Chapter 37 Heart Attack

The Empress Dowager then nodded with satisfaction, "Mama Yun, tomorrow you will take the dowry to the Ling Mansion, and after you have accounted for the dowry sent by the Prime Minister, you will return to the palace."

The Empress Dowager's actions completely cut off any opportunity for Feng Yuanping and others to resort to trickery.

Throughout the banquet, Feng Jin sat beside the Empress Dowager, filled with unease. She finally understood what it meant to be on pins and needles.

All eyes were fixed on her.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager... To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, this humble daughter has specially rehearsed a song and dance to present to Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager."

Feng Ruoyan seized the moment to step forward and say. She had prepared for a long time in private, just to regain her reputation today and re-establish her title as the foremost talented woman of Southern Chu.

"Granted," the Empress Dowager said in a deep voice.

Feng Ruoyan's figure was extremely graceful. Her dance was like a swimming dragon, and her eyes, filled with autumnal charm, constantly glanced towards the Third Prince.

Chu Yanxi was already fond of Feng Ruoyan, and with the beauty constantly showing her favor, his heart was stirred like spring waves. He wished he could embrace Feng Ruoyan immediately and savor her beauty.

"Rascals!" the Empress Dowager roared, picking up a wine cup from the table and smashing it to the ground.

Everyone was startled and hurriedly stood up and knelt on the ground.

Feng Ruoyan, engrossed in seducing the Third Prince, was so frightened that her footing slipped, and she fell heavily to the ground, kneeling in disarray.

"On the Mid-Autumn Festival, to sing such a decadent song, and to dare to seduce a prince, you are truly beyond saving."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me, this humble daughter had no such intention!" Feng Ruoyan trembled with fear and pleaded ceaselessly.

"Your Majesty, my daughter absolutely had no such intention."

Feng Yuanping also quickly stepped forward to plead for mercy.

"No intention? The narcissus flower tattooed on her hand is used by women of low status to please guests. The two figures in the song, Fei Yan and He De, were notorious enchantresses who brought ruin to the nation. Is she taking them as role models and attempting to emulate them!"

Feng Ruoyan's face turned pale: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, I merely thought the narcissus flower looked beautiful, I had absolutely no such intention. This song was also chosen to match the auspicious occasion of a blooming flower and a bright moon today, it is absolutely not..."

"Blooming flower and bright moon? I see that the blooming flower and bright moon have been utterly ruined by you. Prime Minister Feng, this is the good daughter you have raised, truly..."

"Your Majesty!"

"Mother!"

Before the Empress Dowager could finish speaking, her entire body went rigid and she fell onto the imperial seat.

Feng Jin hurried forward to feel the Empress Dowager's pulse. It was a myocardial infarction.

She took out a pill from her bosom and placed it in the Empress Dowager's mouth.

"Your Majesty, disperse everyone and bring a screen to enclose this area!"

"Quick, disperse the people..."

Emperor Xuanwen followed Feng Jin's instructions, dispersing the crowd and enclosing the water pavilion.

Feng Jin kept only a few palace maids there. "Lay the Empress Dowager flat on the floor."

The palace maids were stunned, exchanging bewildered glances. How could the Empress Dowager, a person of imperial dignity, be placed on the floor?

"What are you waiting for? It's a critical moment, hurry up."

Feng Jin's angry reprimand shocked the palace maids, who, in their fright, quickly laid the Empress Dowager flat on the floor.

"Send for the imperial physician to brew Sini Tang."

There was no nitroglycerin, only the brewing of Sini Tang to expand the blocked blood vessels.

Feng Jin quickly pushed aside the Empress Dowager's clothes and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation again and again.

After three rounds, the Empress Dowager finally showed signs of life.

Feng Jin took out ginseng slices and had the Empress Dowager put them in her mouth.

"Young Madam, Sini Tang is here."

"Quickly bring it up and let the Empress Dowager take it," Feng Jin ordered immediately.

After taking the Sini Tang, the Empress Dowager's breathing gradually stabilized. "Child, I owe you greatly today."

