When An Ruoyan and An Yunyi saw Xiao Diao's action, their eyes flickered inscrutable, and it was unclear what they were thinking.
The closer you get to the bed, the stronger the stench becomes. Even a simple handkerchief can't stop the stench from assaulting your nostrils.
An Honghan's expression was normal, but his gaze became incredibly deep, while An Ruoyan's face was ashen. If An Honghan hadn't been watching, she probably would have turned around and left long ago.
An Yunyi remained silent, but her face was flushed red with discomfort. For someone her age, it was quite remarkable that she could endure this much.
The most distressed and tragic one was the little ferret. Its sense of smell far surpasses that of humans. When An Honghan walked to the bedside, he almost fainted.
"Your Majesty, please take a look." The imperial physician's voice came through the handkerchief, sounding hoarse and heavy.
His fingers reached towards the bed where the Empress Dowager slept, and he slowly lifted a corner of the quilt, revealing a rotting arm to everyone.
An Ruoyan was the first to be unable to bear it, bending over and vomiting violently while holding onto the table, her beautiful face turning pale with fright.
Xi Xizhi glanced at it once before covering her eyes, too afraid to open them again. The image of that withered arm kept flashing through her mind, and the buzzing of flies beside her ears only served as a reminder of how horrific the Empress Dowager's death had been.
Even the most composed An Honghan remained expressionless. Perhaps he had seen people die like this before, and the Empress Dowager was just one of them.
Having treated the Empress Dowager for many days, the imperial physicians were already used to such scenes. Although they still felt nauseous, they weren't as nauseous as An Ruoyan had been.
"Your Majesty, this is the first time I've ever seen such a strange illness. How can a person's body begin to rot before they've even died? I and the other imperial physicians have consulted all the medical books in the Imperial Hospital, but we still can't find a cure." Fearing punishment from An Honghan, the imperial physicians were constantly trying to defend themselves.
An Honghan remained surprisingly calm, slowly withdrawing his gaze from the corpse on the bed, and said coldly, "The Empress Dowager was once the mother of the nation. For the sake of the royal family's reputation, her remains must not be made public. After you leave, you must keep this a secret, or I will hold you accountable."
Whether it was her imagination or not, Xi Xizhi felt that there was a hint of regret and helplessness in An Honghan's tone at that moment. She secretly raised her head to look at An Honghan, but his face was expressionless.
After all, his mother died, and he killed her with his own hands; he must have felt some pain. Although people often say "heartless," who can truly be that ruthless?
As if to comfort her, Xi Xizhi reached out and gently stroked An Honghan's arm.
An Honghan's brows furrowed slightly, and his large hand moved to stroke the little ferret's fur. Why did this little ferret always have such wild guesses? He never regretted what he did. However, the little ferret's intentions made him very gratified.
An Honghan happened to see the little girl standing next to An Ruoyan. He gave her a commendatory look and said, "Not bad."
Although An Yunyi's face was pale, she didn't react as strongly as An Ruoyan. Besides, she was only thirteen years old. Even an adult man would find this disgusting scene unbearable, let alone a little girl.
An Yunyi was stunned for a moment before she realized that her brother was talking to her. She looked at An Honghan in disbelief, her eyes gradually welling up with tears. So she could also get her brother's attention.
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty," An Yunyi said, her voice trembling with tears. If she could receive the same level of attention from her brother as her sixth sister, she would do anything for him.
She had had enough of being ruthlessly abandoned in a corner and ostracized.
Xi Xizhi was somewhat worried about the Fourteenth Princess. Just now, that glance gave the impression that... she seemed to have made a very important decision.
Ministers and imperial relatives entered the palace one after another. At a glance, even many people who rarely appeared were all present.
Situ Feiyu had just arrived and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, you are the pillar of Fengze Kingdom. Please take care of your grief and don't be too sad."
Xi Xizhi almost choked on her saliva. Which eye of yours saw An Honghan sad? His face was expressionless from beginning to end. If Xi Xizhi hadn't seen him sneer before, she would have thought he had facial paralysis.
An Honghan gave a faint "hmm" and instructed Liu Fuqing, "The Empress Dowager's funeral will be handled by Right Chancellor Liu. Remember to make it a grand affair and not to disgrace the imperial family."
Situ Feiyu felt like he had suffered a loss in silence. He thought that he would have to rush to Fengzhou in two days to deal with the flood, while Liu Fuqing was handling the Empress Dowager's funeral. He guessed that Liu Fuqing could make a lot of money from this.
When the eunuch saw that An Ruoyan looked unwell, he quickly helped her to sit down and asked the princess what was wrong.
An Ruoyan was about to answer when An Honghan suddenly looked at her, sending a chill down her spine. Remembering what her brother had said in the inner palace, she immediately shut her mouth and only said, "It's nothing."
"Issue the decree: the Empress Dowager has passed away. The entire Fengze Kingdom shall observe a three-day vegetarian diet and refrain from slaughtering livestock as a sign of mourning for the Empress Dowager," An Honghan said in a formulaic manner, his voice steady and deep, clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Lynn accepted the order and immediately went to find someone to issue the imperial edict.
The courtiers crowded into the main hall of Fengxiang Palace, each putting on an act as if their parents had died.
Xi Xizhi rested her little head on An Honghan's lap, her limbs sprawled out, her round eyes darting around. She yawned boredly until the sun set and the guards carried the Empress Dowager's body into the coffin. Only then did An Honghan dismiss the officials, ordering only a small group to remain at Fengxiang Palace to guard the Empress Dowager's coffin.
After the Empress Dowager passed away, many procedures had to be followed before she could be buried.
In the following days, An Honghan was busy with this matter every day.
Taking advantage of the fact that An Honghan wasn't constantly holding it, Xi Xizhi finally had some free time to cultivate. Her previous failed tribulation had taught her a severe lesson, so she dared not slack off this time. The first step in cultivating immortality was Qi Condensation, which relied on absorbing the spiritual energy between heaven and earth and making it her own.
In some ways, animals are more talented at cultivating immortality than humans. Because they lack the complexities of human minds, success is within their grasp once they dedicate themselves fully. However, some demons, seeking quick results, often stray from the right path.
As darkness fell, Xi Xizhi finished channeling the last wisp of spiritual energy and emerged from behind the canna lily leaves. The round setting sun, like a goose egg yolk, cast its afterglow on the little sable, gilding her with a golden hue.
"I knew you were hiding here."
An Honghan's steady footsteps drew closer, and Xi Xizhi looked up to see his tall figure. The setting sun behind him served as a backdrop, adding to the man's radiance. His resolute and handsome face exuded an aura of dominance.
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