Chapter 51 Anxiety Overwhelms His Heart: "His Majesty has a fever! Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"

Criminal Division.

The elderly woman could not withstand such torture for even a quarter of an hour. She trembled as she looked ahead, her eyes empty and lifeless. Her once deep and lively eyebrows and eyes had sagged and become wrinkled as she approached fifty.

The people of the grasslands have distinctive and prominent bones, making them more recognizable even in old age. A few days ago, when she was with Yuan Liao, no one paid much attention to her. But once she blended in with the faces of people from the Central Plains, she became the one who stood out.

"I'll tell you everything!"

Her gaze was fixed on a point in the air, and the chaos in her eyes suddenly became clear, as if she had traveled through time and space to see that bright and beautiful face again. The young and beautiful woman was waving to her, and the old lady suddenly shed two hot tears, her voice choked with sobs.

The grassland maids who served the two Holy Maidens in the past all spoke fluent and standard Central Plains dialect, but now the old woman has returned to the grasslands and stayed by Yuan Liao's side. As a result, more than ten years have passed and the Central Plains dialect has become difficult and awkward again.

“My name is Saiqiu, and I am the most powerful maidservant by the side of the Holy Maiden.”

After saying that, she closed her eyes tightly, as if she had returned to Le Wuyou's side.

"Holy Maiden! Holy Maiden, please reconsider! Once this is done, there will be no turning back!"

Mingyan looked over at the sound with a ruthless gaze, completely ignoring the maid Saiqiu's attempts to dissuade her, "Do I have any other options?"

They had roamed freely across the grasslands since ancient times, and now they were being trapped within the cramped, suffocating walls of this red palace! Their king, however, chuckled and said, "This is your honor, Holy Maiden. With such beauty, you would surely be the emperor's most favored concubine if you entered the palace!"

Their fists were clenched tightly together!

She is now a concubine, but she can't help but feel nauseous whenever she sees those greedy eyes.

Her once bright and beautiful eyes, which could capture the sky and the green fields, were now filled with boundless hatred. She wanted to destroy the Gu family dynasty under her hands!

"This medicine... Holy Maiden, should we send it to Consort Wei now?"

Le Wuyou lay on the chaise longue with her eyes closed, a plump, pure white cat with blue eyes sleeping in her arms. "Wait, wait a while. Wait until the Feng family has completely disappeared from Yun Kingdom, then I'll give it to my good sister."

Sai Qiu's heart pounded, and she couldn't help but swallow hard as she held the red powder in her hand. She had been raised in the Le family mansion since she was a child, and she had served the second young lady by her side after she was born. Later, the second young lady was chosen as a saintess, and she couldn't stop smiling at that time.

The woman she regarded as a younger sister finally became a saintess, and from then on, she could walk with her head held high when facing royalty.

...Nowadays, even a saintess is not as good as a caged canary.

With a long sigh, Saiqiu put away the poison powder in her hand, pretended nothing was wrong, opened the door, and instructed the palace maids in the courtyard to clean up.

Within two days, Saiqiu greeted the two imperial physicians as they entered. The Holy Maiden had been in the palace for three years, but had yet to conceive a son. The Emperor and Empress Dowager constantly sent people to examine her pulse. Le Wuyou, annoyed, impatiently stretched out her hand.

After a while, Saiqiu closed the door, leaving only two grassland people and two imperial physicians inside.

Cao Li was beaming with pride. Seeing the door close, he quickly withdrew his hand. "Your Majesty, rest assured, Your Majesty's medicine is a fine product. It will ensure that Your Majesty will not conceive for five to ten years."

After Cao Li finished speaking, Zhang Yuqun, who was following behind him and looked a little reserved, also smiled.

"Stop talking nonsense."

Le Wuyou glanced at him coldly, which sent a chill down Cao Li's spine. He quickly nodded and took out a note from his sleeve, "A letter from Lord Liang, please take a look, Your Highness."

Liang Wangli?

Le Wuyou frowned as she took the nail guards. She disdainfully tossed the exquisite and elegant nail guards onto the table. Her slender fingers had become delicate and tender over the years, and even the calluses on her wrists had disappeared, giving her the appearance of a noble lady. But the more she looked like this, the more annoyed Le Wuyou became.

She forced herself to look at the letter and frowned as she read it.

The letter contained little information, which Yue Wuyou glanced at briefly. The melancholy between her brows eased slightly, and she gently waved her hand, "Saiqiu."

