Chapter 59 Extremely Wounded and Vomiting Blood

After the sun set, a cool evening breeze blew, and more and more people appeared on the street. The lanterns gradually lit up, but the dim yellow light could not suppress the terrifying red glow in the distant sky.

Flames soared into the sky in the center of the princess's residence, dyeing the clouds layer by layer, making it impossible to tell whether the fire had turned the clouds red or the setting sun was shining on the sky.

The palace stood quietly in the darkening sky, its glass windows gleaming with a cold light. A young eunuch hurriedly passed through the palace gates, relaying news from the princess's residence to the Hall of Diligent Governance.

Government work is exhausting; it makes one dizzy and lightheaded.

Pei Heng rubbed his slightly swollen temples as he walked out of the Qin Zheng Hall. Dusk had fallen outside, and the palace lanterns were lit, casting his long shadow on the jade steps.

But the thought that Yuezhi would return after tomorrow washed away the weariness with a sweet feeling welling up inside.

Just as he was in a good mood, a young eunuch came running over, his face pale and his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Princess's residence is on fire!"

Pei Heng's smile froze instantly. "What?"

He grabbed the eunuch by the collar, his ears ringing, a sense of panic rising within him. "Where is the princess? Is she alright?!"

"This servant was unaware. The fire was too great, and things were in complete chaos inside. The guards on duty inside the manor didn't mention the princess's condition. I wonder if it's because..."

Pei Heng shoved him aside, abandoning all decorum and roaring, "Prepare the horses! I'm going to the Princess's residence!"

He spurred his horse on, the wind whistling past his ears, his heart pounding wildly, almost bursting out of his chest.

The closer one gets to the princess's residence, the more glaring the ominous red light reflected on the horizon becomes, like a surging heart gradually burning to ashes.

When he rushed into the mansion and arrived at the backyard, everything else was still intact, only the main courtyard had been burned to the ground. The servants who had fought the fire had thick soot on their faces and looked disheveled. He did not see the person who had worried him among the crowd.

The remaining flames were extinguished by buckets of water, and the beautiful, delicate lotus petals mingled with the lake water as they were poured onto the broken walls and ruins, leaving a scene of utter devastation.

The fire has been extinguished, but wisps of smoke still rise from the charred wood. The once cozy love nest is now just a blackened, empty shell, emitting burnt heat.

The servants and guards knelt on the ground, trembling.

Pei Heng suppressed his rapid breathing, didn't even look at them, and stumbled in, his boots splashing black water stains as they stepped on the wet ashes and rubble.

It's all gone, absolutely all gone.

"Where is the princess? Where is she?" he roared furiously.

A guard responded, "Your Majesty, we did not find the princess in the fire. Perhaps she went somewhere else to avoid the fire. We have already sent people to search the mansion. Please calm your anger, Your Majesty."

Pei Heng was about to go find someone, but a sharp, tingling sensation suddenly rose in his arms and neck. It turned out that his anger and worry had triggered the poisoning of the Thousand Threads.

The more he tried to break free from the effects of the poison, the more he suffered, and half of his body became frozen in place.

Yuezhi is all alone and can't see. What if she bumps into something or falls down? How frightening that would be! The lake in the princess's residence is so big, and there's even a well. What if...

He dared not think any further. Almost in a fit of rage, he clenched his bulging arm and slammed it hard against the blackened wall. The pain did not relieve his pain in the slightest; only the collapsed rubble and charcoal fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Go and search for the princess! If you cannot find her, I will hold you all responsible!"

Everyone in the courtyard dispersed, and the imperial guards who had come from the palace also went to look for him, leaving only Jinbao and two eunuchs to serve him.

"Your Majesty, the princess's safety is of utmost importance, but you must also take care of your health." Jinbao tried to help him up, but he refused by turning his sleeve away.

