NFBE Chapter 11: Eldest Brother Returns to Beijing Injured
Chapter 11: Eldest Brother Returns to Beijing Injured
Since Su Yueniang entered the palace, Su Nuannuan's life has undergone earth-shattering changes.
Now, Su Nuannuan has entrusted all the childcare to Su Yueniang. Not only that, Su Nuannuan is also patiently teaching Su Yueniang how to perform infant massage and gas-relieving exercises, among other care techniques.
In her spare time, she only occasionally interacts with her son, since an infant in swaddling clothes is really not fun.
As for the rest of her time, Su Nuannuan devoted almost all her attention to that small vegetable garden.
As she watched the palace servants methodically sowing the vegetable seeds into the soil, she couldn't help but frown slightly and mutter a complaint: "Look at this vegetable garden, it's so small, how many vegetables can it grow?"
Upon hearing this, Yaoqin muttered to herself, "My dear Empress, how can you be so ungrateful? You should know that in this vast harem, apart from the Empress's Anning Palace and the Empress Dowager's Cining Palace, which both have gardens, only we have such a vegetable garden. Even Consort De's Qixiang Palace doesn't have one!"
However, Jinse had a different idea in mind. She thought to herself, "The Cold Palace covers a large area with many empty spaces, and most importantly, no one lives there. Why don't I find an opportunity to suggest to Her Majesty that we move to the Cold Palace? Perhaps it would be more suitable for Her Majesty to pursue her love of gardening there."
Although her mind was filled with countless thoughts, Jinse ultimately chose to keep those words buried deep in her heart and did not utter them aloud.
Because she knew very well that if she were to rashly voice these thoughts, it would be tantamount to hoping that her master would lose favor.
Once such a thought arises, not only will others perceive her as having ulterior motives and malicious intentions, but it could also bring trouble upon herself. Therefore, despite having many thoughts and worries in her heart, Jinse still forced herself to suppress them and not voice them.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!" With a terrified shout, Li Quan stumbled in, clutching his left leg as he ran, looking utterly disheveled.
Su Nuannuan, who was leisurely sipping tea and watching the palace servants planting crops on the couch, frowned upon hearing the noise and scolded them unhappily, "What kind of behavior is this, all flustered and disorderly? What kind of manners are you!"
Li Quan, catching his breath, immediately knelt down and reported, "Your Majesty, this servant has just received news that the General returned injured and was carried into the mansion on a stretcher! I heard that this matter has alarmed His Majesty, and all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital have been dispatched by His Majesty to the General's mansion for treatment."
"What?" Su Nuannuan was shocked upon hearing this. The teacup in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter" and shattered. She was so startled that she jumped up from the recliner.
"Big brother is injured!" Su Nuannuan's face turned deathly pale instantly, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on her forehead.
After calming herself down a bit, Su Nuannuan quickly sat back down in her chair, turned to look at Jinse standing to the side, and decisively ordered, "Jinse, I order you to leave the palace immediately and return to your residence. You must find out exactly what happened for me. Remember, be quick!"
Jinse nodded slightly and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
The reason Jinse was sent to investigate was twofold: firstly, Jinse was skilled in medicine and could better understand the severity of the General's injuries and the progress of his treatment; secondly, Jinse was highly skilled in martial arts. Although she wouldn't dare call herself a top expert, she was more than capable of dealing with ordinary martial artists. Even if ten or eight strong and skilled men attacked her together, Jinse could easily handle them and escape unscathed.
Yaoqin didn't know medicine, but she knew martial arts. That's why, when dealing with the wet nurse Chen, she handed the medicine powder that had been found in Chen's room to Jinse.
"My brother is injured! And at such a crucial moment when he's about to be transferred back to the capital! What on earth happened?" Su Nuannuan frowned deeply, pondering with great concern.
She bit her lower lip, her gaze anxiously fixed on the distance, her mind a jumbled mess.
"Li Quan, go out and find out immediately what changes have occurred in the court recently," Su Nuannuan said urgently as she turned around.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Li Quan replied respectfully, wiping away the fine beads of sweat from his forehead as he spoke.
At this moment, Yaoqin, who was standing to the side, saw that Su Nuannuan looked nervous and quickly stepped forward to comfort her, saying, "Your Majesty, you don't need to worry too much. The General has always been blessed with good fortune and good luck. I believe he will be alright."
Su Nuannuan nodded slightly, but her tightly furrowed brows did not relax in the slightest. She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, and slowly said, "Well, let's wait for Jinse to return before making a decision."
However, deep in her heart, a very bold idea quietly sprouted—her brother's so-called injury might just be a carefully planned hoax. After all, with her brother's skills and cunning, how could he be easily injured?
Moreover, the eldest brother was always accompanied by a highly skilled physician. It is said that this physician had once made a bet with the eldest brother, which the physician unfortunately lost. According to the agreement, he had to follow the eldest brother unconditionally for ten years.
In this way, faking an injury would be incredibly easy for them.
However, this is merely Su Nuannuan's speculation. As for the truth and whether it can be concealed from the experienced imperial physicians, that will likely depend on their abilities.
Perhaps things weren't going smoothly for Father's plans, which is why my elder brother was forced to resort to such a risky move. But in any case, all the mysteries will only be revealed after Jinse returns…
"Your Majesty, the General is a veteran of many battles, he will surely be alright." Su Yueniang hugged the Fifth Prince tightly, gently comforting the worried Su Nuannuan.
"Mmm..." Su Nuannuan nodded gently, her voice so soft it seemed a gentle breeze could dispel it. Her beautiful but weary eyes gazed at her son, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms, and she felt a slight sense of relief.
After a while, seeing that the Fifth Prince was sleeping soundly, Su Nuannuan raised her head and slowly said to Su Yueniang, "Yueniang, why don't you take Cheng'er back to the room to rest for a while? Let Zhixiang watch over Cheng'er. I'm fine here, so you don't need to worry too much."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Su Yueniang carefully stood up, afraid of waking the sleeping little prince in her arms. She respectfully bowed to Su Nuannuan, then carried the still-smiling Canglan Jingcheng towards the inner room.
Speaking of Yaoqin, Jinse, Zhixiang, and Tingxue, they are not ordinary maids. They were brought as part of Su Nuannuan's dowry from the General Zhenguo's mansion when she got married. Moreover, they have a secret identity—secret guards.
These four women each had their own strengths. Among them, Zhixiang was skilled in blending various spices and had considerable knowledge of poisoning techniques, but she knew nothing about antidotes; while Tingxue was not only an excellent seamstress, but also surprisingly proficient in antidotes. However, although she could cure all poisons, when it came to healing and saving lives, she was far inferior to Jinse.
These secrets about the four women were all learned by Su Nuannuan after she transmigrated to this world and inherited the original owner's memories. Now, within this deep palace, they have become Su Nuannuan's most trusted confidantes.
Most importantly, all four maids are skilled in cooking. However, Jinse and Yaoqin usually serve her personally, while Zhixiang is usually in the small kitchen. When Tingxue has nothing to do, she makes clothes for Su Nuannuan. Anyway, the Empress has received many bolts of cloth as a reward, so it's not practical to send them all to the Imperial Clothing Bureau to be made.
Furthermore, the fabric in the Empress's possession is not suitable for gifting; it will go out of style if left unused, which would be a great pity.
"Your Majesty, this servant has investigated and found out."