Chapter 401
The bright red bracelet on her wrist was very eye-catching, and as the strings of the zither were plucked, the bracelet emitted a faint glow.
Shen Man's face was as white as paper, and her knuckles were red and slightly swollen, which were sores caused by the cold from playing the zither in the Ice Palace these days.
She sat upright in the icy palace for an hour before daring to look at that tall figure. She cautiously began, "Your Majesty, I have been playing for an hour today..."
Before Shen Man could finish speaking, Song Xuan threw a book that struck the strings of her zither, causing it to emit a piercing sound that terrified her.
She immediately knelt down, begging for mercy repeatedly: "Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life..."
Since the case of the late empress was brought up again, her life in the harem has become even more difficult. Not only does she have to play the zither in the Ice Palace every day, but she also has to endure the wrath of the emperor. It is truly unbearable.
Song Xuan looked at Shen Man with a cold gaze. Before he could speak, he swayed and fell to the ground.
Shen Man was terrified. The next moment, Xia Zi, who appeared out of nowhere, shouted in a shrill voice, "Something terrible has happened! Someone come here! His Majesty has fainted from anger caused by Consort Shen!"
The voice was high-pitched and thin, sending chills down one's spine.
Song Xuan was carried back by the palace servants who rushed in, and Shen Man was naturally taken away to await her fate.
Inside Yong'an Palace, in front of the bed.
Shen Qingnian and Xia Qianjun both arrived, and the two stood in front of the bed talking.
"Your Majesty, has His Majesty really fainted?" Xia Qianjun asked with some doubt. She was stuffing dried fruit into her mouth as she spoke, and her voice was not very clear.
The Imperial Concubine had told her about everything that had happened recently, but the Emperor's fainting had not been discussed with her beforehand. However, considering that the Emperor had been summoning the imperial physicians to the palace from time to time lately, she felt that the Emperor had most likely not fainted.
After all, His Majesty had eaten hot pot with her and the Imperial Concubine just yesterday, and she remembered that His Majesty had eaten five large plates of meat.
Shen Qingnian was seven months pregnant at this time. She held her belly and said, "His Majesty has indeed fainted."
As soon as she finished speaking, the person on the bed opened their clear eyes and stared straight at her.
The next moment, Song Xuan sat up from the bed and helped her sit on the edge of the bed: "From today onwards, I am ill. Goddess and Consort, please remember to come and attend to me every day."
Shen Qingnian and the goddess replied, "Your Majesty's command is my due."
Song Xuan didn't do anything about Shen Man, since she was still useful.
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For the next few days, Song Xuan remained bedridden, and the affairs of the court were temporarily handled by Ye Lingzhou. The ministers of the previous dynasty breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
His Majesty has been extremely tyrannical lately, having dealt with many court officials with ruthless methods, causing immense suffering to the previous dynasty.
On the seventh day after Song Xuan fell, Shen Zheng, who had been confined to the general's mansion, quietly walked out. He bribed Jin Yi and headed straight for the border under the cover of night. Before leaving, he asked someone to take good care of Jiang Shi in prison.
Meanwhile, Shen Zheng, who was imprisoned, was doing quite well. With the emperor bedridden, his good days had arrived. He even bribed the prison guards yesterday to strangle Jiang Shi to death in prison.
Now that Jin Yi has betrayed the emperor and Zheng'er has left the palace, His Majesty is already poisoned and the entire capital is in his hands. He is just waiting for Zheng'er to lead his troops into the capital to force the emperor to abdicate!
Inside Yong'an Palace.
Song Xuan lay weakly on the bed, while Shen Man continued playing the zither outside the screen. She was already exhausted, and her body seemed to be at its last gasp.
His Majesty has been unwell lately, and she has been kept very busy, often being woken up in the middle of the night to play the zither for him.
If she hadn't learned that General Shen had left the capital, she would have collapsed long ago. Fortunately, she still had the Shen family to rely on...
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