Chapter 417 – Losing All Dignity

Chapter 417 - Losing All Dignity

"What's wrong with this palace?" the Empress croaked.

None dared to answer.

Ruyi knelt with her head bowed.

"The Empress is asking you, what's wrong with me?" she shouted.

"Re... Return to Her Majesty, you... You're just in too much... pain right now, that's why you're somewhat..." Ru Yi truly didn't know how to put it.

The Empress didn't ask any further at this moment.

It was as if she had suffered a tremendous blow, and she seemed on the verge of collapsing under its weight.

She, the mighty Empress, had actually... wet the bed...

This was a humiliation even more unbearable than being asked to die—how could she possibly accept it?

What choice did she have but to endure? At this very moment, she was utterly unable to rise.

The subsequent events unfolded in a blur; she was oblivious as she was dressed in a daze.

Lying back down in a haze, the pain and humiliation sapped all her strength, and she drifted off into sleep.

She paid no attention to what day it was.

Even the fact that she had not taken her evening meal was overlooked.

Even if it were mentioned, she wouldn't eat it.

With the queen's health in such a state, her attendants dared not conceal the truth and naturally reported the matter to the higher authorities early the next morning.

At this moment, He Jinning was with Yun Li.

Last night's excessive revelry has led to an early rise today, for the Crown Prince is attending his first official court session.

By now, the morning court session had ended, and Hé Jǐnlí really didn't feel like dealing with official matters. Thus, he found himself at Yún Lí's residence again, intending to enjoy a leisurely breakfast followed by a snooze through the entire morning.

It was at this moment that Ruyi approached.

She briefly summarized the queen's condition.

In essence, the queen was no longer able to rise from her bed, and painkillers were ineffective during her episodes of agony.

Hekunli frowned but could only sigh in response.

"Summon a few imperial physicians to examine her first."

Ruyi hastily expressed her gratitude before departing.

At this point, there was no other choice but to have the doctors take a look. A full recovery seemed unlikely.

How did the queen end up in such a state?

After Ruyi left, Yun Li commented, "According to etiquette, I should pay my respects."

"No need," Hekunli replied. "It's unnecessary."

Going now wouldn't please the Empress.

Yun Li also understood this reasoning.

After sharing the morning meal, Prince Jinli and Yun Li retired to rest, as he could no longer endure the exhaustion.

In the late morning, an envoy came from the Concubine Guifei's quarters to discuss the matter with Yun Li.

Concubine Guifei was unaware of the Empress's exact condition but knew that the imperial physicians had attended to her.

Yun Li reassured, "Tell Concubine Guifei not to worry. I will visit her tomorrow."

The envoy acknowledged and promptly returned.

The next day, Yun Li visited Concubine Guifei.

"It's almost New Year's, can the Empress's health hold up?" asked Concubine Guifei.

"Try not to dwell on it," Yun Li said. "It's likely she'll be confined to bed from now on."

"Is that not acceptable?" The Empress Consort was also exasperated. She didn't want to be in charge all the time.

"The thing is, you're already the mother of the crown prince. Why can't you handle the matters of the harem? I could endure staying out of it, but now that I'm involved, it's truly exhausting. I find these arrangements during the New Year celebrations utterly bothersome," the Empress Consort said.

"You're still hoping for the Empress to recover and resume her duties? Forget it. It's because you're the Empress Consort that you have to take care of things. Just do your best," Yun Li laughed wryly.

The Empress Consort sighed. "How severe is the Empress's condition? Can she really endure this for much longer?"

Yun Li shook her head. "I'm not sure. With people attending to her, she should be able to hold on, right?"

It was only a bone injury that prevented her from getting up, but due to the medicine prescribed by Doctor Zhuang earlier, the Empress's organs had also suffered severe damage.

No one knew how long she could persist.

What they didn't know was that the Empress was currently facing a severe issue—the compression of her pelvis had caused incontinence.

This was a serious problem; she barely dared to drink water, but how could one survive without it?

The Empress was now in immense pain, and with all these consequences combined, there were moments when she wished she could die immediately.

Prince Qin entered the palace to pay his respects, but the Empress refused to see him.

He had returned to the capital in October, primarily for the New Year celebrations and secondarily for the Crown Prince.

Upon hearing of the Empress's illness, he came to visit, but with her refusal to meet him, he was left with no choice.

The First Princess requested an audience the following day, but the Empress also declined.

Exiting Fengyi Palace, she happened upon Concubine Guifei and Concubine Xianfei on their way to pay their respects to the Empress.

It was the Empress's prerogative not to see them, but it would be inappropriate not to inquire about her condition.

The First Princess wore a grim expression. "I fear Mother will not see us either. Despite my long wait, she has not granted me an audience. It seems that Madam Guifei and Madam Xianfei's efforts will also be in vain."

"Vain as it may be, it is only right," replied Concubine Guifei.

The First Princess bowed respectfully. "Both of you have truly gone out of your way."

Although she had hoped for the Empress's support for an imperial prince, now that her attempt had failed, there was little else to say.

Now, her demeanor towards Concubine Imperial and Consort Xi is significantly more amiable than before.

All these matters, whether it be Concubine Imperial, Consort Xi, or the other consorts, they are all aware of them.

However, both Concubine Imperial and Consort Xi couldn't care less.

No matter what she thinks, it won't influence the decision of naming an heir.

Regarding her previous arrogance and disdain, the two elders have no inclination to hold it against her.

In terms of status, the first-born princess, being of the main line, is indeed esteemed.

Following the First Princess's departure, it was indeed the case that neither the Imperial Concubine nor the Virtuous Consort had an audience with the Empress.

Not finding anyone, they decided to return home.

The queen now barely consumes enough food to stave off starvation.

She pared down everything necessary for survival: eating, drinking, sleeping.

Due to her prolonged bedridden state, she was no longer able to attend to her personal hygiene unassisted.

Despite being surrounded by attendants, she refused to endure such humiliation.

Back when she first fell, she had lain in bed for months, knowing she would eventually recover.

But now, with the realization that she would never fully heal, she found no peace in her convalescence.

As night fell, the pain in her lower back and abdomen made proper rest impossible.

In the sleepless hours, her mind wandered. Reflecting on her life from her natal family to the present, she couldn't help but feel that everything she had done over the decades was wrong.

Not a single action seemed right.

And so, the resentment grew.

She resented the heavens for their injustice, the emperor for his indifference, the Qin Prince for his incompetence.

Most of all, she despised herself for her own inability to persevere.

These thoughts tugged at her mind, making her disinclined to see anyone.

Unable to see her own reflection, she was unaware of the extent to which her face had wasted away in just a few days, her once plump cheeks now sunken, revealing deep eye sockets.

No longer does she bear the grace that once befit a queen of the land. In these past six months, she has seldom ventured outside her quarters.

At least one can still move. Yet these mere five or six days feel like they've dragged on for half a decade or more.

She has undergone a remarkable transformation.

Ruyi knelt before the couch, gently wiping the Empress's face. The Empress didn't stir at all.

Ruyi had been enduring just as much these past few days. After all, she had grown up serving the Empress. Even though the Empress had punished Truffle before, Truffle was still by her side now.

Any resentment she might have held before paled in comparison to the Empress's current state. What was there for her to complain about?

In the end, if the Empress was in trouble, they were all rootless duckweeds. At their age, what prospects did they have left?

No matter how she thought about it or what actions she took, the current situation was simply too despairing.

How could it have come to this?