Chapter 1330: Chapter 1328: Too Upset to Bear
Xia Ruqing was stunned upon hearing it all.
"Injured?"
"She..."
After being speechless for a long time, she finally reacted.
Her eyes turned red instantly, and her body trembled slightly.
"What happened?"
"How did she get injured? Did she..."
Could it be that she fell off the horse?
Besides this, she couldn’t think of any other possibility.
Zhao Junyao’s expression was very severe, neither confirming nor denying anything.
He just sighed and then shook his head slightly.
"You don’t know? You don’t know either?"
Xia Ruqing’s heart was in her throat, and tears streamed down her face.
"No, I must go back, I need to go back now!"
She didn’t care about anything, not even properly dressed, she was about to rush out.
Zhao Junyao stopped her.
"Wait!"
"Wait for what? My daughter is injured, I can’t care about anything else!"
"I’m not playing or watching anymore!"
"Emperor, please hurry and have someone send me back!"
Zhao Junyao hugged her with one arm.
"Qingqing, don’t be impulsive!"
"The person reported that the injury is not serious. We still don’t know what’s going on; let’s wait for more news!"
Xia Ruqing finally calmed down a bit.
"Not serious? Then why didn’t you say so earlier?"
"Besides, even if it’s a minor injury, we should hurry back!"
After saying that, she pushed Zhao Junyao aside to pack up her things inside.
This time, Zhao Junyao didn’t stop her and promptly called people to prepare the carriage, also instructing others to continue to gather information.
Just like that,
The two, who had just been ready to stay here for a few days, hurriedly returned.
This time, since the schedule was rather tight, it only took a little over a day.
On the morning of the third day, the Emperor and Empress, with haste, returned from outside the capital.
Once they entered the palace,
one went straight to the daughter to check on her injury, while the other quickly summoned the imperial physician for inquiries and concerns.
The Fengyu Pavilion was bustling with people, a bit chaotic, with a strong smell of medicine in the air.
As Xia Ruqing entered, the odor stung her, leaving her speechless.
As her gaze moved inside,
she saw her daughter lying on the bed with her injured right leg, drinking medicine.
Her heart wrenched immediately.
"Yue Er!"
Yue Er looked up and saw her, hurriedly tossed the medicine bowl aside, and desperately tucked her leg into the quilt.
Her face was desperately squeezing out a forced smile.
"Oh, Mother, why are you here?"
"Weren’t you and Father on vacation?"
Xia Ruqing’s eyes fell on her daughter’s tightly bandaged leg, looking rather stern.
"What happened?"
"Stop moving around, your father and I both know!"
The smile on Yue Er’s face quickly faded.
"Oh, it’s nothing, just a little injury!"
"These pesky servants are so annoying, making a fuss over such a small matter..."
"It’s my fault for disturbing you and Father’s trip!"
Xia Ruqing’s face was very displeased.
"I should be disciplining you instead!"
She gritted her teeth and gently tapped her daughter’s forehead, wearing a look of frustration.
"Mother!"
Yue Er tried to act coy.
"It really is just a little injury, if you don’t believe it, ask the imperial physician!"
Xia Ruqing raised an eyebrow coldly.
"Your father has already asked!"
"Now... tell us, what exactly happened!"
Yue Er was about to respond amiably when an announcement was heard outside.
"The Emperor arrives!"
A chill ran through her heart: ’It’s over’.
Xia Ruqing and all the servants in the room went forward to greet him.
Zhao Junyao entered and personally helped Xia Ruqing up, motioning with his hand.
"Everyone, leave!"
"Yes!"
Once all the servants had left, only the family of three remained in the room.
Seeing Zhao Junyao’s somewhat grim face, Xia Ruqing knew things weren’t that simple.
She looked at Yue Er again.
"Are you still not going to talk?"
Zhao Junyao’s expression was also very serious.
"The imperial physician said your leg is severely injured, with both external and internal wounds! Tell us, what exactly happened?"
Yue Er was still somewhat hesitant, seeming unwilling to speak.
Zhao Junyao continued,
"If you don’t tell, from now on, you’re not allowed to leave the palace, nor ride horses!"
"You’ll only be allowed to study and sew in the palace, or... I’ll marry you off early!"
Yue Er wasn’t afraid of anything in the front.
But when it came to marrying early, she completely relented.
"Don’t, don’t, don’t, I’ll talk, I’ll talk!"
Xia Ruqing glanced at Zhao Junyao and then shifted her focus back to Yue Er.
"Speak! Speak clearly, explain fully, don’t make your father and me worry!"
Yue Er looked at her father, then her mother again,
both faces looked stern and severe.
She took a deep breath.
"It’s just..."
"I just... couldn’t stand seeing my elder sister being bullied!"
Xia Ruqing: "???"
Zhao Junyao: "..."
"What do you mean?!"
A look of disdain gradually appeared on Yue Er’s face.
"Isn’t it that damned Tao Family!"
"Just because my elder sister didn’t give them a son, they took several concubines!"
"A few days ago... one of the concubines just had a son!"
"They insisted on my elder sister adopting the child as her own!"
"But my sister wasn’t willing, so disagreements ensued!"
"Just the other day, I was passing by the street and saw the old Madam of the Tao Family with a concubine strolling in front, while my sister was following behind like a maid!"
"That concubine spoke inappropriately and even ordered my sister to carry things for her!"
"I couldn’t stand it, so I stepped forward to confront them!"
"That day I was in disguise, so no one recognized me, and... I ended up fighting with them!"
"And this... led to my injury?"
Yue Er spoke softer and softer.
The Emperor and Empress’s faces grew colder and colder.
Xia Ruqing was somewhat better, feeling just heartache.
Zhao Junyao felt a raging fire burning inside, filled with shock and anger.
"Outrageous! This is preposterous!"
"Which Tao Family is so audacious?"
Xia Ruqing: "..." Your minister, you don’t know?
Zhao Junyao indicated that a water-clear official from the Hanlin Academy, he really couldn’t remember.
Yue Er gave a detailed description.
"It’s my elder sister’s husband’s family, Tao Hanlin’s Family!"
Zhao Junyao thought for a while before remembering, feeling both angry and speechless.
"That Tao Family has gone too far!"
Xia Ruqing quickly advised him.
"Emperor, calm down. These matters don’t need your intervention!"
Then she conveniently told Zhao Junyao what Ni Manxue said on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
Feeling a little lost afterward,
"Actually, I’m also responsible for this, I knew about Tao Family taking concubines long ago, but I didn’t know about the child!"
If she had known about the child at that time, although she might not have gone to help, she certainly wouldn’t have concealed it, considering this concerns the Imperial Family’s reputation.
Zhao Junyao frowned.
"You should have told me earlier!"
"However... it’s not your fault!"
Xia Ruqing just bowed her head, saying nothing more.
The more said, the more wrong, so it’s better to say nothing!