Once chaos erupts in the palace, there are always those who seek to take advantage of it.
That evening, a servant from Cining Palace came over with a message, saying that the Empress Dowager had summoned Ming Jieyu for a talk.
"Madam Ye and the eldest master of the Chu family have truly contributed a great deal during this plague. The Emperor is preoccupied with state affairs, and it's inevitable that the inner palace gets overlooked. The Empress Dowager specifically invited Ming Jieyu for a chat, and there are some other things she wishes to give her as well."
The palace maid delivering the message kept her head down the entire time, though her tone was respectful and even carried a hint of joy.
"Her Majesty is most gracious, but all of this is what my mother and uncle should be doing. There's no need to reward me for it. Go back and inform the Empress Dowager that I deeply appreciate her kindness, but as it is already late today, I will visit Cining Palace tomorrow to express my gratitude."
Ye Yun smiled, though she was not particularly eager to go. Being summoned so late in the day made her feel uneasy.
The young maid curtsied, "Please, Jieyu, don't make things difficult for this servant. The Empress Dowager is waiting for you at Cining Palace."
As expected, there was no avoiding what was to come. However, Ye Yun could not quite figure out what the Empress Dowager intended, but at this point, she couldn't refuse.
"Let me change my clothes. Nanzhi, you will accompany me, and Baizhu will come as well," Ye Yun instructed.
In case something truly happened, Baizhu, being a eunuch, could quickly run and send a message, while Huiyue stayed behind to guard Yuxiu Pavilion.
Soon, the sedan was prepared.
Since summer days ended late, the sky was only dim, not yet fully dark, so they didn't light the lanterns.
The young maid departed first to report back, leaving only Ye Yun and her servants.
"Jieyu, this servant feels uneasy. Why would the Empress Dowager call you for a chat all of a sudden, especially after what happened earlier?" Nanzhi hesitated to finish, thinking of the recent reprimand.
Ye Yun furrowed her brow. "Calling me specifically, perhaps it's not to give me a hard time. Maybe she wants to win over the Ye family now that we're in the Emperor's favor."
After all, early on, Chen Wanrong had sought to leverage her success, but she had declined.
"Baizhu, you won't enter the palace hall later. Just wait outside. If anything happens, go find the Emperor immediately," Ye Yun instructed.
"Rest assured, Jieyu, this servant knows what to do," Baizhu replied with a bow.
Being chosen to accompany her was a sign of trust. Rising from a rough servant to becoming the chief eunuch of Yuxiu Pavilion hadn't been easy for him.
The group said no more as they made their way to the rock garden outside the imperial garden. Suddenly, they saw a shadow dart behind the rocks.
The sky had grown darker, and no one could see clearly, so the sedan bearers continued forward.
"Wretched woman, your life ends here!"
A palace maid suddenly rushed at them, brandishing a hairpin, stabbing one of the sedan bearers in the shoulder, and then slamming into another.
Both men fell instantly, causing Ye Yun to lose balance and fall heavily from the sedan to the ground.
Her left shoulder throbbed with pain, and her head hit the ground. Falling from such a height, she became dizzy.
"Wretched woman, I'll kill you!"
The palace maid, already crazed, pulled the bloody hairpin out and lunged at Ye Yun.
"Jieyu, watch out!" Nanzhi, having been knocked over herself, threw herself at the maid, grabbing her legs.
The maid staggered and missed her target. The hairpin landed dangerously close to Ye Yun's face.
"Get off! I'll kill you! You've ruined my life, and I won't let you off!"
"Ahh—"
Nanzhi let out a terrible scream as the maid stabbed her in the back with the hairpin, and then violently pulled it out.
"Jieyu, run! Quickly!" Despite the pain, Nanzhi held on to the maid's legs.
Baizhu, who had been caught under the sedan, finally managed to free himself. He grabbed his duster and swung it at the maid's face.
With several strong blows, the maid was forced to retreat. The remaining sedan bearers snapped out of their shock and, along with Baizhu, subdued her.
"Jieyu, are you alright? Don't be afraid, we've got her." Nanzhi, still in pain, crawled over to help Ye Yun up.
Ye Yun's head was spinning from the fall. Although she wasn't bleeding, her shoulder hurt too much to move. She was completely incapacitated.
The commotion eventually drew the attention of nearby servants, and soon a group arrived to bind the attacking maid.
"Jieyu, please forgive me!" Baizhu, unable to let her stand, picked her up.
Though he was a eunuch, he was still strong enough. However, having hurt his leg, he was also struggling to walk.
Back at Yuxiu Pavilion, Huiyue was terrified when she saw them in such a state. She immediately summoned the imperial physicians and sent word to the Emperor and Empress. A guard was also sent to watch over the attacker.
An assassination attempt on a favored consort was no small matter, and soon everyone in the palace had heard about it, with many rushing to Yuxiu Pavilion.
By the time Ning Chen and the Empress arrived, several people had already gathered there.
Aside from Su Wanrong, who hadn't yet served the Emperor, and Wen De Fei, who was tending to the Eldest Prince, as well as the pregnant Yang Baolin, everyone else had come.
"What is going on? How dare someone attempt an assassination in the palace!" Ning Chen was furious.
It was one thing for chaos to reign outside, but for this to happen inside the palace?
Ye Yun was currently in favor, and her family was serving the nation. An attempt on her life at this time would surely tarnish his image as emperor.
"Please, Your Majesty, calm down. The imperial physician has already arrived. Let's first see how Ming Jieyu is doing." The Empress intervened to soothe his anger.
At this moment, it was none other than Shen Pingzhi, the imperial physician, who arrived.
"Your Majesty, Jieyu's left shoulder was badly injured in the fall and seems to be dislocated. Fortunately, there are no fractures. I have already set the bone. With proper care, she will recover in time."
"However, Jieyu also hit her head in the fall, and the injury is not light. This could become a serious issue, so she must be carefully nursed back to health, with the imperial physicians monitoring her daily. Other than that, there are no major concerns."
Hearing that there were no other serious injuries, Ning Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Only he knew how his heart had skipped a beat upon hearing that this woman had been attacked.
"Good. From now on, you will personally attend to Ming Jieyu and check her pulse every day. Also, inform Chief Imperial Physician Zhang to come every three days to Yuxiu Pavilion and treat Ming Jieyu alongside you."
Clearly not fully trusting the younger Shen Pingzhi, he assigned the experienced Chief Imperial Physician Zhang to assist.
The gathered concubines couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness in their hearts.
The Emperor truly favored the Ye family. Chief Physician Zhang usually only attended to the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, or the Empress, yet now he had been appointed to care for Ye Yun.
"Bring forth the attacker! I will interrogate them myself!"
Ning Chen paid no mind to what the others were thinking, as his rage had already reached its peak.
YOU ARE READING
The Enchanting Imperial Concubine
Historical FictionNote: This is a translated novel by me. Title: 贵妃她千娇百媚 Ye Yun was supposed to be the prince's concubine, but due to the sudden death of the late emperor, her entry into the palace was delayed for over a year. She entered the palace with the new bat...
