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In the evening, deep within the Daming Palace, Empress Chen had woken from her coma. After eating some plain congee, her spirits were much better.
“Help me go for a walk,” Empress Chen said, taking Shi Wenchang’s outstretched hand.
The two walked slowly ahead, followed by a small number of maids, including An Suyun. The group walked from the Hanguang Palace all the way to the imperial garden.
“I heard that Shi Wenchang poisoned the old head eunuch to get his position...”
“Really? Is he that bold?”
“He seems like such a gentle person. I didn’t think he would be so vicious at such a young age.”
“That’s why they say you can’t judge a book by its cover!”
In the imperial garden, a few young maids were tidying up the flowerbeds that had been messed up by the heavy rain. Empress Chen didn’t have many attendants with her, and Shi Wenchang hadn’t shouted “The Empress has arrived, everyone get out of the way,” so their conversation was overheard by Empress Chen.
Empress Chen walked past the rockery with a normal expression.
She glanced at Shi Wenchang, whose face was also calm, and asked, “Wenchang, what do you think?”
Shi Wenchang bowed his head and replied, “Your Majesty, an innocent person needs no explanation. Your servant has done nothing wrong, so I am not afraid of their gossip.”
“No, that’s not what I’m asking. I mean, how do you want to deal with them?”
Shi Wenchang was stunned and immediately shook his head. “Your Majesty, the maids’ gossip doesn’t hurt your servant. As long as you trust me, I don’t care what others think. I don’t think any action is necessary.”
“Oh? You are quite magnanimous.” Empress Chen smiled in approval, then glanced at An Suyun. An Suyun immediately understood and left with two maids.
Soon after, a chorus of maids’ voices begging for mercy was heard from behind.
“Auntie, please have mercy—”
“It was us who were gossiping. Please, Auntie, let us go! We will never do it again!”
An Suyun had always been ruthless, leaving no room for them to turn back. She immediately ordered the guards to take them to the Court of Punishments and have them caned to death.
An Suyun quickly returned to Empress Chen and bowed. “Your Majesty, it has been dealt with.”
“Good.” Empress Chen waved her hand, telling her to step back.
Shi Wenchang supported Empress Chen as they continued to walk.
After the heavy rain, the spring flowers in the imperial garden had withered, but the summer crape myrtle was in full, brilliant bloom, with clusters of vibrant color.
Empress Chen felt much better looking at the garden full of flowers. Shi Wenchang walked beside her, keeping his head bowed and not even glancing at the scenery. It was as if his world revolved solely around serving Empress Chen, with everything else being unimportant.
Empress Chen noticed the cautious and meticulous Shi Wenchang and felt that his respectful demeanor was very similar to someone she once knew.
“Qionglin also didn’t care about what others thought,” Empress Chen said in a soft voice, which made Shi Wenchang’s body stiffen. But he quickly recovered.
An Suyun, who was behind them, also frowned slightly at the remark.
In three years, this was the first time Empress Chen had mentioned Jiang Qionglin in front of others.
“You came to the palace late, so you probably don’t know who Qionglin was...” Empress Chen smiled gently, not waiting for Shi Wenchang to answer. She continued, “Qionglin was like you, very good-natured and very knowledgeable. It’s a pity... he passed away many years ago.”
Empress Chen spoke as she walked. Shi Wenchang supported her, listening quietly without saying a word.
An Suyun was a little worried. She stepped forward to support Empress Chen and said, “Your Majesty, it has just rained, and the air is heavy with moisture. You should go back and rest.”
Empress Chen glanced at the sky. Seeing that the weather was fine and the sky was filled with a fiery sunset, she shook her head. “The weather is good for a change. Let me sit for a little while longer.”
The group arrived at the pavilion in the middle of the lake. The water flowed around it, winding endlessly. This was Empress Chen’s favorite place. But ever since Jiang Qionglin left, she had never come back...
Shi Wenchang brought a cloak and draped it over Empress Chen’s shoulders. An Suyun brought a pot of hot tea and placed it on the table. Empress Chen sat in the pavilion, watching the sunset in the distance.
“The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it’s only for a little while,” Empress Chen said softly. Then she turned to Shi Wenchang and asked, “When you see the sunset, what do you think of?”
Shi Wenchang lowered his head and answered, “Vibrant and flourishing.”
“Oh? Those two words? Shouldn’t it be that the sun is setting, life is short, and we don’t know what tomorrow will bring?”
Shi Wenchang shook his head. “The sunset signifies the end of the day, a time for relaxation and rest. When night falls, can a new day be far behind? The rising sun should always be vibrant and flourishing.”
“Haha, you are good with words,” Empress Chen said with a shrug and a smile. She sat in the pavilion for a while longer. It was only when the sun had completely set and the sky was enveloped in darkness that she reluctantly got up and returned to the palace, urged by Shi Wenchang and An Suyun.
That night, Empress Chen fell ill, with a high fever that wouldn’t subside.
She kept mumbling the name of a person, but no one dared to speak the name aloud.
Jiang Qionglin.
