provisions immediately arranged for Zhenzhen's transfer back. Under the Crown Prince's instruction, the Imperial City Department dispatched special escorts to accompany Zhenzhen to the Prince of Yanping's residence to collect her personal belongings before bringing her back to the palace.Zhenzhen packed her belongings in the residence and was about to leave. Looking back at Yin Qi's quarters, she thought of his past kindness toward her and felt a wave of sorrow. She then removed the jade hairpin Yin Qi had given her and approached his heavily guarded bedchamber, requesting to see his wet nurse, Madam Luo. She asked Madam Luo to return the hairpin to Yin Qi, saying she would no longer have use for it and should not take such a precious item with her.
Madam Luo took the hairpin to Yin Qi and soon returned, calling out to Zhenzhen, who was about to depart. She handed Zhenzhen a wooden box, saying, "This is from the young master. Inside are the salts you once tasted together."
Zhenzhen's heart was filled with mixed emotions. She did not immediately take the box but instead looked toward Yin Qi's bedchamber. At that moment, bamboo curtains hung from the eaves of the corridor, obscuring the doors and windows. However, the lower edge of the curtain was about two feet above the ground, and from the glimpse of a robe hem visible beneath it, someone stood behind the curtain.
It was the blue-green robe Yin Qi often wore. Zhenzhen guessed he might be standing behind the curtain, watching her leave.
Her eyes grew warm with tears. Holding her breath, she turned her head slightly to hide her emotions, raised her hands to her forehead, and knelt in a deep bow toward Yin Qi's direction, whispering, "Thank you, young master, for your kindness."
When she looked up again, she saw the hem of the robe swirl beneath the curtain as the figure retreated into the chamber.
Zhenzhen accepted Yin Qi's gift from Madam Luo, boarded the ox-drawn carriage outside the residence gate, and returned to the palace with the Imperial City Department guards. Along the imperial avenue, flowers and trees were planted on both sides, and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus occasionally drifted into the carriage, pulling her out of her daze. She suddenly realized that the Mid-Autumn Festival was only a few days away.
She alighted at the palace gate and followed the eunuch's guidance step by step into the palace. At that moment, the evening glow was vivid and intense, and it was time for the palace gates to close. At the command of the gatekeeper, the Imperial Guards on both sides began to shut the gates. Hearing the sound, Zhenzhen turned back and saw the two palace doors slowly closing. The light flowing in from outside gradually narrowed to a sliver, and finally, with the heavy thud of the doors meeting, that last sliver of light vanished. Zhenzhen's heart ached, feeling as though the faint hope buried deep within her had also sunk into an abyss with the closing of the palace gates.
Upon returning to the Bureau of Palace Provisions, Pei Shangshi originally intended to send Zhenzhen to Cifu Palace as previously arranged. However, the Empress Dowager seemed displeased with Zhenzhen's recall from the residence of the Prince of Yanping and conveyed that Cifu Palace had no shortage of palace attendants. She suggested that Wu Zhenzhen should remain in the inner palace or the Eastern Palace for imperial use.
Thus, Pei Shangshi considered sending Zhenzhen to the Eastern Palace, reasoning that since the Crown Prince had risked offending the Empress Dowager to save Zhenzhen, he must hold her in special regard. It would be fitting to go along with this and facilitate their connection. Unexpectedly, the Eastern Palace replied that they had already accepted palace attendants such as Lady Yun from the Bureau of Palace Provisions during the last allocation and now had sufficient staff for food and service. They declined additional attendants, suggesting that Pei Shangshi assign Wu Zhenzhen according to the needs of the various consorts' quarters in the rear palace.
During the previous allocation of palace attendants, consorts of rank had each received one or two attendants. The only one who had not accepted any from the Bureau of Palace Provisions was Consort Li, who had politely declined additional staff, stating that her quarters already had plenty of attendants. Pei Shangshi discussed this with Qin Sishan, who said, "Last month, a palace attendant in Consort Li's quarters requested to leave the palace due to illness, and The Emperor and Consort Li agreed. So now there is an opening..."
Pei Shangshi hesitated, "I know that, but Wu Zhenzhen was saved and brought back to the palace by the Crown Prince. If she is sent to Consort Li's quarters and the Crown Prince finds out, wouldn't that..."It was well known throughout the palace that the Crown Prince disliked Consort Li. After a moment of contemplation, Qin Sishan said, "The Crown Prince is benevolent and virtuous, and highly reasonable. Since His Majesty has not accepted this group of palace attendants, and only Consort Li's pavilion is short of staff, the Director of Palace Food is assigning Wu Zhenzhen based on this situation. The Crown Prince should understand and not think too much of it. Moreover, his intervention at the banquet was not out of any particular interest in Wu Zhenzhen—it was simply due to his kind-hearted nature and unwillingness to see her harmed by the eldest son of the Yin family. Had it been any other palace attendant, the Crown Prince would have acted the same way. The Director of Palace Food need not have any concerns on this account."
After careful consideration, Pei Shangshi also found Qin Sishan's reasoning sound. She then reported to Consort Li and again raised the matter of assigning a Palace Food Attendant to the consort's pavilion. By this time, the ailing palace attendant in Consort Li's pavilion had already left the palace, and Consort Li no longer refused, agreeing to have Wu Zhenzhen enter her pavilion to attend to her meals.
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