Layue felt as though she were surrounded by a thick fog, unable to find a way out. She could only wander aimlessly. During this time, she saw many people and many things—some from past lives, some from this one. Later, she could no longer distinguish between what was from a past life and what belonged to this one.
All she knew was that she had lost many, many wishes.
Later, she saw the scene in which she had saved Emperor Jing. At that time, she herself hadn’t understood how she had suddenly found such strength. Fortunately, they had been rescued safely.
She understood deeply that if something had happened to the emperor while she survived, her Shen family would have faced a dire situation.
At the moment she had faced danger, she had been willing to die herself if it meant ensuring the emperor’s safety.
If she died, the emperor would treat the Shen family kindly. But if the emperor had perished, the Shen family would inevitably have been buried alongside him.
Dazed and wandering within this fog, she alternated between moments of clarity and confusion.
Meanwhile, sitting beside the bed, Emperor Jing observed Layue shaking her head and murmuring in her sleep, realizing she was having a nightmare.
He softly whispered soothing words, hoping she would awaken soon.
Layue seemed to truly hear him and gradually calmed down.
Seeing her like this, Emperor Jing furrowed his brows with concern.
Lai Xi, standing nearby, quietly advised, “Your Majesty, it’s already late at night. It seems Lady Zhao Yi won’t wake up tonight. Perhaps you should return to rest. Tomorrow you have the important Heaven-Worshipping Ceremony!”
Others dared not speak so boldly, but as a close attendant, he felt it was his duty to say these words.
Tomorrow’s ceremony was extremely important. His Majesty had already suffered enough today. If he didn’t rest well, any resulting problems could become serious matters.
Seeing that Emperor Jing remained unmoved, Lai Xi continued, “Your Majesty, state affairs and your health must come first!”
Finally, the emperor lifted his head, looked at Lai Xi, and sighed.
“Assign more people here to take good care of her. Notify me immediately the moment Lady Zhao Yi wakes.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. This servant understands.”
Seeing the emperor finally take his advice, Lai Xi exhaled in relief.
Inside the dimly lit room, the decor was extremely simple, with no special decorations. In one corner, a brazier burned a mild incense.
Candles also burned steadily.
Within the golden canopy bed, only the most exalted man in the land could rest.
Yan Che lay flat on the bed, quietly listening to the sound of the rain outside. Before long, he drifted into sleep.
As on countless other nights, he dreamed of that passionate, unforgettable night.
He dreamed of that beautiful, delicate woman, of Yan Lie shouting desperately, and of the deadly blade flashing in an instant. Just as he was about to be startled awake as usual, he saw Shen Layue bleeding continuously.
She shouted, “Your Majesty, quickly grab me, hurry—”
Suddenly, Emperor Jing felt a sense of safety. Perhaps this call had been too comforting, for he merely grunted softly and continued sleeping.
Unexpectedly, he slept all the way until morning.
Even Lai Xi outside was astonished beyond words—his master had not had a nightmare.
The nightmares that had plagued his master for over a decade… had they finally gone?
Lai Xi couldn’t calm his emotions and was filled with excitement.
Inside the inner chamber, Emperor Yan Che’s surprise was even greater.
Since the assassination attempt that day, he had been waking from nightmares every night.
He had constantly felt deeply insecure.
If in the past, the hidden guards had provided him with a sense of security, yesterday’s incident had been unpredictable.
And Shen Layue’s life-risking protection had stirred something deep within him.
After breakfast, Emperor Jing went to visit Layue, but she was still unconscious. Today, he still had the Heaven-Worshipping ceremony to attend, and the next three days would be extremely busy.
By nearly noon, Layue finally slowly regained consciousness. As she tried to move her arm, she immediately felt discomfort.
Pouting slightly, she looked around and realized she was in her inner chamber at the palace lodge.
Jinxin entered after lifting the curtain and, seeing her mistress’s eyes open, was both shocked and overjoyed.
