Nan Zhiyun was unconscious, and Yu Jingchen had not left her side for a single moment. His gaze was fixed on her, as if he could never look enough. In this life, he truly couldn't bear the feeling of losing Nan Zhiyun again.
After about an hour, Nan Zhiyun began to stir restlessly. Because her injury was on her back, she had been lying prone, but this position was becoming too uncomfortable, especially after lying down for so long.
Yu Jingchen noticed Nan Zhiyun's discomfort and leaned closer. "What's wrong?" he asked softly. But Nan Zhiyun was still asleep and couldn't answer him.
Yu Jingchen held her hand; his palms were sweating and very cold. Not only his palms, but Nan Zhiyun's forehead was also covered in a cold sweat. He didn't know if it was from pain or something else.
Yu Jingchen remembered that in the previous life, after Nan Zhiyun was banished to the cold palace, she had a miscarriage after about ten days.
At that time, he hadn't known she was pregnant and had never even considered it. So, when he learned of Nan Zhiyun's miscarriage, he was surprised for a moment. By the timeline, it shouldn't have been too long ago…
The last time he and Nan Zhiyun had been intimate… was perhaps four or five days ago? That encounter hadn't been pleasant, and Nan Zhiyun had sustained many injuries. However, he wasn't sure how severe Nan Zhiyun's injuries were.
"It hurts..." Nan Zhiyun's voice suddenly rang out.
Yu Jingchen's heart ached, but he could do nothing to help her at the moment, so he could only try to soothe her as much as possible.
Yu Jingchen picked up a nearby cloth to wipe her sweat. However, Nan Zhiyun was restless in her sleep and kept moving. Yu Jingchen was afraid she would aggravate her wound, so he had to steady her movements.
"It hurts so much," Nan Zhiyun's brow furrowed. Yu Jingchen gently stroked her head, wanting to offer some comfort.
Nan Zhiyun wasn't feverish yet, but Yu Jingchen suspected she would develop a fever soon. The situation was not optimistic.
"No… it hurts so much…" Nan Zhiyun began to murmur in her sleep. It seemed the day's punishment had left a deep shadow on her. Yu Jingchen regretted his actions, but it had already happened, and regret was useless now. All he hoped for was to help Nan Zhiyun heal her wounds, to bring her back to her former self.
Under Yu Jingchen's soothing, Nan Zhiyun gradually calmed down, but it was only a superficial calm. Her face remained contorted, never truly relaxing.
By evening, Nan Zhiyun indeed developed a high fever, and this time it was more severe than any previous fever.
Yu Jingchen watched as the imperial physician took her pulse and administered acupuncture. His brow was tightly furrowed; Nan Zhiyun's condition was not good. The atmosphere in the entire Zichen Palace was somber, and passersby dared not even breathe loudly.
Fortunately, Xinglai had been somewhat bewildered throughout the day. The Emperor had been so unusually erratic. It was as if he had transformed overnight. And the questions he had asked today! Moreover, how could the Emperor's attitude towards Consort Shu have changed so drastically? The shift in demeanor had occurred within the span of only half an hour.
However, Xinglai could only ponder these thoughts internally, not daring to express them. Based on the current situation, this Consort Shu… would undoubtedly command respect in the future. While the Emperor's current attitude towards her remained somewhat unfathomable, it was always wise to be cautious.
After the imperial physician finished examining and treating Nan Zhiyun, Yu Jingchen dismissed everyone. The Empress Dowager, having woken up earlier, was unable to come due to her own health but was worried and had sent Qianxia to attend to Nan Zhiyun.
However…
"Leave," Yu Jingchen said to Qianxia.
How could Qianxia dare to entrust Nan Zhiyun to Yu Jingchen? She immediately knelt. "I beg Your Majesty for leniency! Please allow this servant to stay and attend to the Consort. The Consort… Your Majesty, the Consort truly cannot bear it any longer, please spare her!" Qianxia kowtowed and pleaded.
"Leave. I will not do anything to her. My presence here is enough." Yu Jingchen showed a rare patience today, knowing the importance of this maid to Nan Zhiyun, and that she was loyal. With Nan Zhiyun in her current state, having someone like her by her side was a good thing.
"Your Majesty…" Qianxia wanted to continue pleading, but Yu Jingchen gave her no further opportunity.
"Leave," Yu Jingchen stated. Xinglai, being observant, immediately had Qianxia escorted out upon hearing this. He also whispered to her, "Don't worry. His Majesty's feelings towards Consort Shu have changed. Didn't you see it clearly just now? Don't be a nuisance here. If you anger His Majesty later, you might implicate your mistress. Do you understand?" Xinglai advised. Although Qianxia remained somewhat uneasy, she dared not say more.
Therefore, she insisted on staying by the door, fearing something might happen inside. Xinglai relented, but he himself also stood guard by the door. Why was this young maid so stubborn? Not listening to elders leads to trouble.
Inside the room.
Yu Jingchen sat by Nan Zhiyun's side. Nan Zhiyun had been in this prone position for a long time. Due to her fever, she was drowsy and delirious, barely conscious.
Yu Jingchen continuously wiped her body, hoping to help lower her temperature, but the effect was not significant. Nan Zhiyun mumbled indistinctly, but Yu Jingchen knew that the day's events had left her with profound fear.
Although the fifty lashes were not fully administered today, she had received at least twenty-odd. Yu Jingchen couldn't imagine how Nan Zhiyun had endured a full fifty lashes in the previous life. And… could this child in her womb this time… survive?