The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 798 - 798 371 Tormenting the Concubine (Third Watch)

Chapter 798: 371 Tormenting the Concubine (Third Watch) Chapter 798: 371 Tormenting the Concubine (Third Watch) “Your Majesty, did you call for your servant?”

Eunuch Wei came in from outside carrying a basin of water. He had earlier gone to the nunnery’s small kitchen to prepare hot water for His Majesty. After serving the Emperor for so many years, he knew that the Emperor was about to wake up.

Even if he did not wake up, he would have to wake up the Emperor. After all, the morning court session awaited.

“Your Majesty?”

Eunuch Wei entered the room and suddenly realized that the atmosphere was a bit strange. He glanced at the Emperor and then at Concubine Jing.

Uh….

Was it his illusion?

It seemed like something unpleasant had happened between the two. The Emperor’s face was icy cold, and Concubine Jing also did not look well.

“You-Majesty?”

Eunuch Wei softened his voice and cautiously walked over with the hot water.

The Emperor was holding his forehead. He was still somewhat dizzy, as if there was a chunk of cotton stuffed forcefully into his brain.

Eunuch Wei plucked up the courage to glance at Concubine Jing again. She was just staring at the Emperor in silence, as if shocked by his appearance. Eunuch Wei thought, could it be that the Emperor had a severe headache? It even scared Concubine Jing.

Eunuch Wei knelt down and put the hot water on the floor beside him, whispering, “Your Majesty, do you have a headache? Shall I summon the imperial doctor?”

The Emperor dropped his hand from his forehead, “No need, it’s time for the morning court session.”

Eunuch Wei was shocked by the Emperor’s unfamiliar tone. He glanced at Concubine Jing without making a sound. This morning… was indeed weird.

The Emperor finished washing up and returned to the Huaqing Palace to change into his Dragon Robe for the court session.

Wet Nurse Cai was released. It was an order issued by the Emperor last night, so no one hindered her.

She stumbled out of the Huaqing Palace’s punishment room. Seeing the Emperor, she rejoiced and respectfully bowed, “Your humble servant greets Your Majesty…”

The Emperor passed by her with an emotionless face.

Wet Nurse Cai was taken aback.

If His Majesty had released her, it meant he believed in Concubine Jing. Why was he so indifferent to her?

With all her injuries, Wet Nurse Cai hurried back to the nunnery.

Concubine Jing sat quietly in her meditation room. Two vials, one black and one white, sat on the small table next to her. Both vials were overturned, and pills were spilled from the openings.

“Oh my! How did the medicine fall! It took so much effort to buy them! There won’t be any more if we buy again!” Without even having the time to greet, Wet Nurse Cai hurried over to gather the pills back into their respective vials.

While collecting, she glanced at Concubine Jing and noticed her vacant expression. Coupled with the Emperor’s indifference towards her in the morning, she felt a sudden surge of unease, “Concubine Jing! Could it be…has His Majesty discovered it?”

Concubine Jing didn’t speak. She just clenched her fists and closed her eyes.

Wet Nurse Cai knew her mistress too well. This made her face turn even paler, “If it’s not discovered…then…then…”

Then what?

Was the medicine ineffective or was the wrong medicine given?

Either of the two would lead to terrible consequences.

When that incident happened years ago, it almost caused him to break ties with her mistress. Through the medicine, he gradually forgot all the wrongs done to her mistress and reconciled with her. But if he recalled… if he remembered!

“Eunuch Wei.”

After the court session, sitting in his sedan chair, the Emperor suddenly spoke up, “Did I forget something?”

“Huh?” Walking next to the sedan chair, Eunuch Wei looked at the Emperor and asked, “Which matter is Your Majesty referring to?”

“If I remembered, why would I ask you?” The Emperor said impatiently.

“Ah…” But I don’t know what you are asking about either.

The Emperor furrowed his brows, pressing his forehead and pinching his temples. He felt as if he had forgotten something significant, but why couldn’t he remember it all of a sudden?

“Your Majesty, will you go to the nunnery?” Eunuch Wei asked.

“Why should I go to the nunnery?” The Emperor asked.

This question left Eunuch Wei dumbfounded. Didn’t you know what you had to do at the nunnery?

The Emperor remembered that he went to visit Concubine Jing yesterday.

He asked puzzingly, “Isn’t Concubine Jing at the nunnery outside the palace? I remember that the Empress Dowager banished her from the palace. How did she come back?”

Eunuch Wei was so shocked that he was at a loss for words: “Your Majesty… Did you drink alcohol last night?”

“What’s wrong?” The Emperor frowned.

Eunuch Wei said, “Are you still drunk? Have you forgotten that it was you who brought Concubine Jing back to the palace?”

The Emperor looked confused: “I brought her back to the palace?”

