Listening to Yu Jingchen's scolding, Nan Zhiyun was no longer as frightened as before, but she remained silent.
"Your skirt hem is also a bit wet. You should have said something earlier. What if you catch a cold later? Do you want to drink medicine again?" Yu Jingchen said, while tidying her up and also taking off her other foot.
"Prepare some hot water," Yu Jingchen instructed a palace servant, then picked Nan Zhiyun up.
"Hold on to me," Yu Jingchen said to Nan Zhiyun.
Nan Zhiyun timidly wrapped her arms around Yu Jingchen's neck. Yu Jingchen carried her into the inner room.
"You'll drink a bowl of ginger soup to ward off the cold later. If you feel unwell anywhere, tell me promptly, understand?" Yu Jingchen said.
"Okay..." Nan Zhiyun always felt a little reserved when she was alone with Yu Jingchen. She didn't know why.
"Bathe first, then change your clothes later." Yu Jingchen put her down. Her feet landed on a fluffy rug, which felt very comfortable to step on. Yu Jingchen had just had it laid out a few days ago because he noticed Nan Zhiyun always walked barefoot after bathing. In winter, it was not only cold but also wet, and he was afraid she might slip. So, he directly had a plush carpet laid down.
"Yes," Nan Zhiyun replied, but…
Yu Jingchen understood her reservations. After the previous incident, he felt he should pay more attention to boundaries. Since she was afraid, so be it.
"I'll wait for you outside. Don't rush," Yu Jingchen said, patting her head. Nan Zhiyun was stunned to hear this from Yu Jingchen and stood there blankly, while Yu Jingchen had already walked out.
That night, Yu Jingchen did nothing of the sort. He simply held Nan Zhiyun and slept, without teasing her as he had before.
"Your Majesty..." Nan Zhiyun was unaccustomed to this.
"Hmm?" Yu Jingchen closed his eyes, listening to her speak.
"..." Nan Zhiyun had called out, but now she didn't know what to say. She just felt a little unaccustomed.
"Why aren't you speaking?" Yu Jingchen asked when she fell silent.
"It's nothing..." Nan Zhiyun replied. Yu Jingchen sensed Nan Zhiyun's emotions.
"Good girl, don't overthink things. We'll take it slow. It was my fault before, which scared you. Rest now, alright?" Yu Jingchen held the person in his arms a little tighter.
"Mm," Nan Zhiyun responded.
Yu Jingchen smiled, then gently patted Nan Zhiyun's back, coaxing her to sleep.
The night passed without dreams.
The next day, Nan Zhiyun was awakened by Qian Xia. She was so comfortable in her blanket. What was going on?
"Your Highness, it's time to get up," Qian Xia called. During the previous period, Yu Jingchen had instructed them not to disturb her rest, so after winter arrived, Nan Zhiyun could sleep until she naturally woke up almost every day. Now that she was being called up, Nan Zhiyun felt reluctant to get out of bed.
"No... go away," Nan Zhiyun started to act spoiled.
Qian Xia was a little helpless, but she couldn't *not* call her. So, she called out again, "Your Highness, it's time to get up. Today, those court ladies are coming to pay their respects." Qian Xia said.
"Ah~" Nan Zhiyun sounded annoyed.
In fact, this kind of matter could have been avoided with just a word from Yu Jingchen. Yu Jingchen had initially thought so, but then felt it wasn't quite appropriate. These meetings were attended by the family members of important officials. As one of the Four Consorts, Nan Zhiyun's attendance was a matter of etiquette and a symbol of status.
Previously, due to her own reasons, she had already attracted a lot of speculation. If Nan Zhiyun didn't attend, it might even attract more unnecessary trouble.
Perhaps some would think that as long as he willed it, protecting Nan Zhiyun wouldn't be difficult. However, Yu Jingchen was also afraid of situations he might not notice. Furthermore, there was the Nan family. Even though he now trusted the Nan family, there were those who wanted to bring the Nan family down who were not just him from before.
Nan Zhiyun eventually got up. There was no other way; once her reason returned, she couldn't truly be willful. Nan Zhiyun was still groggy from sleep, and after being fussed over by Qian Xia and others for a long time, she was sent to the sedan chair.
After getting on, Nan Zhiyun was jolted awake not long after. The journey was very bumpy and shaky. But the path ahead was not only rough, but there were also people, such as... she encountered Concubine Yin (formerly Lady Yin, who had previously ridiculed the protagonist during their first audience. Refer to Chapter 82).
She was in the process of punishing a servant when she saw Nan Zhiyun's sedan chair. Instead of yielding, she deliberately moved forward a couple of steps.
"Nan Zhiyun!" Lady Yin called out.
"Presumptuous! This is Consort Chen Shu. How dare you address her by name?" Chun Hua immediately stepped forward and slapped her.
Lady Yin was stunned by the slap. She had absolutely not expected to be hit by a servant of Nan Zhiyun.
"You dare to hit me?" Lady Yin looked at Chun Hua in disbelief.
"This is Consort Chen Shu. You, a mere concubine, not only fail to pay your respects upon seeing Her Highness but also dare to call her by name. Lacking in etiquette and offending Her Highness, can you bear the consequences?" Xia Yi also added.
They didn't care. The Emperor had previously stated that everything should be done with their lady as the priority.
"Just a eunuch, and you dare speak to me like this? I'm telling you, Nan Zhiyun, don't think you're that noble. Didn't you fall from Consort to a mere Concubine before? Sooner or later, you'll become even more lowly!" Lady Yin's temper had worsened since her rank was demoted.
Look, at the eunuch on the ground, beaten to a pulp, wearing such thin clothes, kneeling in the snow. She had kicked and hit him just now. How long could he last?
"Move aside," Nan Zhiyun didn't want to speak with her any longer.
"Nan Zhiyun, what are you so proud of? Do you think His Majesty truly likes you? I'm telling you, it's all because your father is still useful. Prince An has been secretly stockpiling troops. His Majesty still needs your father, otherwise, why would you think His Majesty would dote on you like this?" Lady Yin became more and more unrestrained.
"Let's go," Nan Zhiyun was too lazy to continue arguing with her.
However... just as Nan Zhiyun was about to leave, Lady Yin's expression turned venomous. The next moment, she directly pushed the aforementioned eunuch forward. As the eunuch fell, he happened to collide with the people carrying the sedan chair.
The ground was already slippery, and with such a collision, the people carrying the sedan chair lost their footing. To prevent the sedan chair from falling, several people tried their best to maintain its balance. Just when it seemed to have stabilized, Lady Yin unexpectedly reached out and gave it another push.
The sedan chair immediately fell to the ground. If it had truly fallen, Nan Zhiyun would have been badly injured. The palace servants quickly rushed to help Nan Zhiyun up, but several of them fell to the ground, and Nan Zhiyun landed on top of them.
However... one end of the sedan chair smashed onto Nan Zhiyun's foot. The sedan chair was not light, and with the pressure, Nan Zhiyun cried out in pain.