The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

Chapter 348 Going Along with Her Wishes

The imperial physician knelt on the ice, his fingertips probing Yongping's pulse. His expression grew increasingly grave. After a long while, he kowtowed to the ground, his voice trembling. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, the princess has been invaded by cold, which has penetrated her internal organs. Her pulse is weak and scattered. I'm afraid... I'm afraid it's very dangerous."

Even if you are lucky enough to wake up, you will need to stay in bed for a long time and rest quietly. You must not overwork yourself.

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager immediately collapsed into Su Rong's arms, wailing and lamenting, "My Yongping! Why are you so unfortunate! If I had known this would happen, I would never have let you stay in this deep palace and suffer such torment!"

Emperor Jing stood to the side, his gaze fixed on the unconscious Yongping on the bed. His face showed just the right amount of anxiety, but his heart was filled with icy coldness.

The self-directed and self-acted self-inflicted injury was taken to such an extent that it can be considered quite daring.

He raised his hand to stop the Empress Dowager's crying and said in a deep voice, "Hurry up and move the princess back into the palace!"

That one word made the Empress Dowager's face stiffen for a moment before she continued, "Yes, yes, you fools! I'm old, are you all useless too? Hurry up and move the princess back, what will happen if she gets frostbite?"

The palace servants then carried Princess Yongping onto the sedan chair.

Inside Princess Yongping's palace.

"Now that the imperial physicians have made a clear diagnosis, they should immediately prescribe medicine to stabilize the princess's life. The head of the Imperial Medical Academy, please stay. The rest of you may leave," Emperor Jing said in a deep voice.

"Mother, you should go back and rest soon."

The Empress Dowager wiped away her tears and said, "No, I want to stay with Yongping."

It was Su Rong who persuaded her from the side, "Empress Dowager, your health is important." Only then did the Empress Dowager pretend to be reluctant to leave.

After all the palace servants and eunuchs had left, only Emperor Jing and the head of the Imperial Medical Academy remained in the hall. Emperor Jing then slowly walked to the table, lightly tapping his fingertips on the surface. His voice was extremely low, yet carried an undeniable authority, "How is the princess's health?"

The Imperial Medical Academy concluded that Emperor Jing was worried about Princess Yongping and was only saying nice things. Although his body was weak, he would be fine as long as he recovered and took good care of himself.

This was naturally within Emperor Jing's expectations. Yongping's every move was meticulously planned, and the Imperial Garden was very close to her palace, so moving back wouldn't take too long. For her to dare do this in the dead of winter, she must have made thorough preparations; she might have even taken the medicine before jumping into the ice cave.

"I want her to be 'weak,' so weak that... she is unable to attend to other trivial matters, and unable to step out of this bedchamber even half a step."

A deep voice echoed from above, and the judge shuddered, looking up at Emperor Jing with horror in his eyes.

Having spent decades in the Imperial Medical Academy, how could he not understand the deeper meaning behind those words? This was not about treating the illness; it was clearly about using the medicine to keep Princess Yongping confined to her sickbed.

But how could one dare disobey the emperor's command?

The judge's throat bobbed, and cold sweat poured down his forehead, but knowing that he could not disobey the emperor's command, he finally kowtowed heavily, "Your subject... Your subject obeys the decree."

Emperor Jing nodded in satisfaction and said, "The prescription should be carefully prepared, without leaving any trace. As for the Empress Dowager, it must also be kept secret."

"Go, I want to see results within three days."

The judge, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, scrambled out of the room.

Emperor Jing walked to Princess Yongping's bedside, his gaze falling on her bloodless face. A cold smile curved his lips. Since she dared to gamble with her life, I will grant her wish. If she wants to lie on this sickbed, then let her lie there to her heart's content!

……

The carriage rumbled along the cobblestone road, and the wind lifted a corner of the curtain, letting in a few rays of warm sunlight.

Chu Mingyue lowered her eyes to look at the silver bracelet with intertwined branches on her fingertips. Even though they were in different carriages, she could hear Qin Zhihua's soft laughter. She was talking to Jing Fengyao with her head turned to the side, her voice gentle and slightly coquettish.

Jing Fengyao's voice was clear and crisp, all the sharpness he usually displayed in court was gone, leaving only a rare gentleness as he patiently responded to her words.

Chu Mingyue slightly raised her eyes and, through the hazy carriage curtain, saw him raise his hand to tidy up Qin Zhihua's wind-blown hair. When his fingertips brushed against the pearl hairpin in her hair, his movements were so gentle as if he were afraid of breaking some precious gem.

This intimate gesture, though she had known it would happen, still made her feel uneasy.

Throughout their audience at the palace, he treated her with utmost courtesy.

When he praised her for her proper manners when she boarded the carriage, his tone was that of an elder brother admiring his younger sister. When he helped her up, their fingertips touched for only a moment before he quickly withdrew them, his manners so impeccable that they bordered on aloofness.

In his eyes, there was appreciation and approval, but not the undisguised joy and longing that Qin Zhihua had in her eyes.

The carriage slowly entered the First Prince's residence, where red lanterns still hung high, creating a festive atmosphere. Jing Fengyao alighted first, and as he turned around, his gaze fell directly on Qin Zhihua. He reached out and gently helped her down, his tone filled with concern, "You've been standing in the hall for quite a while now, are you tired?"

Qin Zhihua shook her head, her cheeks slightly flushed, "With Your Highness here, I'm not tired."

Chu Mingyue got out of the carriage alone, and the maids in the mansion rushed forward to help her, but she gently waved her hand, indicating that it was not necessary.

The wind rustled through the copper bells under the eaves, making them tinkle and ring out in a clear and melodious sound.

Chu Mingyue raised her hand and gently stroked the silver bracelet on her wrist. A bitter smile appeared on her lips. Chu Mingyue had been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood and was well-versed in the art of advancement and retreat. She married into the royal family not only because of the family's stability and her promising future, but also because she truly loved Jing Fengyao.

She wasn't unaware of Jing Fengyao's favoritism, but matters of love in this world are never something that can be calculated, nor can they be explained by logic.

He admired her composure and intelligence, and respected her knowledge and manners, but he reserved his tender and passionate affection for Qin Zhihua, the girl who would smile at him and look at him helplessly.

Love is something that never has a reason.

She knew it all too well, yet a faint sense of melancholy still arose in the cool breeze.