Chapter 440 – Palace Matters After the Faint

Chapter 440 - Palace Matters After the Faint

"Let's have our meal first," Yun Li struggled to suggest.

He Jinli supported her. "Stay on the bed; there's no need to get up."

"I'm delaying our return to the palace," Yun Li said.

"You can go back when you're no longer feeling dizzy. Staying here all the time worries me about your recovery," He Jinli replied.

Yun Li acknowledged his words.

With numerous affairs to attend to, He Jinli left after their breakfast.

The Crown Prince had something to ask, but Yun Li gestured towards Zhi Fu.

Zhi Fu understood and stepped forward to explain the situation.

Her Majesty fainted quite severely, it's better if I take care of it myself.

The prince, having received the answer he desired, left first. He was busy too, and this matter required his attention for further investigation.

After six days of rest, Yun Li no longer experienced dizziness; even shaking her head caused no discomfort.

As for the scar on her forehead, it was smaller than anticipated, still a brown scab that concealed any further details.

Her aftereffects weren't just dizzy spells—her entire body ached from the fall, thankfully without any broken bones.

However, it was evident that she had a rib fracture.

The imperial physician simply stated that she had suffered a collision.

Such an injury could only be nursed back to health.

She was fortunate to have survived relatively unscathed. Had her ribs been fractured and pierced her organs, there would have been no other outcome but death in these times.

Not only was she lucky, but Zhi Fu and Yin Cha were as well.

Before their return to the capital, Zhi Fu visited Yin Cha and Zhu Ding: "Her Majesty has instructed you both to rest and not to worry. She'll come for you when your injuries stabilize. You won't have to spend the winter here."

Now, the more pressing concern was Yinzha. Though Zhu Dian's leg injury was severe, it would mend with rest. It was a dislocation, not a fracture.

Unfortunately, Yinzha had developed complications. She experienced bouts of dizziness, and even after six days, she remained immobile and in a general state of unease. Her appetite had also vanished.

Yun Li deduced that perhaps there was a blood clot from the impact to her head, putting pressure on her retina.

Thus, she decided to leave one imperial physician behind.

Yun Li stated bluntly, "If you can't heal them, then you're no imperial physician."

The imperial physician hastily agreed.

"The injury to Princess Yincha is more severe. Regardless of what medicine or method, you must save her life. My palace is not abandoning them by not taking them along; it's merely out of concern for their well-being during the journey. If they haven't shown any improvement by the time my palace sends someone to fetch them, you, as an imperial physician, will have to weigh the consequences yourself."

Superfluous words were unnecessary. To someone who was utterly loyal, saving their life was a given.

The imperial physician didn't dare to say anything else but promised to do his utmost – how could he afford not to?

Yun Li left behind a substantial amount of money. After all, the imperial retreat was not the same as the palace; sometimes, if something was lacking, one had to go out and buy it, instead of waiting to die.

By the time they set off, it was already clear that the Empress was behind it.

The Empress's suicidal tactic indicated that she didn't plan on making it seamless in the first place.

The Xie family had not been involved. It was obvious that the Empress was prepared to take the fall, regardless of success or failure.

She had calculated well: with the Princess as well as Prince Qin involved, He Jining wouldn't dare to massacre the entire Xie family.

Moreover, the Princess and Prince Qin would not be implicated; after all, He Jining was a loving father, and would never harm his own children.

Thus, she truly acted without any fear or constraint. Perhaps there was even a touch of madness in her desire for a swift resolution. If the Emperor were to sentence her to death at this moment, the Crown Prince's wedding would have to be postponed.

The people of the world would not care about such matters. If you didn't observe mourning for your stepmother, you were deemed unfilial.

In a way, she had accounted for every possible outcome.

As the Empress, even if she were paralyzed, she could still carry out her plan.

The coachman and his entire family were under the control of the Empress's men; refusal meant death for them all.

He had drugged the horse, meticulously timing its effects to occur precisely on this stretch of road.

