Feng Jin’s words were truly shameless. It was estimated that only Feng Jin could utter such words without a blush, speaking with utmost composure.
“You… you mischievous girl. How could I not know your little schemes? Weren’t you concerned with appearances just moments ago? Why have you so readily discarded them now?”
Having long foreseen Feng Jin’s intentions, her earlier words were merely meant to provoke her, to see how long she could endure. She hadn’t expected her to break character so quickly, not even lasting a quarter of an hour.
Feng Jin smiled sheepishly, but still artfully twisted her words to argue, “That is also because I did not wish to go against the Empress Dowager’s wishes. If I acted otherwise, others would say I was being unreasonable…”
“Go on then, tell me what reward you desire. If you continue to refuse, I may truly go back on my word.”
“No… I’ll say it… I’ll say it right away…”
Feng Jin blurted out instinctively, her eyes darting around as she frantically pondered what reward would be best. After much thought, she finally decided, “Empress Dowager… then I shall dare to speak. If my request is too much and upsets you, please do not blame me.”
“I will not blame you. Speak, what do you wish for?”
“I want… I want the Empress Dowager’s token…”
The Empress Dowager’s interest was piqued by Feng Jin’s words. Why was she so fixated on her token? What grand scheme was this mischievous girl plotting now?
“Why do you specifically want my token? Does this token hold some special significance for you?”
“With this matter resolved, Prince Jing’s ascension to the throne as Crown Prince is a foregone conclusion. I had some unpleasantness with Prince Jing before, and moreover, my temperament suggests I will likely clash with Prince Jing in the future…”
“I was thinking… thinking to ask the Empress Dowager for a token. With the Empress Dowager’s token for protection, Prince Jing will surely show some consideration when he sees it. At least then, in a fit of anger, he wouldn’t directly have me executed.”
Upon hearing Feng Jin’s explanation, the Empress Dowager couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. She never would have imagined such a reason.
She truly thought this girl was fearless, only to discover she did indeed have something to fear.
“Empress Dowager… do you not wish to give it to me…”
Seeing the Empress Dowager’s long silence, Feng Jin finally couldn’t hold back and asked directly. She couldn’t let a duck that was already in her grasp fly away; that would be too much of a loss.
“Empress Dowager, if you go back on your word, then I can only pretend I heard nothing. Rest assured, Empress Dowager, I have a tight lip and will not speak of this to anyone.”
“Enough, you mischievous girl. You have a hundred schemes in your mind. I have given my word today, and if I cannot fulfill your wish, I fear you will indeed cause a great commotion.”
The Empress Dowager took the token from her waist and placed it into Feng Jin’s hand. “This token is yours from now on.”
Feng Jin was overjoyed and accepted it immediately, holding it as if it were a precious treasure. “Thank you, Empress Dowager.”
With this token, she would no longer have to fear Chu Chenyi. Her heart’s desire was finally fulfilled.
“You must not act recklessly with this token. From now on, with my token in hand, you need not worry about Chenyi causing you trouble.”
“This is my amulet. With the Empress Dowager’s protection, Prince Jing certainly won’t dare to bully me anymore.”
Now she could truly control Chu Chenyi. She refused to believe he could cause any further trouble in the face of the Empress Dowager’s token.
“Chenyi bullying you… I don’t believe he has that much ability!”
It was likely that Chu Chenyi had been bullied by Feng Jin quite a bit. Now that Feng Jin was asking for the token, it was because she was worried that after Chu Chenyi inherited the throne, he would seek her out for trouble. She was seeking a protective charm for herself.
This girl truly had many schemes. Chu Chenyi would naturally not be her match.
Now that she had her token in hand, she would likely become even more audacious.
“Not at all. It is truly Prince Jing who has been bullying me. I only offended Prince Jing in order to protect myself.”
Feng Jin spoke with such apparent sincerity that anyone who didn’t know the truth might easily be deceived by her words.
The Empress Dowager shook her head helplessly. At her age, being able to see her descendants before her was already a great blessing. Now, with the clever Feng Jin keeping her company, her spirits had lifted considerably, and she was willing to indulge Feng Jin’s playful antics.
As long as it wasn’t an overly excessive matter, she would protect Feng Jin and grant her the capital to be pampered.
…
“Father Emperor… Father Emperor…”
Chu Chenyi, who had been diligently watching by the bedside, noticed Emperor Xuanwen’s stirrings and hurried over to inquire.
Emperor Xuanwen, who had been in a coma for a long time, gradually showed signs of movement. His fingers twitched, indicating he was close to waking.
“Water… water…”
Emperor Xuanwen murmured softly, his lips parched and trembling slightly.
Chu Chenyi leaned closer to Emperor Xuanwen and finally understood what he was saying. He quickly got up with a cup of water and used a spoon to feed him a small amount.
“Father Emperor… Father Emperor…”
After calling out a couple more times, Emperor Xuanwen’s tightly shut eyelids trembled slightly, and he slowly opened them.
Having been in a coma for so long, Emperor Xuanwen’s consciousness was still quite muddled. He stared at Chu Chenyi for a long time before slowly opening his mouth and asking, “Chenyi… why are you here?”
“Father Emperor, you’ve finally woken up. I’ll go call Feng Jin to examine you.”
Chu Chenyi breathed a sigh of relief; the Emperor had finally awakened. Just as he was about to get up to call Feng Jin, the Empress Dowager entered, supported by Feng Jin.
“Imperial Grandmother.”
“How is your Father Emperor?”
“Reporting to Imperial Grandmother, Father Emperor just woke up and drank some water.”
While the two conversed, Feng Jin stepped forward and approached the bed to examine Emperor Xuanwen.
“How is the Emperor?” The Empress Dowager asked impatiently, her heart filled with concern, as Feng Jin took Emperor Xuanwen’s pulse.
Feng Jin withdrew her hand from Emperor Xuanwen’s pulse. “The residual poison in His Majesty’s body has not yet been completely cleared. His Majesty was deeply poisoned and requires a few more days of slow detoxification to completely eliminate the toxins from his body.”
“Then, is the Emperor’s body still in great danger?”
“Empress Dowager, please rest assured. His Majesty’s body is no longer in danger. He is merely a little weak and only needs a few days of proper rest.”