Chapter 136

Chapter 136

The little milk dragon was right by Consort Rong's side, watching the pale-faced Consort, who still hadn’t woken up. The little milk dragon was really worried.

The maids said that Consort Rong's health was poor and she often fell ill. He was scared that one day, Consort Rong might leave him, just like his late mother.

He lay by the bed, his eyes red, his eyelids starting to feel heavier and heavier. He shook his head, trying to fight off the tiredness, but it didn’t work.

The maids were worried he’d catch a cold if he fell asleep there, so they tried to get him to sleep somewhere else, hoping Consort Rong would be awake by the time he woke up.

But the little milk dragon was so exhausted he wouldn’t let anyone take him away. He clung tightly to Consort Rong’s hand, refusing to let go.

The maids didn’t dare force him to leave, so they brought over a small blanket to cover him up.

"Consort Rong!" the little milk dragon suddenly exclaimed with joy.

Consort Rong’s fingers twitched slightly, as if she was about to wake up. This instantly snapped the little milk dragon out of his drowsiness, and he called out excitedly, his eyes shining like little stars.

Su Yi opened her eyes, taking a moment to figure out where she was. She turned her head and saw the delighted little milk dragon.

"It’s Baocheng," she said softly, her eyes softening, and she smiled gently, happy to see him as soon as she opened her eyes.

"Consort Rong, you're finally awake," the little milk dragon said. At first, he was overjoyed, but then his nose started to tingle. He sniffled, his voice muffled.

While Consort Rong was still unconscious, he’d been watching her, terrified she might never wake up.

"Did I scare you?" she asked gently, reaching out and gently patted his head.

The little milk dragon's eyes were red, his throat felt tight, and he nodded hard.

"Come here," Su Yi said, shifting over a little. She lifted the blanket and patted the spot next to her.

The little milk dragon wiped his eyes and prepared to climb up, while Qinxin quickly helped him take off his shoes.

The little milk dragon lay down beside Consort Rong. He had been frightened by her illness and unconsciousness.

Now, lying close to her, in her embrace, the little milk dragon no longer felt like crying. He lay still, not daring to move, but his heart was filled with excitement.

Such opportunities were rare.

He had never seen his mother since he was young. To him, Consort Rong was like a mother—gentle and comforting.

Su Yi gently patted the blanket, "Children shouldn't stay up late. Go to sleep, and let Consort Rong watch over you," she said.

The little milk dragon was already very tired. He had only perked up because she had just awakened. Now, relaxing again, he couldn't help but yawn.

Though he wanted to talk to Consort Rong a bit more, he couldn't resist the overwhelming drowsiness and soon fell asleep.

Qinxin, who was standing by, whispered, "Consort, should we take the Crown Prince away while he's asleep? That way, you can rest later."

Su Yi shook her head slightly, "It's fine, let him sleep."

At this moment, being able to get so close and take advantage of the situation, why would she push him away?

"What happened to me?" Su Yi asked softly, covering the little milk dragon's ears with her hand.

Although she already knew the reason, Su Yi had to go through the motions. Not asking would seem abnormal.

It was also quite interesting to hear what excuse they would use to deceive her.

Qinxin recalled what the imperial physician had said and repeated it to Her Ladyship, explaining that the tonic she drank in the afternoon was too strong for her weak constitution, and it would be best to avoid such things in the future.

Su Yi responded with an immediate glare, clearly annoyed, "I already said, don’t take supplements without reason. I told you not to drink it, but you said it would be a waste of kindness. After drinking it, I ended up vomiting."

She seemed to recall the experience with lingering fear, clutching her chest.

Qinxin: "..." She even used 'ye' (a term of respect for the Emperor), it seems Su Yi is really resentful.

"Why isn’t the Emperor here now? I thought I saw him earlier. He must be feeling guilty now," Su Yi said, holding her chest to calm her breathing, not hesitating to mock him.

Hearing this obvious jab at the Emperor, both Qinxin and Yun Hua dared not respond and lowered their heads.

Su Yi didn’t need their response anyway; she just took the opportunity to mock him when she could.

Of course, that scoundrel would feel guilty.

Su Yi touched her stomach, "I’m feeling a bit hungry."

Then she gently got up, careful not to disturb the sleeping little milk dragon, and prepared to go out to eat.

Before, she had intentionally teased others, but this time she couldn’t possibly tease the little milk dragon.

Su Yi’s double standards were quite something else.

As she got out of bed, her body swayed slightly, prompting Qinxin and Yun Hua to immediately step forward to help her. Su Yi gently pushed Yun Hua away, saying softly, "I’m not that weak; Qinxin’s support is enough."

"Yes, Your Ladyship," Yun Hua paused slightly, then stepped back, her eyes flickering with a hint of pain as she lowered her gaze.

Qinxin was somewhat surprised by Su Yi’s indifference towards Yun Hua—not exactly cold, but seemingly less attentive.

She had experienced this treatment before and understood it well, as she had overstepped her boundaries.

What about Yun Hua this time?

But Qinxin didn’t dwell on it too much, as she had other concerns. Su Yi’s thoughts and intentions were hard to decipher.

