Gu Yi looked up at Xiaoyan’s profile, seeing his jaw tightly clenched and his expression cold and hard. She asked softly, “Your Majesty, do you not believe this concubine?”

Xiaoyan didn’t respond to her but carried her and quickly turned toward Heluo Palace, instructing Eunuch Gao, who had hurriedly arrived, “Summon the imperial physician.”

Gu Yi leaned against his chest, hearing his heartbeat—thump, thump—slightly fast.

She blinked and asked, “There was a fire in the palace tonight. Is it related to the villain who tried to kill this concubine? This concubine smelled lamp oil and charcoal on his hands. This concubine saw half his face; if identification is needed, this concubine can do it!”

Xiaoyan lowered his gaze to see her eyes bright with eagerness and said coldly, “That won’t be necessary. We don’t need you for that.”

Gu Yi made an “oh” sound, then heard Xiaoyan say in a low voice, “That villain tonight didn’t want to kill you. If he had wanted to kill you, he wouldn’t have allowed you to jump into the lake.”

Gu Yi asked in surprise, “Then what did he want to do?”

Xiaoyan said gravely, “It seems… he wanted to capture you… to complete his mission…”

But why had Xiao Lü’s man specifically chosen Gu Yi…

With so many consorts in the palace, why had he singled out Gu Yi…

Gu Yi mentally reviewed the plot of the book and realized there was no segment about an intruder entering the Imperial Garden.

In the book, Xiao Lü merely sent someone to rescue his mother, but that person failed and could only set fire to Tanyuan Hall to escape. There was no plot about this person going to the Imperial Garden to kidnap a palace consort.

Could it be that she was just unlucky and shouldn’t have gone to feed the fish?

Gu Yi sighed and said, “Then this concubine will never go feed the fish again.”

Hearing her casual tone, clearly without the fear one would expect after a near-death experience but rather a calm acceptance, Xiaoyan frowned, “Gu Yi… tonight with the slightest misstep, you would have died… aren’t you afraid… is feeding fish all you can think about?”

After asking this, he suddenly realized that the heavy feeling overflowing in his chest was fear.

When he saw Qi Chuang approaching with a figure in his arms, he was afraid.

Afraid that the person he was carrying was just a corpse.

He was afraid… that Gu Yi had died.

He was afraid that this little troublemaker had died.

Gu Yi detected the severity in Xiaoyan’s voice and said softly, “This concubine didn’t die, after all. Besides, what use is fear? Everyone dies eventually.” *I’ve already died three times! If I died this time, I might even return to June 15th, which is more terrifying than death!*

Xiaoyan, seeing her fearless expression, chuckled lightly and said, “Gu Yi, if you don’t value your life, I’ll have your entire Gu family accompany you in death.”

Gu Yi’s whole body trembled, and she said with grievance, “This concubine didn’t mean it that way…” *Please spare my entire family.*

The doors of Heluo Palace were now in sight. Xiaoyan strode in and went straight to the bedchamber.

Zhao Wan, standing at the door of the side hall, caught sight of the Emperor’s figure and saw him carrying someone in his arms, entering the main hall of Heluo Palace without looking back.

Earlier, Eunuch Gao had sent someone to say that Tanyuan Hall was on fire, and the Emperor needed to visit Consort Mother Liu, so he couldn’t come.

Now, why had he come after all?

Xiu He, seeing her standing rigidly at the door, said softly, “Talent, don’t look anymore. It’s better to rest early.”

Zhao Wan responded with a sound and was about to turn back into the hall when she saw Tao Jia leading two imperial physicians in green robes with white caps, hurriedly returning to the palace.

Had something happened to Lady Gu?

She turned and instructed Xiu He, “Later, go to the main hall and ask a palace maid if Lady Gu has fallen ill.”

She had been in close contact with Lady Gu these past few days and felt that she shouldn’t be pretending to be ill at this time.

*

The two imperial physicians waited in the main hall.

In the bedchamber, Gu Yi had changed out of her wet clothes and was wearing only a crimson camellia-colored undergarment. Tao Jia, with her head lowered, used a silk towel to clean herself, washing away the water stains and blood.

Gu Yi’s face was flushed red as she looked at Xiaoyan standing nearby, “Your Majesty, could you perhaps step out for a moment?”

Xiaoyan, whose gaze had been fixed on the grotesque wound on her leg, raised an eyebrow and said, “It’s not like I haven’t seen it before. Why should I leave?”

Gu Yi: …

Tao Jia spoke up, “My Lady’s undergarment is also wet. This servant will go get a new one!”

Gu Yi: …

Half a quarter hour later, the imperial physicians bowed as they entered the bedchamber.

Gu Yi had changed into inner garments and was wearing dark blue gauze pants, with a brocade quilt lightly covering her, exposing only a section of her snow-white calf. On her leg lay a half-foot-long wound, with flesh turned outward and blood stains scattered about.

The two imperial physicians bowed with bated breath, their eyes not daring to wander, focusing only on the wound as they prepared an external medicinal paste.

Tao Jia carefully applied the medicine to Gu Yi’s wound using cotton gauze.

The pain made her whole body tremble.

Intense pain!

Xiaoyan saw that Gu Yi’s forehead immediately broke out in a thin layer of sweat, and her face became rigid.

He asked the imperial physicians, “Is this wound serious? When will it heal?”

One of the older imperial physicians bowed and said, “The Lady’s wound is quite deep. She needs to take careful care of it for seven days, changing the medicine regularly. There should be no major concerns.”

