Passed away

Not long after Ping An and Lu Fengping finished their conversation, Cui Shenzhi and Cui Lingxian appeared at the entrance of the side hall.

She composed herself, smiled, and went to greet him, chatting and laughing with Choi Shin-ji as if nothing had happened.

Lu Fengping, watching from behind, felt goosebumps rise on his skin.

A madman! A complete madman!

Fortunately, this madman is about to leave, leaving behind his friends and the girl he loves. He will never come back and will never have the chance to hurt them again.

*****

Shortly after dinner that evening, Ping An pulled Cui Shenzhi to the bed.

Cui Shenzhi already liked Ping An, and since Ping An took the initiative this time, the two of them were so passionate that they made love for most of the night before calling for water. Then Ping An blushed and said she was hungry, so she asked Qiu Yan to get two bowls of sweet soup. She then secretly put the fake death drug into one of the bowls.

Ping An originally intended to take the fake death drug and leave, since everyone was on Cui Shenzhi's side and waiting to deal with her. She was isolated and helpless, and had no other choice but to escape. However, after hearing Lu Fengping say that she would only be able to live again after taking the antidote in five days, her thoughts changed.

He would only revive after taking the antidote in five days. But what if he didn't take it? Would he be doomed? If she gave Cui Shenzhi this fake death drug and then locked Lu Fengping outside the palace gates for five days, or buried Cui Shenzhi within five days, wouldn't she have nothing to worry about?

As for what happens next, since Cui Shenzhi can sit on the throne as a son-in-law, others can too. She'll use this as bait; she's sure to catch something. Once the waters are murky, she'll be able to sit back and enjoy the ride.

But even though that's what she said, when it came to actually doing it, she hesitated for some reason.

Just then, Choi Shin-ji walked over.

"Ping An, what's wrong?"

Ping An's mind flashed with Gu Xi's face and the words "a promise worth a thousand pieces of gold," and subconsciously handed the bowl of sweet soup that hadn't been drugged to Cui Shenzhi.

"It's nothing. I just thought the sweet soup was a bit hot, so I blew on it to cool it down before drinking it."

Cui Shenzhi, without any suspicion, took the drink and drank it all in one gulp.

Seeing Cui Shenzhi's trusting expression, Ping An's eyes flickered. She lowered her head, chuckled cryptically, and then drank the drugged sweet soup in one gulp.

*****

The next morning, Cui Shenzhi woke up and was about to spend some time with Ping An when he realized something was wrong. Ping An in his arms was a little cold and seemed to be breathing unnoticed. No matter how he called her, she didn't respond.

He panicked so much that he wrapped a cloak around Ping An and, without even changing his own clothes, rushed to Lu Fengping's temporary residence in the palace.

"Fengping! Please check on Ping'an, she seems... no, she'll be alright, please check on her, she absolutely cannot be hurt, please, I beg you!"

beg.

Lu Fengping had known Cui Shenzhi for over ten years and had never heard Cui Shenzhi use this word before.

He looked at Cui Shenzhi, who was trembling with fear and unable to speak clearly, and lowered his eyes with some pity. However, thinking of Ping An's behavior, he hardened his heart.

"Shenzhi, don't rush. Put Ping'an on the bed first, and I'll take a good look at her before we talk."

Lu Fengping pretended to take the pulse for a while, and his expression gradually became serious.

Seeing this, Cui Shenzhi panicked even more, but dared not disturb Lu Fengping, so he could only lean against the door frame, clutching his chest and panting heavily.

Hearing the commotion, Cui Lingxian rushed over, unaware of what had happened. However, seeing Cui Shenzhi struggling to breathe, she quickly stepped forward and gently patted his back, trying to calm him down, but to no avail.

Looking at Ping An, whose situation was unclear, and Lu Fengping, who looked troubled, she felt a surge of difficulty breathing.

She didn't care about anything else and stepped forward to take Ping An's pulse.

—During the months she traveled, Lu Fengping taught her a lot.

But Ping An had no pulse.

Cui Lingxian couldn't believe it, but she tried several times and couldn't feel Ping An's pulse. She panicked and grabbed Lu Fengping's hand, tears welling in her eyes: "Fengping, where's your life-saving medicine? You said it could save anyone as long as they had a breath left? Take it out, take it out quickly!"

Lu Fengping turned his head away, not daring to look into Cui Lingxian's eyes.

“Ling Xian, you said yourself that you need to have a breath left. Ping An... is no longer needed.”

"You're talking nonsense! Ping An was perfectly fine yesterday, and she even said she wanted to go for a walk with me today, how could she... No way, she definitely wouldn't do that!"

Cui Lingxian let go of Lu Fengping's hand and ran to Cui Shenzhi.

“Shenzhi, Fengping is a good doctor, but there are so many strange and unusual illnesses in the world. It’s not surprising that he hasn’t seen them before. Quickly call all the imperial physicians over and have them take a look at Ping’an.” Seeing that Cui Shenzhi didn’t move, Cui Lingxian pushed him hard: “Go quickly!”

Cui Shenzhi then came to his senses and instructed Qi Kang to quickly go to the Imperial Hospital to find all the imperial physicians. He then rushed to Ping An's bedside, holding Ping An's hand and carefully rubbing it, as if doing so would warm Ping An's body.

Upon hearing the news, the imperial physicians rushed over in a panic. Just as they were about to pay their respects to Cui Shenzhi, they were pushed to Ping An's bedside and had to examine her one by one, but each of them came to the same conclusion.

He passed away peacefully.

No illness was diagnosed; the only thing confirmed was that Ping An was no longer alive.

