73: Regaining Grace

Chapter 73 Regaining Favor

"Consort Shu, why are you here?"

Almost two years had passed since Yang Reverse's rebellion.

During these two years, Consort Shu, Yang Huan, had been confined to Yonghe Palace and was not allowed to meet anyone without an imperial decree.

Of course, in these nearly two years, Zheng Yi had never seen Consort Shu, Yang Huan.

Unexpectedly, their meeting today happened under such circumstances?

With the noble status of an imperial consort, she disguised herself as a palace maid. Taking advantage of the grand selection ceremony when the inner court transferred a large number of eunuchs to serve in the Imperial Garden, she quietly came to the Imperial Garden.

The eunuchs guarding Yonghe Palace had also been transferred to the Imperial Garden.

Therefore, she was able to find an opportunity to sneak over.

"Your Majesty, you used to call me Zheng Yuhuan all the time. Why...?"

Yang Huan's eyes were filled with grief as she grabbed the hem of Zheng Yi's trousers.

"Your Majesty, for the sake of this concubine's past affection, I beg you to go and take a look at Princess Yao?"

"Princess Yao? How is she?"

"Since the beginning of winter, Princess Yao has been running a continuous high fever. This concubine, along with Qing'er and Ning'er, has tended to her day and night. However, this concubine could not find an imperial physician..."

"Audacious!"

A flash of coldness crossed Zheng Yi's eyes. Princess Yao was his eldest daughter.

He had confined Consort Shu as a punishment, but Princess Yao was definitely innocent. Why should she suffer such torment?

"Prepare the carriage for Yonghe Palace!"

"Understood!"

"Prepare the carriage for Yonghe Palace~!"

Zheng Yi took Yang Huan's small hand and let her sit on his sedan chair.

"Zheng Yuhuan, you have worked hard."

Yang Huan was inherently peerless in beauty. Normally, she wore cumbersome and noble attire that was dazzling and eye-catching.

But recently, in order to see him, she had actually dressed in palace maid attire, making her look even more youthful and tender.

Zheng Yi's heart stirred. Wasn't this the most ancient uniform temptation?

He immediately embraced Yang Huan on the sedan chair and softly comforted her.

The sedan chair traveled all the way to Yonghe Palace, and all the eunuchs and palace maids along the way saw it.

Many maidens, noble ladies, and imperial consorts also cast sideways glances and continuously knelt down to salute.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty~!"

After Zheng Yi's sedan chair left, many people began to whisper and discuss among themselves.

"Which palace maid is the one held in Your Majesty's arms? What a sudden leap to the heavens!"

"Hush~! That is not a palace maid; that is Consort Shu of Yonghe Palace!"

"Consort Shu? Which Consort Shu?"

"My lady, keep quiet. Consort Shu is the daughter of Yang Reverse and has been confined in Yonghe Palace for two years. Who would have thought she would regain favor by taking this opportunity today!"

"Hiss... Consort Shu can turn things around even like this? The imperial palace is about to undergo a major change again!"

"So what if Consort Shu is formidable? She is the daughter of a criminal official; it is already a great fortune that she can ensure her own safety!"

"Indeed, indeed. Consort Shu is still nothing to worry about."

"However, I suppose those eunuchs and palace maids serving in Yonghe Palace are in big trouble!"

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

"I heard that Kang Dahai, the chief eunuch of Yonghe Palace, privately embezzled Consort Shu's monthly stipend, and even skimped on winter charcoal, warm pots, and hot water!"

"What? This slave is so daring!"

"Heh~! What is that? Kang Dahai only dared to do so because he saw Your Majesty had not visited for over a year. Little did he expect to run into Consort Shu regaining favor."

"Hush... Walk quickly, walk quickly. Do not discuss the matters of our masters."

The palace maids and eunuchs chattered endlessly, while Zheng Yi had already brought Yang Huan into Yonghe Palace.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

The only two remaining palace maids inside Yonghe Palace hurriedly ran out and knelt to pay their respects.

"Gr-Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Two little girls were also kneeling to the side, speaking in a milky, childish voice.

"This is..."

Yang Huan at the side hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, these are Qing'er and Ning'er. They are, they are this concubine's younger clan sisters."

"Yang Xueqing, Yang Xuening. Hurry, Qing'er and Ning'er, come over and pay your respects to Your Majesty."

"Oh~"

Zheng Yi remembered. Back then, he had promised Yang Huan to bring out two young girls. It seemed they were these two.

"Your Majesty Brother, you are so tall~"

"Your Majesty Brother, are you Sister Zheng Yuhuan's husband?"

