The fall into the water was so sudden that everyone was stunned for quite some time. It was not until Nangong Xuan dived directly into the water that everyone started frantically shouting and rushing to call for help.
Although the water was not very deep, Yan Yi Ming’s entire body was already completely submerged. When Nangong Xuan pulled her out of the water, Yan Yi Ming had turned pale and seemed to have lost consciousness.
Nangong Xuan waded a few steps towards the shore. The frightened palace maids and eunuchs rushed over and hastily draped a cloak over the drenched Nangong Xuan. However, he promptly took off the cloak and wrapped Yan Yi Ming in it. He anxiously called out to her several times, but there was no response.
Nangong Xuan’s heart, which had just settled down, suddenly leaped to his throat again. He paid no heed to the people around him and without further delay, lifted Yan Yi Ming and hurried towards the nearest palace. The attendants by his side tried to assist, but Nangong Xuan paid no mind, carrying Yan Yi Ming away with large strides. As he departed, he sternly ordered a eunuch to send for the imperial physicians.
The incident happened so suddenly that it caught everyone off guard. It was not until the Crown Prince left that the previously quiet scene gradually erupted. Young Lady Yang, who had just ridiculed Yan Yi Ming by calling her an unwanted plaything of the Crown Prince, was now left flustered due to the shock.
She did not mean any harm, but when she waved her hand, she accidentally bumped into Jian Yu’er.
She never expected that Yan Yi Ming would rescue Jian Yu’er, let alone anticipate the sudden appearance of the Crown Prince and other princes at the scene. She could not fathom why the Crown Prince would personally save Yan Yi Ming. Wasn’t it known that the Crown Prince never cared about Yan Yi Ming? Wasn’t Yan Yi Ming already involved with the Fifth Prince in a clandestine relationship?
Why did His Royal Highness completely disregard his own safety and personally dive into the water to save her? Moreover, the anxiety and concern on the Crown Prince’s face just now were undisguised.
The young ladies around were all buzzing with discussions, their thoughts flowed along the same line as Young Lady Yang. Weren’t they just saying that the Crown Prince completely disregarded and abandoned Yan Yi Ming for Jian Yu’er?
Suddenly, they remembered the other key figure in this incident, Jian Yu’er. When they turned to look at her, they found Jian Yu’er standing there, her face ashen, dazed, and seemingly absentminded. Accompanying the Crown Prince were the Eldest Prince and the Third Prince. With the Crown Prince carrying Yan Yi Ming away, the other royal princes could only stay back to console the frightened young ladies.
The Third Prince, who had his eyes set on Yan Yi Ming since the beginning, looked increasingly gloomy as the Crown Prince departed with her in his arms. It was not surprising that Yan Yi Ming, with her illustrious family background and stunning appearance, was an object of desire to many, including himself. However, Yan Yi Ming seemed to only have eyes for the Crown Prince and had ignored his advances. As a dignified prince, he did not want to lower himself by pursuing someone who clearly favored another.
However, recently, the relationship between Yan Yi Ming, the Crown Prince, and the Fifth Prince became unclear. As a woman rumored to be caught between two brothers, the Empress would never agree to let her marry the Fifth Prince. Hence, this situation provided the Third Prince with an opportunity. Today, coincidentally, the members of the Yan family had entered the palace, and his Imperial Concubine Mother had the intention to discuss this with Old Madame Yan. Little did they expect such an incident to occur. Although the fall into the water was purely accidental, everyone had witnessed the Crown Prince personally carrying Yan Yi Ming away.
No matter how rampant the rumors had been, this kind of physical contact unequivocally declared who Yan Yi Ming would belong to in the end.
The Third Prince shot a resentful glare at Jian Yu’er. He thought to himself that if it was not for saving this woman, Yan Yi Ming would not have fallen into the water.
As for the Eldest Prince, his visage also changed slightly, but he maintained excellent control over his facial expressions. Unlike the Crown Prince, he had an amiable demeanor. After soothing the young ladies, he sent an attendant to Kunning Palace to inform the Empress.
As he was walking, Nangong Xuan held her tightly in his arms and noticed that the woman in his embrace was incredibly light. Perhaps due to falling into the water, Yan Yi Ming unconsciously clung tightly to Nangong Xuan’s sleeve as her body trembled ever so slightly. Her cheeks were pale, and her once rosy lips were now ashen. Strands of wet hair clung to her face, and her delicate features were contorted with fragility, tugging at one’s heartstrings.
