Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

In the next moment, they sprang into the air and pounced straight at the Empress and Consort Qi. Needless to say, the feral cats had switched targets. Elsewhere, Consort Hua could not help widening her eyes as she stared at everything in front of her, unable to believe it. In fact, plenty of people saw it.

Yet not a single person shouted- “Your Majesty, be careful!” A shrill scream came from behind Consort Hua. It startled Consort Hua, who had been watching the show, so badly that she jumped. Before mistress and servants could even react, a strange palace maid charged out from who knew where.

With terrifying force, she rammed hard into Song Zhi, who was supporting Consort Hua.

“Ah!” Song Zhi cried out as her body lurched forward out of her control.

Worst of all, she did not have time to let go of her mistress’s elbow. That violent pull dragged Consort Hua and Nanny Jiang down with her, and they all crashed forward together.

“Your Highness!”

Song Zhi’s face filled with panic. Once she came to her senses, she hurriedly wrapped her arms around her mistress, using her own body as a cushion to protect her. At once, Consort Hua and her people rolled into a tangled heap. Meanwhile, the Empress and Consort Qi could only watch as the feral cats flew at them.

At last, true fear showed on their faces.

“Get away, go away!”

“Ah! My face-my face!”

Consort Qi looked terrified. Screaming, she flailed her arms wildly, trying to drive off the cats that had leapt onto her. The Empress, who always kept her dignity, fared no better.

“Beasts, get away!”

“Get lost-get away from me!”

Several feral cats swarmed the Empress at once. Furious and frightened, she could only lash out and slap at them, hoping to chase them off. But the more she struck at those cats- the harder they fought back.

“Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty the Empress!”

Qian Qiu and Hui Chun were attacked as well. They could only watch their mistress being mauled, frantic with worry, yet unable to rush in and help. At this moment, the strange palace maid who had rushed out from behind Consort Hua finally arrived. Ignoring her own safety, she threw herself into the fight against the feral cats.

But it was too late. The Empress’s face, neck, and the backs of her hands had already been raked bloody, a mess of torn flesh. All the poise and noble grace of the mother of the nation vanished into nothing, and she looked no different from any other concubine. She never would have dreamed an accident like this could happen.

Pain tore through her whole body, and she wanted nothing more than to faint on the spot.

“His Majesty has arrived!”

The emperor received the news and rushed over at once. The moment he arrived, he saw a scene straight out of hell. The Empress Dowager, who had also hurried over, saw it too- and she nearly dropped dead where she stood.

“Damned it!”

“This is outrageous!”

Mother and son cursed in unison.

“Su Pei Sheng, where are the Imperial Physicians!”

The enraged emperor took it out on others. “Where the hell did they all run off to? Tell every last Imperial Physician to get their asses over here!”

“Your Majesty, the Imperial Physicians are here!”

Seeing them hurrying over, Su Pei Sheng silently mourned for them. Clearly, plenty of people were about to be unlucky.

“Imperial Physician, hurry and check the Empress.”

The person the Empress Dowager cared about most was still her niece. Even though she knew perfectly well that the one who had created this bloody disaster was the Empress, she still could not abandon her. Most likely, she would have to find a way to clean up after her. The Empress Dowager had someone she needed to watch over, and the emperor had someone he cared about as well.

He went straight to Consort Hua. “Shi Lan, how are you?” Seeing her face pale and bloodless, so weak she did not even have the strength to stand, the emperor’s eyes filled with pain. He whirled and shouted at the Imperial Physician, “Imperial Physician Zhang, why aren’t you over here yet?

Get over here and take Consort Hua’s pulse!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Imperial Physician Zhang, who had been about to treat the Empress’s wounds, strode over quickly. The Empress’s expression froze the instant she was about to speak to Imperial Physician Zhang. Disbelief flashed in her eyes. She never would have imagined Consort Hua mattered that much in the emperor’s heart-more than she, the Empress, did.

The moment she realized that, the Empress’s hatred for Consort Hua surged to its peak. Consort Hua had to die. She believed with all her heart that if Consort Hua did not die, she would threaten her position as Empress. More than a dozen Imperial Physicians stepped forward to take pulses and diagnose the consorts.

When the emperor heard that Consort Hua’s fetus was showing signs of miscarriage, he did not hesitate for a second. He scooped Consort Hua up and strode toward the imperial palanquin waiting outside. He carefully set Consort Hua down in the sedan chair and ordered the people at his side, “Su Pei Sheng, you personally escort Consort Hua back. Absolutely nothing can go wrong again!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Su Pei Sheng answered at once.

“Your Majesty!”

Consort Hua clutched the emperor’s hand, her face full of reluctance.

“Be good. Go back and rest first. The child in your belly is what matters.”

The emperor soothed her. “I’ll handle things here, then I’ll go to Yi Kun Palace to see you.”

“Alright. Your Majesty must come.”

“Don’t worry. I promise you.”

“This concubine takes her leave!”

“Go on.”

The emperor watched as the imperial palanquin carried Consort Hua away. His gaze swept over everyone present. At once, he was drawn to Li Si Qi’s distinctive presence. Compared to everyone else’s wailing and crying, she had injuries on her face yet still looked steadfast and unyielding, and that made her stand out even more.

A good temperament! The emperor judged silently, and for some reason he recalled the way she had asked him to raise a child. Maybe this was what it meant to become strong for a child. In that instant, the emperor believed Li Si Qi could raise children well.

He strode to Noble Lady Wan’s side. Finding that she had already fainted, he bent down and picked her up without another word. When he saw the blood on the ground, his dark expression grew even uglier. Ignoring the chaos all around, the emperor carried her away at once.

As for Noble Lady Hui, who was also unconscious, he did not even spare her a glance. Honestly, the emperor was such a jerk! In the end, it was the Empress Dowager who stayed behind to handle the aftermath. The Yan Xi Palace trio.

Their miserable state earned sympathetic looks from the Imperial Physicians.

“Imperial Physician, how is the child in my belly?”

Attendant Jing asked anxiously. “If I take medicine, will it affect the child?”

“Attendant Jing need not worry.”

The Imperial Physician comforted her. “This official will certainly prescribe medicine that will not affect the fetus. These are all superficial wounds. The main thing is reducing inflammation…” After the Imperial Physician reassured her, she finally felt at ease.

The Plum Garden massacre did not calm down just because the consorts were sent back to the palace. This incident was far too vicious. Every single consort in the entire harem had been attacked by snakes and feral cats. The news already shocked the court.

For something like this to happen in the dead of winter was absolutely not an accident. Someone had done it on purpose, trying to murder them. Officials submitted memorial after memorial, urging the emperor to investigate thoroughly. The emperor did not like officials meddling in his harem.

But he also knew the front court and back palace were tightly linked, and he could not ignore their opinions. The Imperial Study! The emperor’s face looked stormy, and coldness radiated off him.

“Reporting to Your Majesty.”

Imperial Physician Zhang bowed and replied, “Consort Hua already shows signs of miscarriage. Although we have preserved the fetus, Consort Hua must remain lying down and focus on nourishing the pregnancy. This official judges that the fetus has suffered damage to its vitality and health. Even if the child is born safely, I fear it will be weak and prone to illness, and will have to be raised with great care.”

“It’s enough that the child can be saved.”

The emperor was not surprised. “If I remember correctly, Consort Hua’s child is about four months along. Can you tell whether it’s a prince or a princess?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, if nothing unexpected happens, Consort Hua’s child is a princess.”

“A princess?”

The beads turning in the emperor’s hand paused. He nodded. “Mm. A princess is fine.

What about the other consorts?”