Chapter 277: Life as Grass (2)

"Well said." Lou Suxin nodded in approval; she simply loved women who were proud and arrogant.

"Ah—"

Just as the concubines were echoing Lou Suxin's words, a scream suddenly came from over there: "Help! Qing Ling has fallen into the Lotus Pond!"

The group of women in the garden had also heard the sound of the collapse, and when they reacted and looked over, they saw Lou Xiwu standing in front of the wooden platform, craning her neck to stare at the surface of the lake, shouting anxiously.

Hearing her cries clearly, Qingfeng looked toward the vicinity of the wooden platform in a panic; there was no longer any sign of her sister.

"Sister!" Her heart leaped into her throat, and Qingfeng gathered her skirt, about to run toward the edge of the lake. Suddenly, her arm was tightly gripped by someone. It turned out that several Gongnu standing beside the Empress Dowager had swarmed up, pulling at her and refusing to let her move even an inch, while saying with nervous concern: "Consort Qing, you are a person of ten thousand gold, you must take care of your body, you absolutely cannot go!"

Fuling saw that the situation was wrong and wanted to walk to Qingfeng's side, but her arms were simultaneously gripped tightly by two old nannies who had been standing behind her, leaving her unable to move. What were they trying to do?

"Let go!" Qingfeng struggled desperately, ignoring the pain of the tearing at her arm. Panic and worry made her, who was usually cold and proud, unable to hold back tears, and she had long since lost her ladylike composure, struggling and shouting like a madwoman: "Get away from me! My sister can't swim, you all let go! Let go!"

A cold, almost imperceptible sneer flashed in Yang Zhilan's eyes. It was best if she couldn't swim; even if she could, it wouldn't matter! Lou Xiyan had harmed her precious daughter like this, and he still wanted a happy grand wedding? If they were going to hold one, let it be a ghost wedding! Pretending to be angry, Yang Zhilan pointed at the several Eunuchs beside her and barked: "What are you standing there for? Go save her!"

"Yes." Four Eunuchs ran to the edge of the lake and immediately jumped into the pond.

Lou Suxin frowned with slight annoyance. How could a perfectly fine wooden platform collapse?! Seeing that people had already gone down to save her, she didn't say anything, but sat coldly on the main seat, watching the flower pond in front.

Qingfeng lunged forward to run, but was held fast by several people, half-kneeling on the ground. Fuling quietly looked at the two Empresses Dowager high above; one remained sitting proudly, while the other pretended to be concerned but was actually watching coldly from the sidelines. Fuling's face turned pale, and her heart felt numb. The lotus leaves in the pond were taller than a person; after Qing Ling fell in, there wasn't even a sound. She finally understood why they had to organize such a grand Palace banquet performance selection this year; everything was aimed at Qing Ling.

The Eunuchs had been down for half a joss stick's time, and there was still no echo. The dense lotus leaves were a natural barrier, and those on the shore couldn't see what was happening in the water at all. Lou Xiwu shouted anxiously: "Have you found her yet?!"

The lotus leaves swayed, and they only heard a Eunuch reply loudly: "There are too many lotus leaves underwater, we can't find anyone at all!"

Her hands were tightly gripped, and the Gongnu's sharp nails cruelly broke her skin. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't get close to that patch of lotus pond. Qingfeng truly had no other way; she turned and knelt on the ground, crying: "Empress Dowager, I beg you to send more people down to save her. My sister really cannot swim. If you don't find her, she will..." Qingfeng choked, unable to say the word.

"Alright, get up quickly. Don't worry so much; those servants will do their best to save her." Yang Zhilan sat down slowly on her high seat with the same gentle tone, but Qingfeng's heart felt as if it were soaked in the icy water of midwinter, shivering all over.

