Shen Huan went to bed early, before midnight, but woke up for no reason other than thunder outside the window, thinking it was going to rain.
I was woken up and couldn't sleep anymore. I just felt that the room was stuffy, so I got up and opened the window myself. The thunder sounded louder, as if a thunderstorm was coming.
As soon as I opened the window, I heard someone behind me whispering: "Mother, please let me come."
Shen Huan looked back and saw that it was Su'e. She was surprised and said, "Why is it you?"
Su'e smiled sheepishly and said: "My slave was waiting outside. When I heard a noise inside, I came in to see if my queen was awakened by the thunder."
Shen Huan said: "It's too hot to sleep. Where are Xiang Ming and Chun'er? You have just recovered from a serious illness, how can they let you take care of them alone?"
Su'e helped Shen Huan sit by the bed, took a fan to fan her, and said: "Sister Xiangming hasn't slept for several nights in a row. I'm really ashamed to serve the empress and have to take care of my slaves. So as soon as I feel better today, I will let Sister Xiangming have a good rest."
Shen Huan was silent for a long time, only to feel that the fan in her hand fanned her just right, sending a slight cool breeze into her heart, and said: "Xiang Ming is a real person, but although I am the queen, I dare not use too many people. The small way before, You also know it”
Su'e said: "Yes"
Shen Wen added: "I didn't dare to use you before because I was afraid that you had evil intentions. To survive in the harem, you have to be more careful than others, so don't blame me for testing you like that."
Su'e bit her lip and said: "Yes"
Shen Huan looked at her and said, "Your attitude shows that you are annoyed with me."
Su'e hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, I misunderstood you, because I feel that your Majesty is trying to gain favor with me and you have spoken your true feelings to me. The masters I have served before have never had such a heart-to-heart relationship with this slave."
Shen Wen smiled and said: "Did I think I was willing to be suspicious all day long? When I was in the house before, I could say whatever I wanted and do whatever I wanted. Anyway, I relied on my favor at that time, and It's a child's words... However, people have to grow up, not to mention being a queen in such a palace. Who can use it, who can't use it, and to what extent, isn't it important? It's just that, You can rest assured that since I trust you, I will naturally treat you as one of my own. Although I am a queen, it is difficult for me. First, I have the name of the daughter of a guilty minister, and I do not have a strong family backing. My brother is on tenterhooks on the battlefield. Although I had the emperor's favor before, it was the most useless. Now that you know my situation, I'm afraid it will be even worse."
The more Su'e listened, the more she felt sad, and said with tears in her eyes: "Why don't you fight for yourself? In fact, the emperor still loves your empress very much."
Shen Huan smiled and said: "I'm afraid it will be very difficult for me to put down my posture and ask for help."
Su'e sighed, the thunder outside the window got louder, and soon there was a downpour. The heavy rain washed down, immediately washing away the sultry heat. The heavy rain settled in, and the big raindrops hit the lotus leaves on the lake, making a crackling sound. Su'e got up to close the window and pulled down the screen to let in a bit of coolness.
Chun'er came in with sleepy eyes, screamed "Ah", and kept saying: "Damn it, damn it, I slept so confused that I didn't even know it was raining."
Shen Huan and Su'e smiled and said: "Look, you are sleeping soundly like a little pig. The thunder that hit you before couldn't wake you up."
Chun'er scratched her head in embarrassment and asked Su'e: "You are not fully recovered yet, but I want you to take care of the empress."
Su'e said: "It's good that it's already over. It's the same for everyone who does their duties."
Shen Huan looked out the window and murmured: "I don't know when it will rain."
Chun'er said: "I haven't been able to do it for a long time. I think I need to do it all at once."
Sure enough, the rain didn't stop until almost dawn. It was just as heavy and fast. The water level of Taiping Lake had risen a lot, and many places in the palace were swollen.
Because of the heavy rain, Shen Huan was upset and didn't sleep peacefully until the morning. She slept a little longer and was still asleep when the concubines came to pay their respects.