“Your Ladyship, you’re awake! You’re awake! That’s wonderful, wonderful…”
Soon enough, everyone knew that Shen Layue had regained consciousness.
The emperor was currently performing the Heaven-Worshipping ceremony and naturally couldn’t come over.
Also, per the emperor’s instructions, no one was allowed to visit or disturb her rest. Thus, even Empress Qi did not come.
Layue looked at her bandaged arm and asked pitifully, “When can this arm recover?”
Jinxin also felt heartbroken and replied, “The imperial physician said it would take about half a year.”
Layue groaned, “That long?”
Her voice carried a sense of melancholy.
Jinxin nodded, “Indeed. My Lady, are you in pain? Should I call the physician again to check on you?”
Layue looked pitifully—rare for her, “Yes, it hurts. I thought I was going to die.”
Jinxin’s face changed slightly, “My Lady, don’t say such ominous words. How can you say such things? Look, you’re fine now. You’ll always be fine. His Majesty truly cares about you. Yesterday he even said you’re Lady Chun.”
Once spoken, the title was official. Upon returning to the palace, the announcement would be made.
Lady Chun?
Layue twitched her lips slightly, “It seems I’ve gained fortune through misfortune.”
Tears slid down Jinxin’s face as she turned away to wipe them, “Such fortune, I wish you’d never received. What is fortune? Peace is fortune!”
At that moment, Tao’er entered with a basin of water and, seeing her mistress awake, was overcome with emotion and tears streamed down her face.
Seeing the two of them crying, Layue comforted them, “Look at you two—now that I’m better, you start crying. What are you saying? Isn’t this a happy occasion? Smile!”
Seeing their mistress, who had been injured herself, still trying to comfort them, the two wiped their tears and smiled.
Yes, as long as their mistress was safe, that was the best outcome!
Hearing Jinxin’s thoughts, Layue nodded in agreement.
If given the chance again, she would never go through such danger again.
The three days passed quickly. During this time, Emperor Jing bathed, ate vegetarian meals, and prayed for the people’s blessings.
He also stayed in the Buddhist hall, not coming out.
In just three days, Layue’s spirit had somewhat improved.
When Emperor Jing saw Shen Layue fully awake, he gently asked, “How are you feeling, Yue’er?”
Layue wasn’t used to his gentle tone and shook her head to indicate she was fine.
Seeing her laughing and chatting with the palace maids just moments ago, yet now turning into a silent girl upon seeing him, Emperor Jing approached her.
She lay there, her hair disheveled.
“My little girl, how did you find such strength back then?”
It sounded more like self-muttering.
Layue remained silent, staring blankly at him.
He brushed her long hair aside and gazed at her.
“Why aren’t you speaking?”
A tear slid down her cheek.
Seeing her like this, the emperor was puzzled but gently wiped the tear away.
“We’re both safe.”
That was the first sentence she spoke to him.
“Yes, we’re both safe,” he repeated.
“How wonderful!”
Looking at Layue’s satisfied expression, Emperor Jing smiled slightly and softly said, “How wonderful!”
We’re both safe. How wonderful!
The Heaven-Worshipping ceremony ended. Although Layue was injured, she could still move around a little. Thus, everyone set off back to the capital.
Originally, Emperor Jing would have stayed here for a few days according to tradition, but due to Layue’s injury, the return journey was moved up.
After all, there were only two physicians here, and the supply of medicine was limited, which wasn’t good for her recovery.
Because of Layue’s injury, the return journey was very slow, taking five full days.
Upon returning to the capital, as usual, everyone was waiting there.
The palace had already heard of Shen Layue’s injury, though no one except the empress dowager knew the exact details.
Upon returning, Shen Layue was promoted from Jieyu to Zhaoyi, a rare honor. Even a fool could tell that this must be related to her injury.
Perhaps the emperor didn’t care much, but within a day, outsiders learned that Shen Layue had saved the emperor.
Although ultimately it wasn’t her who saved him, without her brief support during that critical moment, the consequences would have been obvious.
