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The steward quickened his pace and hurried back to the princess's room with the maid.
As soon as he entered, he anxiously asked the princess, who was lying on the bed, "Princess, are you feeling any better? Is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable?"
The princess weakly nodded, indicating that she was alright and asking them not to worry.
Unable to speak, she extended a hand and weakly pointed towards the desk in the outer room.
Seeing where the princess was pointing, the steward understood that she had something to say. He quickly went to the desk, prepared some ink and paper, and hurriedly brought them back to the princess's bedside. After helping her sit up, he handed her the brush.
The princess then wrote down what she wanted to say and the questions she had. Once finished, she handed the paper to the steward.
The steward took the paper from her and carefully read it before earnestly answering each of her questions.
He slowly said, "The doctor has diagnosed that Princess's hand is..." He paused, fearing that the princess might faint upon hearing this, and looked up at her.
Seeing his concerned gaze, the princess nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.
The steward resumed, "The doctor said that while your left hand appears fine on the outside, it has already been severed internally into several sections and is now useless."
He paused again to glance at the princess before continuing, "The doctor also mentioned that your throat has a hidden ailment that is not ordinary. He cannot treat it and suggested we find a way to invite the Imperial Physician from the palace for a consultation."
After hearing this, the princess remained silent for a long time without showing any expression. Everyone's eyes were fixed on her.
Suddenly, the room fell into a profound silence; even their breathing could be distinctly heard.
Then, the princess took a deep breath and picked up the brush again to write down her instructions and future plans.
Once finished, she handed the paper back to the steward and nodded, indicating for him to act according to her instructions.
The steward took the paper from the princess's hand and read it carefully.
He saw that the princess first instructed him to hurry to the City Gate to welcome Lord Lo An back to the residence today. After picking up the lord, he was to inform him about the misdeeds of that little demon in Piaoyun Pavilion, and let him know that the Fourth Princess's hand was already incapacitated. The princess herself was also seriously ill and could not personally welcome him back. Furthermore, she asked him to find a way to invite the Imperial Physician from the palace to come to the residence to see if they could treat both the Princess and the princess. Lastly, she instructed him to keep a close watch on both Piaoyun Pavilion and Fragrant Pavilion. The steward memorized all these instructions and, after reading them, burned the paper as per the princess's command.
Seeing the steward burn the paper, the princess felt relieved and lay back down on her bed to rest. A nearby maid quickly stepped forward to cover her with a blanket.
The steward was the first to lead the way out, with everyone following behind.
Once outside, he instructed two maids to guard the door, ready to serve the princess when she woke up. He also sent several people to watch over both Piaoyun Pavilion and Fragrant Pavilion, and ordered someone to prepare a carriage for him to go to City Gate to welcome the lord.
The coachman drove swiftly through the streets of Silver City, while the steward sat calmly in the carriage, gathering his thoughts.
After a while, the carriage stopped at City Gate in Silver City. The coachman pulled it aside to wait, while the steward got out and began chatting with the gate guards stationed at City Gate.
Due to Prince Luo's Residence being well-known in Silver City, and because the steward often went out on errands, many people recognized him over time. Consequently, he became quite familiar with many individuals in town. Most people in Silver City knew he was the steward of Prince Luo's Residence. Out of respect for Lord Lo An, they would treat him with some courtesy; some who wanted to curry favor with Lord Lo An even sought his assistance.
Meanwhile, shortly after Lord Lo An and his strategist had left Luo Bingbing and her group behind, they were found by their Royal Guard in the center of Purple Bamboo Forest and reunited with them.
Seeing that their Royal Guard had arrived with more people and skilled fighters, Lord Lo An and his strategist felt safer and no longer feared for their lives. They were no longer in a hurry to leave and decided to start a fire again at the same spot where Luo Bingbing's group had made one.
Having been hunted for several days without a proper meal, they were now safe, allowing their tense nerves and muscles to finally relax. However, their stomachs began growling from hunger.
Thus, Lord Lo An sent a few people out to hunt some game for roasting. Of course, their roasted meat lacked any enticing aroma that would fill the air with a rich scent of barbecued meat.
However, for those who hadn't eaten well for days, this was already considered a delicacy. After satisfying their hunger, they noticed it was still dark outside and decided to rest for the night in Purple Bamboo Forest.
At dawn on the following day, they set off in formation, preparing to return to Prince Luo's Residence.
But as soon as they descended from the mountain, Lord Lo An and his strategist noticed their tattered clothes; having not bathed for days, they were filthy. Upon closer inspection, they could even faintly smell an unpleasant odor. Thus, he ordered everyone to stop.
