#20: Black Magic

After Empress Chen awoke, several elders from the Imperial Medical Academy immediately came forward to administer acupuncture and medicine to her. Empress Chen then vomited a great deal of black liquid before her strength returned.

When Gongsun Miao and Wulong saw that Empress Chen had woken up, they immediately walked in and formed a circle around the imperial bed.

“Your Majesty, you’re finally awake! This old official was truly worried about you!” Gongsun Miao said, wiping away tears with his sleeve. Wulong and Wuxiuwen stood by, their eyes red, and nodded repeatedly.

Wu Ruian had planned to make room for them to talk to Empress Chen, but as soon as he stood up, Empress Chen grabbed his hand and wouldn’t let him go.

Wu Ruian had no choice but to hold his mother’s hand and squat beside the bed.

“What... time is it now?” Empress Chen asked slowly.

“Your Majesty, it’s just past midnight,” Shi Wenchang replied.

“Is that so... so the Ghost Festival is over?”

Shi Wenchang nodded. “Your Majesty, it is over.”

“That’s good... that’s good...” Empress Chen let out a long sigh, and the hand holding Wu Ruian’s tightened a little.

Although Wu Ruian found Empress Chen’s actions a bit strange, he didn’t think much of it, assuming she was just showing affection.

Had his mother forgiven him for his reckless behavior earlier in the day?

“Mother Empress... have you forgiven your son?” Wu Ruian asked cautiously, afraid of saying the wrong thing and making her angry again.

Empress Chen lay on the bed, smiled faintly, and shook her head. “After this night, I’ve come to a realization.”

Wu Ruian was overjoyed and blurted out, “Then you don’t blame your son?”

Empress Chen nodded. “I don’t blame you.”

At that moment, Gongsun Miao asked, “Your Majesty, in your dream, you kept muttering a person’s name, but we couldn’t hear what you were saying. Do you remember what you dreamed about?”

When Gongsun Miao said this, the expressions of An Suyun and Shi Wenchang grew serious.

They were Empress Chen’s personal attendants. Although Empress Chen’s words were mumbled, they knew in their hearts that the name she was calling was taboo.

Empress Chen did not answer Gongsun Miao directly. Instead, she looked at Wu Ruian and said, “An’er, where did you go today?”

After the shock he had just experienced, Wu Ruian’s emotions were in turmoil, and he hadn’t fully recovered. It wasn’t until Wulong nudged him that he looked up blankly, confused by everyone’s expressions.

“Where did you go today?” Empress Chen asked him again, her eyes still filled with gentleness and no trace of blame.

Wu Ruian replied, “Your Majesty, your son went to see...” The words “Jiansu Clinic” were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them. He knew that under no circumstances should he reveal Di Jiang. Doing so would undoubtedly push her into the center of a storm.

Unless he was absolutely sure he could completely control his own life.

But now was clearly not a good time.

Wu Ruian continued, “Your son went to the orphanage.”

“Oh? The orphanage?” Empress Chen frowned slightly and pressed him. “Only to the orphanage?”

Wu Ruian nodded. “Your Majesty, that is correct.”

“Your Majesty, you have just woken up. Please don’t trouble yourself with these trivial matters and rest well,” Physician Liu said from the side, bowing and asking for her permission. After he spoke, everyone else agreed.

Empress Chen lay on the bed, still holding Wu Ruian’s hand. “An’er, you stay. Everyone else, get out.”

“This...” Wulong and Gongsun Miao exchanged glances, a bit hesitant.

Physician Liu was also in a difficult position, wondering if he should ask to stay.

“Out,” Empress Chen said again. To avoid making her angry, everyone bowed and left. In the end, only An Suyun and Shi Wenchang, the two imperial attendants, remained to serve her.

After everyone had left, Wu Ruian knelt by the bed, his back straight, and looked at Empress Chen with a serious expression. “Mother Empress, do you have something important to tell your son?”

Empress Chen closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. After a long time, she opened them and said, “An’er, do you... remember what Qionglin said to you the night he was imprisoned?”

Wu Ruian was stunned. He hadn’t expected Empress Chen to dismiss everyone to talk about this.

Shi Wenchang and An Suyun were also taken aback. Especially An Suyun, who clasped her hands in front of her chest, looking a little nervous.

Empress Chen continued, “I remember that you went to visit Qionglin after he was imprisoned.”

Wu Ruian nodded. “Your Majesty, your son did.”

“What did he say? Did he... say he hated me or that he wanted to take me with him?” Empress Chen became anxious and sat up. An Suyun immediately sat on the edge of the bed and held her up.

But Empress Chen was not as weak as one might have thought. She actually seemed more energetic than she had been during the day.

Wu Ruian sighed and shook his head. “No, Jiang Qionglin never blamed you. He even told your son... that you were the greatest mother in the world.”

“He really said that?” Empress Chen frowned, looking as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Mother Empress, what’s wrong? Why are you suddenly thinking about him?” Wu Ruian was filled with surprise and had a gut feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed.