Cui Shenzhi's eyelashes trembled, and his face turned deathly pale, but he still forced himself to say, "Qi Kang, go and issue the imperial edict: whoever can revive Ping An, I will..."

Choi Shin-ji couldn't continue speaking.

His mind was telling him that he was the ruler and father of all the people under heaven, and he had to live up to the expectations of the people. Even if he was saddened by his peaceful passing, he could not act recklessly.

But his heart was out of control, screaming wildly that he would give up the world to regain peace.

But he didn't know who to exchange it with, and his upbringing prevented him from doing something as simple as trading the world for peace.

Cui Shenzhi felt as if his heart had been torn in two, the pain so intense that he could not speak and could only let out a painful cry.

Cui Lingxian wiped away her tears and rushed forward, intending to carry Ping An away, but Lu Fengping quickly stopped her.

"Ling Xian, what are you doing?"

"Since I know I can't issue an imperial edict, I'll take Ping'an out to search. There are plenty of capable people in this world. You and the imperial physicians might not be able to save her, but I refuse to believe that no one in this world can! If one person doesn't work, I'll find two; if two don't work, I'll find three. As long as I keep searching, I'll definitely find someone who can save Ping'an! As long as Ping'an can be saved, I'm willing to pay any price, even if it means giving my life for her!"

"Ling Xian, calm down. Most of the so-called extraordinary people are just charlatans. Didn't you know that during our three months of traveling?"

"I don't know! I only know that Ping An is my dear sister whom I owe so much. I only know that among Ping An's blood relatives, only I, her older sister, can still be her support. I only know that Ping An has suffered so much and endured so much pain. God cannot and should not be so cruel to her!"

Helpless, Lu Fengping could only hold Cui Lingxian in his arms to stop her from moving.

Qingya arrived after receiving the news.

With her hair disheveled, she pushed aside Cui Shenzhi and Lu Fengping, who was holding Cui Lingxian, and rushed to Ping An's side.

"Ping An, don't be afraid, Mother is here. Mother will not let anything happen to you. Mother will take you to see a doctor. Mother will take you to see a doctor right now."

Qingya tried to pick up Ping'an, but she was trembling all over and couldn't lift her up no matter what she did.

Seeing this, Cui Shenzhi struggled to step forward to help, but was pushed away by Qingya again.

"Get out! Get out! All of you get out! You're the ones who killed Ping An, it must be you who killed Ping An! My Ping An was perfectly fine yesterday, but she was gone as soon as Cui Lingxian came back. It must be you who conspired to kill her! I knew it, what kind of good people could Shen Meiwu and Cui Sugong raise!"

"Back then, I watched helplessly as Cui Sugong and Shen Meiwu killed the Empress. How could I have believed you? Believed you were good people? Believed you would genuinely care for my peace? I was so stupid... I was so stupid! Get out of here! Don't come near my peace!"

Looking at Cui Lingxian, who was crying uncontrollably in his arms, then at Cui Shenzhi, who was kneeling on the ground and unable to stand, and Qingya, who seemed to have gone mad while holding Ping An, Lu Fengping suddenly felt a little lost. He wondered if he had done something wrong, if he shouldn't have given the medicine to Ping An, and if he shouldn't have kept it a secret.

But thinking of what Ping An had said and his behavior, Lu Fengping gritted his teeth and swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

*****

Upon learning of Ping An's sudden death, the ministers outside the palace celebrated, but their joy soon turned to sorrow as they discovered that Choi Shin-ji seemed to have followed him in death as well.

It's not that Cui Shenzhi did anything, or that he did nothing at all. He was still the same as before, attending court, handling memorials, and discussing government affairs with ministers. It's just that everyone could sense that something was wrong with him, as if all the parts of him that were 'human' had gone with Ping An.

His condition greatly worried the ministers, who feared that he might soon pass away peacefully.

If that were the case, the world would be in chaos, so the ministers began to consider sending someone to Cui Shenzhi.

They believed that Cui Shenzhi's dejected state was simply because he hadn't seen many women. If he saw more and had more contact with them, he would naturally stop caring about a dead man like Ping An.

However, considering that Ping An just passed away, it has not been brought up for the time being.

After news of Ping An's sudden death spread among the public, unexpected rumors emerged, suggesting that Ping An's death was not simply a matter of dying suddenly, but rather that he had been assassinated.

Who assassinated him?

Of course, it refers to the relatives, nobles, and ministers whose expenses were reduced by Ping An. Otherwise, how could Ping An have died so young without any warning? Those man-made auspicious omens carrying bad luck became prophecies of this event.

The rumors intensified, and no matter how hard the high-ranking officials tried to prove their innocence, even bringing in the imperial physician and Lu Fengping to testify, the common people simply wouldn't believe them. Some even thought that Lu Fengping was the murderer who killed Ping An, otherwise why would he speak up for those people?

Suddenly, those high-ranking officials and nobles who were usually high and mighty became like rats crossing the street. Not to mention that everyone shouted to kill them, as long as they appeared, they would be met with contemptuous glances, whether open or covert. When they walked on the street, they would be "accidentally" splashed with dirty water, "accidentally" tripped, or "accidentally" thrown vegetable leaves and rotten eggs, but no one could be found out who it was. The government could not arrest all the common people present, so they could only endure it.

Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, Lu Fengping decided to stop hiding it.

It wasn't because his reputation among the people had changed from a 'miracle doctor who saves lives' to a 'poisonous doctor who takes lives,' but because he was afraid that if he continued to cover it up, someone would really die.