The journey back to the palace felt slow and long. I grasped onto his hands and could feel them turning colder. He was gradually losing consciousness as he spoke, “……. The empress is to look over the kingdom. Investigate the kings’ secret troops in regards to the assassination attempt.” My heart twisted up in a ball.
Wu Ke went to do his bidding personally. His brother, Wu Yong was left to protect us. There was another carriage behind us, carrying a heavily-injured Yan Ping.
Everytime Feng Zhao Wen closed his eyes, I would whispers to his ears to tell him to wake up.
His phoenix eyes slowly lost it’s glow. I gritted my teeth as I whispered in his ears, “Feng Zhao Wen, if you don’t wake up, I will rule as a regent and kill your great kingdom!”
The late empress dowager was the previous regent of the previous dynasty. Didn’t it crumbled under her hands?
The corner of his lips curl, “You are so lazy….. You sleeps all day, where will you find the time to do all that hard work?”
When he said that, I finally realized how lazy I had been. All I did was eat, and then after that, sleep.
“If you don’t wake up, I will marry another man! I will make the child in my tummy call him ‘Father!’” This method was better than begging and imploring, right?
I gave him a proud, desolate smile. Big droplets of tears fell from my eyes onto his face. He slowly forced himself to open his eyes.
“You are so….. ugly when you cry….”
I glared at him angrily, but my eyes soon turned blurry from the tears. There seemed to be daggers inside my chest, giving me clear, sharp pain.
It was a feeling I had not felt for a long time. The last time I felt this was during that dark night, after Father died. I didn’t think the sun would come up. As I stood on the snowy grounds that turned into blisteringly hot summer, I dug a pit without any hesitation and buried myself in it. Just as I thought I was destined to remain there, tortured until all that was left was my bones, a certain someone gave me his hand and held me tight. Cherishing me, loving me… There had always been a trace of apprehension in my heart. I did not understand what the reason for this love was. It scared me, but also drew me in, at the same time. As he stood in front of me, bathed in blood, an overpowering feeling of grief surged inside me.
Other than love, what else could it be that made me feel this way?
The world before my eyes suddenly changed; the wounds that I had were minor, but why did breathing felt so laborious? The most painful part was not my physical wounds, but my heart when I realized that he was losing temperature. I could feel my heart breaking inside.
Zhong Hua Palace was messy. I grabbed the Head Imperial Physician by his beard and maniacally asked him, “Is there any chance for him to live?”
If he gave me a disappointing answer, I was ready to kill him right then and there.
He ignored my threats and shook my hands away. The four towering maids behind me held me still. Buckets and buckets of diluted blood were carried away, it was almost like they were a river that ran forever.
The hall was so quiet that all that I could hear was the sound of heavy breathing and the movement of the Head of Imperial Physician.
By the time the sun rose, the Head of Imperial Physician finally took the golden needles away, wiping his forehead. He heaved a long sigh, “His Majesty’s heartbeat finally turned stable. Had the blade been three inches longer, His Majesty wouldn’t have survived. However, his injury is too heavy. We cannot tell when he will wake up….”
I had the sudden urge to pull the physician’s beard, pull it really really tight.
It was said that a good physician could revive the dead. He stole so many ink stones from us and yet he could not even give us a definite answer.
Tian Bing Qing and E Huang were very thankful towards him. They knelt in front of him before kow-towing in gratitude. The four maids who were holding onto me, finally let go. I stumbled towards the dragon bed. From beyond the yellow curtain, I could see his pale, almost bloodless face…… Amitabha!
Thank you for saving him, gods up above!
Everyone was hopeful and happy by the time Wu Ke entered Zhong Hua Palace with a pair of red eyes. We were trying to contain our feelings lest we ended up bothering His Majesty’s recovery. When he saw us, that tall and mighty man actually burst in tears. He rushed towards the dragon bed while sobbing, “Your Majesty, this official has come too late….”
He was weeping emotionally, it was a touching view.
In order to safeguard his official hat, I kindly informed him, “General Wu, His Majesty is only unconscious….” Crying in advance like this could cost you your head.
He wiped his tears with his two palms before pointing at me angrily, “Then, what are you people crying about?” I always knew that he look down on me. However, since I was generous and benevolent, I decided to let it be……
I wiped the tears on my face and gave him a smile, “It is tears of joy.”
Although one of the emperor’s foot had stepped on the otherworld, he was looking a lot better now than he was, hours ago.
General Wu Ke realized his misconduct and quickly knelt down to admit fault.
My heart was mixed. Maybe it was because he feared His Majesty, but right now, General Wu Ke’s contempt towards the empress was a thing of the past.