Saiqiu understood, and she quickly went to the wardrobe and took out a set of clothes.

He wore a bright yellow robe embroidered with imposing golden dragon patterns.

It was a dragon robe!

Cao Li and Zhang Yuqun both gasped for breath upon seeing it. They reached out tremblingly to take it, so flustered that they almost forgot to breathe. They hurriedly stuffed the dragon robe into the medicine box, but because of their nervousness, they couldn't get it in no matter what they did.

Le Wuyou, impatient, clicked his tongue.

Saiqiu stepped forward quickly, "Let me do it."

Zhang Yuqiang chuckled twice, then was pulled aside by Cao Li. "Thank you, Miss Saiqiu."

The medicine chest was closed and returned to its original state. Cao Li and Zhang Yuqun got up, adjusted their robes, smiled, bowed, and left Le Wuyou's bedroom.

Spring breeze blows through the willows, and winter arrives in the blink of an eye.

The fact that the dragon robe was hidden in the Feng family mansion was discovered by a servant in a moment of panic. It turned out that it was hidden behind the plaque in the main hall of the Feng family mansion!

Upon hearing this, the emperor flew into a rage and immediately ordered the execution of the entire family.

They completely disregarded Consort Wei, Feng Lingxue, who was visiting relatives at the Feng residence.

Consort Wei fainted in the Feng residence while holding the seventeenth prince. After being taken back to the palace, she fell seriously ill for three days and three nights. When she woke up again, she had an emotional breakdown and had a big fight with the emperor, and was immediately demoted.

"Wei Fei" has become "Wei Fei".

He was confined to his home for a year and was not allowed to be visited by anyone.

Le Wuyou lay on the bed, still holding the white cat in her arms. The fox fur coat she wore was the best one the emperor had hunted during the autumn hunt, and he had painstakingly sent it to her.

“Saiqiu, take the medicine to Cao Li,” the woman said without opening her eyes. “He knows what to do.”

"Yes, Holy Maiden."

Sai Qiu's sullen expression finally brightened when she faced the thirteen longswords. She retreated in fear, swallowing hard as she looked at the man's furious expression.

The secret chamber of the Ministry of Justice was dark and gloomy. Gu Huizhou's red robe appeared almost black in the dim candlelight, and his ink-black eyes were devoid of any light. His voice was like that of a demon emerging from the darkness, "Continue."

Thirteen angrily put down his longsword, took a step back and stood to the side with Fourteen. His eyes were red and he pursed his lips without saying a word.

Saiqiu trembled and backed away, the sound of chains dragging on the ground echoing, "No, in less than half a year, Consort Wei, Consort Wei, gradually lost her mind."

"That medicine is a notorious soul-devouring powder on our grasslands. It is specially used to give to people who are about to die. Before they die, they will lose their minds and be able to hunt cattle and sheep more easily, making a final contribution to their descendants."

"You!" Thirteen's wrist was grabbed by Fourteen. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at the old woman kneeling on the ground, who was no longer human. How could they be so vicious!

If it weren't for these two people drugging her, Consort Wei would be the Empress Dowager now!

"Originally... at first, Consort Wei would only lose her mind once or twice a month, but later it became more than ten times. People in the palace said that Consort Wei had gone mad, and the palace maids gradually all ran away, even the wet nurse of the seventeenth prince ran away."

Her expression gradually calmed down, as if she couldn't see the blood on the ground, or perhaps she was still immersed in what happened back then.

"Later, Consort Wei remained in this state for several months until she never woke up again."

"But the Soul-Devouring Powder has always been used on men with less than a year to live; no one knows how it works on living people. She's the first one to have lived for so many years—"

As she spoke, Saiqiu became excited, "Even the Holy Maiden has never seen such a miracle. She watched Consort Wei live for two years, four years, eight years..."

"And then, the saint died."

Thirteen asked sharply, "How did you die?"

"The Holy Maiden is pregnant!" she suddenly burst into tears again. "The Holy Maiden is so disgusted with the Emperor that she feels like vomiting just looking at him, how could she possibly want to be pregnant with his child!"

"Then the saint took the abortion pill, but the baby was not aborted. The saint bled all over the ground and never woke up again."

Saiqiu sobbed, while Fourteenth Prince stood rooted to the spot, his fists clenched. He dared not imagine what His Majesty's expression was like behind him.

"Why—" Fourteenth said coldly, "Why frame the Feng family!"

Saiqiu immediately responded sharply, "Because we must make the Yun Kingdom disappear completely!"