Pei Heng clutched the black ash in his palm and immediately saw the wedding dress on the ground, burned to a crisp and black fragment. The red fabric was now barely recognizable, and it lay forlornly in the lake water that had formed on the ground. Only a few gold threads remained of the embroidered pattern, gleaming coldly in the rising moonlight.

He seemed to sense something, staggered into the depths of the ruins, and scanned his surroundings. On the charred table, he saw a round object with a blackened and cracked surface.

My fingertips touched something round and smooth, its surface cracked and blackened from being burned—it was a pile of blackened pearls.

He gave it to her when she was a child, and she had always treasured it. She only took out some of it to make hairpins and jade belts for her wedding. The rest should have been carefully kept by her, but now it appeared here.

A terrible thought arose in Pei Heng's mind.

He tried to pick up the pearls, but as soon as he applied pressure with his fingertips, the blackened pearls shattered easily between his fingers with a "crack," turning into dust that mixed into the black ash below, leaving no trace.

The young man stood frozen in place, his palm outstretched, staring blankly at the speck of black ash on his fingertips, as if the beautiful dream he had tried so hard to maintain had shattered at that moment.

"Where is the princess?" Pei Heng's forehead veins bulged, and he struggled to breathe. "Have you found the princess yet?!"

The guards scrambled over, kowtowing to the ground: "Your Majesty, the fire started in chaos, and the main courtyard burned the most. We searched thoroughly inside and out, but we did not find the princess..."

Not found.

Pei Heng stood there, a sharp pain shooting through his heart, a throbbing, pounding heartbeat that felt like it was about to burst. A violent, metallic taste suddenly rushed to his throat, which he swallowed back down with all his might.

All the uncontrollable emotions on his face were suppressed, leaving only a terrifyingly cold, iron-blue complexion, with raging rage and near-mad stubbornness surging in his eyes.

"Someone come here!" His voice was hoarse, like a knife chilled to the bone.

"Immediately seal all city gates! No one is allowed to leave, only to enter! Search every possible hiding place! Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find the princess!"

"Order the Imperial Guards to dispatch their fastest horses and most elite soldiers to pursue him along all official roads and side streets! No direction should be overlooked—north, south, east, or west! Report back immediately upon discovering any trace, and bring him back to me at all costs!"

As orders were issued, the atmosphere in the entire capital tightened, and tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

*

Upon receiving the imperial decree, Duan Yunting immediately donned his armor, mounted his horse, and chased after the enemy out of the city, his steed raising a cloud of dust on the official road.

The princess was pregnant and could not escape on foot. Since she was traveling by carriage, she could only take the official road.

Everyone knows that the princess has land and houses in Yanjing. If she returns to Liangzhou, she will be walking into a trap. The west is arid and windy. How can a pregnant woman like her endure such hardship? After thinking it over, there are only two paths to take: east and south.

Duan Yunting spurred his horse on, and after more than an hour, his hawk-like gaze swept over the seemingly ordinary green-canopied carriage ahead. The man driving the carriage had his head down, his hat brim pulled low, but he could not escape Duan Yunting's eyes.

"Stop the carriage ahead immediately!"

The boy shouted to stop them, and with a wave of his hand, the elite cavalry behind him immediately dispersed and surrounded the carriage.

The man driving the carriage froze, stopped the carriage, and dared not look up. Duan Yunting moved the spear tip across his body and pressed it against his chin, forcing him to raise his head, revealing that familiar face in the moonlight.

It was Physician Su, who had just been granted permission to return to his hometown to visit relatives a few days ago and was sent out of the palace.

Su Jingyun, dressed in coarse cloth and wearing a bamboo hat, held the reins with a slight tremor in his hand, trying to remain calm as he said, "What brings you here, General? I'm traveling home with my family, and if we're too slow, we won't reach our destination..."

This place is in the middle of nowhere, so it's really remote. That's why Duan Yunting chased after her here. He had served as a vanguard general for several years during his military campaigns, so finding the main force of the enemy was no problem for him. Finding a pregnant woman who had escaped was naturally a piece of cake for him.