He looked really pathetic at the moment; he was covered in blood from head to toe. This was the first time he wasn’t an eyesore to me, ever since he hit me in the head, back then. I gave him the permission to sit and then asked E Huang to serve him tea. He, then, proceed to report everything to me.
Without a doubt, Wu Ke’s sudden raid this time was a right decision.
With him raiding Yan Wang’s manor and battling over 2000 private soldiers, we had pushed Yan Wang to a dead end. They wanted to kidnap the pregnant empress to settle the matter. Wu Ke quickly finished the fight and rushed over to An Manor to fetch me. I had already left the manor by the time they got there. And then, they received news that the emperor had also left the palace, so they dispatched imperial guards to search for us.
When he entered Yan Wang’s manor, Yan Wang and his cronies were already waiting for news somewhere. They were waiting to see if they managed to kill the emperor, me and the child I was bearing. Perhaps, they thought it was time for the Great Qi to change ruler.
Other than the mediocre Yi Wang and Zhao Wang who were fighting for life after being ambushed by assassins, all the wangyes in the capital were in on this.
The most surprising thing was, even General Hu Guo who was Consort De’s father was a part of this.
Wu Ke was indeed a capable helper of Feng Zhao Wen; I didn’t think he would handle things so fast. With a verbal decree from Feng Zhao Wen, he shoved all those people in the imperial prison.
The imperial prison was currently full to the brim; both from the prisoners of the Great Chen to the prisoners of the Great Qi. It had probably never been this lively before.
In the end, Wu Ke asked me on how he should treat and interrogate those prisoners. I glanced at the unconscious Feng Zhao Wen, “I heard those officials are really worried about His Majesty’s health. Since so, they shall not be given meals for as long as the emperor has not eaten.”
Let’s be hungry together! He was lying in bed after an assassination attempt, how could the assassins be left peacefully inside the prison?
Wu Ke gave me a big grin, “Obeying Your Ladyship’s order.”
I quickly corrected him, “It is those wangyes’ request themselves.”
Perhaps, if imperial censors and historians heard this, they would think that those criminals were having guilty conscience.
The Imperial Censor Department had been lacking controversial substance lately; they should add a few drops of blood on what appeared to be clear water.
Wu Ke took the hint.
At that moment, a palace maid informed me that Consort De was seeking audience.
Wu Ke and I exchanged a look. The palace had a strict ban on exchanging messages with the outside world. It was late at night when we got here last night and Consort De lived really far from Zhong Hua Palace. It was dawn when Wu Ke got here and he hadn’t even left when Consort De was seeking audience.
I held E Huang’s arm as I walked outside; the girl complained in discontent, “She is just a consort, why are you personally welcoming her?” Even Tian Bing Qing looked like he agreed with her.
I poked her in the head, “His Majesty is still recovering from his injuries, he needs peace. The side-hall is occupied by General Yan. Though he is stable by now, we shouldn’t disturb him. What if Consort De throws a huge fuss?”
Tian Bing Qing immediately flattered me, “Your Ladyship is really considerate towards His Majesty!”
I laughed at him, “I don’t think you have ever praised me before! You once told me that I have a head made of wooden block!”
He immediately shrank his neck and walked behind the four towering maids.
Consort De came over rather hastily. She wasn’t wearing any make-up and was only wearing a simple bun. Her face was full of tears as she knelt on the stone steps, looking so beautiful despite her tears.
Ever since I arrived in the palace of the Great Qi, there would be these beautiful concubines on one side, and then, a hideous looking me on another.
When Consort De saw me, she hugged my legs and cried, “Please help us, Your Ladyship! Please save chenqie’s Father’s life! General Wu Ke barged into our manor in the middle of the night and took him away. Chenqie’s father spent his entire life for the kingdom, now that he is old, he is stuffed into the imperial prison!”
She was crying so pitifully.
Don’t tell me she still didn’t know why General Hu Guo was captured?
Whoever her messenger was, that person was really unreliable. Their message was so vague that they turned Consort De into an idiot.
I regretfully informed her, “Consort De, there was an attempt on His Majesty’s life!”
She looked at me blankly, “There are always at least two or three assassination attempts on him every year, what is so weird about that?”
Your Majesty-ah, you were so despicable that not having an assassination attempt was weirder than having one!
“There is nothing weird about that.” There was a piercing pain in my heart as I patiently explained everything to her, “Just, the attempt this time has something to do with your Father.”
It was such a waste to be feeding all the consorts in the palace. Such a waste of grain. She screamed, “No way! It is impossible for Father to be involved in the assassination attempt! You are framing him!”
I was really smart for not meeting Consort De inside Zhong Hua Hall.