The warm porridge was quickly brought in, sprinkled with some minced meat to make it more flavorful, and garnished with scallions.

Su Yi slowly sipped the porridge, listening to Qinxin recount what had happened after she fainted.

Qinxin mentioned that the Grand Empress Dowager had felt unwell after Su Yi left and summoned the imperial physician. The prescribed medicine didn’t help, and now she needed to rest quietly.

"She also said..." Qinxin hesitated, "that it was because Her Ladyship passed her illness to the Grand Empress Dowager, which caused her to fall ill."

Su Yi: ...

Did she really cough and infect the Grand Empress Dowager?

If she could really infect someone, the first person she’d target would be Kangxi.

Su Yi’s expression was complicated, wanting to say something sharp but ultimately just letting out a cold "Oh."

"Your Ladyship, don’t worry. Your illness and the Grand Empress Dowager’s are completely different. Those are just baseless rumors. Please don’t take them to heart," Qinxin reassured, worried that Su Yi might be troubled by these claims, which could slow her recovery.

"Thank you, Qinxin. Your words do make me feel better," Su Yi smiled, indicating that she was truly fine.

It’s not bad to have the image of a sickly person deeply ingrained.

It’s convenient for a lot of things, but whether it’s harmful or not is a different story.

Right after Su Yi rinsed her mouth, she saw the prepared medicine placed aside, still steaming hot. It would need to cool down a bit before drinking, and this was the perfect time to sit and let it settle.

How considerate.

Su Yi hesitated...

"I think I don’t really need it," Su Yi said, pushing the bowl of medicine further away.

Her face turned sour.

Here we go again, the dread of traditional Chinese medicine taking over.

Having it once is one thing, but having it repeatedly is a whole different story!

"Your Majesty, look, I’ve got some preserved fruits," Qinxin said, holding a jar. "All prepared." She seemed fully prepared.

Then she pointed to the inner chamber.

This was a hint that the little prince was still around.

Even asleep, if the little prince heard Her Majesty was skipping her medicine, he’d wake up and make sure she drank it.

Su Yi finally caught on, slumping on the table in frustration, lightly pounding it with her fist.

She even had to hold back her strength, so her pounding made no noise.

So that’s why she didn’t show up—just to let her see the little milk dragon right away.

It was all a setup!

To stop her from dodging the medicine.

"This isn’t going to make me throw up again, is it?" Su Yi said with a look of despair, scratching the tablecloth with her nails.

The medicine was fine, no tricks, but knowing that doesn’t help.

She still had to put on an act.

Without this act, all the secrecy would be pointless, and they’d need to be sure she didn’t suspect anything.

She just figured vomiting meant her body couldn’t handle the medicine, and the discomfort would go away after throwing it up.

That’s enough.

This is for the best.

"No, Your Majesty, the imperial physician oversaw this himself. You know how skilled he is," Qinxin comforted her skillfully.

Then she added, "At worst, it’s just a little bitter."

She was just being honest.

Su Yi grumbled, "You could’ve left that last part out."

After finally convincing Her Majesty to down the whole bowl and settle down to sleep, Qinxin sighed in relief.

Finally, it’s over.

She couldn’t help but think that when the Empress was unconscious, she looked as serene as a celestial being, making people unconsciously breathe more carefully.

But once she woke up... she couldn’t stop talking.

Yun Hua had been quietly working since earlier, not interrupting, unusually quiet, unlike her usual self.

Qinxin glanced at her, seeming about to say something, but ultimately, she remained silent.

Maybe things will improve over time.

After all, she’s still serving the Empress.

Su Yi was holding the little milk dragon, playfully teasing it, and couldn’t help but laugh even in her sleep.

Meanwhile, things were quite different in the Cining Palace.

The Grand Empress Dowager had been unable to sleep, her migraine kept her from resting peacefully, at most she could only manage a light sleep.

Even in this light sleep, she could feel her head throbbing with pain.

The imperial physicians were completely stumped. They’d tried everything, but nothing worked.

Even if the Grand Empress Dowager felt like venting her frustration at the physicians for not being diligent, she didn’t have the strength.

After all, the physicians' skills were usually well recognized, but now, all of them were at a loss.

Even the imperial doctors had no solution.

It was incredibly frustrating.

She could only urge them to try again.

At first, the imperial physicians thought the Grand Empress Dowager was faking it, and doing a convincing job, but later it seemed she was genuinely ill.

It was just really tricky. They’d tried everything, but nothing helped.

After some time, the migraine gradually subsided, and the exhausted Grand Empress Dowager had no energy left for the physicians.

She sent them away so she could rest.

But not long after the physicians had left, just as they were settling down to rest, the people from the Cining Palace called them back again.

The group rushed over as if it were an emergency, only to find the same situation again.

Then the Grand Empress Dowager's headache stopped again, and she no longer needed them.

After being called back repeatedly, the physicians were understandably frustrated, but they kept it to themselves.

Although Suma Lagu personally saw them off and explained the reason, hoping they wouldn’t hold it against her.

But the physicians, who had been called back two or three times, hadn’t slept all night and were completely drained, and it was hard not to harbor resentment.