Yang Zhilan would not save her sister; she must wish for her sister to die. The only person who could save her sister now was Lou Xiyan, but she couldn't mention him, fearing that mentioning him would further provoke the Empress Dowager. Qingfeng was at her wit's end. There were people all around, everyone was watching her, and those mocking, indifferent, and pitiful gazes were like stray arrows piercing her heart. But at this moment, she didn't care about anything. Self-esteem, pride—she didn't want any of it. As long as they were willing to save her, she would do anything. Biting her lower lip hard, she quickly tasted the flavor of blood. Qingfeng turned to Lou Suxin, her forehead knocking heavily against the ground, saying only one sentence: "Empress Dowager, I beg you, save my sister!"

Xin Yuening watched the lowly woman crawling on the ground and knocking her head in a wretched state with cold eyes, mocking her overestimation of her own capabilities in her heart. Even if she were to die by hitting her head in this Imperial Garden today, she wouldn't be able to save her sister. Qing Ling was seeking her own death; daring to snatch a man from a Princess—this was her ending.

Looking at the woman crawling at her feet and knocking her head heavily, her hoarse voice full of pleading—she had been so lofty and arrogant just a moment ago, yet now she was so humble, the bloodstain on her forehead shocking to the eye. Lou Suxin also felt a bit of pity and was just about to send some Guards into the water to save her when a series of hurried footsteps approached. Everyone turned to look, and the person who arrived was actually Lou Xiyan. Once they saw it was the Prime Minister, the women all bowed in greeting. Lou Suxin was also full of surprise and asked: "Xi Yan, why have you come?" This was the Imperial Garden, the courtyard of the Emperor's harem; as an outside official, he really shouldn't appear here alone.

Panting, Lou Xiyan did not answer her question, but asked with an impatient tone: "Where is she?"

Lou Suxin was startled. She rarely saw Lou Xiyan's expression look so ugly, let alone his tone being so blunt. Regaining her composure, she felt displeased and replied coldly: "She is still in the water; people have already been sent down to save her."

Before she had even finished speaking, Lou Xiyan actually ignored the surprised gazes of those around him and ran all the way to the edge of the Lotus Pond. Lou Xiwu, who had already lost her head in a panic, burst into tears the moment she saw him: "Brother! What should we do? Qing Ling has been down for almost half a joss stick's time, and they still haven't found her!"

If she hadn't surfaced after half a joss stick's time, Ling'er was likely in grave danger. His heart was beating wildly, reaching a point beyond his control. Lou Xiyan's eyes darkened; he pushed aside Lou Xiwu, who was crying in his arms, and charged directly toward the Lotus Pond.

Lou Xiwu watched as Lou Xiyan actually jumped onto the half-collapsed, swaying wooden platform and, without hesitation, leaped into the pond. All her panic and loss of composure turned into a single scream: "Brother!"

At this moment, another dark figure also followed Lou Xiyan and leaped into the pond; it was Lou Xiyan's personal Guard—Mo Bai.

"Xi Yan!" Lou Suxin, who had been sitting steadily on the main seat, also jumped up from her chair in shock. Pointing at the Guards nearby, she shouted loudly: "Someone, come quickly, hurry, get in the water and save them! You must protect the Prime Minister!"

Having been covered in bruises from the struggle and with her tears long since dried, Qingfeng watched the chaos in the courtyard coldly. Lou Suxin was screaming, and the Guards were scrambling to jump into the pond one after another.

Her hands were clenched tightly into fists; she hated them! When she was crying and begging them to save her sister just now, how indifferent they were, how they turned a blind eye!

Could it be that Lou Xiyan's life was a life, but her sister's life was not?

Was the value of life defined by these powerful and influential people?

At this moment in the Lotus Pond, a group of Guards had jumped in. The space between the lotus leaves was completely full of people, a chaotic mess. They were all swimming toward Lou Xiyan's side; not a single one of them was seriously trying to save anyone.

Yan Hongtian also walked to the edge of the Lotus Pond. From afar, he had already seen Lou Xiyan jump into the lake, which did not surprise him. Since Lou Xiyan would be so panicked and lose his composure for Qing Ling, him jumping into the water to save her was within his expectations. It was just that he hadn't expected at first that Lou Xiyan would value Qing Ling so highly.