"The seventeenth prince is the youngest prince, and also the most intelligent child the Holy Maiden has ever seen! If such a person lives in the hands of someone who has taken the Soul-Devouring Powder, he will surely grow up to be a god of death. If the Holy Maiden supports him to the throne, the Yun Kingdom will definitely be destroyed!"

Saiqiu spoke firmly.

The courtroom suddenly fell silent. The man sitting in the shadows chuckled and then fell still.

“But the Holy Maiden is dead, and we have no choice.” Saiqiu choked up. “But before she died, the Holy Maiden left me a letter. She said that if she died, the dog emperor would let the women of the Le family go, and the matter would be dropped.”

"If not..."

The voice was sorrowful, "Indeed, there isn't."

"The Sixth Miss was sent to the palace as the next Holy Maiden and lived in the original palace of the Holy Maiden. She was given the title of Consort Jin."

As a woman of the Yue family, how could the Sixth Miss be willing to stay in this birdcage like a trapped beast? So that very night, she sought her out, and the two talked all night long...

"That night, the sixth young lady cried her eyes out. She said she had come to fulfill her sister's last wish. I was overjoyed and quickly handed the saintess's letter to the sixth young lady."

"The next day, she took a eunuch to Consort Wei's courtyard and brought back the seventeenth prince, who was not human."

“I originally intended to stay and help Miss Liu, but she refused. She sent me back to the grasslands and arranged a good place for me. Since then, I have never seen Miss Liu again.”

The old woman couldn't believe it; she laughed in anger, "But the Sixth Miss actually softened her heart! How could she teach all her medical skills and martial arts to the Seventeenth Prince?"

"How could she do this to her sister!"

"If it weren't for her, this land would belong to us grassland people now! She doesn't deserve to be the holy maiden of the grasslands, she doesn't even deserve to be the daughter of the Le family!"

"Le Wujin actually went and collected the corpse of that madwoman in the Cold Palace! She doesn't deserve to be—" The voice abruptly stopped.

"ah--"

A dagger, a single blow to the throat.

The dagger was plunged straight into the old woman's throat. Thirteen and Fourteen exchanged a cold glance; the dagger came from the darkness behind them.

"Throw it away and feed it to the dogs."

The voice sounded weak and feeble. Thirteen turned to look, but Fourteen stopped him. Fourteen shook his head at him, "We'll handle things here."

Your Majesty needs some time to calm down.

Springtime temperatures were rising steadily. After a brief warming period a few days prior, the temperature had leveled off somewhat, but it continued to climb. Gu Huizhou emerged from the Ministry of Justice. The dark door opened from the inside, and the glaring sunlight outside burned into the man's reddened eyes.

The view is serene and distant.

"Consort Wei..."

Gu Huizhou murmured this name; he had lived under this woman's thumb since birth until he was eight. He had thought countless times of skinning this person alive, tying one leg to him, throwing him into a pack of wolves, and then pulling him back when he was on his last breath.

Healed, then the cycle repeats.

But before he could realize his wish, the woman died, going mad and smashing her head against the wall of the cold palace.

Cui Xiangzhu was dismissed and left in the Cloud Palace. For the first time, Gu Huizhou was disoriented in the palace. After a long while, he slowly stepped onto the palace path leading to the inner palace, pushed open a heavy palace door, and every word the old woman had said was still vivid in his mind.

The palace where he had lived for the previous eight years was still in ruins, with nowhere to even find a place to stand. Gu Huizhou walked in with a cold face, when a sharp, burning pain suddenly shot through his forehead.

"Zhou'er! Let your mother see if you've gained any weight recently!"

"Nanny, it's alright. What's wrong with holding my own son a little longer? I'm not some delicate person. What's wrong with holding our Zhou'er for a while?"

"Zhou'er, you are four months old now. You're not even up to your mother's knee yet. When you're four years old, you should be able to reach your mother's knee."

"Zhou'er!"

...

As if the calls from when he was two years old had been forcibly shoved into his mind, the man staggered and hurriedly reached out to brace himself against the tree trunk. The plum tree that Feng Lingxue had planted when she was first pregnant had now grown strong and tall, enough to support an adult man.

With bloodshot eyes, Gu Huizhou took a deep breath. He clenched the letter in his hands, not daring to read it a second time. The letters between the woman and the old man contained no mention of politics, but every word was filled with longing for the future. In each letter, he wrote about her "Zhou'er".