She kept calling for Jiang Qionglin.
It was as if an endless nightmare had taken hold of her, and she could not escape.
Shi Wenchang was going crazy, and An Suyun was also flustered. All the on-duty and off-duty imperial physicians were summoned to the palace, filling the Hanguang Palace.
“Her Majesty’s condition is deteriorating, and there is nothing more we can do,” was the thought on every physician’s mind. But they had to keep this to themselves, only saying to the public, “She has a minor cold and is not in any serious danger.”
But the few close to her knew that if Empress Chen did not wake up tonight, she would likely never see the sunrise again.
Upon hearing the news, Wulong was the first to enter the palace with his second son, Wuxiuwen. Then, Gongsun Miao also came to the palace and waited outside the Hanguang Palace.
Gongsun Miao pulled aside the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, Physician Liu, and asked, “Tell me the truth, what is Her Majesty’s condition?”
Physician Liu looked grim, let out a long sigh, and then leaned down, lowering his voice. “Her Majesty’s illness came on strangely and fiercely. I’m afraid she...”
“What?”
“Please, Your Lordship, prepare yourself,” Physician Liu said, nodding gravely.
“I understand. You may continue with your duties.”
Gongsun Miao conferred with Wulong and then invited the Minister of War, Zhao You, and the commander of the Imperial Guards, Liu Heng, to the palace. He had the imperial city surrounded by three layers of guards. After that, he sent someone to summon the Third Prince, Wu Yu, to attend to the Empress.
Wu Yu’s mental state was poor, and he was practically carried in. Due to his own illness, he was unable to enter the palace to see Empress Chen for a final time.
Shi Wenchang and An Suyun looked at the people waiting outside the hall, their eyes filled with pain. But their actions were understandable and could not be faulted.
Shi Wenchang returned to the Empress’s bedside and wiped the sweat from her forehead. After a long silence, he said, “The Second Prince and Third Prince have arrived. Should we send someone to ask for the Sixth Prince?”
An Suyun knew that although Empress Chen was angry with Wu Ruian, at a time like this, she would definitely want him by her side.
An Suyun nodded and said, “I will go myself.”
...
...
As midnight approached, the Daming Palace was brightly lit, and no one dared to rest.
At the same time, in the Mingjing Pagoda next to the Daming Palace, a grand ritual was being held. It was the Ghost Festival, and the gates of hell had opened. The Imperial Preceptor, Master Xianshen, was comforting the spirits of the underworld and praying for the Empress.
The banners fluttered, the bells rang, and Master Xianshen, along with over eighty disciples, chanted, “The five stars shine with color, illuminating the profound darkness. The eyes are like thunder and lightning, lighting up the eight poles. Thousands of gods and saints protect my true spirit. The devils of the five heavens perish and disappear. Wherever I am, ten thousand gods welcome me—”
Every shout they made was exhausted, but it did not bring the slightest improvement to Empress Chen on her sickbed. Her condition only worsened.
At a quarter past eleven, Wu Ruian finally arrived at the Hanguang Palace. By this time, Empress Chen’s face was pale and she was barely breathing. Her pulse was so weak it was almost undetectable.
Wu Ruian walked directly past the layers of guards and servants, past Wu Yu and Wulong. He didn’t even glance at Gongsun Miao, the head of the officials, and followed An Suyun straight into the inner palace.
Wu Ruian walked into the hall and looked at the unconscious Empress Chen on the bed. The remorse and regret in his chest burst out all at once.
“Mother Empress, your son was unfilial. I shouldn’t have made you angry... Please, wake up...”
Wu Ruian’s eyes were filled with tears and were bloodshot. Seeing Empress Chen in this state, he subconsciously felt that she was lying here purely because he had angered her!
“Mother Empress...” Wu Ruian held back his tears, not wanting to appear too sad in front of others.
After all, Empress Chen was only seriously ill, not yet passed away.
He couldn’t believe that his mother would leave this world so suddenly and in this way.
“Cough—!” Just then, Empress Chen suddenly let out a loud cough.
“Your Majesty!”
“Mother Empress?”
The crowd, surprised and delighted, immediately gathered around her.
Then, Empress Chen spit out a large mouthful of black liquid. The liquid was pitch-black and gave off a foul odor. It all landed on Wu Ruian.
“Mother Empress, you’re awake?” Wu Ruian was overjoyed. He stared intently at Empress Chen, not feeling at all that the sour liquid on him was dirty. Instead, he felt a huge sense of relief that she had woken up.
After spitting out the liquid, Empress Chen did not fall back into a coma. Instead, she tightly grabbed Wu Ruian’s hand and said, “An’er... you’ve finally returned... you’ve finally returned...”
It was then that Wu Ruian realized that Empress Chen was probably delirious and thought he had just returned to court.
Wu Ruian’s sadness deepened.
He realized that in Empress Chen’s subconscious, he was still the same person who had gone missing three years ago...
At the same time, in the Mingjing Pagoda, Master Xianshen suddenly froze and spit out a large mouthful of blood.
He then fell straight to the ground, unconscious.
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