He did not immediately reveal Su Jingyun's identity. Instead, he nimbly dismounted, strode to the carriage, and turned the silver spear behind his back.

"We are conducting a search by imperial decree. May I ask who is inside the carriage?"

The car was deathly silent.

Duan Yunting already had a general idea in mind, and suddenly reached out and swiftly lifted the carriage curtain.

The cool moonlight of the night instantly flooded into the dimly lit carriage, vaguely illuminating the two simply dressed girls inside. Even in their village women's attire, their beautiful faces could not be concealed.

Hua Chun gritted her teeth and spread her arms to block the figure huddled in the corner. Princess Ning An, whom she was protecting, had her hair disheveled, her face covered with a light veil, and her lifeless eyes revealed great fear.

She gripped Huachun's clothes tightly with one hand, while in the other hand she held a dagger, trembling as she held it horizontally in front of her, her fingertips white from the force.

Seeing this scene, Duan Yunting felt as if his heart had been violently struck by something.

The princess in my memory was quiet and gentle, as fragile as winter snow, and as soft as a flower bud in early spring, making her lovable. Even though she was blind, she was always kind to people and always had a friendly smile on her face.

At this moment, she was like a young beast driven to the brink of despair, filled with fear and dread, even with a resolute determination that she would rather perish than return to the capital with him.

He understood it all...

The princess's acceptance of the emperor was nothing but a facade created by the emperor himself. Now that the princess knows the truth, why would she ever return to the cage that imprisoned her?

Duan Yunting recalled his joking remark to the emperor six months ago, "Why doesn't Your Majesty marry the princess?"

At the time, it was thought to be to bring about a marriage and share the burden of the master. Little did they know that a half-joking remark would ruin Princess Ning'an's peaceful life and create a tragedy between the two.

He could almost picture the emperor's current breakdown and madness. If it weren't for that outrageous remark, the emperor might not have harbored such fantasies about the princess, and they could still maintain that precious bond of affection, instead of ending up like this, with both sides looking ugly and their relationship falling apart...

Duan Yunting felt deeply guilty. After a moment of silence, he looked at Yuezhi one last time with complicated eyes, and then lowered the carriage curtain.

He turned around and sternly ordered his soldiers, "There are no suspicious persons inside. Search thoroughly and keep chasing! Don't miss any suspicious vehicles!"

Although the soldiers were somewhat puzzled, the general's orders were not to be questioned, so they sheathed their swords and mounted their horses.

Duan Yunting turned to the side, lowered his voice, and said to the carriage, "Take the small road to the south. They just patrolled that area... Take care after we part today."

A moment later, a faint thank you came from inside the carriage.

"Thank you, General."

Duan Yunting breathed a sigh of relief, mounted his horse, glanced at the carriage one last time, and led his large entourage, galloping off in the opposite direction.

Inside the carriage that had turned around, Yuezhi's tense body suddenly relaxed, and the dagger fell to the floor with a clatter.

She gasped for breath, her back soaked with cold sweat. After the fear subsided, she felt a long-lost, almost reborn clarity.

Hua Chun and Su Jingyun breathed a sigh of relief and, not daring to delay, immediately drove the carriage toward the small road to the south.

The sky and earth are vast, and the night breeze is cool.

The carriage rolled southwards under the moonlight, disappearing into the lush forest.

*

Three days later, the dragon throne in the council hall was cold.

The emperor's poisoning flared up frequently and violently, causing him to have difficulty breathing several times. After learning that the search had yielded no results, he fainted in the Taiji Hall. He drank bowl after bowl of medicine, but it had little effect and only aroused more painful roars from him.

His heart ached day and night, and he often felt dizzy. Even when dealing with state affairs, he was irritable and restless. The slightest thing would displease him. When he caught sight of a dish that the princess liked while eating, he angrily threw down his chopsticks and refused to eat another bite.

The imperial physicians were trembling with fear, advising him to rest quietly and avoid worry and anger.

