Consort De was displeased upon hearing this, and a single glance from her was enough for Liu Zhi to understand what was expected.
Liu Zhi stepped forward and slapped Qian Xiasha across the face. "How dare you, a mere servant, disobey Consort De's words?"
"This servant dares not. I merely feared I would trouble Consort De," Qian Xia replied without complaint.
"Since it is a special instruction from His Majesty, why would this consort fear trouble? You may withdraw," Consort De's gaze turned cold.
Qian Xia hesitated for a moment, but ultimately compromised.
"Yes," she had no means to resist.
Seeing that the person had finally left, Consort De looked with disdain at Nan Zhiyun, who was lying prone on the bed. She pulled back the quilt and saw the wounds on her back.
"Tsk, truly pitiful." Though she said this, there was no hint of sympathy on Consort De's face; rather, schadenfreude was more evident.
Meanwhile, after leaving the room, Qian Xia immediately called over a nearby palace maid. "Go and inform His Majesty that the婕妤 has woken up."
"But..." the palace maid hesitated.
"Since you are here, you are only the婕妤's person. Therefore, if the婕妤 is well, you will be well too. So be smart about this," Qian Xia still possessed some authority.
"Yes," the palace maid dared not say anything else and quickly left to find Yu Jingchen.
Inside the room, Consort De was no longer as angry as she had been when she first heard the news. Recalling Yu Jingchen's attitude in the past, Consort De merely assumed that she was sent here today only to admonish Nan Zhiyun, which improved her mood considerably.
"The wounds on Consort Nan's back probably need changing. Bring the medicine over, and this consort will personally apply it," Consort De said to the imperial physician who remained in the room.
"Consort De, the wounds on Consort Nan's back have already been dressed. There is no need to change them now," the imperial physician reminded her.
"Medicine, you see, should be changed frequently. Bring the medicine over, and you may also withdraw," Consort De said haughtily.
"Consort De..." The imperial physician was about to say something more when Liu Zhi spoke, "Imperial Physician, the wounds on Consort Nan were personally bestowed by His Majesty."
The imperial physician understood their intentions, but he also dared not offend Consort De. After weighing the consequences, he chose to withdraw.
Seeing this, Consort De's expression finally softened, and she picked up the ointment to begin applying it to Nan Zhiyun.
"My lady, be careful not to get your hands dirty," Liu Zhi said, feigning concern for Consort De.
"Of course. Such dirty things should not touch me," Consort De said with disdain. She then took the ointment onto a wet cloth and roughly smeared it onto Nan Zhiyun's back.
Nan Zhiyun grimaced in pain, her wounds splitting open. The cloth was even stained with blood.
"It hurts..." Nan Zhiyun whispered, but Consort De acted as if she hadn't heard, applying even more force. Nan Zhiyun was finally jolted awake by the pain.
"Qian Xia... it hurts..." Nan Zhiyun opened her eyes groggily.
"Oh, Consort Nan is awake? It seems the medicine has worked," Consort De said.
"Consort De..." Nan Zhiyun looked around and saw only Consort De and her attendants, still dazed.
"Consort Nan seems surprised? His Majesty decreed that this consort should take care of you. Consort Nan truly has her ways," Consort De's tone was laced with sarcasm.
However, to Nan Zhiyun, it only sounded like Yu Jingchen was finding new ways to torment her.
Indeed, the tenderness she had dreamed of from Yu Jingchen last night was just a dream that would shatter upon waking.