Zong Zhengjin arrived and saw her kneeling alone in the distance, under the scorching sun, on a cobblestone pavement.

  Furrowed his brow and walked over in a few big strides.

  Su Jing felt a shadow looming in front of her, her eyes slightly raised, her dimples lightly sank, and she smiled faintly, "The Emperor has arrived?"

  Zong Zheng Jin quietly looked at her, shouldnt she be crying and complaining now? Why didnt even frown a little?

  "Still not getting up?" He couldnt deny that he was a little worried.

  Su Jing raised her head and looked at him, their eyes met, she pouted, "Cant get up."

  Zong Zhengjin bent down and helped her up, seeing that her legs had softened for a moment, he quickly supported her and hugged her again.

  Su Jingxi also didnt speak, placing her head on his shoulder, tightly hugging his neck.

  Zong Zhengjin first felt that she was a bit unusually quiet, and then he started to feel the hem of his shoulder getting wet, with an inexplicable sense of annoyance in his heart.

  Su Shun and others followed behind, not daring to breathe loudly, fearing that they would inadvertently provoke the emperors anger. They only used their eyes to signal to a small eunuch beside them to hurry to the imperial hospital to summon an imperial physician.

  The two of them returned silently to Zuiyunwu.

  Zong Zhengjin put her on the couch and saw that she had a lot of fine sweat on her forehead, and he himself was also sticky, "Go get some more ice."

  Su Shunxian hastily agreed and pulled Tingyao along with him, "Hurry up and go get some water for your master."

  Ting Yao didnt dare to delay either. Although she didnt know why the master was being carried back by the emperor, at this time she also knew it wasnt the time to get entangled in these thoughts.

  He quickly poured a bowl of water and immediately retreated, leaving space for the two of them.

  When the emperor is present, the master does not like others to be there.

  Zong Zhengjin saw her lowering her head and could only say, "Let me take a look at your leg."

  Su Jing sniffled and raised her head, somewhat uneasy, "Does the Emperor really want to see it?"

  Zong Zhengjin saw that she only had red eyes, and there was nothing unusual about her in other places. He didnt expose her, "Hmm."

  He said as he lifted her skirt and pulled up his pants, one hand on the back of his hand, "Your Majesty should be gentle."

  Zong Zhengjin nodded slightly, his movements becoming much gentler, but when he saw her knees, a storm of anger gathered in his eyes.

  "Your Majesty, its nothing, really, it doesnt hurt much," Su Jingfan covered the wound with her hand, smiling brightly.

  Its actually not that painful, its just that she has delicate skin and a fragile body since childhood, so the wounds on her pale skin look quite shocking.

  Zong Zhengjin also couldnt describe what she was feeling at that moment, her knees had long since turned purple and blue from the blood clots, looking very painful.

  If it were any other concubine, she would have cried by now to seek his pity, but she smiled as usual and comforted him instead.

  But he was just heartbroken, the pain wasnt on his body, and it didnt hurt him. There were no more feelings than that.

  "Your Majesty, the imperial physician has arrived," Su Shunian said softly from the doorway.

  Zong Zhengjin let down her skirt, "Hmm, come in."

  Su Jingxi once again admired the medical skills of the ancients. She was injured in the leg, but the imperial physician did not look at the wound and only took her pulse.

  "Reporting to Your Majesty, Miss Su is not seriously injured, she just needs to have the blood stasis pushed and massaged open, then drink two packets of medicine, and rest well to recover," the imperial physician said, kneeling on the ground.

  Zong Zhengjin nodded, "You go get the medicine, let the nurse come in."

  Having finished speaking and preparing to stand up, however, she didnt expect her hand to be tightly grasped. "Your Majesty, Im a little scared."

  Su Jing knew that pretending to be calm and collected couldnt make a man truly understand her pain, only by letting him know her pain appropriately, best if he sees it with his own eyes, yet she was willing to endure all this for him, so as to make him truly sympathize with her.

  Indeed, Zong Zhengjin gently patted her hand, "I wont leave, Ill stay here."

  He didnt mind her current ignorance, one moment ago she was comforting him, the next moment she was already scared and unknowingly referred to herself as "I" in front of him.

  Su Jing clenched her teeth and endured the pain spreading from her legs, without making a sound, only tears fell one by one.

  Zong Zhengjin thought back to when she was a kid and seemed to have been punished by kneeling too, but it didnt seem as painful as it was for her at this moment.

  Embracing her in his arms, "Its okay to cry out loud, it doesnt matter."

  Forget it, shes just a girl and only fourteen years old, still underage, these things cant be compared with him.

  Su Jing shook her head and buried her face deep in his chest, tightly hugging his waist.

  It wasnt easy waiting for this process to pass, and both people were already drenched in sweat, even though several ice packs had been placed inside the house.

  After washing and applying medicine, Su Jing sat on the couch, somewhat embarrassed, "The maid just lost her composure."

  "Nothings wrong, take good care of yourself. You dont have to pay your respects to the Empress for the next few days. Ill come visit you again tomorrow."

  Su Jing was about to curtsy, but Zong Zhengjin hastily supported her and said, "No need for the courtesy."

  "That concubine is sending off the Emperor," Su Jing seemed to be in a good mood, and gave him a big smile.

  Zong Zhengjins mouth corners rose, its better this way, he touched her head, "Hmm."