The eunuchs were already waiting in the nearest palace. Nangong Xuan entered the hall and placed Yan Yi Ming on a couch. Before he could step away, Yan Yi Ming held onto his sleeve tightly, her eyes heavy and she found it difficult to open them. However, when she seemed to catch a glimpse of who was before her, her voice, though extremely weak, tried to call out, “Your Highness.”
Nangong Xuan’s eyes suddenly lit up. Was Yan Yi Ming calling out for him? Was it because she saw him, or was it because he was the one she most longed to see? Nangong Xuan rested her back against his chest and repeatedly called her name. New chapters come out on novelping dot com first.
However, in the next moment, Yan Yi Ming shivered violently and mumbled through chattering teeth, “Cold, so cold, Fifth Highness… I’m so cold…”
Nangong Xuan’s heart, which had soared just moments ago, was instantly pierced by an ice-cold sensation.
His hands, which held Yan Yi Ming’s, trembled slightly. At that moment, all he wanted to do was shout angrily at her, “The one holding you right now is me, not Nangong Ye!” Yet, seeing her pitiful appearance, all his words transformed into tenderness at the tip of his tongue.
When the Empress, Old Madame Yan, and Madame Yan arrived, they were greeted by the scene of the Crown Prince holding Yan Yi Ming in his embrace. It left them all dumbfounded with various expressions on their faces. Madame Yan, although unsure of why the Crown Prince was acting so intimately with her daughter, was primarily concerned about her daughter’s condition thus she hurried forward to check on Yan Yi Ming.
The Empress steadied her slightly swaying figure before approaching to inquire about the situation.
No sooner did her words fall, the imperial physicians hastily arrived. Before they could complete their salutations, Nangong Xuan grabbed them and brought them to Yan Yi Ming’s side. After a brief examination and with the forehand knowledge that it was due to falling into the water. They deduced that the situation was not too dire and one of them stepped forward to report, “Young Lady Yan had an unexpected fall into the water and has yet to regain consciousness. Hence, this Official proposes several methods… We could bury her in warm ashes, covering her from head to toe with only her seven apertures[1] exposed. If she still doesn’t wake up, then we could try suspending Young Lady Yan upside down and administering wine through the nose and mouth. Vinegar administered through the nose is also effective…”
Yan Yi Ming felt as if she had been trampled by a million alpacas. In the modern world, there was the concept of artificial respiration, she never imagined that the ancient methods of resuscitating a drowned person were so perverse that it involved burying them in ashes or suspending them upside down. With a sudden jolt, she immediately acted as though she just come to.
Yan Yi Ming let out a soft and weak cough before slowly opening her eyes. In an instant, everyone turned their attention to the couch. Madame Yan was on the verge of tears due to restlessness as Yan Yi Ming weakly called out to her mother. With Yan Yi Ming awake, everyone felt relieved with the exception of the Empress, who suddenly felt a tinge of disappointment.
The imperial physicians approached again to examine Yan Yi Ming’s pulse. After which, they turned to explain to the Crown Prince and Madame Yan, “Since Young Lady Yan has awakened, there is no longer a cause for concern. Her heart is warm, and her chi[2]is flowing smoothly. We’ll prepare a concoction for Young Lady Yan to drink and recuperate. Now, it’s essential to change Young Lady Yan into a set of dry clothing to prevent her from catching a cold after her near-drowning incident.”
Nangong Xuan had no additional reasons to remain. The Empress also chose to leave with him after issuing some instructions.
The incident today was known to too many people, making it impossible to keep it a secret. Lately, the Empress’s attention had been entirely focused on the Fifth Prince and Yan Yi Ming’s matters. But after today’s matter, the Empress suddenly realized that the Crown Prince’s attitude towards Yan Yi Ming was not as indifferent as she had originally thought. In the past, when her two sons were having a silent conflict, she had assumed that the Crown Prince, like herself, disapproved of Nangong Ye’s absurd behavior. Little did she know that their fallout was because of Yan Yi Ming.
This was clearly the two of them being jealous and fighting over a woman.
