Chapter 306: Chapter 303: The Oil Runs Out

Luo Shan was unaware of “Sang Yan”‘s thoughts, but felt deeply indebted to her and saw her sadness, so she hastily assured, “Empress, I will do my best to save the Emperor.”

She dared not guarantee that He Ying would survive.

But she promised to do her utmost.

Upon hearing this, Qing Wu thought to herself, “There’s no need to go all out. It would be quite good if He Ying died. Then, the world would belong to the Beiqi Emperor.”

“Is the Empress not going over?”

Luo Shan glanced at He Ying, then at “Sang Yan,” and continued, “While the Emperor is unconscious, he keeps calling your name, telling you not to be afraid, that he will always be there.”

She was touched by the Emperor’s affection for the Empress.

Men in the world are often fickle, especially the more powerful they are, yet the Emperor proved to be an exception.

How fortunate the Empress is!

Listening to Luo Shan’s words, Qing Wu gradually approached He Ying.

One step.

Another step.

Strangely, as she approached, the man who had been stable began to grow restless and anxious, his brow furrowed, his face under the high fever full of pain.

Sweat flowed down his cheeks in large drops.

“No! No!”

His body began to convulse.

The well-bandaged wounds started bleeding again.

“Emperor! Emperor!”

Pei Muyang cried out in alarm, calling for Luo Shan’s urgent care.

While Luo Shan administered the acupuncture, he looked toward “Sang Yan” and suddenly knelt down, “Please, Your Highness, stay back.”

Having just witnessed the Emperor’s reaction to her approach, he started to believe in Sang Yan’s husband-killing fate.

After all, she must not get close to the Emperor.

Especially since the Emperor was still in danger.

“Mr. Pei, do you also think I would be fatal to the Emperor?”

Qing Wu thought that with Sang Yan’s identity, it would have been easy to kill the Emperor, but now, hindered by the husband-killing fate, even approaching him was difficult.

Pei Muyang did not answer, only remaining kneeling.

When Qing Wu tried to pass by him, he crawled on his knees to block her.

Clearly, he meant that she should not approach the Emperor.

“How dare you!”

Qing Wu exclaimed in a low voice, looking toward the man on the bed who happened to be calling Sang Yan’s name, then said, “Did you not hear? The Emperor is calling for me.”

Pei Muyang heard it, but still did not let her pass.

In his heart, nothing was more important than the Emperor’s life.

Qing Wu was so angry she wanted to have someone pull him away, but then she thought better of it.

Sang Yan was known to be gentle and always treated her servants with respect.

She could not expose herself.

“The Emperor needs me.”

She chose a softer approach, “Step aside, I won’t come too close.”

She was now about ten steps away from He Ying.

Pei Muyang felt that was close enough, wondering what would happen to the Emperor if she came any closer.

The husband-killing fate was not to be taken lightly!

Sang Jue, who was standing by, opened his mouth wanting to tell Pei Muyang to move, but he held back.

This matter was indeed mysterious.

Just now, as “Sang Yan” approached, the Emperor’s condition deteriorated.

Never mind.

He remained silent.

Pei Muyang went further, “I hope the Empress would consider moving to Qifeng Palace.”

He cast a sidelong glance at “Sang Yan,” feeling something off about her tonight.

Logically, given the Emperor’s condition, she should be troubled by the husband-killing fate and stay away from him. Why was she still trying to get closer? What if she really caused his death? Hadn’t she considered that possibility?

Qing Wu saw the suspicion and caution in Pei Muyang’s eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. She instinctively stepped back, “Enough. Enough. It’s my concern that’s chaotic.”

She took her handkerchief, wiped away non-existent tears, and turned to leave.

There was no hurry.

There would be opportunities.

He Ying was so severely injured.

Maybe he might pass on to the next life on his own without her having to act.

As she thought this, she stopped, turned back to look at Luo Shan busily at work by the bedside, and slightly furrowed her brow: This woman was somewhat capable. Hopefully, she wouldn’t ruin her master’s plans.