Eunuch Wei nodded: “Yes, Concubine Jing fell and was severely injured at the nunnery. After visiting her, you worried about her safety, so you brought her back to Huaqing Palace. You even ordered a small nunnery to be built in the palace for her to often accompany the ancient Buddha under the glow of green lanterns.”

“Was there such a thing…” The Emperor tried to remember, but his head hurt whenever he did. There seemed to be some fragmented images, so Eunuch Wei was not lying.

What he didn’t understand was why he did this. It was against the rules.

Even though Concubine Jing was his birth mother…

Yes, she was his birth mother.

The birth mother who had raised him.

It was only right for him to respect her.

Yes, it was right.

The Emperor was hit by another sudden headache.

He felt something wasn’t entirely right about his birth mother. She… She… She what?

Yes, she had punished him and Ning An!

During the bitter winter, just because he and Ning An sneaked out to pick a few pomelos, his birth mother punished them by forcing them to kneel in the icy snow.

But that day was Empress Dowager’s birthday, he and Ning An went to the Cold Palace only to gift her a bag of silver charcoal and a few pomelos.

She punished them, and Ning An fell seriously ill because of it.

“She punished me and Ning An.” The Emperor said suddenly.

“Huh?” Eunuch Wei was taken aback.

The Emperor said, “On that snowy day, Ning An and I just went to give something to the Empress and got punished by kneeling in the snow all night…”

The Emperor sighed, “She was so afraid of us getting close to the Empress.”

Eunuch Wei was stunned.

This Empress must have been the Empress Dowager during her youth.

He remembered the Emperor telling him about this before, but the Emperor used to tell it differently.

“In the freezing cold, she tricked Ning An into delivering her items, a trick that made Ning An seriously ill when his birth mother punished him for it! The wicked woman, she’s never happy when others are doing well!”

Those were the Emperor’s exact words.

But why did the narrative change now?

What else could have jolted his Majesty’s memory?

When the Emperor realized his headache had subsided, he turned to look at Eunuch Wei beside him, “What was it you said just now?”

N-No, Nothing.” Eunuch Wei felt something must have affected the Emperor. He was speaking gibberish. He would need to ask the young physician if the Emperor was ill, or if he might be possessed.

As Eunuch Wei planned when to leave the palace and find Gu Jiao, surprisingly, Gu Jiao came to visit the palace.

Having run into Gu Jiao in the Imperial Garden, Eunuch Wei’s eyes brightened, “Miss Gu!”

“Eunuch Wei.” Gu Jiao greeted him.

Eunuch Wei smiled, “How did you come to be in the palace? Did you come to visit his Majesty?”

Gu Jiao said, “I came to visit my godmother.”

“Ah…” Eunuch Wei laughed nervously yet politely, “how could I forget? The Emperor always suspects that the Empress Dowager offended the young physician.”

Seeing him stammer, Gu Jiao asked, “What’s the matter, Eunuch Wei? Is something wrong?”

Eunuch Wei looked around and lowered his voice, “The thing is…I don’t know how to put this, but the Emperor…He…He is somewhat…”

“Eunuch Wei.”

From a distance, the calm voice of Consort Jin resonated.

Eunuch Wei’s heart dropped, he quickly turned around and bowed respectfully, “Consort Jin.”

As the nanny was injured and recuperating in the nunnery, Consort Jin’s companion was a little nun named Hui An.

Consort Jin came towards them, guided by Hui An. Looking at the two, she smiled, “Miss Gu is also here. I was planning to visit the Emperor too. Would you like to come with me?”

“Why not, let’s go together.” Gu Jiao responded.

Eunuch Wei stood with his eyes wide open. Wasn’t she here to see the Empress Dowager?

Consort Jin’s eyelashes quivered. She seemed surprised that Gu Jiao agreed so quickly. She paused for a moment, then smiled, “Let’s go together, then.”

Gu Jiao went with Consort Jin to the Huaqing Palace.

The little nun was excited, looking around in every direction.

Gu Jiao didn’t know what Consort Jin was planning. Before they could exchange more than a couple of sentences, Consort Jin arrived. She was following her to see what Consort Jin intended to do.

She was just keen to observe, not intending to intervene. But sometimes, things don’t go as planned.

When crossing the threshold of the small garden, Eunuch Wei suddenly slipped and ended up bumping against Gu Jiao.

Not wanting to cause Wei to fall, Gu Jiao didn’t dodge.

The Emperor, who had just reviewed a petition in the study, saw Eunuch Wei, who was standing next to Consort Jin, bump into Gu Jiao abruptly. Gu Jiao was clearly hit hard.

She didn’t cry out in pain, but the Emperor could tell the hit was hard.

‘Why did you push Eunuch Wei, Mother?” His face fell.

Consort Jin, who hadn’t moved a single finger, stood there, speechless.