Layue returned to Tingyu Pavilion but, due to her weakened condition, received no visitors.
Xing’er and Guo’er cried upon seeing her condition.
But at least everything was fine now.
When no one else was around, Layue softly said, “Send Cuiwen to check my injury.”
Jinxin nodded, “Yes.”
Compared to others, Layue trusted Cuiwen’s medical skills more. After carefully examining the wound, Cuiwen nodded.
“My Lady, rest assured. The wound was treated very well. There’s no need to worry. As for the arm injury, there isn’t much else to do besides rest and recuperation.”
Hearing this, Layue pouted. It seemed she couldn’t recover sooner.
After Cuiwen’s confirmation, Layue sighed.
“My luck is just too bad.”
Away from the palace for over ten days, naturally Emperor Jing had much to attend to, yet even so, he visited Layue daily.
Actually, whether he came or not didn’t really matter to her. But if his visits meant favor, then she still hoped the emperor would come often.
Knowing Layue disliked receiving other palace consorts, Emperor Jing had ordered that no one should visit her unless permitted. Because of this, Layue’s quarters remained as quiet as ever.
If there were any visitors, it was only one person. This time, it wasn’t Zhu Yuning, but rather the eldest prince, Yan Yu.
A few days ago, when the empress dowager came to visit her, she had brought the child along. Seeing her injured state, the young boy rarely spoke some comforting words.
Layue found it amusing.
“By the way, Xing’er, what major events happened during our absence from the palace?”
Upon hearing her question, Xing’er slapped her forehead apologetically, “How careless of me! I completely forgot to tell you such an important matter.”
She had been so shocked by her mistress’s injury that she had forgotten everything else.
Seeing her like this, Layue became curious, “Don’t keep me waiting. Hurry up and tell me!”
Actually, Xing’er wasn’t intentionally delaying; she just tended to speak this way: “It’s Lady Jingpin—Lady Jingpin has given birth to a young prince.”
This truly surprised Layue.
“Lady Jingpin? Wasn’t she only seven months along?”
Xing’er nodded, “Exactly! No one knows why, but she lost her baby’s qi. Four days before your return, she went into labor and endured three full days of labor before giving birth to a little prince. However, I heard that due to the premature birth, the baby is very small and weak.”
Bai Youran wouldn’t have carelessly lost her baby’s qi. It seemed someone had schemed behind the scenes.
However, Layue believed Bai Youran would never let the person who harmed her go unpunished.
“Has the emperor seen the child?”
“I heard he did. This servant heard it, but I’m not sure if it’s accurate,” Xing’er hesitated slightly but continued.
“This servant heard from a palace maid that during the delivery, Lady Jingpin sustained some injuries. It’s feared—feared—that she may no longer be able to serve the emperor.”
Hearing this, Layue was stunned. Injured?
She wasn’t a naive girl; she naturally understood what it meant that she could no longer serve the emperor.
Faced with such a situation, Bai Youran must be heartbroken. After all, how young she was.
“Does she know about this?”
“How could she not know? Such a matter must be told to her. However, Lady Jingpin might consider it a blessing in disguise, as the empress dowager has already allowed the third prince to be raised by her,” Xing’er sighed.
In the palace, there were palace rules, one of which was that concubines ranked below the third degree could not raise their own children.
Layue said nothing.
As a woman herself, she didn’t know what to say.
Although she had kept her distance from Bai Youran since the drowning incident, as a fellow woman, she couldn’t help but feel deeply about this matter.
Seeing her mistress silent, Xing’er added, “It’s said that after the emperor returned, he ordered the Imperial Household Department to remove Lady Jingpin’s name from the list.”
Layue nodded slightly, indicating she understood.
Seeing her expression somewhat gloomy, Xing’er said no more and, with a slight bow, went to attend to her duties.
At this moment, however, Layue had many thoughts. The emperor had just left when Bai Youran encountered misfortune. If not for the premature birth, perhaps her child wouldn’t have been in such a state. A seven-month-old baby would naturally be very weak. Someone must have plotted against Bai Youran.