The bedchamber he had stayed in was covered in dust, which Gu Huizhou ignored. He stared coldly at the closed doors and windows, and unknowingly remained there until nightfall. The tree trunk behind him supported the man's burning body, making the crimson in his eyes even more terrifying.

Finally, Gu Huizhou stood up straight, clutching the letter tightly in his hand, but froze as he was about to walk out the door.

A piece of light blue cloth hangs on a long sword that is old and rusty. After more than a decade of wind and rain, it has faded and become desolate, and you can no longer see the splendor of its former glory.

The man closed his eyes, turned around, and walked out.

Inside the Cloud Palace, Yao Ruyi lay drowsy at his desk. He had been stumbling over his lessons with Wang Qianshan earlier that day and had been kept by his teacher for the entire afternoon until the sun had set behind the western mountains before he was finally released from the side hall.

The dishes on the table looked a bit cold, so Cui Xiangzhu quickly ordered them to be taken away. He couldn't help but feel displeased looking at the Nineteenth Prince slumped over the table. After thinking for a while, the head eunuch stepped forward and patted the man, saying, "Nineteenth Prince."

"Um?"

Yao Ruyi looked up groggily, thinking the emperor had returned. But when he saw Cui Xiangzhu in front of him, his joy vanished instantly. "What's wrong, Eunuch Cui?"

"This... Today, His Majesty, along with the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Ministers, went to investigate the old matters. Now that both ministers have returned, where is His Majesty?"

Has His Majesty not returned yet?

"That's right!"

It was already past 7 PM, and there was still no sign of the emperor. He stood up and said to Cui Xiangzhu, "Please stay in the Cloud Palace, I'll go ask the thirteenth and fourteenth emperors."

"Okay, okay!"

I thought the emperor was either in his study or in the Ministry of Justice, but I couldn't find him. I ran into the thirteenth and fourteenth emperors along the way, but they didn't know where he was either.

Yao Ruyi frowned. The night was pitch black; some palace paths had eunuchs holding lanterns, while others did not. He wandered back and forth through the palace at night, finally spotting Gu Huizhou practicing his swordplay by the pond near the Nuanyu Pavilion.

Relieved, Yao Ruyi quickly went over.

But just as he was about to approach, the man's swordplay became sharper. His jet-black longsword gleamed with a cold light under the moonlight. The sword was a hand's length longer than Shuangyue's. Yao Ruyi watched as the man's movements quickened, and a crimson glint seemed to flash in his cold, handsome eyes.

Even before getting close, the overwhelming smell of alcohol filled the air, causing Yao Ruyi's pupils to constrict.

The emperor's sword immediately swept towards his own abdomen.

"Whoosh—"

"Clang—"

Gu Huizhou turned his head instantly, and the long sword in his hand was shaken to a stop in front of him. With a "clang", a silver long sword fell to the ground.

It seemed that the person was indeed as one wished, and Gu Huizhou's bloodlust paused for a moment.

She looked at the newcomer with a smile.

After a long while, he put down his long sword, smiled slightly, and pulled the person into his arms. His hot breath brushed against Yao Ruyi's ear, and he asked, "Are you looking for me?"

"Your Majesty, it's time to go back for dinner."

Gu Huizhou didn't respond. He pulled the person forward a few steps and walked down the steps into the water. The pool water was scalding hot, but it couldn't compare to the temperature of Gu Huizhou's body. Yao Ruyi was startled. He reached up and touched the emperor's arm. "Your Majesty, you have a fever."

Gu Huizhou nodded. "I understand."

"That--"

Before he could finish speaking, Yao Ruyi was also pulled into the water. He staggered a few steps and couldn't stand steadily, so he reached out and grabbed the man's chest.

Ripples spread across the hot spring, wetting the fabric of their clothes. Yao Ruyi noticed the man's expression darken, but he didn't care. The emperor was already feverish; how could he soak in the hot spring?

"His Majesty!"

Yao Ruyi's wrist was gripped by the man. Gu Huizhou lowered his head, his hot breath hitting the sides of Yao Ruyi's neck. The smell of alcohol mixed with the heat, making Yao Ruyi lose her senses.

"Hmm—"

His lips were then captured in someone's mouth, and Yao Ruyi's pupils dilated sharply. He looked into Gu Huizhou's scarlet eyes, as if a caged beast had finally been unchained, but no one had told this ferocious beast who it was going to kill or who it was going to destroy.

So it could only rush around recklessly, grabbing any object it could find and tearing it apart, devouring it whole. And it was always the first prey to be caught.

