After Qian Xia had finally finished tending to Nan Zhiyun's wounds, Nan Zhiyun drifted back into a dazed sleep. With her high fever, Nan Zhiyun was somewhat disoriented.
Vaguely, Nan Zhiyun seemed to hear the imperial physician speaking, "Your Majesty, Consort Nan's high fever is not subsiding..."
She desperately wanted to wake up, but felt as though she couldn't open her eyes, her body alternating between cold and hot.
Simultaneously, the news of Yu Jingchen visiting Yajianju that day had stirred up a significant ripple in the harem. Especially after it was rumored that Yu Jingchen had personally executed those who had neglected Nan Zhiyun, and had also sent for imperial physicians and remained there without leaving.
This naturally led to much speculation within the harem. Logically, Yu Jingchen should have harbored deep animosity towards Nan Zhiyun. After all, for some baseless accusation, she had been sent to the Bureau of Punishments and detained for ten days.
She had been punished with fifty bamboo strikes for a mere trifle. Her back was bloody and torn, so they couldn't quite comprehend why Yu Jingchen would visit now.
Was it to torment her further? Yet this situation and his demeanor didn't seem to align with that. If it were affection, that was even more unthinkable, as he himself had decreed her punishment. Or perhaps she was critically ill? Having just been released from the Bureau of Punishments after ten days, and then receiving fifty strikes, she might not have much life left.
But surely His Majesty wouldn't act like this? Punishing subordinates and then staying by her side; he never engaged in such public displays. There was another possibility: Empress Dowager was about to return to the palace. Nan Zhiyun had grown up under the Empress Dowager's care and was always favored by her. Thus, was His Majesty considering the Empress Dowager's feelings? Yet, weren't His Majesty and the Empress Dowager always outwardly harmonious but inwardly at odds?
The consorts in the harem found it perplexing. However, regardless of the reason, they didn't believe Nan Zhiyun posed any threat to them. As long as she was still a member of the Nan family, Nan Zhiyun essentially had no hope of a comeback in this lifetime, so no one was wary of her due to this incident.
But just as everyone dismissed it, an imperial decree arrived, catching them completely off guard. Yu Jingchen had promoted Nan Zhiyun to the rank of Jieyu and moved her to He'an Palace. This left the consorts in the harem even more bewildered.
"Jieyu, what does His Majesty mean by this?" a palace maid fanned Min Jieyu, asking.
"I underestimated this Nan Zhiyun. She gets promoted even after being punished," Min Jieyu scoffed. She had intensely disliked Nan Zhiyun since childhood. In the eyes of the capital's influential families, she and Nan Zhiyun were the most outstanding women.
Yet, she always felt Nan Zhiyun overshadowed her. Wherever Nan Zhiyun was present, others never noticed her.
She loved His Majesty, and it took great effort to reach the position of Jieyu. But Nan Zhiyun, upon entering the palace, was already one of the Four Consorts. How? Was it simply due to the Empress Dowager's protection? But even with the Empress Dowager's backing, what of it? His Majesty still disliked her.
Look, in just this past year, she had fallen from one of the Four Consorts to a mere Cai person. She had finally waited for an opportunity to step on her, only for her to resort to such low-class tactics. In her opinion, everything that happened today was merely Nan Zhiyun's ruse.
Min Jieyu squeezed the handkerchief in her hand forcefully. One day, she would rise above Nan Zhiyun. At that time, she would repay all the humiliation she had suffered tenfold, a hundredfold, to Nan Zhiyun. Today was just the beginning.
"Nan Zhiyun, you just wait!" Min Jieyu's face contorted. Of course, outsiders would not know what was happening here. However, the other consorts in the harem would not take Nan Zhiyun seriously.
Night had fallen, and Nan Zhiyun's fever showed no signs of subsiding. Qian Xia by her side was extremely anxious. The imperial physicians were also sweating profusely because Yu Jingchen's current expression was terrifyingly grim.
As the fever refused to break, Yu Jingchen sent for more imperial physicians from the Taiyuan Hospital, but none could help Nan Zhiyun reduce her fever.
Just then, someone announced from outside that Noble Consort had arrived. Yu Jingchen had never established an Empress, so Noble Consort held the highest rank in the harem, handling all major affairs.
In his previous life, he had not visited Nan Zhiyun. In the end, when there was no other recourse, Nan Zhiyun's maid had apparently knelt at Noble Consort's palace gate.
After learning of this, Noble Consort came to find him. Although he hadn't visited at the time, he was aware of the goings-on in the harem. However, he had merely said indifferently, "Noble Consort may decide as she sees fit."
Afterward, Noble Consort had ordered the summoning of imperial physicians. Yu Jingchen remembered that by the time the Empress Dowager returned, Nan Zhiyun's health had not yet fully recovered.
It was still over a month until the Empress Dowager's return. One could imagine how severely Nan Zhiyun was ill.