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, your body is weak, please do not speak for now."

Feng Jin took charge of the situation. "Bring a soft couch and escort the Empress Dowager back to Shou'an Palace."

In Shou'an Palace, after taking her medicine, the Empress Dowager had just lain down. Emperor Xuanwen, the Empress, and others knelt outside the door.

"Mama Yun, let the Emperor in. The rest of you may return."

"Yes, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager." Mama Yun received the order and walked out.

"Mama, how is Mother?"

Emperor Xuanwen asked respectfully. Mama Yun had been by his mother's side since she was young. Emperor Xuanwen had been cared for by her since childhood and had long regarded Mama Yun as a half-mother.

Emperor Xuanwen held Mama Yun in high esteem.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has ordered that only Your Majesty may enter. Everyone else is to disperse."

Emperor Xuanwen then said to the assembled group, "All of you may disperse. Remaining here will only disturb Mother's rest."

"Your Majesty, Mother is gravely ill. As a daughter-in-law, I should be by her side to serve her. Please allow me to stay."

"Empress, you know very well that Mother has never liked you. Your presence will only make Mother worry more. You should return first."

The Empress's expression suddenly turned grim. "Then this concubine will take her leave."

Since entering the palace, the Empress had always been respectful to the Empress Dowager, yet she did not know why the Empress Dowager always disliked her. Every time the Empress paid her respects, the Empress Dowager would find an excuse to refuse her entry.

"Your son pays his respects to Mother. Is Mother feeling any better?"

"This empress is fine, I won't die just yet."

Emperor Xuanwen was the Empress Dowager's only son. In his youth, he relied entirely on the Empress Dowager's protection to secure his position as emperor. After he came of age, she directly retired to the harem, entrusting all state affairs to Emperor Xuanwen.

"Mother, please do not say such things. Mother will surely live a long life."

"This time, it is all thanks to Feng Jin's rescue. The Emperor must reward her handsomely."

"Naturally. Feng Jin has made great contributions in treating the Empress Dowager, and is hereby conferred the title of Princess Jianing, with an emolument of a thousand households. She is to be awarded one hundred taels of gold, one thousand taels of silver, and a jade ruyi..."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Long live His Majesty, long live, long live!"

Feng Jin quickly knelt to express her gratitude. Emperor Xuanwen was truly generous; she was going to be rich.

The Empress Dowager was very pleased with Emperor Xuanwen's reward for Feng Jin, a smile playing on her lips.

"Your Majesty, Feng Ruoyan sang this song to mock and disrespect the royal family, which is an act of great impiety. How does Your Majesty wish to handle this?"

"Mother, Prime Minister Feng is, after all, the head of the officials, and has always been loyal to the emperor, and cannot be faulted in any way. Eldest Third also intends to take Feng Ruoyan as his consort. Whether the punishment is too severe or too light would be inappropriate. I truly have not yet decided how to deal with her."

Disrespecting the royal family could, if serious, lead to the extermination of one's entire clan, a punishment of death. However, if the punishment were too light, it would seem as though the royal family lacked law and authority, and would encourage evil trends and corrupt practices.

"Then listen to me. Feng Ruoyan disrespected the royal family. Considering it an unintentional mistake, she shall be given twenty lashes, and ordered to copy Buddhist scriptures one hundred times at Qing'an Temple as atonement for her sins. Feng Yuanping, for his failure to properly discipline his child, shall be fined one year's salary and demoted to a second-rank official. Does the Emperor think this is acceptable."

"What Mother arranges is bound to be appropriate. However, concerning Eldest Third..."

The Third Prince had repeatedly expressed his desire to marry Feng Ruoyan as his consort, but the Empress had always disagreed, causing the matter to be delayed until now.

Watching the Third Prince's gaze fixed on Feng Ruoyan throughout the banquet today, it was feared that he would plead for her concerning this punishment.

"Eldest Third, like his mother, cannot see clearly. To marry such a woman as his primary consort would be to completely ruin himself."