The Guest Courtyard was silent. The palace maids who had accompanied them sat in the covered galleries, occasionally rising to peek through the window before quietly withdrawing once they confirmed nothing was wrong.
Inside the room, the Empress lay flat on the bed. Although she had suffered no obvious injuries in last night's battle, part of her Dragon-Mingling Diagram was counterfeit, placing an enormous drain on her essence, energy, and spirit. Without two or three days of nourishment and recuperation, she would struggle to recover fully. Since yesterday, she had only gotten up for a few bites of breakfast before going back to sleep.
Fan Qinghe was Ye Jingtang's personal physician, not responsible for tending to the Empress's health. She had handed her shift over to a female physician that morning. Since the Empress was sleeping in her room, she had nowhere to stay, so she went to the Duke's Manor's garden to walk Niao Niao.
Niao Niao had followed them to the Empress Dowager's room yesterday and then slept in Hongyu's arms. Upon waking, Niao Niao could not find Ye Jingtang. With the Empress Dowager keeping Madam Zhao company, Niao Niao could hardly go over to beg for food, so Niao Niao returned to the Guest Courtyard.
Now Niao Niao stood beside Fan Qinghe's feet, gazing out at East Lake, white feathers fluttering in the wind along with her skirt. A couple of coos and chirps seemed to give voice to the distracted Sister Fan's sighs-last night, the rain was sparse and the wind fierce; deep sleep had not dispelled the lingering wine. Asked, the curtain-raising bird replied: the crabapple blossoms remained unchanged...
Naturally, Fan Qinghe did not understand Niao Niao. Holding a camellia, she absentmindedly plucked off its petals, not even knowing what she was thinking.
As the