Chapter 193: Chapter 192: Envy

He Ying decided to accompany her.

His face changed, and he bellowed, “Guards! Bring He Hongzhao and her maid to me at once!”

Upon receiving the order, Pei Muyang immediately led the soldiers, rushing towards the South Courtyard.

Soon, they brought the people back.

“Emperor, the maid… the maid has disappeared.”

Pei Muyang was somewhat anxious.

After hearing this, He Ying’s brow furrowed, “She must have seen the signs and fled early! Send someone to chase her down immediately!”

“Yes!”

Pei Muyang hurried out.

Sitting quietly in her wheelchair, He Hongzhao watched everything unfold, her pale face exuding a calm and serene demeanor.

She slightly bowed her head, paying respects to He Ying with grace, and then looked towards Sang Yan with a smile, “Lady, why haven’t you visited me recently?”

Sang Yan: “…”

Her fingertips trembled with anger: She was acting as if nothing had happened! After committing such a heartless deed, she could still act as though nothing was wrong!

She truly couldn’t understand how a woman who appeared so frail and gentle could do something so ruthless!

Not long ago, she still warmly taught her medical books and how to recognize herbs, even making her an herbal remedy to treat menstrual pain!

It was all fake!

“Why does Lady stare at this humble girl so?”

He Hongzhao, seeing Sang Yan’s growing anger, or rather her near fainting from rage, only smiled more brilliantly.

“Squeak, squeak–”

The Snow Monkey on her legs seemed to sense its owner’s excited mood and also began jumping around, causing a commotion.

“Ah Jiu!”

He Hongzhao softly called out and reached out her hand.

The Snow Monkey rubbed its head against her palm but was gently tapped on the head by her.

“Ah Jiu. Be quiet.”

She scolded it, and seeing the monkey become obedient, she praised it again, stroking its fur. She seemed entirely engrossed in playing with her pet, as if she had forgotten where she was.

Watching her actions, Sang Yan’s chest heaved with fury, “He Hongzhao!”

She bit her teeth hard, glaring at her, “Why? Why would you do such a thing?”

“What is Lady talking about?”

He Hongzhao tilted her head, feigning innocence.

Sang Yan was so furious she wanted to curse: How could she remain so calm? How deep was this woman’s cunning?

“Ah Yan, let me handle this.”

He Ying stepped in, not wanting Sang Yan to get further upset, took her hand, and asked coldly, “He Hongzhao, stop pretending! You put Bitter Pearl Root in the medicine, a substance that harms my bloodline, and I have already found out. If you don’t want to suffer, then tell the truth. Why did you do this? Who instructed you?”

The Emperor was angry.

He Hongzhao seemed unaffected, calmly sitting in her wheelchair, gently petting the Snow Monkey, as if she were facing not the wrath of the Emperor but a minor squabble among children.

“Truly, Emperor Da He, you’ve discovered the anomaly so swiftly.”

She bent her lips into a smile, her eyes suddenly turning cold, “And here I thought you’d have to be left without heirs before you noticed!”

“Silence!”

Sang Yan couldn’t stand He Hongzhao’s words, her anger propelling her to stand and walk over to her: “Why? We’ve never wronged you. Since meeting you, we’ve always treated you courteously. How can you do this? You are a doctor! A doctor should have a compassionate heart and relieve people of their suffering. How can you use medical knowledge to harm others?”

“Why can’t a doctor kill people?”

“And why can’t I do it? Just because you didn’t offend me?”

“Lady, you’re naive and innocent, untouched by the ways of the world. Do you expect everyone to be like you?”

He Hongzhao chuckled, her eyes full of disdain, “How ridiculous!”

She despised her smile, her naivety.

Such a naive and foolish person could win Mr. Jiu’s heart.

How laughable!

“Presumptuous!”

He Ying could not tolerate others insulting Sang Yan, and losing his patience at Hong Zhao’s attitude, he snapped, “He Hongzhao, do not test my patience.”

He walked over and shielded Sang Yan behind him, looking down at the woman in the wheelchair, he demanded, “I’ll ask you again, who instructed you to make a move against me?”

Hong Zhao ignored He Ying, her gaze fixed on Sang Yan.

Her pale hand propped up her chin, her expression turning puzzled: “Sang Yan, a woman as naive and useless as you, who only knows to hide behind a man when facing trouble, I really cannot understand why, when he sent me the message, he specifically cautioned me, to only target the Emperor and not to harm you.”

It was indeed him!

Sang Yan trembled all over, her suspicion confirmed: It had to be that madman, Qi Wuya! Only he would resort to such despicable and dirty tricks!

And he even instructed He Hongzhao not to hurt her?

Utterly disgusting!

Does Sang Yan need his protection?

“Enough!”

When He Ying heard it was Qi Wuya’s scheming, his patience was exhausted, and he kicked the wheelchair.

The wheelchair instantly slid far away.

Hong Zhao was not seated securely and fell hard to the ground.

She lay sprawled on the floor, her frail frame and disheveled hair evident as she raised her head, intending to laugh, but instead she broke into a violent cough: “Cough, cough, cough–”

He Ying saw the scorn in Hong Zhao’s laughter, clenched his fist, barely restraining himself from kicking her to death.

“He Hongzhao, you seem to be tire of living.”

He thought of the look in Qi Wuya’s eyes when they departed Puluo Country, that was a look of absolute determination, and a surge of anger built up in his chest.

“Do you and Qi Wuya have any other schemes? Confess truthfully, otherwise, I will exterminate your entire clan!”

His last two words seemed to touch a painful spot in Hong Zhao.

She paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, her laugh resembling a ghastly spirit from hell, sending shivers down one’s spine.

“Exterminate my clan?”

She stopped laughing, her eyes crazed as she looked at the two of them, wanting to laugh but overwhelmed by coughing.

“Cough, cough, cough–”

She covered her mouth with a handkerchief, coughing up a mouthful of bright red blood.

A trace of blood stained the corner of her mouth.

She fell backward on the ground, her complexion pale as paper, blood dripping from her lips, her breath on the edge of extremity, presenting a picture of haunting beauty.

“He Ying, oh He Ying, I would be glad if you exterminated my clan! Cough, cough, cough, what about the He Family? What about the medical household?”

The hatred in her eyes was overwhelming, and she laughed heartily, tears streaming down her face: “Ha ha ha, they’re nothing but demons in human skin!”

Sang Yan was shocked to see her like this: Was this eagerness to tear the He Family members limb from limb real or feigned? Could it be that He Hongzhao had some grievance with the He Family?

“What do you mean? What has the He Family done to you?”

She knit her brows, speculating: Could there be something wrong with Hong Zhao’s family of origin?

Hong Zhao did not answer, her sight lingering on Sang Yan, and she suddenly blurted out, “Sang Yan, sometimes, I truly envy you.”

“Envy me for what?”

Sang Yan retorted with self-deprecation, her voice tinged with irony, “Envy me for being played by you? Envy me for how a friend whom I treated with all my heart almost caused my husband to lose his lineage?”

Hong Zhao knew that Sang Yan had treated her well.

But no matter how well, it was too late.

“The willows are green, and the peach blossoms add just one touch of red to move one’s heart in spring. Similarly, no matter how well you treat me, I no longer need it.”

In her life, she wasn’t greedy, the brief warmth given by Mr. Jiu was already enough.

“Even, I envy you, I’m jealous of you, you can easily obtain so much love. Emperor He loves you, and even Mr. Jiu loves you.”

She said this, her cold fingers caressing her own cheek, a self-pitying sorrow in her expression: “Whereas I, in the end, I am–cough, cough, cough–”