Chapter 47

These words caused an uproar in the room!

All eyes instantly focused on her and Xi Yu, whose face was as pale as paper. Xi Yu's body trembled slightly as she watched her bowing back. Her eyes were filled with complex and indescribable emotions. A tear finally couldn't bear the weight and silently slid down her thin cheek.

A murmur that could not be suppressed immediately rose from the surroundings.

A sharp-eyed guest recognized Xi Xiao and whispered to his companion, "Hey? Isn't that the female physician the Marquis's mansion hired a few days ago for his seriously ill eldest son? She's still here? So that's what she was planning..."

Another person glanced at Marquis Wenyuan, whose face had turned ashen, and with a hint of mockery, whispered to those around him, "Tsk tsk, with the eldest son's frail health... to put it bluntly, which noble family's daughter would want to marry him? This female physician is quite infatuated, daring to ask His Majesty for a marriage decree based on her meager merits... but if she's truly sincere, and can produce an heir for this branch of the family, that would be a good thing, hehe..."

Various gazes, some curious, some pitying, some contemptuous, and some mocking, were cast upon Xi Xiao, but she seemed not to hear them, maintaining her bowing posture as if awaiting a final judgment.

At this moment, Pei Yun was experiencing dizziness and blurred vision. It felt as if a giant mountain was pressing down on his chest, and the suffocating feeling made it almost impossible for him to breathe, let alone speak. The familiar, violent backlash from the Gu worm was raging within him, and each impact brought excruciating pain.

It was that bowl of noodles, the "longevity noodles" she personally handed me last night!

He instantly understood, and a surge of rage welled up within him. He desperately tried to muster his strength, wanting to shout at her to stop.

However, all the struggles were in vain.

Just as he was forcibly exerting his strength, trying to suppress the fatal restraint and excruciating pain.

"puff--!"

A mouthful of bright red blood gushed from his mouth, tracing a dazzling arc in the air.

"His Majesty!"

"Quickly summon the imperial physician!"

"Protect the Emperor! Quickly, protect the Emperor!"

The entire manor instantly descended into utter chaos, with screams, shouts, overturned tables and chairs, and shattering dishes erupting all at once. All the guests rushed forward in a panic, no one caring about the young female physician kneeling and begging for a marriage decree; the crowd instantly engulfed Pei Yun.

Amidst the chaos and carnage, no one noticed that in the still-warm blood splattered on the beautiful carpet, a strange, hair-thin, crimson worm was writhing and struggling frantically, emitting a sharp hiss that no ordinary person could hear.

However, the intense sunlight shone through the artificial hill, and that blazing light was nothing short of the most cruel torture for this sinister creature. In just a few breaths, the insect's writhing grew weaker and weaker until it finally stiffened completely, lying motionless in the pool of blood, utterly silent.

Xi Xiao glanced quickly at the insect, then without hesitation helped the swaying Xi Yu and whispered, "Senior brother, let's go." Taking advantage of everyone's attention being drawn to Pei Yun's vomiting blood, the two moved step by step towards the hall's exit.

"Stop her! Stop her for me!" Pei Yun seemed to summon his last bit of strength from nowhere. He leaned half his body against a minister beside him, his face as white as paper, with horrifying bloodstains still remaining at the corner of his mouth. He struggled to raise his trembling hand, pointing at the figure about to disappear through the doorway, his voice hoarse and broken, yet filled with shock and rage.

Hearing the howl like a trapped beast behind her, Xi Xiao's heart tightened. Instead of stopping, she gritted her teeth and, almost dragging and carrying Xi Yu, quickened her pace, trying to blend into the noisy crowd outside the mansion.

"Xi Xiao! How dare you—!" Seeing that she was actually trying to escape, Pei Yun was enraged, and another mouthful of blood welled up in his throat. His eyes were bloodshot, and with the last of his consciousness, he shouted to the air behind him, "Take her down! Dead or alive!"

The Xuan Yu Guards, hidden in the shadows, responded to the call and moved. Several dark figures swept through the chaotic crowd like ghosts, heading straight for Xi Xiao and Xi Yu.

At that very moment.

A more panicked scream came from the direction of the main gate, accompanied by a new commotion. A servant boy, his hair disheveled and drenched in sweat, stumbled into the wedding hall. Before he could even see what was happening inside, he fell to his knees with a thud, giving a hasty bow towards the head of the household, then pinpointing Yin Huaisi with a piercing voice: "Young Master, Young Master, something terrible has happened! The Xie family... those damned villains of the Xie family, taking advantage of your absence today, gathered a group of people and forced their way into the mansion, hurling insults and humiliating you in every way... Master... Master was so enraged by them that he fainted on the spot. Now his face is ashen, and he's barely breathing. The physician... the physician is helpless! Young Master! You must go back and see him..."

Upon hearing this, Yin Huaisi's expression changed drastically. Before the servant could even finish speaking, he launched into a dramatic performance, letting out a heart-wrenching cry. He suddenly lunged at Pei Yun, tears streaming down his face, his voice filled with anguish: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, you heard it all! The Xie family is a wolf in sheep's clothing, they're trying to force my grandfather to his death! I beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for the Qin family and severely punish these villains!"

He wailed, seemingly oblivious to Pei Yun's lifeless state and the chaos around him. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he abruptly turned around, grabbed Xi Xiao's arm tightly as she was about to leave, and cried out urgently, "Divine Physician! Your medical skills are superb! You even brought the eldest son of the Marquis's mansion back from the brink of death! Quickly, come with me back to the Qin mansion and save my grandfather's life!"