Kerosene had been prepared beforehand as well; he hadn't planned on surviving the ordeal.

Fortunately, Commander Song and his team were swift in their response. Had that frenzied horse managed to run another mile or so, it would have faced a sheer cliff on one side and a deep ravine on the other. A plunge there would have meant certain death.

The Emperor's carriage moved at a sluggish pace. Yun Li had been sleeping more and eating less, visibly losing weight each day.

This caused both the Emperor and the Crown Prince immense distress, yet they were powerless to do anything. Her return to the palace was crucial for her to rest and recuperate properly.

By the time the royal carriage arrived back in the capital, it was already late September.

Word had spread about the incident involving Empress Xiaoxian. Some even whispered that perhaps the consorts of the Chongzheng dynasty had an unfortunate affinity with horses, for misfortune always seemed to strike when they encountered them.

However, such remarks were only spoken in hushed tones behind closed doors; no one dared to voice them openly.

Given the large number of witnesses, it was impossible to keep the incident entirely hidden. Still, He Jinli seemed to subtly manipulate the dissemination of information, directing people's attention towards the main palace.

Aware that the Empress was involved, everyone became cautious.

Upon returning to Jade Channel Palace, Zushu and Luyu rushed over.

Luyu had not yet completed her month of postpartum confinement; it had only been twenty-odd days. She appeared plumper.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" she asked, tears streaming down her face as she saw Yun Li's condition.

"I'm fine. How about you? And the little one?" Luyu had given birth to a boy.

"Thank you, Your Highness. Everything is well." Luyu wiped away her tears. "If only this servant could have accompanied you..."

"Enough, you're still in confinement, right? Go back and take good care of yourself. You can come back to serve me only after your month is up," Yun Li instructed.

Luyu waited until Yun Li had changed clothes before leaving.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has already surrounded Fengyi Palace. Everyone's inside. The Princess was also stopped from entering the palace yesterday. All the people from Fengyi Palace have been sent to the Internal Punishment Bureau. The Empress has new servants attending to her. The Xie family members have been summoned to the Ministry of Justice," Zushu reported.

"Mm, I'm sure Prince Qin still doesn't know about this. He must be greatly alarmed by now," Yun Li chuckled softly.

"Well, she deserved it too." Junyu gritted her teeth. "He was innocent, but his mother truly deserved death."

Yun Li smiled softly. "I'll go pay my respects to the Empress Dowager first. I'll rest when I return."

In the Cihuan Palace, everyone was present. The Empress Dowager scolded, "I was just about to send someone to tell you not to come. Look at how thin you've become. It's good that you're back. Take care of yourself properly."

"I've been away for months, so it's only right for me to pay my respects," Yun Li said with a smile.

"I've been on a strict diet, so I couldn't eat much. I'll gain weight gradually as I rest," she explained.

The Concubine Imperial had red eyes. "How did this happen?!"

"It's alright, isn't she fine?" Yun Li smiled.

The Concubine Imperial couldn't reprimand the Empress in public, so she held her tongue.

Others also offered their greetings, and after sitting for a while, Yun Li took her leave. The Empress Dowager dismissed everyone with a wave of her hand.

"The Empress has truly pierced the Emperor's heart," the Empress Dowager shook her head.

"Truly courting death, she isn't afraid of dying, but doesn't she fear implicating her child?" Fan Mammy was speechless.

"What is there to fear? The emperor is kind to all his children. Even if she were to be punished, the child would be unharmed," the Empress Dowager said.

"But what about His Majesty settling scores with the Xie family?" Fan Mammy asked.

"When a person goes mad, they won't concern themselves with such matters," the Empress Dowager shook her head. "The emperor can't let her die just yet because Sixth and Seventh Princes, as well as the Crown Prince, haven't married yet. Just wait, she has worn out the last bit of affection the emperor had for her."

"Yes, death is nothing; being unable to die is true torment," Fan Mammy nodded in agreement.