Among Huayang's four maids, Chaoyue is the strongest and bravest, and is the easiest to remain calm when encountering accidents.
Thinking back to when they were in Lingzhou, Chen Jingzong went out hunting for the first time and came back over the wall. He listened to the sound in the moonlight and thought it was a thief. After being shocked, he immediately ran to the kitchen and grabbed a kitchen knife.
Besides, she is the only one among the four who can swim.
After falling into the ice with the princess, Chaoyue panicked for a moment, then held her breath and tried to find the princess.
It was just too dark underwater. Chaoyue saw a shadow swimming over, and what he grabbed into his arms was actually the princess's heavy cloak that had been soaked in water.
Then Chen Jingzong jumped down.
Seeing the prince consort rescuing the princess, Chaoyue quickly pulled up her cloak and emerged from the water, using her hands and feet to climb onto the relatively solid ice next to her.
Seeing that she was able to save herself, Chen Jingzong immediately carried Huayang ashore, grabbed his taken-off outer robe and wrapped Huayang tightly.
Chao Yun's screams and cries for help alarmed two patrolling eunuchs.
Upon learning that it was Princess Huayang who fell into the water, a young eunuch quickly took off his outer robe and helped put it on the shivering Chaoyue.
Chaoyue didn't care about herself. Seeing that the prince consort was carrying the princess towards the Qifeng Palace, she asked Chaoyun to report to the emperor and his wife, and she went to chase the prince consort. It was so dark, and the prince consort was not familiar with the palace, so she was afraid that the prince consort would get lost.
Huayang, who was lying on Chen Jingzong's back, was almost wrapped into a ball by him, with all his hair covered and only a pair of eyes exposed.
She was already frozen and dumbfounded. She only knew that Chen Jingzong was carrying her on his back. He was running so fast that his shoulders were shaking, and everything she could see was shaking.
In the end, all Huayang could see were the swaying lanterns in a line.
Rushing all the way into the Qifeng Palace, the palace servants they met on the way were divided into three groups. One group went to the Imperial Hospital to call the imperial physician, one group went to the water room to get hot water, and one group went to the kitchen to make ginger soup.
In the inner hall, Chen Jingzong did not allow anyone to come in and did not close the door. He rushed to the bed and rudely pulled off Huayang's wet clothes and stuffed her into the quilt. Because the emperor and others would surely arrive soon, Chen Jingzong helped Huayang put on a set of undershirts as quickly as possible, then he hugged her and the quilt in his arms, rubbing her shoulders and back with his hands.
Huayang was shaking non-stop, tears were falling uncontrollably, and he advised him tremblingly: "Go get a blanket and wrap yourself up, I'm fine now."
She felt bad herself, and also for Chaoyue and Chen Jingzong. If it weren't for her, neither of them would have to suffer this pain.
But who knows who they are, they are the people around her. She is putting herself in danger tonight, and they are the only ones she can trust and use.
Chen Jingzong lowered his head and saw tears all over her pale face.
In the three years since they got married, she only really cried on the night she first arrived in Lingzhou and inexplicably accepted him. She was usually so proud that it seemed as if her neck could not bend. When had she ever shown weakness
"If you really loved me, you wouldn't jump into an ice hole in the middle of winter." He rubbed the quilt fiercely. His hair and eyelashes, which were also wet by the lake water, were covered with a layer of frost, but his eyes were burning with rage.
Huayang was too cold and thought he was just blaming himself for being "playful and reckless" and didn't think much about it.
There was a commotion outside, and the Crown Prince was the first to rush in. He was thirteen years old, and despite his age and the fact that he had practiced martial arts and had exercised his body, he ran as fast as he could, and quickly left behind Emperor Jingshun and Empress Qi, who were dressed in gorgeous clothes.
"elder sister!"
The prince rushed to the bed, panting and looking anxious.
Huayang, who was wrapped in a brocade quilt with only his face exposed, cried even harder when he saw his brother standing so close to him.
She had too many things in her mind, but even though she had two homes, she had no one to confide in. If something went wrong in either home, it could affect the overall situation.
If there was really no better way, why would she take the risk
Huayang is a pampered princess. She doesn't even want to walk on the muddy dirt road when the flood comes. After suffering such a great suffering tonight, she feels cold and aggrieved!
If her father was not lustful, and if her brother would not make mistakes in the future, she would still be that carefree and noble princess.
She trusted Chen Jingzong, but the prince, her father, and her mother were her blood relatives. The more they were in front of her family, the easier it would be to magnify her grievances.
When Emperor Jingshun and Empress Qi arrived, they saw a daughter crying.
Just one encounter and Emperor Jingshun's heart was broken. When had his daughter, whom he had loved so much since she was a child, ever cried like this
"What happened? Why did you fall into the water?"
At a loss as to what to do, Emperor Jingshun asked with red eyes.
Chen Jingzong gave up his seat beside Huayang to Empress Qi, knelt down and apologized, "It is my fault that I did not take good care of the princess. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Chao Yun and Chao Yue had already knelt down beside them.
As soon as everyone's eyes fell on Chen Jingzong, Huayang explained with tears in his eyes, "Father, it has nothing to do with the prince consort. I just went to play on the ice on a whim, and Chaoyue couldn't stop me. In order to protect me, she fell into the water with me. Fortunately, I sent Chaoyun to invite the prince consort, and the prince consort came in time to save me. If he had come a step later, your daughter might never see you again!"
Because of those complicated emotions, Huayang shed tears easily without any need to pretend.
Empress Qi interrogated Chaoyun and Chaoyue again, confirming that what her daughter said was true and that she was not deliberately trying to exonerate the three princes. Empress Qi hurriedly said to Chen Jingzong: "Princess, go to the side hall to rest quickly, don't fall ill."
