Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 378 One wave subsides, another rises

From Wu Cang's frenzy to Song Jieyu's sweeping kick, only a few breaths passed.

Meng Shu had anticipated this and had been secretly observing her surroundings, so she took in all the changes. The fox spirit was indeed heading straight for Qu Baolin's skirt.

What surprised her the most was Song Jieyu's reaction.

Among the concubines present, who would have expected that Consort Song would actually kick Consort Qu several meters away? Such skill truly befits the daughter of a military general...

Upon hearing Qi Zhaorong's voice, Meng Shu hurriedly sent Mingyue over to check.

Then, she quickly scanned the entire room: the Empress Dowager and the Empress had been safely protected by the palace servants. Consort Rong and the other palace servants had also escaped unharmed in time, but after her gaze swept around a couple of times, she couldn't find Consort Qu anywhere.

It turned out that Qu Cairen happened to be near the screen amidst the chaos.

The moment Song Jieyu kicked Qu Baolin away, she didn't hesitate to lunge backward and use her back to shield the wet nurse who was holding Lingyi!

"Wah—" Lingyi, still in her swaddling clothes, was awakened by the loud noise and began to cry shrilly.

The wet nurse turned pale with fright. She kept comforting Lingyi while her hands trembled as she carefully examined her. Only when she saw that Lingyi was unharmed did she calm down.

Qi Zhaorong was only slightly frightened, but Qu Cairen was hit squarely on the back by the heavy screen and was now unconscious, with faint traces of blood seeping from under her moon-white clothes.

On the other side, Qu Baolin's situation was even more tragic.

First, she was kicked away by Consort Song, then she crashed into a sandalwood screen. She only had time to let out a cry before she fainted. At this moment, she was being held in the arms of a panicked Lian Qiao...

Coming to her senses, Consort Qi was furious. She suppressed her anger and stepped forward to check on Consort Qu's injuries. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she brushed aside the stray strands of hair from Consort Qu's forehead, her voice choked with emotion: "Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"

Qi Zhaorong was deeply grateful for Qu Cairen's actions. If it weren't for Qu Cairen's selfless protection, even with a wet nurse, Lingyi would likely not have been safe.

Consort Chun gestured to Green Willow and Mengzhu to protect Meng Shu, while she herself bent down to check Qu Cai's pulse: "Quickly carry her to the warm bed in the outer room and prepare wound medicine!"

Ruixue was already terrified and tears streamed down her face. Upon hearing this, she and Huajin quickly helped Qu Cairen up on either side. Before leaving, she bowed deeply to Consort Chun, her eyes filled with gratitude.

Consort Qi stood up, her gaze fixed on Consort Song: "Consort Song, you are quite skilled. If it weren't for Consort Qu's selfless protection, would you have been plotting to harm the imperial heir?"

Consort Song immediately curtsied and apologized: "In my haste, I acted without noticing what was behind the screen. Once this is over, I will personally come to Dieqiong Pavilion to plead guilty..."

"Why did the fox spirit go mad? Why did it charge straight at Consort Qu? What exactly happened? The Imperial Household Department is hereby ordered to investigate thoroughly!"

The Empress spoke in a deep, cold voice.

She looked around: shattered jewels, a toppled screen, the unconscious Consort Qu, the terrified concubines, the weeping Lady Ling...

Finally, the camera focused on Meng Shu and Consort Chun not far away—the two were perfectly still, without even a hint of panic on their faces.

The Empress narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, a barely perceptible shadow flashing in them.

The current chaos was clearly beyond her expectations, and what alarmed her even more was that things seemed to be developing in another direction, and a sense of unease began to creep into her heart.

Meng Shu tugged at Consort Chun's sleeve and whispered to Meng Zhu, "Meng Zhu, go to Funing Palace immediately and report the situation here to the Emperor!"

The Empress Dowager first went to check on Lingyi, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she was unharmed: "...Fortunately, Consort Qu was protecting her, and Physician He was able to properly treat Consort Qu."

When her gaze fell upon the unconscious Qu Baolin, the warmth in the Empress Dowager's eyes vanished instantly. "Qu Baolin has behaved improperly. Take her away and we will discuss the matter further after she has been treated by the imperial physician."

Beside the flower trellis in the center of the warm pavilion, the beast-taming palace maid Anu clung tightly to Wu Cang, who had caused the trouble, and knelt on the ground, trembling like a leaf, begging for forgiveness: "This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!"

(Note: Anu appeared in Chapter 239, entering the palace in the same batch as Green Willow. Initially, she served in Consort Qi's palace, but was later kept in Cining Palace by the Empress Dowager because of her skill in raising parrots. Both Fanxue and Wucang were presented to Empress Dowager Jiang by the Empress. Because Fanxue was mischievous, she was adopted by Consort Qi, who was then a Xiuyi.)

The head maidservant beside the Empress Dowager was furious. Pointing at Anu, she rebuked her sharply: "How have you been doing your job?! Wu Cang has always been docile, why has she suddenly gone mad today?"

"This servant deserves to die!" Anu cried, her face ashen. "Wu Cang usually only plays and gets out of the house in the West Garden, and never comes to the Warm Pavilion. Today... I don't know why..."

"What a ridiculous thing! If this beast had harmed Princess Lingyi, how many heads would you have to chop off?"

The Empress took a deep breath, suppressing the complex expression in her eyes, and turned to the Empress Dowager, speaking reassuringly, "Mother, you've been frightened. The situation is chaotic right now; please, Aunt, help Mother back to her chambers to rest..."

"Yi'an—"

Before the Empress could finish speaking, Song Jieyu let out an anxious exclamation.

It's truly a case of one wave subsiding only for another to rise.

The concubines hurriedly looked in the direction of the sound and saw Consort Shen slumped in Consort Song's arms, her face deathly pale and her temples soaked with cold sweat. Her slender fingers were tightly gripping Consort Song's sleeve: "Sister Song... my stomach hurts so much."

When Consort Qi questioned her earlier, Consort Song remained calm and composed, but now she panicked and hurriedly ordered, "Yuehuan! Quickly go to the Imperial Hospital and ask Physician He to wait in Shujing Palace!" She also ordered her personal maid, Fengchi, to prepare a warm sedan chair.

With her left hand supporting Shen Jieyu's neck, she used her right arm to lift her up horizontally, repeatedly reassuring her, "Don't be afraid... Yi'an, don't be afraid, everything will be alright."

The Empress Dowager was shocked by the sight and shouted, "Why go to Shujing Palace? Quickly carry her to my bedchamber! Convey my decree: all the imperial physicians on duty in the Imperial Hospital must go to Cining Palace immediately!"

Seeing that Consort Shen was bleeding, Consort Chun instinctively tightened her grip on Meng Shu's wrist.

Meng Shu frowned slightly. When Qu Baolin was startled, she didn't touch Shen Jieyu at all. Shen Jieyu must have been frightened. Whatever the reason, this pregnancy is likely to be premature.

With a stern face, the Empress Dowager led the Empress and Consort Song to the bedchamber to settle in. Before leaving the warm pavilion, she instructed Consort Chun: "Consort Chun, stay and take care of her. Have the imperial physician treat Consort Qu well. Consort Qi, take Lingyi back for now and take good care of her."

Consort Chun bowed and accepted the order.

The Empress gave her a meaningful look before leaving with the Empress Dowager.