But Pei Heng couldn't listen to any of that. Whenever he closed his eyes, all he could see was the fire at the princess's mansion, which burned away all the happiness he had left in his life.

Does Yuezhi no longer love him?

She treated him the best, always chose him, and always did what he wanted. How could she bear to leave him alone now?

He endured seven days of his deteriorating health, but finally could not wait any longer. He delegated all state affairs to the newly formed cabinet and insisted on leaving the capital to personally search for Yuezhi's whereabouts.

He firmly believed that the others couldn't find her because they hadn't put their hearts into looking. He was certain that he could find her if he went and was telepathically connected with her...

Without Yuezhi by his side, what difference is there between the imperial city and a prison? He will not repeat his father's tragedy of dying alone. He knows clearly what he wants, and no matter what reason Yuezhi had for running away, he must find her.

With something to look forward to, the toxicity of the Thousand-Thread Induced Poison lessened slightly.

They rode at breakneck speed and arrived in Yanjing half a month later, returning to the small courtyard where the two of them had lived.

The gate to the house remains the same, but the inside is empty. Weeds grow in the cracks between the bricks on the ground, and the paper on the windows is worn and faded. A young man dressed in black stands alone in the center of the courtyard, looking at the dusty windowsill, and scenes from the past float before his eyes.

The people I remember are no longer by my side, and even those precious memories have become blurred in my mind.

His throat was hoarse, and he couldn't speak for a long time because his heart was choked up. The house was empty, and he felt empty with it.

I took a detour to Wangshan Village. The Wang family, my neighbors, had already moved away. The courtyard where the two of them lived was given to the new villagers after they left. The courtyard wall was raised, the gate was repainted, and the laughter of children playing could be heard from inside the courtyard.

Pei Heng peeked through the crack in the door at the peaceful scene inside and couldn't help but feel envious.

If he hadn't joined the army back then, if he had realized his feelings for Yuezhi earlier and asked her for marriage, perhaps their children would be this age by now, and they would be a happy family. Why would he need to ask for anything else?

He looked haggard as he stepped out of the door, with Cheng Yuan carefully supporting his swaying body beside him.

He cautiously advised, "Young master, you are worrying too much. How long will this search, stretching all over the country, ever end? Perhaps the princess still knows someone in Liangzhou?"

Of course there are.

Pei Heng returned to the city and found Hua Qing, who was now a mother.

As dusk fell, Hua Qing, dressed in a simple purple robe, carried a swaddled baby on her back and a laundry basin in her hands as she walked home. At her doorstep, she saw a familiar figure from the past.

The young man, now grown into a man, stood tall and imposing in front of the door, dressed in dark gold robes. He was still stroking a jade-white thumb ring in his hand. When he looked at her, his eyes were inquisitive and suspicious, and the coldness between his brows made Hua Qing shudder.

She was startled at first, "Cousin? What brings you here?"

He invited the man into his courtyard, made him tea and water, and after learning that Yuezhi was pregnant and had fled the capital, Hua Qing's face darkened. He put the child inside and then pointed at the man's nose and cursed him as soon as he came out of the room.

"What did I say back then? My sister is kind-hearted and blind. In that cannibalistic capital, she'd be a sitting duck! If you truly care about her, let her stay in Yanjing and find a stable family to live a peaceful life! But you wouldn't listen! You insisted on taking her back!"

She got angrier and angrier as she talked, and her eyes even turned red.

"Didn't you say it was for her own good? Look what you've done to her! She's disappeared, her house burned down, and you still have the nerve to ask me? I'd like to ask you, where have you driven my sister?!"

The words were spoken so passionately that a guard tried to stop her, saying, "This is the current emperor; young lady, please be careful with your words."

Hua Qing sneered, "The Emperor? Everything I eat and use is earned by my husband and me with our own hands. My dowry was prepared by my sister. Even if my cousin is the Emperor, I will not benefit from his influence, nor do I care to bow or kneel before him."