The emperor and empress were both there, and Chen Jingzong had no chance to say anything to Huayang. He looked at her, bowed and took his leave.
Emperor Jingshun felt sorry for his daughter, so he took his anger out on Chaoyue for failing to dissuade her. However, seeing Chaoyue kneeling there shivering in the cloak of a young eunuch, and the maid who had been with his daughter for more than ten years, Emperor Jingshun did not have the heart to punish her severely and asked Chaoyue to leave.
Huayang leaned in his mother's arms, and his mood became even more complicated when he saw this scene.
Her father, apart from being extremely lustful and pushing many things to the cabinet, was really a good emperor in other aspects.
The palace maid brought ginger soup.
Huayang drank a full bowl of wine clean under the watchful eyes of his father, mother and younger brother.
"Has the gift been sent by the prince consort?" asked Empress Qi.
"delivered."
Huayang instructed, "Send a bowl to Chaoyue as well."
.
The princess can stay overnight in the palace, but the prince consort is not eligible.
Chen Jingzong changed into a robe bestowed by the emperor, put on a cloak bestowed by the emperor, and left the palace with his father and mother.
They couldn’t say much in the palace, so after leaving the palace, Chen Tingjian asked his son to ride in the car with them.
"What exactly happened? How is the princess now?" Sun asked anxiously.
Chen Jingzong lowered his eyes and said, "I was playing around for a while and fell into the ice. With so many doctors watching over me, I think I'll be fine."
Chen Tingjian stared at his son: "The princess is not a playful person."
Chen Jingzong sneered and looked at him and said, "If she hadn't gone to the ice for fun, who would dare to push her? Or do you suspect that I pushed her on purpose?"
When Sun heard this, she glared at her husband and said, "The princess fell into the water, and the fourth son was also scared. Stop imagining nonsense!"
Chen Tingjian certainly would not suspect that his son Panpan pushed the princess. He just felt that something was wrong, but he really couldn't find any other reason that could have caused the princess to fall into the water.
Sun was worried. It was so cold, and the princess was such a delicate person...
But her husband and son looked so unhappy that Sun didn't want to say anything more and make them anxious.
The next morning, Chen Tingjian, Chen Bochong and Chen Jingzong were going to attend the morning court. Sun, along with Yu Xiu and Luo Yuyan, also came to the palace to ask to see the princess.
The imperial court would hold court meetings at the end and beginning of each year. No matter how worried Emperor Jingshun was about his daughter, he had to attend the court meetings.
Normally, at the first court meeting of the new year, the emperor and his ministers should cheer up and hope for a good start.
But today every minister could see clearly that Emperor Jingshun looked haggard and absent-minded.
As soon as the morning court ended, Chen Tingjian and Chen Jingzong rushed to Emperor Jingshun to inquire about the princess's condition.
Emperor Jingshun sighed.
Eunuch Ma at the side said uncomfortably: "The princess caught a cold and had a nightmare in the middle of the night. The princess was in agony, and the emperor didn't sleep well all night either."
Chen Tingjian immediately knelt down and blamed himself and his family for not protecting the princess well.
Chen Jingzong also knelt down.
If Huayang had been out of the palace, Emperor Jingshun would have certainly been angry at the Chen family, but his daughter fell into the water in the palace, it was purely an accident caused by playfulness, how could Emperor Jingshun lose his temper at the Chen family? He was not a tyrant.
"Get up, the Lord will go and handle the official business, and the Prince Consort will follow me to visit the princess."
In this way, Emperor Jingshun brought Chen Jingzong to the Qifeng Palace.
Chen Jingzong saw Chaolu and Chaolan who had arrived early in the morning, Wu Run from the princess's mansion, and several friendly young eunuchs.
These were all the elderly people around Huayang. As for the Sun family, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, they had already left after visiting them just now.
Empress Qi and the Crown Prince are both here.
Huayang was lying on the bed, his cheeks flushed with the usual sickness, his nose was stuffy, and his eyes were dark blue.
Chen Jingzong stood behind Emperor Jingshun. Seeing Huayang like this, he pursed his lips and looked concerned, but because of the emperor, empress and prince, he didn't know how to start.
Empress Qi was considerate of her son-in-law and said to Emperor Jingshun, "We can come to see Huayang anytime. Let the prince consort talk to her first."
Emperor Jingshun nodded, but seemed to have forgotten about it. He sat by the bed for another cup of tea before finally following Empress Qi and her son.
Huayang winked at Wu Run who was standing behind the screen.
Wu Runyi retreated with Chaolu and others.
Chen Jingzong sat down beside the bed and reached out to touch Huayang's forehead.
He was full of vigor and vitality, and his palms were warm even in the winter, but at this moment, he was burned by Huayang's forehead.
He retracted his hand, stared at her for a long time, and then asked, "Did you have a nightmare last night?"
Huayang: "Yeah, I dreamed that I fell into the water and no one came to save me."
In fact, she lied. The nightmare was all faked to keep her father hanging. Her father loved her so much, and he would not be in the mood to participate in the beauty contest until she recovered from her illness.
In this regard, Huayang did not feel any guilt for deceiving his father. It was because he was so lustful that he died because of that!
Huayang just felt guilty towards other people who truly cared about her, such as her mother, her younger brother, Chen Jingzong, her parents-in-law, etc.
The nightmare was fake, but the cold was real. Not only was my nose blocked, but my voice was also hoarse.
No matter how angry Chen Jingzong was, he would not settle accounts with her at this time.
"Can you talk to the Emperor and His Majesty and let me stay in the palace?" Chen Jingzong said, touching her red face.
Huayang smiled and said: "This is easy. You will become a eunuch and live in the palace as long as you want."
Chen Jingzong: …
(End of this chapter)