The two little girls raised their heads and asked innocently. One of them was over five years old and the other was over three years old, exactly the age to arouse pity.

However, they were wearing several layers of thin little clothes, and their little faces were frozen red.

"Be good, Qing'er and Ning'er. I am your brother-in-law~"

Zheng Yi pinched the two little girls' faces, his gaze gloomy.

Ice cold.

Although it was already early spring and the weather was still a bit chilly, the little faces of these two little girls were ice-cold.

Not only that, but when he had just walked in, he felt that the entire Yonghe Palace, inside and out, exuded an icy-cold feeling, not warm at all like the palaces of other imperial consorts.

He glanced at the brazier; it was still ice-cold without a trace of warmth, and there wasn't even any charcoal!

Most importantly, Qing'er and Ning'er's attitude towards him did not show any resentment or the like.

It seemed that Yang Huan had not told them about their background.

Children were the ones who could hide their emotions the least.

"Where is Princess Yao?"

"Inside."

In the inner room, a little child was sleeping soundly on a wooden bed, and the air was filled with a strong smell of herbal medicine.

"Princess Yao~"

Zheng Yi took two quick steps forward and carefully observed Princess Yao's condition.

At this moment, she was sleeping soundly, but her delicate, jade-like little face wore a tightly knitted brow.

He touched her head; it was somewhat feverish, and her lips were still dry.

"Why is she running a fever? Summon the imperial physician!"

"Understood!"

Liu Chengen acknowledged the order and quickly ran out.

"Princess Yao has a fever?"

Yang Huan also hurried over, saying with heartache, "She, she was fine before I left. How could this be?"

A palace maid said, "Your Ladyship, the little princess's illness has never fully recovered, and her fever keeps returning. this servant and the others are helpless."

"Waah waah..."

Perhaps because everyone's voices were too loud, it woke Zheng Yuyao up, and she immediately began to wail.

"Be good, Princess Yao, be good... Consort Mother is here, Consort Mother is here."

Yang Huan hurriedly hugged Zheng Yuyao into her arms, gently patting her shoulder to soothe her emotions.

"Right, look quickly at who is here. It's Your Imperial Father~"

"Didn't you keep crying out to see Your Imperial Father~"

After a few breaths, she placed Zheng Yuyao on her arm, letting her small body lean against the crook of her arm, facing Zheng Yi.

Zheng Yuyao, who had just woken up, had a flushed face, and a few teardrops still hung on her large, watery eyes. She was as cute as a little apple.

She also discovered a strange man standing before her, gazing at her eagerly.

"Waah~!"

Before she even looked for a few seconds, Princess Yao opened her mouth and started crying again.

"Be good~ Princess Yao be good~ It's Your Imperial Father~"

Yang Huan grew nervous and hurriedly comforted her.

Zheng Yi was also speechless. This was his first time—no, counting the day she was born, it should be the second time.

He hadn't expected that this meeting would make her cry like this. He immediately reached out and gently patted her.

"Princess Yao be good, don't cry, don't cry, it's Your Imperial Father~"

Perhaps hearing Zheng Yi's voice, Zheng Yuyao, who had still been crying and fussing, actually stopped. Her little head hid in Yang Huan's bosom as she stealthily poked out one eye to look at Zheng Yi.

"Imperial Father, Imperial Father... hug, hug..."

As she spoke, she even tried to stretch out her little hands toward Zheng Yi.

"Haha, be good, be good~"

Zheng Yi laughed aloud and scooped Zheng Yuyao into his arms.

The little girl's body was soft and boneless, as if holding nothing at all.

After all, Zheng Yi had carried the other four princesses, so he still knew how to hold a child.

But compared to Princess Yuhuan, Princess Yuxia, and the other princesses, Yuyao appeared lighter and smaller.

"Giggle giggle, giggle giggle... Imperial Father, Imperial Father, you have come!"

"Princess Yao is so happy, Princess Yao is so happy~!"

Zheng Yuyao said in a spoiled voice, prompting Zheng Yi to pinch her little neck even more, his eyes full of heartache.

"Princess Yao, are you cold?"

Only then did he discover that Zheng Yuyao was also wearing at least four or five layers of thin garments. Just like Yang Xueqing and the others, her little face was still somewhat flushed.

"N-Not cold~"

Zheng Yuyao poked her little hand in front of Zheng Yi, "B-But it's a bit cold at night. When Princess Yao hugs Consort Mother, Sister Qing'er, and Sister Ning'er, then, then I won't be cold anymore~"

Zheng Yi's heart paused. Hugging Zheng Yuhuan, Sister Qing'er, and Sister Ning'er?