And taking three full days to give birth, sustaining injuries in the process—Layue had deep suspicions.
If all of this was indeed the result of someone’s secret scheming, then it was truly despicable. Why must women make things difficult for other women? Such underhanded tactics were truly too cruel.
The methods of rivalry within the palace were becoming increasingly vile!
She just didn’t know how the emperor viewed this matter.
“Reporting to Lady, Eunuch Laixi has arrived,” Guo’er said at the door.
“Let him in,” Layue sat up.
Lai Xi still had his usual smiling face: “Noble Lady Chun, His Majesty sent this servant to inform you that tonight he will summon you to attend him. Please prepare accordingly.”
Shen Layue was momentarily stunned. Attend him? In her current condition, that was absolutely impossible!
But apparently, Lai Xi didn’t understand. After delivering the emperor’s message, he turned and left.
Jinxin, who had overheard Lai Xi’s words at the door, looked at her mistress in confusion: “My Lady’s condition is such that she absolutely cannot engage in anything improper!”
Layue calmed herself slightly: “Whatever comes, let it be. I’m sure His Majesty knows what he’s doing. Even if he doesn’t, I will remind him. It’s fine.”
Even the palace maids knew that the emperor never stayed overnight anywhere. Therefore, when the emperor said “attend him,” it likely meant he would stay briefly before leaving.
Just like when Consort Hui had lost her child, the emperor still summoned her. It wasn’t necessarily for anything physical—perhaps just for comfort.
She assumed it would be the same tonight.
In the evening, when Emperor Jing arrived at Tingyu Pavilion and saw that it appeared as usual, he realized they must not have understood his meaning.
“Your servant greets Your Majesty,” several palace maids knelt in greeting.
“How is your mistress today?”
Jinxin replied, “My Lady has improved.”
Emperor Jing nodded and entered the inner chamber.
Seeing his arrival, Layue tried to get up, but Emperor Jing quickly stepped forward to stop her.
“Rest well. Tonight, I will stay here. Have them prepare accordingly.”
Eh?
Layue was stunned!
She was completely dazed!
Seeing her dazed expression, Emperor Jing couldn’t help but smile: “What? Don’t you want me to stay?”
She quickly shook her head: “No, it’s not that, Your Majesty. You’re staying here?”
How could that be possible? In her previous life, even when she died, he had never slept with anyone!
Layue didn’t understand what was happening. She was completely stunned, replying almost on instinct.
He pinched her cheek slightly, and Layue snapped out of her daze, looking at him.
“Your Majesty—” she still couldn’t believe it.
“You little girl, quickly come to your senses.”
Layue was pinched again on the cheek and finally regained her composure.
“Jinxin, Jinxin—”
Hearing her mistress’s voice, Jinxin quickly entered.
“Prepare the bedding. His Majesty will stay here tonight.”
Jinxin was also stunned, but unlike Layue, she quickly composed herself and rushed to prepare.
Emperor Jing chuckled.
Actually, no one else knew, but Emperor Jing himself was aware that his habit of waking up at night had improved a few days ago. Yet, upon returning to the palace, it had recurred. Even he himself didn’t understand why.
Today, on a sudden whim, he thought that the previous few nights without waking must have been because he had dreamed of her not letting go that day.
Since he could no longer dream of that, perhaps staying with her tonight would be the same?
He hadn’t tasted the feeling of sleeping peacefully until morning in a long time. Now that he had tried it, he didn’t want to give it up.
“Why does the emperor want to stay here?” she didn’t understand. Could it really be because she had saved him?
Unconsciously, she voiced her question. Emperor Jing looked at her puzzled expression and explained, “Why can’t I stay here? In the past, I simply disliked having someone sleep beside me—it felt inconvenient. Now, I’m worried about you. Every time I close my eyes, I think of how you looked that day.”
That was a lie! Even the naive Layue understood this.
Yet, she still put on a face of being deeply moved.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage