Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 584 The Silent Shadow

The seat closest to Consort Lin was originally the seat of Consort Shun.

But Consort Mu on the other side moved even faster. Almost instinctively, she grabbed the silver chopsticks beside her, flicked them with her fingertips, and threw them into the air.

With a clang, the wooden sword's momentum was halted, its direction slightly shifted, but it still carried residual force, grazing past Lin Cairen's neck before crashing heavily to the ground.

"Ah—" A piercing cry of pain rang out.

Lin Cairen's upper body leaned backward uncontrollably, and the pipa she was holding fell to the ground with a clatter.

Zhao Baolin stood frozen in place, his face ashen.

The hall instantly descended into chaos.

Exclamations rose and fell as several concubines, including Meng Shu, rose to their feet, and palace servants and eunuchs rushed forward in a flurry. The joyous birthday banquet that had just been filled with celebration was instantly engulfed in tension and chaos.

Zhao Baolin quickly regained her senses. She knelt down heavily with a thud, looking utterly panicked: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, please understand! I did not mean to! Just now, the rhythm was too fast, and my breathing became unsteady, which caused me to lose control when I finished. I beg Your Majesty and Your Highness to forgive me!"

Lin Cairen was half-supported and half-carried by her personal maid Caihe. She was panting heavily, still shaken, with grievances and fear welling up in her heart at the same time.

Seeing that Zhao Baolin apologized so quickly, she immediately recovered and sat up, turning towards the throne to cry and plead, her face streaked with tears.

"Help! Your Majesty! You must do justice for me! Consort Zhao clearly did this on purpose. She has always harbored resentment towards me, and seeing me perform before Your Majesty today only fueled her jealousy and hatred. That's why she pretended to make a mistake... to try and take my life..."

Before he could finish speaking, a burning pain shot through his neck.

Lin Cairen instinctively touched her wound with her fingertips, only to feel a warm, sticky sensation. When she looked down and saw her fingers covered in crimson blood, everything went black, and she fainted completely.

Meng Shu's attention was originally focused on Consort Lin, so she saw everything clearly. Just now, the moment the wooden sword left her hand, if Consort Mu hadn't reacted extremely quickly, the wooden sword would have pierced straight into Consort Lin's cheek.

She stared intently at Zhao Baolin, who was kneeling on the ground, a hint of inquiry flashing in her eyes.

Whether it was a genuine mistake or an act of venting anger, only Zhao Baolin himself probably knows the answer.

On the throne, the Emperor's face had long since darkened, his eyes filled with coldness. His sharp gaze swept over Consort Lin, then landed on Consort Zhao, who was still kowtowing. The slight appreciation he had felt for Consort Zhao's sword dance had vanished completely.

Seeing this, Consort Chun spoke up to remind him, "Your Majesty, please calm down. It is most important to summon the imperial physician to treat Consort Lin."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor raised his hand and waved: "Summon the imperial physician."

The eunuch guarding the door responded loudly and quickly withdrew.

Before long, the elderly Physician He, with a furrowed brow, trudged into the hall, followed closely by Jian Zhi and Physician Lu.

"Your Majesty, we pay our respects—" The three were about to kneel and pay their respects when the Emperor raised his hand to interrupt them: "No need for formalities! Consort Lin has fainted from her injuries. Physician He, go and take a look at her quickly."

"Yes!" Doctor He didn't dare to delay and quickly stepped forward.

Jian Zhi stood to the side, his eyes quickly scanning the scene before him, and he roughly knew what had happened. He subconsciously looked at Consort Chun, who was standing beside the Emperor. Seeing that she looked calm and unfazed, he was slightly relieved before turning his gaze to Meng Shu's location.

Meng Shu was naturally unharmed. However, at this moment, she had neither the time to pay attention to Jian Zhi nor to the situation of Consort Lin and Consort Zhao. Because she suddenly noticed that among the group of imperial guards who came to protect the emperor when the incident occurred, there was Chen Lin.

Chen Lin stood in the corner of the main hall, his guard uniform accentuating his upright and sturdy figure. Martial arts practitioners have keen senses, and he almost immediately noticed a gaze fixed upon him.

He didn't dare to look up.

Since receiving a warning letter from Lord Zhou Bai, he hasn't dared to show even the slightest extra expression.

"Your Majesty, the Consort's fainting was due to excessive fright, coupled with a superficial wound on the side of her neck, which caused her blood and qi to rush to her heart. I have treated her wound and prescribed a calming medicine. She will wake up after taking it."

After examining the pulse, Physician He bowed and reported to the Emperor.

The Emperor's expression softened slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "Guards, escort Consort Lin back to the palace and give her careful care and treatment."

Half an hour later, Zhao Baolin, who was kneeling on the ground, saw that the emperor had not dealt with him immediately, and the panic on his face had disappeared.

"Zhao Baolin, you accidentally injured someone while performing before the Emperor. Although it was unintentional, it disrupted the palace banquet and was unbecoming. Considering the Imperial Concubine's birthday, I will not pursue the matter further. I hereby punish you by confining you to your quarters for three months to reflect on your mistake! Without my decree, you are not to step out of the palace gates even once!"

Zhao Baolin trembled and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I obey your decree. Thank you for your grace, and thank you, Your Highness."

The Emperor no longer looked at her, and the atmosphere in the hall was no longer as lighthearted as before. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Emperor and Consort Chun rose and went to Huining Palace amidst a chorus of respectful farewells.

According to custom, on the birthday of a concubine, the emperor will usually stay in her palace unless something unexpected happens.

Meng Shu composed herself and deliberately stayed to talk to Aunt Mei for a few more minutes. By the time she left Linde Palace, Consort Shun and the others had already returned to their respective palaces.

The night was deep, and the palace lanterns cast a hazy glow under the eaves.

Reaching the long steps outside the hall, Meng Shu walked straight ahead and came face to face with Chen Lin, who was standing by a pillar. Their eyes met briefly in the dim light. Then, Meng Shu brushed past this silent figure.

Before she knew it, Xia'er had replaced her as the person following behind her.

Chen Lin's heart skipped a beat upon noticing this detail, but he remained outwardly calm. Sure enough, a figure quietly approached from the side a moment later.

Green Willow's deliberately lowered voice, carried on the night breeze, came: "Her Majesty instructed that Guard Chen should keep an eye on the people in Consort Shun's palace. If they can be transferred away from the Emperor's presence, that would be the best course of action."

After saying that, his figure quickly disappeared into the night.

Chen Linli stood still, his gaze sweeping across the distant palace road. He slowly tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, then turned and stepped into the deeper night.

The guardhouse was brightly lit, and several guards on their shift were chatting and laughing.

Chen Lin entered the room and pressed his fingerprint on the duty roster.

"What are you daydreaming about, Linzi?" A gruff voice rang out from behind him. It was his colleague Zhang Meng, who patted him on the shoulder. "Tomorrow's your day off. The brothers are planning to go to the newly opened restaurant on East Street for a couple of drinks. You should come along and relax!"

Chen Lin turned around, his face now bearing his usual faint smile: "Thank you for your concern, Brother Zhang, but I have some minor matters to attend to tomorrow..."

"You little rascal, you're always such a spoilsport!" another man chuckled, "Could it be that you're hiding your sweetheart and rushing off to meet your darling?"

Chen Lin shook his head, picked up the warm teacup on the table, and took a sip.

Amidst the rising steam, he gazed blankly out the window, the distant palace eaves appearing particularly eerie in the moonlight.