"Long live the Emperor, long, long live." The people by the pond finally regained their senses when they saw Yan Hongtian and hurriedly bowed, except for Lou Suxin and Yang Zhilan, who were staring anxiously at the lake surface, the grief-stricken Qingfeng, and the panicked Lou Xiwu.

Having no mood to deal with them, Yan Hongtian waved his hand and replied: "Exempted, all of you withdraw." Except for the Empress Dowager and several Concubines in the Palace, the other noble young ladies and madams were all led away from the Imperial Garden.

"Gao Jin, summon the Imperial Physician!" There had been no news of finding anyone in the pond for a long time. If Qing Ling couldn't swim, she should have drowned by now. Lou Xiyan cared for her so much; if he found a corpse later, he feared that he...

"Yes." Gao Jin received the order and hurried toward the Imperial Hospital. Looking at the attitude of the Emperor and the Prime Minister toward Qing, if she couldn't be saved, he didn't know how many people would be implicated.

Qingfeng's face was covered in tear tracks, and those beautiful eyes were flowing with undisguised despair and hatred. It was these eyes, always filled with hatred, that seemed to have caught his interest. Although he had never gone to find her, he would always think of these eyes of hers from time to time; he liked taming such fierce little pets.

Seeing the sleeves that had been pulled up during her struggle, her wrists were covered in blue and purple bruises, and the cut on her forehead was just beginning to seep blood. Yan Hongtian's brows furrowed involuntarily. He waved his hand at the Gongnu holding her and said coldly: "Let her go."

The Gongnu did not dare to disobey and hurriedly released their grip.

As soon as they let go, Qingfeng wanted to rush toward that crooked wooden platform. She had just lifted her foot when her waist was forcefully intercepted by a pair of powerful hands, and a domineering voice sounded in her ear: "So many people cannot save Qing Ling; it is useless for you to go down. Wait obediently."

Qingfeng glared fiercely at this wicked man beside her and stomped hard on his foot. Unfortunately, Yan Hongtian seemed not to feel it at all; the hand around her waist only tightened further, and she could almost not breathe.

A quarter of an hour after Lou Xiyan went into the water, the lotus leaves on the shore swayed, and a hand lifted Zhuo Qing's body upward. Lou Xiwu, who was standing on the shore, hurriedly ran forward and pulled at Zhuo Qing's hand to drag her up.

Seeing that Lou Xiyan had found her, Qingfeng struggled like a madwoman again. This time, Yan Hongtian did not make things difficult for her and quickly let go.

Qingfeng rushed to the shore and, together with Lou Xiwu, pulled Zhuo Qing onto the bank. But upon seeing Zhuo Qing's dark purple lips and pale blue face, Lou Xiwu was so frightened that she fell to the side, while Qingfeng held her sister's cold body tightly, calling out incessantly: "Sister! Sister, wake up!"

She had already lost her parents; she could not lose her sister too.

At this time, Lou Xiyan also climbed onto the shore. Lou Suxin, who had been waiting anxiously on the bank, immediately went up to meet him, took two thick blankets from a nanny's hands, draped them over his shoulders with heartache, and said urgently: "Xi Yan, put this on quickly, don't catch a cold!"

Meanwhile, Zhuo Qing, lying on the ground, was wearing only a simple thin dress, soaked through, her clothes sticking to her body. Her icy body temperature stung Qingfeng's heart. Secretly gritting her teeth, Qingfeng pulled at her own sash, about to take off her own clothes to cover her sister, when a hand, equally cold, grabbed her wrist. Qingfeng looked up; Lou Xiyan had already gently picked up Zhuo Qing, pulled off the blankets on his own body, spread one on the ground, and covered her with the other.

"Imperial Physician." Lou Xiyan called out coldly.

The four Imperial Physicians who had run over in a trot swarmed up, taking pulses and pressing on her abdomen. At this moment, they didn't care about the boundaries between men and women. When they came, Eunuch Gao had specifically instructed that the one who fell into the water today was the Prime Minister's wife; if there was even the slightest mishap, their lives might not be guaranteed.

(End of chapter)