  Not long after, Su Jing was punished to kneel in the Imperial Garden, and the Emperor personally went to carry her back to Zuiyun Pavilion. The two stayed together for more than an hour before the Emperor left, and the news spread throughout the harem.

  Before they could finish their indignation, an imperial decree demoting Consort Chang as a lesser consort was issued by the Empress.

  For a time, the Yunwu Pavilion was crowded with people coming and going without end, and all the palaces sent people to present gifts and offer condolences.

  Xiaoyi, ranked fifth, below Pin, also is the first dividing line of the imperial harems ranking system.

  That night, the Emperor stayed in the Qianqing Palace.

  "On the second day, Master, you should take your medicine first, Liang Yu said to the person lying on the couch, flipping through a book."

  Su Jingxi didnt take her eyes off him, "Lets put it aside for now."

  "Master, this has been reheated again, if you dont eat... slave... " She said half of it but didnt know how to continue, what could she do with her?

  In the past, it could be said to inform the lady, now, must it be said to inform the emperor?

  Su Jing finally shifted her gaze, "Alright, Yao, just let me drink a little less this time, you see, Im almost better already."

  "Little master, you just drank it yesterday and this is only the second time, so be good and drink your medicine!"

  "Next time she doesnt take her medicine, tell me," Zong Zhengjin walked in and pressed down on her body, not letting her get up.

  Su Jing pouted, "Cant I just not drink it?"

  "Want me to feed you?" Zong Zhengjin picked up the medicine bowl and stirred it with a spoon.

  Su Jing furrowed her brow and pursed her lips, looking at the medicine bowl in his hand with disdain. "Why dont you have the emperor drink a mouthful? Its really very bitter."

  Zong Zhengjin coldly snorted, no one had ever asked him to test medicine before, and he naturally wouldnt really drink it.

  "Good medicine tastes bitter, drink it, or else..." Or else what?

  "Drink it up, and Ill reward you with food."

  Su Jing took it over and drank it in a few mouthfuls, puckering up her face.

  Zong Zhengjin furrowed his brow and handed her a nearby honey cake, wondering if it was really that bitter.

  Her hair is dressed in a simple yet elegant style, her makeup is light and subtle. A faint mist of green smoke surrounds her lightly, and the flying catkins and wandering threads have no fixed direction.

  Su Jing knew he would come today and wouldnt really show up in a sickly, unadorned state, especially since this person was also related to her future prospects.

  Zong Zhengjin picked up a book beside him, flipping through it with some disdain, "What progress can be made by reading these every day?"

  Su Jingxi did not get angry, and smiled shyly, "As long as the concubine serves the emperor well, thats all. A small woman like me doesnt need to make so much progress."

  "Youre quite impressive," Zong Zhengjin was amused by her, "If all the women in the world were like you, where would the heroes come from?"

  "Thats because theyre not like concubines, with an emperor as their husband, so they need to be even more outstanding than men," The idea of male superiority and female inferiority may not be acknowledged, but it is a fact, especially in the mindset of emperors.

  Zong Zhengjin shook his head, unable to deny that it felt good to be relied on. "Youre always right."

  "Thats also because His Majesty doesnt bother with trivial matters involving young ladies," Su Jing said with a clever smile, her eyes filled with even more amusement.

  Zong Zhengjin had no choice but to say so, otherwise he would never be able to argue with her again in the future.

  Half a time later, Zong Zhengjin left and returned to the Zi Chen Palace, leaving many rewards and promising to come over at night.

  Su Jings mood was good, at least in the eyes of outsiders.

  "Master, there are some problems with a few medicinal materials," said Ting Yao as she opened the curtain and came in softly.

  Su Jingxiao played with the jade Ruyi in her hand, "Is it?"

  Xiang Ya saw the master and was not surprised or curious at all. "Master, there are always Ling Chang in Zhong Cui Palace and Zhang Shu Yi in Xian Fu Palace. The medicine itself is not a problem, but mixing several medicines together can be poisonous."

  "Master, do you want..."

  "No need, just remember that the medicinal materials have been processed, even if they were sent over by them, its not necessarily their doing, maybe someone else took advantage of them."

  "Yes, I know," she paused, "Dai Xia went out last night."

  Su Jing raised her head slightly upon hearing this, "Do you know what she went to do? And which palace did she get in touch with?"

  "It seems like shes been in contact with someone from Zhong Suigong," Ting Yao said uncertainly, and which palace it was didnt necessarily mean it was someone from that palace.

  Su Jing naturally knew this truth, "Is it Zhong Suigong again? How interesting, lets take a good look at her first."

  "I understand."

  In the evening, the Emperor arrived as scheduled, and Su Jing stood at the door to greet him.

  Zong Zhengjin had just entered the palace gate when she saw that she was wearing only a pale pink dress, with a few white jade lilies embroidered on the hem of her skirt. Her hair was casually tied up in a loose bun, with a pale pink crystal hairpin inserted at an angle, and she had applied a light dusting of powder, looking both carefree and pure.

  The people by the riverbank are like the moon, their wrists frozen with frost and snow. A beautiful person should be like this.

  Su Jing smiled slightly and said, "I wish Your Majesty good health."

  Zong Zhengjin hooked up the corner of his mouth, grasped her hand and helped her up, "Your injury hasnt healed yet, no need to bow."