So they snuck back to catch some sleep.

Well, the Cining Palace came calling again.

The physicians fumed silently as they rushed back to the Cining Palace.

Sure enough, it was the same thing again.

At this moment, the imperial physicians, who had been up all night, noticed the Grand Empress Dowager's spirits weren't much better either.

This couldn’t go on; if the Grand Empress Dowager didn’t collapse, their old bones would be worn out from all the commotion.

So they suggested using a sedative tonic, which would ensure she wouldn’t wake up even if someone shouted nearby.

Frequent use of such tonics could make one drowsy, but using them occasionally was still feasible.

The Grand Empress Dowager, plagued by migraines, agreed.

She was old, and having hardly slept all night, her mind felt foggy, and she grew exhausted just trying to focus.

She couldn’t focus at all.

Earlier, she’d been thinking about Consort Rong’s situation, not trying to solve it all at once but taking it step by step.

But now, with her migraine raging, how could she even think about that?

She just wanted to sleep as soon as possible.

Thanks to the medicine, the Grand Empress Dowager finally got some rest.

The imperial physicians finally got a chance to rest, at least for now, without worrying about being called back to the Cining Palace.

None of the imperial physicians were young anymore; after being up all night, their eyes were bloodshot and dark circles hung beneath them, suffering not just the Grand Empress Dowager but them too.

Kangxi stopped by to check on the Grand Empress Dowager while she slept.

However, he didn’t stay long, just offered a few kind words to Suma Lagu, who was taking care of her, told the servants to look after her and call the imperial physicians if necessary, and sat for a while.

He didn’t stay to tend to her, citing pressing state matters as his reason to leave.

Suma Lagu was surprised the Emperor didn’t stay to care for the Grand Empress Dowager.

In the past, whenever the Grand Empress Dowager was ill, the Emperor would stay by her side for days.

Until her condition improved.

But this time, he just stopped by, offered a few words of concern, and left.

Though the Emperor’s demeanor seemed unchanged.

——

"Ding" "Ding—" The wind chime decorated with feathers hung by the window, chiming pleasantly whenever the breeze blew.

Su Yi would pause to listen to the wind chime, and it lifted her spirits.

Qinxin said, "Your Highness, the sound of this wind chime is so beautiful." Its occasional chime added a bit of cheer, brightening the room.

"Indeed," Su Yi replied with a smile, "Being ill is so boring, this wind chime tickling my ears is a way to pass the time."

Whenever the wind chime rang, she indeed seemed to be in a good mood.

However, while she found the wind chime a pleasant distraction in her boredom,

In the Cining Palace, the Grand Empress Dowager wished to hear no sound at all, and the servants had to tread lightly, making no unnecessary noise.

Otherwise, it was highly likely to provoke the Grand Empress Dowager's wrath, potentially costing them their lives.

For a while, the servants in Cining Palace were all on edge.

The Grand Empress Dowager's temper grew increasingly irritable. The imperial physicians tried everything, but the Grand Empress Dowager kept complaining of headaches and discomfort.

The headaches disrupted her sleep; she could still fall asleep, but it wasn’t restful. Naturally, sleep deprivation made her temper even more volatile.

Even her mind seemed to have rusted, struggling to function.

While some enjoyed the sound of wind chimes, others couldn’t stand any noise.

Su Yi twirled a strand of hair around her finger, her smile deepening, appearing incredibly gentle.

At her age, whether she could have children was no longer a concern.

But she was quick to worry about whether others could have children, and when it came to meddling in others' lives, she was ruthless, delivering a crushing blow—a devastating blow to any woman in this era.

If it weren’t for Su Yi, this strategy would have worked perfectly.

But Su Yi had no intention of getting pregnant and went along with it.

Her goal was simply to ensure that the scoundrel wouldn’t trick her into drinking contraceptive soup under the pretense of a tonic.

Drinking it once or twice was fine, but doing it regularly was annoying.

Although it had no effect on her, neutralizing it was a hassle.

It was possible, but unnecessary.

After this, she’d avoid future troubles.

Being childless would let her interact with the little milk dragon more freely.

It was perfect for her.

Even so, being manipulated like this left her a bit unhappy, feeling like she was being taken for a fool.

If she wasn’t happy, she wouldn’t let others be too happy either.

She couldn’t touch Kangxi for now, but that didn’t mean others were safe.

Since they insisted on dragging her into this, she couldn’t just do nothing—it would be a waste.

It was tough for her to keep up the act.

It was draining.

Since they watched the show, they had to pay for it.

After all, she was the Grand Empress Dowager.

If she had the time to meddle like this, she must be living too comfortably.

It’s better not to overthink; it’s not good for you.

It’s only fair to return the favor—if you stir the pot, you’ve got to face the consequences.

Su Yi happily tapped her foot to the rhythm of the wind chimes.

The little milk dragon had an identical one too.

During her recovery, the little milk dragon would visit her every day, and the wind chimes were made during those times, crafted together.

It's only natural to hang them up and enjoy the sound of the wind chimes, isn’t it?

Absolutely no hidden meaning aimed at Cining Palace, of course.