Empress Chen leaned on An Suyun and rested her eyes for a long time before speaking. “An’er, remember this: forget what I told you today after you hear it. Don’t dig too deep, and don’t trace the source. Now is not the time. But I promise you, one day, I will give you an explanation, and I will give the people of the world an explanation.”

Although Wu Ruian didn’t fully understand what Empress Chen was saying, he listened quietly, nodding from time to time.

Empress Chen sighed again and added, “I suspect someone used a curse on me.”

“What!” Wu Ruian stood up abruptly, his face filled with shock and anger.

As soon as his hand left Empress Chen’s, she immediately reached out and grabbed it again. It was as if Wu Ruian’s hand was her safety and her lifeline.

An Suyun and Shi Wenchang’s expressions became even gloomier. They assumed Empress Chen’s actions were due to a lack of security.

Empress Chen looked at Wu Ruian and said earnestly, “Although I don’t know why this is happening to me, in the nightmare, I clearly remember that you were the one who led me out of the darkness, you were the one who helped me escape the nightmare.”

Wu Ruian was stunned and confused. “Your son?”

“That’s right,” Empress Chen nodded. “In the dream just now, I was in a desperate situation. It was pitch black all around me, and there was a pair of hands tightly choking my throat. I couldn’t see the person’s face, but my ears were filled with Jiang Qionglin’s malicious curses. I thought I would never wake up again until I heard your voice... An’er, from the moment you called my name, a light appeared around me. Then, the pair of hands disappeared, and when I opened my eyes, Jiang Qionglin’s curses no longer echoed in my ears.”

“You saved me.”

Empress Chen’s description sent chills down their spines, as if they were right there with her. Wu Ruian was even more amazed by his actions.

He... hadn’t done anything at all!

Empress Chen then said, “You will stay with me tonight. I feel safe with you here.”

Wu Ruian nodded. “Your Majesty, your son will stay with you for as long as you wish. Please rest assured.”

“Good.” Empress Chen nodded. After drinking some sedative soup, she lay back down.

Half an hour later, Wu Ruian saw that Empress Chen was sleeping soundly and no longer troubled by nightmares. He quietly pulled his hand away and said to An Suyun, “I’ll be back after I change my clothes. Take good care of Mother Empress.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” An Suyun bowed.

Wu Ruian glanced at Empress Chen and was about to leave when, in her sleep, Empress Chen’s breathing suddenly caught. Her hands thrashed wildly in the air. The motion was so violent that it looked like someone was choking her, and she couldn’t even speak.

Wu Ruian quickly stepped forward and grabbed Empress Chen’s hands, preventing her nails from scratching her own skin.

As soon as Wu Ruian was close to her, Empress Chen calmed down. She slowly opened her eyes, which were a little watery.

She looked at Wu Ruian and said, “Did I have a nightmare again?”

Wu Ruian sighed and nodded.

“It seems I haven’t won this battle yet.”

Empress Chen’s eyes were filled with deep weariness, but there was no despair or surrender.

The word “defeat” had never been in her world.

Even when facing the unknown.

Wu Ruian thought for a long time and realized that every time he left Empress Chen’s side, she would fall into a state of torment and her life would be in danger.

If someone were to say that the evil spirit haunting Empress Chen’s dreams was Jiang Qionglin, Wu Ruian would never believe it.

Jiang Qionglin’s loyalty to the Empress was evident for all to see. How could he possibly want her dead?

And what had he done to deserve to be able to free her from this black magic?

“Ah! That’s it! The talisman!” Wu Ruian suddenly clapped his hands, startling Shi Wenchang and the others.

Empress Chen leaned on Wu Ruian’s shoulder, opened her eyes lazily, and asked suspiciously, “What talisman?”

Wu Ruian quickly took out the brocade pouch from his chest and placed it in Empress Chen’s hand. “This is a talisman a friend gave your son this afternoon. He said it was to ward off ghosts while traveling at night on the Ghost Festival.”

Empress Chen looked at the talisman in front of her, feeling a mix of excitement and relief.

With trembling lips, she held the talisman and said, “That’s it... that’s it... I can clearly feel that this pouch has warmth... it’s able to disperse the cold in my heart.”

“Someone really wants to harm you!” Wu Ruian stood up and slammed his hand on the table again, trembling with anger.

Empress Chen tightly gripped the talisman, and with Shi Wenchang’s help, she lay back down. Then she slowly said, “Remember what I told you before. Now is not the time. But I know that one day... one day I will make them pay the price.”

Wu Ruian’s clenched hands slowly loosened. Seeing Empress Chen’s expression, he probably understood what she was thinking and who was behind all of this.

“What should we do now?” Wu Ruian leaned closer to Empress Chen and asked.

“Go and invite the person who gave you the talisman. For now, we will begin by cleaning up from within.”

“Yes, Mother Empress.”

“Go now.” With that, Empress Chen smiled tiredly and peacefully closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep.

With the talisman, she would sleep in a safe dream...