Chapter 355: Getting Old

Hongyu nodded and said nothing more.

As expected, the news that the princess was about to go to the north for a political marriage spread quickly. Since it had been said in front of so many people, there was no need to cover it up. Let it spread, as long as the Empress Dowager didn't mention it.

The emperor was in a great mood. He was even happier when he touched his precious white jade coral. He immediately summoned Consort Wan to admire it together. However, Consort Wan looked flustered and her face was not very good.

"My dear concubine, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Have you summoned the imperial physician?"

Chu Wan forced a smile, even awkwardly turning her eyes away, not daring to meet his gaze.

Although the emperor was suspicious, he still put his arm around her shoulder and pointed to the Night Sea Coral with a rather smug look, "In my opinion, what do you think of this white jade?"

Chu Wan bit her lip, unconsciously twisting her handkerchief in her hand, and echoed, "Of course it is excellent, and only such a beautiful jade can be worthy of His Majesty's status."

"Yes, your sister is a beautiful gem, it's just a pity..."

The emperor sighed deeply. His fingers, calloused from years of reviewing memorials, gently stroked Chu Wan's face, tracing her features inch by inch. His gaze was so intense that it seemed he was looking through her at someone else.

After a long pause, he suddenly spoke up: "Wan'er seems to be getting old, just like me."

People naturally grow old, which is nothing unusual, but in the deep palace, such words could be the death knell for a woman.

Chu Wan knew that the emperor still had Chu Huan in his heart after all these years, and that the person he thought of through her was Chu Huan from those youthful days when she secretly harbored girlish feelings.

Sensing Chu Wan's stiffness, the emperor finally lost interest and waved for her to leave.

Chu Wan was somewhat distraught. While walking on the cobblestone path, she accidentally twisted her ankle. If Bai Qiu hadn't caught her quickly, the passing palace maids and eunuchs would probably have made a joke about this embarrassing incident.

"Your Majesty seemed lost in thought when you came out of the Imperial Study. What's wrong?" Bai Qiu asked casually.

"It's nothing..."

"Sister...why...of all people..."

The voice sounded somewhat familiar, like...

Chu Wan suddenly woke up, her whole body covered in cold sweat. She grabbed Bai Qiu's hand tightly and hid behind her, looking around in terror: "Bai Qiu, did you hear anything just now?"

"No, Your Majesty. Is it because Your Majesty hasn't been resting well these past few days and is too tired?"

Bai Qiu patiently comforted Chu Wan, and firmly grasped her hand in return, saying, "It's just two orioles singing in the tree."

Chu Wan nodded, still shaken, but then vaguely remembered that she had kept a golden oriole before her death. The oriole was also there when she personally fed her poison. Afterwards, she couldn't sleep all night and always felt a chill on her body, so she simply had someone poison the oriole as well, and threw it to some stray cat or dog somewhere.

No way, what a coincidence! It's probably because I haven't been sleeping well lately, so auditory hallucinations aren't out of the question.

She pressed her hand to her chest and took deep breaths to calm her fear.

Bai Qiu smiled slightly, looked up at the oriole on the treetop, and then said in a low voice, "I heard that it was raised by some noble lady in the Cold Palace, and was named Yingge'er."

But the imperial concubine died of illness some time ago for some unknown reason, and since then, the oriole has been singing here every day; it's quite eerie at night.