Xiaoyan made an “mm” sound and waved his hand, signaling the imperial physicians to withdraw.

In just a moment, only Gu Yi and Xiaoyan remained in the bedchamber.

Gu Yi, in pain to the point her scalp was numb, collapsed half-dead on the couch.

Without painkillers, it hurt!

Xiaoyan, seeing her staring with wide eyes vacantly at the bed curtains, gently covered her eyes with his hand, “Sleep for a while, and it won’t hurt as much.”

Gu Yi obediently closed her eyes, her long eyelashes lightly brushing against his palm.

Xiaoyan had just gotten up to extinguish the candles in the hall, leaving only an orange palace lamp near the bed curtains.

After Gu Yi hadn’t heard any movement for a long time, she squinted, stealing a glance, and saw Xiaoyan standing by the couch, removing the jade belt around his waist. She hurriedly said, “This concubine’s leg is injured, I’m afraid I cannot…”

Xiaoyan laughed in irritation, “What do you take me for?”

Gu Yi smiled awkwardly, “This concubine regards Your Majesty as the heavens, the earth, a brilliant ruler of the era!”

Xiaoyan, wearing only his inner garments, got onto the couch. Seeing that Gu Yi’s right foot was injured, he lay down on Gu Yi’s left side.

Gu Yi closed her eyes again, wanting to fall asleep, but the wound still throbbed with pain, hurting to the point of numbness.

She kept her eyes closed for quite a while but still couldn’t fall asleep.

Xiaoyan, hearing her irregular breathing, knew she couldn’t sleep peacefully and asked softly, “Does it hurt that much?”

Knife wounds, sword wounds—he had suffered quite a few.

They hurt too.

But not like her, making such a fuss, so pampered.

Gu Yi opened her eyes and said with a pained expression, “This concubine is in this much pain. It hurts so much!”

In the light of the orange lamp, Xiaoyan saw her eyelashes slightly lowered, her eyes glistening as if with tears, and said amusedly, “Gu Yi, are you crying from the pain?”

Gu Yi immediately exclaimed, “Your Majesty, you have no heart! Not only do you not comfort me, but you also mock me!”

Xiaoyan, ignoring the “me” in her speech, raised an eyebrow and said, “Lady Gu just now spoke as if she disregarded life and death, but now with just a leg injury, Lady Gu, is it so hard to endure?”

Gu Yi had been filled with inexplicable grievances for days, and now, being mocked by Xiao Gouzi, along with the intense pain in her leg, her spirit instantly collapsed. In the blink of an eye, hot tears truly rolled down from the corners of her eyes, “Your Majesty…”

*Xiao Gouzi, you have no heart!*

*Do you know how much I’ve suffered!*

*I’ve already died three times! I live in constant fear and anxiety! And I still have to maintain the plot!*

*Yet you still mock me with your words!*

Xiaoyan, seeing that she was crying, her nose reddened, tears rolling down like pearls, soon wetting her sideburns and black hair.

He hurriedly used his sleeve to wipe the corners of her eyes, “I didn’t mean to mock you… don’t cry… if it hurts that much, I’ll call the imperial physicians back immediately…”

Gu Yi cried heartily and loudly.

Xiaoyan was truly alarmed, “You… don’t cry anymore… I was wrong, don’t cry anymore, alright…”

Gu Yi had never heard Xiao Gouzi use such a humble tone.

She was momentarily stunned and truly stopped crying, “Then, Your Majesty…” She sniffled and thought for a moment, “Then… Your Majesty, tell this concubine a joke.”

Tell a joke.

Xiaoyan racked his brains but could only remember ribald jokes he had heard in the military years ago, none of which were appropriate to tell Gu Yi under the current circumstances.

He said helplessly, “I don’t know how to tell jokes.”

Gu Yi wiped away her hot tears, “Then this concubine will tell one.”

Xiaoyan, seeing that the corners of her eyes were red but she had stopped crying, secretly let out a sigh of relief, “Go ahead.”

Gu Yi asked, “Has Your Majesty heard the story about the little dog saying ‘yes’ and the big dog saying ‘no’?”

Xiaoyan secretly laughed to himself, *Such a trivial trick.*

But he said, “No.”

Gu Yi secretly laughed.

*Xiao Gouzi, trying to match wits with me!*

Seeing her expression ease slightly, Xiaoyan turned over, carefully encircling her in his embrace.

Gu Yi closed her eyes and heard Xiaoyan say in her ear, “Tomorrow, I will promote you to Consort.”

Gu Yi had never expected that an injury on duty would come with such benefits as promotion and a raise!

“Does Your Majesty keep his word?”

Xiaoyan: “When have I ever not kept my word?”

Gu Yi thought for a moment and asked hesitantly, “Is it because… this concubine’s father… he…” *Has accomplished something?*

Xiaoyan was startled by her words. Although Gu Longtong was implementing tax reforms in Fuzhou, it had only been a little over a month—hardly enough time to see remarkable results.

His promotion of Gu Yi certainly wasn’t because of Gu Longtong.

Seeing Xiaoyan’s silence, Gu Yi quit while she was ahead, “This concubine thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness.”

She turned over, and due to her leg injury, she didn’t kneel. She symbolically took Xiaoyan’s right hand and shook it.

*Thank you! Boss!*

But Xiaoyan caught her hand, pulled her forward, and lowered his head to kiss her lips.

It was an exceptionally gentle kiss, the soft touch of lips like a startled swan alighting, fleeting yet infinitely tender.