She wiped away her tears. "If you really care about your sister, then set her free and stop chasing after her."

The words struck Pei Heng like whips, leaving him speechless and prompting him to leave hastily.

Seeing his stubbornness, Hua Qing chased after him and called out, "Cousin, please stop looking for her! Please let her go! If you keep refusing to let go, you're driving her to her death!"

Pei Heng gritted his teeth inwardly, paused for a moment, wanting to explain something, but couldn't find the words.

He knew he was terribly wrong, but he couldn't stop.

Yuezhi brought him almost all the joy in his life. If he could never see her again in this life, how could he face the devastation she left behind? He just couldn't let go.

Soon, he traveled to Jeju Island.

When they arrived outside the Zhang family mansion, they hesitated and did not proceed.

Yuezhi's godmother, who is also his wet nurse, also lives there. If they meet, how should he explain his purpose? Should he tell the wet nurse that he coaxed Yuezhi into having a child with him, and then forced her to set fire to the house and run away, her fate unknown?

In the end, they could only send an inconspicuous guard in disguise to sneak into the mansion to search for her. After all that searching, they found no trace of Yuezhi's presence.

He left dejectedly, like a deserter.

Refusing to accept his fate and return to the capital, he had no choice but to write a letter on the way to Lizhou, inquiring whether the guards around Pei Yao had seen Pei Yao and Princess Ning'an in contact.

Before even reaching the capital, they received a reply from the guards, saying that Pei Yao and Liang Zhang were dealing with the Sixth Prince and knew nothing about Princess Ning'an, nor had they seen Princess Ning'an appear in Lizhou. All the guards and female officials could testify to this.

In the end, nothing was gained.

Each failed attempt was like a knife to his heart, severing all his hopes. Dragging his ailing body, he boarded the official ship back to the capital, utterly dejected.

The boat sailed on the vast river, surrounded by empty space and no one.

As night fell, the summer breeze, carrying moisture, caressed the young man's thin face.

He dismissed his servants and leaned alone against the gunwale, watching the broken, swaying moonlight on the river and the receding mountain shadows on both banks, just like watching his life crumble and never be recovered.

The images overlapped in my eyes, eventually transforming into the figure of Yuezhi.

As a child, he shyly nestled in her arms, secretly opening his eyes to see her face illuminated by candlelight; as he grew older, he realized that she was petite and delicate, yet possessed such great strength to support their family; after she went blind, he sincerely wanted her to have the best of everything, yet he personally trampled that sincerity into the mud.

She wouldn't give in to him again and again; it was he who was being willful and demanding unconditional love from her.

She filled all the voids she had never experienced, including parental love, harmonious care from siblings, and even absolute trust from her lover.

But what did he give her? Only deception.

"Spare her! By refusing to let go, you're pushing her to her death!" Hua Qing's blunt words echoed in his ears, each question striking at his conscience.

An uncontrollable sob escaped his throat. Pei Heng slid down along the cold ship's side, covering his aching heart with his palm, like a helpless child, his face wet with tears.

Suppressed, broken cries mingled with the sobs of the river and the mournful whistles of the wind, drifting past my ears and disappearing into the night.

The return journey felt like an endless ordeal.

The emperor's illness worsened. He returned to the palace and, as usual, handled state affairs, met with ministers, and drank the same bitter medicine to keep himself afloat.

The smile had vanished from his lips. He often stared blankly into the void, his eyes vacant. Occasionally, he would unconsciously rub the spot on his waist where the jade ring he once wore was now empty.

Yu Huan and Luo Zi were burned by Yue Zhi long ago. He thought it was the beginning of Yue Zhi forgetting the prince consort and choosing him, but he didn't expect it to be the end of their relationship.

The emperor was in poor health, and everyone in the palace felt insecure.

Some elderly men and women occasionally mention that in the years after the late emperor deposed the crown prince, his body aged rapidly, he became irritable and hollow, gradually exhausted his spirit, and all his vitality was depleted.