The smell of alcohol on the other person's breath was vastly different from the fruit wine Yao Ruyi had drunk a few days ago; the strong, burning sensation of the liquor was unpleasant. Yao Ruyi's chin was gripped, and the lips and teeth seemed to coil and slither around him like a long snake.

One moment it's licking around the roof of its mouth, the next it's being sucked on as if it were some kind of nectar...

Yao Ruyi still vaguely remembered the thought of bringing him back for a meal and medical treatment. She reached out and put her hand on the man's shoulder, taking a deep breath as a blush crept onto his cheeks. "Gu Huizhou, let's go back for a meal—"

"Hmm—"

He heard the man chuckle softly, and the two became entangled again. The scalding heat of the pool gradually spread to both of them, and Yao Ruyi couldn't help but moan softly. He felt a slight change in his body and quickly struggled to push the man away.

this--

Gu Huizhou followed his gaze downwards. The crimson in his eyes had faded slightly, but it was still burning hot. He laughed and said, "What's wrong with that?"

Yao Ruyi looked at herself, then at the man opposite her. She was momentarily bewildered after meeting his gaze, and then she was pulled close to him again, not only between their lips and teeth, but also underwater.

From initial resistance to being guided forward, Yao Ruyi reached out and placed her hand on the man's arm. He subconsciously held the man's chest with his hand, his hand gripping the dark red silk with slight force.

"Yao Ruyi, who am I?"

His once bright eyes now seemed somewhat bewildered. Why was he suddenly asking such a question? The gleam at the corner of his mouth revealed what the two had just done. He replied, "Your Majesty."

Who is His Majesty?

"Gu Huizhou".

Gu Huizhou smiled with satisfaction, staring at the person in his arms as he continued to ask, "Do you still remember what you promised Gu Huizhou?"

What had he promised Gu Huizhou? Yao Ruyi's dazed expression gradually cleared. These words suddenly brought him back to the cold mountaintop, to the cloud temple amidst the sea of ​​clouds, and to the words he had said many times before: "I will never betray Gu Huizhou."

"Explain it clearly, anyone can do that."

"May your wishes come true."

The man was displeased. "Hmm?"

"Yao Ruyi will never betray Gu Huizhou."

With a satisfied smile, Gu Huizhou reached out and stroked the head of the person in his arms. Half of the hair was soaked with water, but the dark hair on the head was still soft. The person was being held and smelled of alcohol. He carefully smelled the sandalwood scent in the hair.

Their expressions finally calmed down a bit. The two of them stayed on the shore, with Gu Huizhou leaning against the jade wall and closing his eyes to rest.

The spring evening breeze was slightly cool, and the cold wind woke Yao Ruyi up. He had originally come to find someone to go back for dinner, but he had been pulled into someone's arms and kissed endlessly. He turned around to face the man in the pool.

Even with their eyes closed, you could see the fatigue on their face; their forehead was slightly furrowed, and they looked uneasy.

"His Majesty."

"Gu Huizhou?"

Yao Ruyi sensed something was wrong. He reached out and touched the man's face, and found that his neck and jawline were getting hotter and hotter! He helped the man sit on the steps, but he didn't dare let Gu Huizhou lie completely on the shore. If he came back later and was exposed to the cold wind, he didn't know what would happen to him.

"The 19th Party Congress!" Cui Xiangzhu was startled to see the man rushing back, his clothes soaked.

"His Majesty has a fever! Quickly summon the imperial physician!"

After about half a cup of tea's time, Yao Ruyi changed his clothes. He watched as the imperial physicians filed in one after another, his face filled with unconcealed worry, which made the physicians extremely apprehensive.

"Your Majesty's fever is caused by a sudden surge of anger; he needs to rest for a few days." Wang Ran sighed and withdrew his hand, leaving several silver needles still in the emperor's body.

"Then I'll go down and prepare the medicine."

Cui Xiangzhu nodded and saw the man out, leaving Yao Ruyi and Thirteen to guard the emperor in the room. Yao Ruyi hadn't even had time to tidy his messy hair when he glanced at the emperor lying on the bed, still sleeping restlessly, and sensed something was wrong.

Turning to ask, "Thirteen, what did you find out today?"

Thirteen hesitated for a moment, then said, "Eunuch Cui." Cui Xiangzhu walked in from the door and responded, "Thirteenth Master?"

"You stay here and keep watch."

Thirteen turned to Yao Ruyi and beckoned, "Come here, let me tell you something."