The night sky was cool as water, but Cui Shenghe's face was even colder than the water in the deep pool.
"Do you love Yun Shu?" Cui Shenghe asked in a low voice, his calmness sending a chill down one's spine.
"No... he's a bastard! He, he never loved me. He, he never loved Mi'er either. In his heart, there was only his sister-in-law, Cui Jiao." Song Huaixi murmured to herself, her tone filled with resentment and unwillingness.
"Cui Mi, do you love Yun Shu?" Cui Shenghe asked again, this time causing Song Huaixi to frown slightly.
"No, no, Mi'er loves me, how could she love that beast?" Song Huaixi's voice trembled slightly, as if she was unwilling to believe this fact.
"Then, do you know if Cui Mi has any secrets?" Cui Shenghe cautiously probed, hoping to get some useful information from Song Huaixi.
“Secret…” Song Huaixi’s eyes became even more confused, as if her thoughts were buried deep in her heart.
Just then, Song Huaixi's hand unconsciously reached inside her dress, and an indescribable expression appeared on her face, as if she were immersed in some kind of pleasure.
"These past ten years in prison, if it weren't for Mi'er, I would have died long ago!" Song Huaixi's voice gradually lowered, as if she were recounting a painful past.
"Mi'er, I, I love you so much." Song Huaixi squinted her eyes slightly, her face beaming with a happy smile. She seemed to be lost in the beauty of the past, her former crazy and eccentric demeanor completely gone, replaced by a gentle and lovely appearance. "Mi'er, Mi'er is my only man. Mi'er, I, I love you so much."
However, at this moment, Song Huaixi's emotions suddenly became extremely agitated: "Child! Mi'er, our child is dead! Mi'er, what should we do? What should we do?" She shouted hysterically while tightly gripping Cui Shenghe's sleeve, her eyes filled with despair and helplessness.
Faced with Song Huaixi's excitement, Cui Shenghe reached out without hesitation and gently tapped the back of her neck.
Instantly, the person who was just agitated and restless collapsed limply, as if all their strength had been lost.
Li Ye, who had been observing quietly from the side, quickly appeared and carefully carried Song Huaixi back to her room to rest.
“No…this is impossible…” Cui Shenghe gripped the copper bell tightly in his hand, a surge of indescribable shock and confusion welling up inside him. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
His aunt was actually a man! Could it be that everything his aunt said before—that she entered the palace to become that bastard Yun Shu's favorite concubine in order to avenge her sister, making love to him every night, and poisoning him with her body so that Yun Shu would unknowingly become addicted to a slow-acting poison in bed—was all true?
But what did he do in the last days of his aunt's life? He used the most offensive words to mock her, and she died on the very day he became the new emperor!
"Ah—" Cui Shenghe suddenly cried out in pain, his body trembling violently. A mouthful of blood gushed out, splattering onto the cold stone slab. His vision went black, he lost consciousness, and collapsed limply to the ground.
Hearing the commotion inside the courtyard, Zhao Zhi, Zhu San Niang, and the others who were waiting outside rushed in.
When Zhao Zhi saw Cui Shenghe fall headfirst to the ground, her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her throat. Her breathing became rapid, and her legs felt weak, but she still managed to slowly turn Cui Shenghe's body over so that he lay flat on the ground.
She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anxiety and fear in her heart, and reached out her trembling fingers to touch Cui Shenghe's wrist, carefully feeling his pulse.
Cui Jiu was extremely anxious and turned to find the imperial physician, but Zhu Sanniang blocked his way.
“Your Highness is a disciple of the Sage of Medicine and possesses superb medical skills. Let’s hear what she has to say first,” Zhu San Niang said softly, her eyes revealing a hint of composure and trust.
Cui Jiu nodded, paused for a moment, and stared nervously at Zhao Zhi.
After a thorough examination, Zhao Zhi solemnly released her grip and let out a heavy sigh.
She raised her head, looked at everyone, and said firmly, "My brother is suffering from a sudden surge of anger, coupled with his old illness not yet healed, which is why he is like this. Although his condition is not serious at the moment, he needs to rest and recuperate for a period of time and must not be subjected to any further stimulation."
Upon hearing Zhao Zhi's words, Cui Jiu's tense nerves relaxed slightly. He nodded to indicate that he understood, then bowed deeply to Zhao Zhi, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" he said sincerely. "Please allow Your Highness to handle state affairs on behalf of His Majesty for the time being. We are willing to do our best to assist you."
Zhao Zhi could not refuse and had to agree for the time being.
It was late at night, and all was quiet in Cui Shenghe's bedroom.
On several carved palace lanterns, the wicks flickered with faint flames, casting a light golden glow over the surroundings, yet also highlighting the loneliness and desolation of every inch of the interior space.
Cui Shenghe lay quietly on the bed, his brows furrowed, his face so pale it was almost transparent, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch. His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he was too weak to utter a sound.
Zhao Zhi sat quietly on the edge of the bed, gently covering Cui Shenghe's cold hands with her own, trying to convey some warmth and comfort to him.
Just then, a bolt of lightning ripped through the silent night sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.
A sudden storm arrived, with strong winds whipping raindrops against the windowpanes, creating rapid and powerful sounds.
Zhao Zhi was startled by this sudden change, but she quickly calmed down, stood up, walked to the window, and prepared to close it.
Just then, she suddenly heard a soft sigh. She turned her head and saw that Cui Shenghe on the dragon bed was frowning slightly, as if he was enduring some kind of pain.
Zhao Zhi was startled and quickly walked to the dragon bed. She gently stroked Cui Shenghe's forehead and asked softly, "Brother, what's wrong?"
However, Cui Shenghe did not respond to her; he simply closed his eyes and his breathing became heavy.
Zhao Zhi's heart sank instantly, and an ominous premonition surged into her mind.
Her hands trembled as she tried to wake Cui Shenghe, but he remained unresponsive. Fear and helplessness overwhelmed Zhao Zhi; she realized things might be worse than she imagined. She turned and rushed towards the door, wanting to call for help, but the door was firmly shut, and she couldn't open it no matter how hard she tried.
At this moment, the storm outside the window raged even more fiercely, and the wind made the window sway precariously, as if the whole world was against her.
"Cui Jiu—Third Sister—Someone come here!"
But the only response she received was the roar of a raging storm.
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