The Noble Consort is the most favored in the harem

Chapter 128 - Family Incident

Her mind was still a mess when she saw Xia An and Chun Qi bringing in the food.

"Madam, why don't you have dinner first? It's almost noon."

Xia An said to comfort him.

Although Madam Dong had only been in the palace for two hours, she still had to eat.

It wouldn't do to spend these two hours just crying. Lin Wanyi took a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Then, she pulled her mother to sit down at the table. The table was filled, just as Lin Wanyi had promised, with all of her mother's favorite dishes.

"There's no one else here, Mother. You don't need to be formal. Let's be as we were before," Lin Wanyi said gently.

"Yes, yes," Madam Dong responded.

As they spoke, Lin Wanyi served her mother a bowl of soup. The warmth of the soup helped soothe her mother's troubled heart. Madam Dong didn't want to dampen Lin Wanyi's mood, so she waited until they had finished eating and the tea was served. Once everyone else was dismissed and only Chunqi and Xia An remained in the room, Madam Dong took off her bejeweled hairpin, belt, and jewelry and handed them to Xia An.

"The pills inside are to be stored carefully. They were prescribed by the Second Master for the Young Lady, and they are beneficial for her health. Be sure no one finds out about them, or it will cause trouble, understand?" Madam Dong instructed.

"Rest assured, Madam. I will keep them safe," Xia An replied. She opened the secret compartment and began to take out the pills, growing more and more surprised as she did.

There were so many precious items hidden inside. The Dong family had even sent in Yunjian grass, along with a collection of antidote pills. Shocked, Xia An spoke with a hint of unease.

"The Old Master has sent in all of his most treasured items. If something were to happen..."

The Yunjian grass not only detoxifies but also has the power to bring someone back from the brink of death. The Dong family had always planned to keep it for an emergency. But now...

Before Xia An could finish her sentence, Lin Wanyi already understood. She was deeply moved and pained at the same time as she turned to her mother.

"Mother, wasn't this medicine meant to be saved for Grandfather? Why send it to the palace?"

"Don't worry. If your grandfather sent it, he had his reasons. As long as you're safe, and both Xingzhi and Muzhi are well, then I will..." Madam Dong trailed off, her tears intensifying as she mentioned Lin Wanyi's brothers.

Lin Wanyi thought her mother was worried about her eldest brother, so she comforted her, "Big Brother has been assigned to be a personal guard to Prince Si. Don't worry, he won't be in any danger."

"Is that true?"

"This is news that His Majesty had someone tell me, so I don't think it's wrong. Don't worry too much, just keep a closer eye on Muzhi. If the opportunity arises, I'll ask the Emperor to let him attend the Imperial Academy!"

Now that she had some influence with the Emperor, Lin Wanyi felt confident enough to help. However, she had been holding off on mentioning family matters, unsure if the Emperor would agree. If he refused the first time, it would be difficult to bring it up again, so she had been waiting for the right moment.

But upon hearing this, Madam Dong's tears, which had momentarily stopped, started flowing like a flood.

"Qianqian, Muzhi... he..."

Lin Wanyi had been smiling, but upon seeing her mother's pale expression, she grew worried.

"What's wrong? What happened to my brother?"

Suddenly recalling the mention of separating the family earlier, she immediately asked, "Are the people from Ronghe Hall and the West Wing giving you trouble?"

"Trouble! If only it were just trouble! Muzhi was... he was hit on the head by Wang Momo from the second household. He's been unconscious ever since, and your second aunt is doing everything she can to save him. But if... I'm afraid..." Madam Dong couldn't even finish her sentence before she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

Lin Wanyi was utterly shocked, never expecting something like this to happen. She quickly pressed for more information.

"What happened? Mother, tell me!"

Choking with tears, Madam Dong recounted the events at Yuxin Pavillion, explaining everything in detail. When Lin Wanyi heard that Wang Momo had struck her brother with a board, causing his injuries, she was filled with intense hatred toward the West Wing.

"Hmph! For so many years, the second household has never respected our family. Now even an old servant dares to harm my brother. If my elder brother and I were at home, we would never have let this happen."

"Where is Wang Momo now?"

"Wang Momo was killed on the spot by Dong Momo."

"Good! But mother, how did you manage to separate from the Prime Minister's residence?"

"It was through the accounts. I brought all the money that the West Courtyard and Ronghe Hall had extorted from our branch over the years to my father-in-law, which allowed us to break free. Otherwise, I'm afraid Dong Momo wouldn't have survived!"

"So now you're living at Grandfather's house?"

"Yeah, your brother needs to see his injuries, so it's more convenient to stay at home."

Lin Wanyi nodded, her anger undiminished. The people from Ronghe Hall and the West Wing were truly relentless, not satisfied until they drove her family to despair. They had even struck her brother on the back of the head, aiming to take him out completely. Even if he survived, he might end up suffering from lifelong ailments, making it difficult for their family to have any good days ahead.

As she thought this through, a look of determination appeared in her eyes. Since they disregarded her family, she wouldn't hold back her anger towards them anymore. She had long been displeased with her cousin from the West Wing, and now she would let Lin Guifei experience the pain of having her brother victimized as well.

With this in mind, she quickly comforted her mother. "Is my brother's injury serious? Did Second Aunt say there's a chance for recovery?"

"Second Sister-in-law did mention that her gold needle technique might help, but until Muzhi wakes up, we can't be sure of anything."

Lin Wanyi regretted not having learned medicine properly from her second uncle back then. If she had, she might have been able to help now.

"Then should we take the Yunjian grass back? It might be useful for my brother."

"Sigh, your brother's injury is external, and he's already taken the life-prolonging powder. The Yunjian grass won't be of much help to him."

If it were effective, they would have already given it to Lin Muzhi, and Madam Dong wouldn't have gone to such lengths to bring it into the palace.

Xia An had already prepared the medicine, totaling twelve bottles. Including the ones they brought when they first entered the palace, it would be enough for two years' use.

In fact, Xia An knew how to make the pills and had the recipe, but she couldn't obtain the herbs within the palace.

Time flew by, and before long, it was time for Madam Dong to leave the palace. No matter how reluctant Lin Wanyi felt, she could only watch her mother go.

As she was leaving, Eunuch Dong specifically came to inform her that the Emperor had a reward for her.

There wasn't much, just a few rolls of fashionable silk and some common jewelry for women. However, the significance was different.

What other consorts' families received was sent according to palace regulations, but what Lin Wanyi received was a personal reward from the Emperor himself.

Worried about attracting attention, Lin Wanyi cautioned her mother to be careful on the way back.

It was Qin An who stepped forward first, promising to safely escort Madam Dong home.