That is to say, to keep warm, they slept together at night?

The eunuchs of Yonghe Palace truly deserved to die!

The other little princesses had everything provided for their food and clothing, their bedchambers were incomparably warm, and they were served honeyed water on ordinary days.

Yet his eldest daughter...

He bumped his forehead against Princess Yuyao's forehead and whispered, "Is Imperial Father's head hot?"

"Not hot. Princess Yao's head is the one that's hot~"

Zheng Yi felt even more heartache and hugged her tighter.

At this moment, Liu Chengen walked in quickly.

"Your Majesty, the imperial physicians from Taiyuan Hospital have been brought here!"

Liu Chengen was best at guessing the imperial will and directly brought three masters from Taiyuan Hospital who possessed the highest medical skills and excelled best in pediatrics.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Mn."

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "Examine the princess's illness, and make sure she is cured."

"Understood!"

The three imperial physicians immediately gathered around Zheng Yuyao to check her pulse and diagnose her.

Zheng Yi then called over the two palace maids who still remained in Yonghe Palace and said in a deep voice, "What are your names?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, this servant is Xiangcao."

"Replying to Your Majesty, this servant is Jinli."

"I ask you, where are the eunuchs and palace maids serving in Yonghe Palace?"

The maid on the left, her eyes filled with resentment, immediately said, "Replying to Your Majesty, they were all transferred away by the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs!"

"Originally, there were twelve eunuchs and eight palace maids serving inside Consort Shu's Yonghe Palace. The little princess is still young, and there were originally two wet nurses serving her, but unfortunately, later on, they were all transferred away."

"Especially the head eunuch Kang Dahai; not only did he transfer people away to suck up to other imperial consorts, but he also withheld all the food and clothing provisions of our Yonghe Palace, and didn't even give a sufficient amount of charcoal in winter."

"Had it not been for Consort Shu having this servant secretly leave the palace to pawn her dowry jewelry, we would have long been frozen to death~!"

Zheng Yi's expression turned cold, and he couldn't be bothered to investigate further; such matters were common in the palace.

Unfavored consorts or those sent to the cold palace would all be bullied by the Ministry of Internal Affairs as well as other imperial consorts and head eunuchs.

This was already an unspoken unwritten rule.

However, since he had discovered it, he could only punish them severely.

"Liu Chengen."

"this servant is here!"

"Pass down the order: all the original eunuchs and palace maids of Yonghe Palace, regardless of the reason they left Yonghe Palace, shall be beaten to death!"

"Understood!"

"Replace the personnel in the Internal Superintendent Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and severely punish the Inner Penal Department under the original Internal Superintendent Office!"

"Understood!"

"Order the Ministry of Internal Affairs to rearrange palace personnel to move into Yonghe Palace, and order..."

He hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Order the Jingshi Department to re-hang Consort Shu's plaque."

Liu Chengen's body trembled slightly, and he immediately said, "Understood~!"

At this moment, the imperial physicians also withdrew.

"How is the princess?"

The leading imperial physician said, "Replying to Your Majesty, Princess Yaochi has merely contracted ordinary pathogenic wind. She only needs to dispel the cold and release the exterior, and avoid being invaded by cold qi. In less than half a month, she can recover as usual."

"Prescribe the medicine."

"Understood!"

"In addition, who is the imperial physician in charge of medical matters in Yonghe Palace?"

"The medical official within Taiyuan Hospital, Imperial Physician Liu Chen."

"Imperial Physician Liu Chen, the medical official within Taiyuan Hospital, neglected his duties and disobeyed imperial commands, causing the eldest princess to linger on a sickbed for months. Grant him suicide."

The three imperial physicians trembled and immediately said, "Understood!"

"Withdraw!"

The three imperial physicians tremblingly withdrew, and Yang Huan also walked out excitedly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Princess Yao seems much better."

Zheng Yi held Yang Huan's small hand and said, "Zheng Yuhuan, you have worked hard."

Yang Huan's heart surged with emotion, and her face flushed slightly, but she still said, "These are all things this concubine ought to do."

"That's right, Your Majesty. A few days ago, reminded by Qing'er, this concubine remembered that when she was ordered by you to question her father—to question Yang Reverse—he once mentioned another matter concerning that Fire Spirit Master."

"Oh?"

Zheng Yi subconsciously exerted force, gripping Yang Huan's small hand as he asked, "What matter?"

Seeking monthly votes~

Seeking monthly votes~

Seeking monthly votes~

Seeking monthly votes~

Seeking monthly votes~