Cui Shanggong came in to ask for the order, and Shen Huan said: "Let them go back today. I am very sleepy."
Cui Shanggong had no choice but to send a message. Chun'er and Xiangming murmured: "Why is the empress so lethargic? She has also had a bad appetite recently. Could it be that she has it?"
Xiangming was startled, looked around, and whispered: "Don't talk nonsense, there are too many people staring at the queen here, hurry up and ask Dr. Sun to come outside, and tell her to ask for a safe pulse for the queen."
Chun'er agreed and went, not daring to delay on the way. By chance, she met Yao Ronghua. Yao Ronghua saw her in a hurry and asked her where she was going. Since Yao Ronghua had always been on good terms with Shen Huan, Chun'er said, "Your Majesty is not feeling well, slave. Go and ask the imperial doctor to diagnose your pulse."
Yao Ronghua said: "No wonder I didn't have to say hello this morning. Doesn't it matter, my dear?"
Chun'er shook her head and said: "I don't know, I'm going to ask the imperial doctor to come and ask Master Hua to forgive me. I have to go now."
Yao Ronghua hurriedly said: "Then go quickly. It rained heavily last night and the road is slippery. Be careful."
Chun'er said "Hey" and ran out hurriedly.
Before Shen Huan could wait for Dr. Sun to come over, a girl named Chunliu next to Fang Jieyu came to see Shen Huan in a panic, but was stopped outside. She was crying non-stop and refused to leave.
Chun'er invited Dr. Sun back, and when he saw her like that, he asked: "What happened to make it worthy for you to be so presumptuous with the Queen?"
Chunliu cried: "Good sister, please go and tell the Queen quickly that my Queen is missing!"
Chun'er frowned and said, "What do you mean by missing?"
Chunliu said: "My wife went to bed very early last night. This morning, I went to ask my wife to get up. There was no one on the bed. I searched all over the area, but I never saw my wife!"
Chun'er said helplessly: "I didn't see Fang Jieyu when I said hello this morning. Maybe she went somewhere to play? Look carefully, the palace is so big, she won't disappear."
Chunliu said: "I've really searched all over the neighborhood, I'm just afraid...I'm afraid that something bad will happen to my wife..."
Chun'er frowned, but she was worried about whether Shen Huan was really pregnant, so she could only say: "The Queen is not feeling well. Please stop arguing. I will go in and ask for you right now, or send a few more people to look for her."
Chun Liu thanked her hurriedly, and Chun'er led Imperial Physician Sun in and muttered: "How can a living person disappear out of thin air?"
Shen Wen was still asleep, and Chun'er didn't dare to wake her up. Doctor Sun was waiting for the tea to come. Chun'er said with a smile: "Sister, let me tell you a joke. The Chunliu tree next to Fang Jieyu is a big one." She was making noise outside the door, saying that her Jieyu was missing. I thought it was funny, how could a living person be missing? Could it be that the heavy rain yesterday washed away her?"
Xiangming was stunned. Before she could speak, she heard Shen Huan's lazy voice inside: "Who was rushed away? I heard you guys making noise outside so early in the morning. Who was it that was quarreling?"
Chun'er and Xiangming hurriedly went in to wait on her and told her about Fang Jieyu's disappearance.
Shen Wen frowned slightly and said in a deep voice: "Fang Jieyu just told me about Qi Concubine, and she disappeared? It's too strange. Send Xia Wenze here and ask him to have a team of people search everywhere in the palace! I want to survive. To see a person is to die - to see a corpse!"
Only then did Chun'er realize how important the matter was, and her face changed.
Shen Huan glanced at Imperial Physician Sun and said, "I am not sick or in any pain. I want you to make this trip in vain. The Imperial Physician will go back. I really don't have the heart to care about this at this time."
Imperial Physician Sun knew Shen Huan's temper, so he had to say: "Then, Wei Chen, please retire. If the empress feels unwell, she must send Wei Chen to check her pulse."
Shen Huan waved his hand impatiently, feeling a little depressed in his heart.