He dismounted and walked into a humble home, giving the family some silver coins to prepare hot water for him. After washing off the dirt from his body, he changed into a set of robes that the Royal Guards had prepared earlier, and then he returned to the residence with his entourage.
The sun slowly climbed over the mountain, its brilliant rays illuminating every corner of the earth.
As the flowers basked in the sunlight, they revealed their smiles; the gentle breeze brushed past, causing the grass to nod lightly; the trees quickly spread their branches upon seeing it; and the birds danced joyfully in the air...
Under the sun's warm embrace, the earth seemed to don a golden garment!
Inside Piaoyun Pavilion, the main door remained tightly shut, but the Nursemaid had risen early. Seeing that Luo Bingbing was still asleep and not wanting to disturb her, she refrained from knocking on the door.
However, she feared that if she opened the door, the princess and other ladies of the household might come looking for trouble, so she hesitated to unlock it.
She assumed that Luo Bingbing had sneaked out again last night to practice in Purple Bamboo Forest, unaware that Luo Bingbing had indeed gone out but not to train; instead, she had gone to seek revenge against the princesses. Little did she know that now the princess could no longer speak and that Luo Bingbing had rendered the Fourth Princess's left hand useless. Even more alarming was that something significant was about to happen at Prince Luo's Residence today, especially concerning Luo Bingbing in Piaoyun Pavilion.
The Nursemaid prepared breakfast and began tidying up the courtyard and trimming the flowers and grass.
Luo Bingbing woke up naturally and opened her door. As soon as she did, the Nursemaid hurriedly brought over her toiletries to help her wash up.
After freshening up, Luo Bingbing had breakfast with the Nursemaid. Aware that Prince Luo's Residence would be quite tumultuous today, she didn’t ask the Nursemaid to open the door. Instead, they both stayed inside their courtyard, each busy with their own tasks—one working diligently while the other enjoyed soaking up the sun.
Within the palace walls, Piaoyun Pavilion and Azure Water Pavilion were embroiled in chaos these past few days, while Fragrant Pavilion remained eerily tranquil.
Though it appeared indifferent to worldly affairs, it was actually filled with insidious schemes. Even seven-year-old Luo Wenhan was preoccupied with plots against others.
However calculating they were, they merely watched from a distance without any intention of intervening or offering comfort—always hoping to benefit from others' conflicts.
Upon hearing that the princess could no longer speak and that the Fourth Princess's left hand had been incapacitated, they showed no desire to visit; instead, mother and daughter secretly reveled in their misfortune!
In the afternoon, just as the steward and attendants were anxiously waiting, Lo An Lord and his strategist finally appeared within their line of sight.
Due to family matters and not a royal summons, Lo An Lord could not bring his troops back to the capital. As soon as he descended the mountain, he instructed his Royal Guard to change into disguises and follow him and his strategist in secret, protecting them from the shadows.
As they approached the city gate, the steward and a young attendant hurried forward to pay their respects. The guards at the City Gate, upon seeing Lo An Lord, all spoke in unison, "We greet you, my lord! Long live the lord!"
Lo An Lord replied expressionlessly, "Get up." Upon seeing his steward come to greet him, he realized this was arranged by his wife.
In the past, whenever he returned home, his wife would come with the steward to welcome him at the City Gate. She usually waited in the carriage and did not get out, leaving the steward to stand at the City Gate to receive him.
Thus, when his horse reached the steward, it stopped. He dismounted and handed the reins to the young attendant waiting nearby. Turning to his strategist behind him, he said, "Gongsun Ming, you should also dismount and join me in the carriage to find out what is going on."
Hearing his command, Gongsun Ming quickly dismounted and handed over his reins to another attendant before following Lo An Lord towards the carriage.
The steward hurriedly stepped forward to help Lo An Lord pull back the curtain of the carriage. As soon as the curtain was drawn open, Lo An Lord saw that the inside of the carriage was empty; even Consort Luo was not there.
Lo An Lord couldn't help but furrow his brow and looked at the steward with a puzzled expression. The steward immediately understood that his lord was questioning why the consort was not inside the carriage this time.
Seeing Lo An Lord's slightly confused gaze, he quickly explained, "My lord, the consort is unwell and in poor health; therefore, she did not come out to greet you this time. I was sent to welcome you back home." The steward paused briefly before continuing, "Please get into the carriage first; I will explain everything that has happened in the residence on our way. Is that acceptable?"
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