This… this is absolutely preposterous! For the sake of a woman, biological brothers are no longer on speaking terms, and because of this woman, he jumped into the water to save her. Does he no longer value his life?!
Yet, Nangong Xuan’s expression remained calm as he smiled faintly, “This son is in good health, and there’s no need to worry. I apologize for causing Mother Empress to be concerned.”
The Empress suddenly found herself at a loss for words, so she shot the Crown Prince a glare. She took a deep breath and stated, “There were too many witnesses to today’s events. It’s not something that can be concealed.”
The intimate contact between the Crown Prince and Yan Yi Ming today could not be covered up. Yan Yi Ming’s hope of marrying Nangong Ye is gone. As for the Crown Prince…
The Empress glanced at the Crown Prince and spoke softly, “Since it has come to this, Yan Yi Ming’s reputation has been tarnished. After a period of time, allow her to enter the Eastern Palace as an imperial concubine…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Nangong Xuan hastily interrupted, speaking earnestly, “Mother Empress, since young, Ah Ming and I have been childhood sweethearts. And today, due to a twist of fate, we have shared skinship. Now that this son is coming of age soon, why don’t we choose an auspicious day and have Ah Ming marry into the Eastern Palace?”
That was tantamount to saying that he planned to marry her as his Crown Princess Consort!
The Empress found this piece of news somewhat incredulous, “Then, what about Young Lady Jian from the Prime Minister’s residence?”
Even though she had already realized that the Crown Prince regretted and could not bear to let go of Yan Yi Ming. Still, she never expected Nangong Xuan to give up on Jian Yu’er for Yan Yi Ming.
“The Jian family was originally on my side,” Nangong Xuan continued, “Marrying a daughter of the Jian family would be adding flowers on a brocade[4]. But if I can marry the legitimate granddaughter of Duke Ding’s residence, that would be sending charcoal in the snow[5]. No doubt Mother Empress understands the significance of this choice, and I need not say more. In today’s events, Ah Ming was the most innocent. She risked her own life to save another, demonstrating her compassionate heart thus she is deserving of the position of Crown Princess. Even Father Emperor, when he learns about today’s events, would surely agree with my decision. As for Duke Ding’s residence, this way of handling the matter would also provide them with an appropriate explanation.”
Nangong Xuan’s comprehensive explanation left the Empress speechless.
The Empress had secretly hoped for Yan Yi Ming to become the Crown Prince’s imperial concubine due to today’s events. After all, following what happened today, Yan Yi Ming had no choice but to marry the Crown Prince. Duke Ding’s residence had no other options, even if they were unwilling. However, as the Crown Prince had pointed out, it would be a grievance for Duke Ding’s legitimate granddaughter to enter the Eastern Palace as a mere imperial concubine, which would likely lead to Duke Ding’s residence displeasure, rendering this marriage devoid of its intended significance.
In addition, after the Emperor learns about Yan Yi Ming’s ‘selfless’ act, he would also praise her highly.
Since this method could safeguard Duke Ding’s support while severing her youngest son’s affection for Yan Yi Ming. It was an arrow that shot down two golden eagles[6].
With that, the Empress had no further objections thus she turned and left.
I LOL-ed when I read the part on the method the physicians wanted to use to resuscitate patients who nearly drowned.
FYI, I did a google search to check on the legitimacy of it… I think I found it and I also uncovered more ridiculous ways people from olden times (not just in Ancient China) try to resuscitate patients… Those interested can check out this link or search it up as well.
[1] It refers to the seven apertures of the human head: 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils, and the mouth.
[2] <气> refers to a person’s life force or vitality.
[3] A little titbit from translator (but take with a pinch of salt because history is vast and even through different dynasties, some traditions will differ AND understand that my assumption is based on this novel’s context): At any one time a man can only MARRY one wife (not counting incidents where the man has a primary and secondary wife or if his first wife passed away and he remarries). From what I understand, the man can have multiple concubines (their status might determine how many they can have), but concubines are all ‘carried’ into the residence through the side gates and there’s no wedding procession for them. Even after death, they do not get to be buried beside their ‘husband’. Though some will have their names recorded in the genealogy of the household, their status will always be below the main wife.
[4] It has the same meaning as ‘adding icing to a cake’.
[5] It means providing help in someone’s hour of need.
[6] A win-win situation, to kill two birds with one stone.