Having said that, he quickly pulled his token from his waist and shoved it into the kneeling servant's hand, urging him repeatedly, "Fool! What are you standing there for? Quickly take my token and go to the Imperial Hospital immediately! Can't you see His Majesty is coughing up blood?! Go now!"

Yin Huaisi's series of actions instantly drew everyone's attention away from him and back to the more urgent matter of "His Majesty coughing up blood" and "urgent need for imperial physicians".

"Yes, yes, yes! Imperial Physician! Quickly, summon the Imperial Physician!"

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please take care of your health!"

"Quickly help His Majesty to the inner chamber to rest!"

"Your Majesty, with us here, we will not allow any villains to cause trouble..."

The scene descended into utter chaos once again. Some officials hurriedly sent messengers to fetch the imperial physician, while others frantically tried to soothe Pei Yun and give him water. Still others gathered around to express their loyalty and offer words of comfort. The scene was filled with a cacophony of voices, which ironically brought Pei Yun tightly to the center.

Pei Yun was barely keeping his eyes open with sheer anger and resentment. Now, surrounded by this group of chattering, swaying figures, he felt a buzzing in his ears and a suffocating tightness in his chest.

He stared intently in the direction where Xi Xiao's figure disappeared, his Adam's apple bobbing, but in the end he couldn't utter a single word. His body suddenly sank, and he completely fainted, losing consciousness.

*

"Bang—crash!"

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the ear-piercing sound of shattering porcelain rang out one after another. Precious tribute porcelain and jade artifacts were violently thrown to the ground, shards flying everywhere, leaving a scene of utter chaos. The palace servants were terrified, kneeling in a dark mass on the floor, their foreheads pressed against the cold ground, not daring to even breathe. In front of the hall's entrance lay several already stiff and bloodstained corpses, silently testifying to the terrible price of the emperor's wrath.

Pei Yun was dressed only in a plain white nightgown, his long, jet-black hair was not tied up and was draped messily over his shoulders, which made his face look almost transparently pale, with only his eyes filled with terrifying bloodshot veins due to his rage.

His chest heaved violently as he recklessly grabbed and smashed everything within reach, as if only in this way could he vent the rage and panic that threatened to consume him.

He Ying knelt amidst the shattered porcelain shards, blood seeping from his forehead where flying pieces of porcelain had cut him. He dared not wipe it away, and replied rapidly yet clearly, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. That day…that day, the young lady did indeed travel by carriage to the Qin residence, but before the carriage arrived, devastating news came from the Qin residence…Grand Secretary Qin had already passed away. Young Master Qin was overcome with grief at the time, and the residence was in chaos; he had no time to attend to anything else. After settling Your Majesty, I immediately led men there…”

He swallowed hard and continued, “The Dark Guards… they… they feared that His Majesty’s words of ‘life or death is irrelevant’ were just angry words spoken in a fit of rage. Without clear orders, they dared not truly kill the young lady, so… so they only followed and monitored her secretly. Later, the young lady seemed to want to resign from the Qin residence, but seeing the state of the mansion, she left with Young Master Xi first. They… they rented an ordinary blue-canopied carriage at the market, and the brothers followed closely all the way, never losing sight of them! But… but when the carriage left the city and reached a secluded place, when we went to intercept and check, the carriage… the carriage was completely empty, as if… as if the two of them had simply vanished into thin air. We have dug the area three feet deep, but… there is indeed no trace of them…”

"Idiots! A bunch of useless trash!" Pei Yun couldn't listen anymore and angrily interrupted him, suddenly raising his foot and kicking him hard in the chest.

He Ying groaned as he was kicked, staggering backward before quickly regaining his balance and kneeling even lower. He was terrified, his back soaked with cold sweat. At this moment, he desperately missed the days when He Song was still by his side. If he were here, he would surely be more astute and perhaps have already noticed something amiss… Unfortunately, although the young lady pleaded for him last time, and His Majesty spared his life, sparing him from the Blood-Clad Guards, he could no longer serve him so closely…

Just then, Pei Yun's violent movements abruptly stopped, as if he had suddenly grasped something crucial. A glint of urgent light flashed in his scarlet eyes, and he demanded sharply, "Where is Elder Qin's coffin? Has it been laid out for mourning?!"

He Ying was taken aback by the question, not understanding what was going on, but still answered honestly, "The coffin was not laid in state... Young Master Qin was extremely grieved at the time, saying... saying that there are many despicable people in the court, and that his visit to offer condolences was not sincere, but merely to see the Qin family make a fool of themselves and discuss the Grand Secretary's death... He did not want the Grand Secretary to suffer such humiliation after death, therefore... the coffin was not laid in state in the capital, and that very day... the coffin was immediately set off to send the Grand Secretary back to his ancestral home of Qianyi for burial. Judging by the time... the funeral procession should be arriving in Qianyi soon..."

Before he could finish speaking, Pei Yun's expression changed drastically. He could no longer care about anything else, turned around abruptly, shoved aside the palace servants blocking his way, and rushed straight out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation without even putting on his outer robe.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! You haven't changed your clothes yet!" He Ying was so frightened that she scrambled to her feet and hurriedly grabbed a heavy black embroidered gold cloak from a gilded clothes rack and rushed out.

The carriage sped along, and when it arrived at the Qin residence, it was indeed deserted, the vermilion gates tightly shut, with only two stone lions standing forlornly in front of the gate. Across the street, the Xie residence was surrounded by a group of indignant students, their shouts and curses filling the air.

Pei Yun glanced coldly at the chaos, then without hesitation lowered the carriage curtain. His voice, hoarse with anger, said to He Ying in a deep voice, "Depart immediately and head to Qianyi."