His legs suddenly went weak, and he nearly fell to the ground. His voice trembled as he asked, "You... Xuan... Eunuch Xuan, what has the Consort done?"
Xiao Xuanzi supported him and explained, "These are the Black Armor Army sent by the Emperor to protect Consort Zhen."
"Oh, the Black Armor Army!"
Yan the Imperial Physician's eyes widened, and his legs weakened again. "The Black Armor Army? Why are they here?"
What formidable person had Consort Zhen offended to warrant the Emperor deploying the Black Armor Army?
It was said that anyone who saw the true face of the Black Armor Army would be silenced in the dark of night.
Oh no... What grievance did Consort Zhen have?
Xiao Xuanzi, unable to explain clearly, leaned in and whispered in his ear, "General Ye is planning to rebel tonight. The Emperor sent them to protect Hexi Palace. The Consort thought of you, fearing you might be killed in the chaos, so she sent me to fetch you."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Yan the Imperial Physician glared at him angrily, grabbed his medical box, and ran to the flower hall as if chased by vicious dogs.
Xiao Xuanzi caught the strap of his medicine box and pulled him back. "The Consort is in the side hall."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Repeating the same phrase, Yan the Imperial Physician shook off his hand and hurried towards the side hall.
So frightening, so frightening...
The Fourth Prince watched as Yan the Imperial Physician took his grandfather's pulse. His large eyes were filled with confusion. He looked up at Jiang Xinyue and asked, "Consort Zhen, what's wrong with Grandfather?"
Children are actually very clever. When he asked this, his voice was choked with tears. How could he not know what was wrong with his grandfather?
He just didn't want to believe it, couldn't accept it, and wanted to find someone he trusted to deny his thoughts.
Jiang Xinyue stroked his head. "Consort Zhen doesn't know either. Let's wait for the physician and see what he says, alright?"
She didn't dare promise the Fourth Prince anything, because Eunuch Sheng truly looked like he was on his last breath.
"Alas... tsk..."
Yan the Imperial Physician's sighs and exclamations were so pitiful that even Xi Que couldn't bear it. "Doctor Yan, please say something!"
Yan the Imperial Physician glanced at the Fourth Prince, then looked at Jiang Xinyue. "Does Consort Zhen intend to raise the Fourth Prince?"
"What does that have to do with whether I raise him or not?"
"If the Consort plans to raise the Fourth Prince, this humble servant will prescribe medicine for Eunuch Sheng. If the Consort doesn't plan to raise the Fourth Prince, there's no point in saving Eunuch Sheng."
Yan the Imperial Physician spoke honestly, "His condition is the result of years of exhaustion, compounded by beatings. Each time he fell ill, he forced himself through it without proper treatment. It's accumulated over time. This is an illness of the wealthy... From now on, he must be well-cared for and can no longer overwork himself."
If Consort Zhen planned to raise the Fourth Prince and was kind enough not to let this old man, who had suffered half his life, die miserably, and was willing to use precious medicines to nourish him, then he could live out his natural life without problems.
But if she didn't plan to raise the boy...
Relying on just a day or two of care, only to return to that "Palace of Exile" to suffer, it would be better not to waste the resources.
The Fourth Prince blinked his eyes, seeming to understand yet not understand. He knelt on the ground in distress and kowtowed, "Consort Zhen, please, I beg you to save Grandfather. I... Consort Zhen doesn't need to raise me, I just beg Consort Zhen to save Grandfather. I won't... won't cling to Consort Zhen, Consort Zhen..."
He was truly too young, not knowing how to please Consort Zhen.
Moreover, compared to making Consort Zhen like him, he was more unwilling to let his grandfather die.
If the price of staying with Consort Zhen was losing his grandfather forever, then he didn't want to stay in Hexi Palace.
"No!"
Jiang Xinyue quickly helped him up and said to Yan the Imperial Physician, "Whether I raise the Fourth Prince or not, I want to save Eunuch Sheng's life. Consider it accumulating blessings for the child in my womb."
She couldn't make her words too definite, lest things not work out and disappoint the Fourth Prince again.
He was truly too sensible, sensible to the point of heartache.
Although the Xuanwu Emperor had been emotionally abused by the Empress Dowager when he was young, he had never lacked for material comforts.
Crowds of servants attended to him, dressing him in fine silks and feeding him delicacies as he lived as the Crown Prince and then Emperor.
The Fourth Prince had nothing.
The current Emperor was even worse than the Empress Dowager of that time.
With Jiang Xinyue's words, Yan the Imperial Physician dared to prescribe medicine. Xiao Xuanzi looked at the list of precious medicinal ingredients and finally understood the physician's earlier hesitation.
If it weren't for her mistress's favor, these medicines would never have reached Hexi Palace.
Fortunately, among the Emperor's recent gifts was a batch of rare medicinal herbs. After looking them over, Xiao Xuanzi prepared to go to the storehouse to fetch the medicines for brewing.
By the time they left the side hall, the sky had darkened completely.
Jiang Xinyue held the Fourth Prince's hand with one hand and touched her belly with the other, closing her eyes to listen carefully...
The sounds of clashing weapons, shouts of killing, crashing, and cries...
Yan the Imperial Physician's eyes widened again. "Consort... Did you... Did you hear that?"
"I'm not deaf."
She turned swiftly and returned to the flower hall, leaving Jiang Chuan and Xiao Xuanzi in the side hall to look after Eunuch Sheng. She took the others back to the flower hall behind the arched doorway and had Xi Que and the others lock all the doors.
"From now on, no one is allowed to leave through this door."
To prevent traitors like Yang'er from taking advantage of the chaos to open the palace gates, she locked everyone inside. The six guards previously granted by the Emperor stood at each doorway, their gleaming swords warning those with ill intentions.
If anyone dared to act rashly, their hungry blades were not to be trifled with.
Jiang Xinyue sat in the master chair. Although the Fourth Prince was afraid, he still put on a brave face, hugging a small table and sitting at her feet. His thin little hands betrayed his fear, clutching tightly to the hem of Jiang Xinyue's skirt.
If it weren't for her pregnancy making it inconvenient, she truly wanted to hold this poor little one in her arms and comfort him properly.
"Don't be afraid, Fourth Prince. With Consort Zhen here, no one can harm you, and your grandfather will be safe and sound."
The small child nodded with tears in his eyes. "I believe in Consort Zhen."
Consort Zhen had the scent of a mother about her.
Although he couldn't remember what his mother smelled like anymore, he felt that if his mother were still here, she would be like this too, with a scent that made one feel at ease.
Fragrant and warm... like the sun.
The sounds of killing grew closer. Jiang Xinyue handed the Fourth Prince to Xi Que to hold and walked to the door herself, peering out through the carved window.
Yan the Imperial Physician and the others followed her example, all pressing against the door to look outside.
"Ah!"
After one scream, more screams erupted.
Not just from one place, but from all directions.
Those rebel soldiers who had jumped over the wall didn't know that the entire perimeter of Hexi Palace was lined with Black Armor Army soldiers standing at the ready. Before they could even touch the ground, they were skewered mid-air by the long spears of the Black Armor Army.
Jiang Xinyue watched as those people were flung away like dumplings being tossed, shaking her head.
It was too brutal, truly too brutal.