“Dong—-Dong, Dong, Dong!”

Outside came the sound of the fourth night watch gong.

The night was too deep.

Snow had begun to fall again at some point.

The ground was a vast expanse of white.

The entire world was silent.

Yet a carriage silently drove out of the Imperial Palace in the quiet snowy night.

Inside the carriage

Lay thick, soft bedding.

Sang Yan lay on it, covered with equally thick and soft blankets.

It was too cold.

This noble person was delicate and must not be allowed to freeze.

Xing Ce looked down, seeing her gradually roll out from under the covers due to the jolting of the carriage, and carefully tucked the blankets back in for her.

Afterward, he took a swig of strong liquor, which warmed his body comfortably.

Once warm, he began to feel drowsy.

But he couldn’t sleep.

He hadn’t left the Capital City yet, he needed to be extremely careful.

Especially cautious of Sang Yan waking up and causing trouble.

To prevent her from waking up and making a disturbance, Xing Ce kept track of time and repeatedly pressed a handkerchief soaked in Mandala Flower Pollen against her nose.

He wanted her to keep sleeping.

Until they reached Beiqi’s borders.

*

Beiqi

was also snowing.

The snowflakes, as large as mats, seemed like they could overwhelm a person.

Taian Palace’s side hall

The doors and windows of the hall were tightly closed.

The floor heating was strong, and the heat could not escape, making it stifling.

“Cough cough–”

But it wasn’t Hong Zhao coughing.

It was Qi Wuya.

Qi Wuya sat beside the bed, coughing while frowning at the motionless woman on the bed–pale as a ghost, thin as a rail, truly a living skeleton!

Indeed, she was like a burnt-out lamp.

Such a pity.

But that was all the pity there was.

His heart harbored another woman; even as this one was on the brink of death, he was still thinking, “Tonight is their wedding night. Hong Zhao, tell me, will they succeed? Will she come back to my side?”

There was no response.

It was too stuffy inside the hall.

Hong Zhao, dressed thinly in a white gown, lay straight, her body emitting a sense of cold stiffness.

As if she were dead.

Qi Wuya’s brow furrowed deeply, he reached out to touch her arm; it was too cold, like that of a corpse.

His expression turned stern as he suddenly shouted, “He Hong Zhao!”

Still no response.

His heart racing, he reached out slowly to place his hand under her nose.

He felt nothing.

Was she dead?

Really dead?

He suddenly stood up, panicked: What would he do if she were dead when Sang Yan arrived? He still needed her to erase Sang Yan’s memories!

“He Hong Zhao!”

He shouted loudly, pushing her forcefully.

No reaction.

Her limbs were all stiff.

Truly dead.

So peacefully dead.

As if she had never existed.

“He Hong Zhao! He Hong Zhao, how could you die!”

He was furious!

He was resentful!

“You can’t die! He Hong Zhao, how can you die at this time!”

He grabbed her, shaking her wildly, trying to wake her up.

And then she really did wake up.

“Cough cough cough–”

She opened her eyes and coughed blood all over his face.

Qi Wuya: “…”

He wiped the blood from his face, suppressing the urge to kill that his germaphobia triggered, and forced a gentle smile: “Hong Zhao, you scared me. It’s good that you’ve woken up. It’s good.”

You must hold on until Sang Yan arrives!

He held back that thought.

“Cough cough–”

Hong Zhao didn’t speak, just kept coughing.

She even coughed up clots of blood.

The clots were blackish.

It seemed as if something was moving inside them.

It was nauseating.

Qi Wuya suppressed the urge to vomit, grabbed a handkerchief to pick up the clot, and threw it into a nearby bucket.

Then, he called for a palace attendant to bring hot water and personally wrung the cloth to cleanse her face, mouth, and body of the fresh blood.

He cared for her as if she were an infant.

Gentle and attentive.

“Hong Zhao, I really need you.”

He murmured softly, “So, for my sake, hold on for a few more days.”

She was coming soon.

His Sang Yan was coming soon.

So, she must hold on for just a few more days!