Seeing the emperor's recent condition, people are worried that his illness might be a recurrence of the late emperor's.

But one morning, the emperor's complexion suddenly improved, as if he had found new hope. After court, he went straight to Jinghezhai.

At that time, Yuezhi had many things sent to the palace, but she kept these two boxes separately in Jinghezhai. He thought they were her personal belongings that were not meant to be seen by others, but now he realized that since she had no intention of returning to the palace, why would she send her personal belongings here?

There must be something inside!

More than a month has passed, and a thin layer of dust has accumulated in Jinghezhai. The two large camphor wood chests sit quietly in the corner, sealed with the seal of the Imperial Household Department, untouched.

Pei Heng waved his hand, signaling the palace servants to retreat outside the door. He walked alone to the box, took a deep breath, tore off the seal, and opened the box.

In the first box, neatly stacked gold and silver ingots and a thick stack of silver notes were laid out. Next to it was a booklet that clearly recorded the date, date, and amount of silver, gold, and silver notes received.

All in all, it amounted to a staggering 100,000 taels.

This is all the wealth, salary, and rewards she had accumulated after being bestowed the title of princess by him. Apart from the daily expenses of the household, every last penny is here.

Turning to the last page of the booklet, there was a line of delicate handwriting, written in Yuezhi's voice, but by someone else.

"All that I possess was bestowed upon me by Your Majesty, and I now return it all. However, when I was an embroiderer, I painstakingly saved up thirty taels of gold and two hundred taels of silver notes to cover my travel expenses. Please forgive my selfish desire to take these with me, and I hope Your Majesty will grant my request."

Pei Heng's vision blurred, but he managed to steady his breathing, closed the booklet, staggered to the second box, and opened it.

Stacked inside were the items he wore and used when he was the "imperial son-in-law": his ordinary robes, his wedding attire, another jade belt she treasured, the jade hairpin given to him by the imperial son-in-law, and love poems he wrote by hand mixed with Liang Zhang's handwriting, all stored here.

On the meticulously folded clothes, there was a withered lotus flower.

The lotus flowers she promised to bring him upon her return to the palace had already been delivered to his palace, but they had long since faded in the dust of time, and no one knew of their existence.

Pei Heng's eyes welled up with tears, and when he reached out to pick up the lotus flower, tears streamed down his face like a broken string, bringing him to the brink of collapse.

Beneath the lotus blossoms, a sheet of red paper is revealed.

She used this very paper when the two exchanged love poems. Pei Heng's pupils constricted, his breath caught in his throat, he put down the lotus flower, took out the folded red paper, and slowly unfolded it.

The clumsy and rough handwriting, born of blindness, stroke by stroke, outlined resolute words that stung his eyes.

"A false phoenix and a fake dragon, all affection is severed."

"This body returns to the world, do not seek it, do not think of it, and do not meet it again."

She knew everything, and she hated him… She'd rather take the child and run away than listen to his false excuses anymore. How desperate must she have been when she left? He still thought that finding her would bring him back…

A metallic sweetness suddenly rushed out of her throat, and bright red blood spurted out, speckling across the letter and blurring the blood-red handwriting, making it look grotesque and terrifying.

"Cough! Cough cough... cough cough!!"

He gripped the red note tightly, his palms braced against the edge of the box, and slowly knelt down on the ground. As he coughed, large gulps of blood gushed from his mouth, falling onto the carpet in the room and splattering onto the wedding clothes inside the box.

Pei Heng opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound. Tears mixed with blood streamed down his face.

My vision blurred, and all the memories of the past shattered into pieces.

The silent palace walls swallowed all the heartache and tears, like a monster nourished by blood, tormenting its masters generation after generation. The colder people's hearts became, the redder the vermilion walls grew, and the dragon throne on the high jade steps always shone with golden light.

The sincerity and honesty of youth are ultimately tainted by the capriciousness of power. After the storm, only broken breaths and desperate sobs remain, echoing softly in the empty palace.