Chapter 60 Li Qianche dreams of his past life again
Chapter Sixty: Li Qianche Dreams of His Past Life Again
That night, Li Qianche seemed to want to vent all the jealousy and possessiveness he had accumulated at the palace banquet, entwining himself with Su Su in several passionate encounters. Only when the sky outside the window began to lighten with the first hint of dawn did he finally feel satisfied. He held the exhausted and drowsy Su Su tightly in his arms, inhaling the faint fragrance of her hair, and fell into a deep sleep himself.
However, sleep brought no peace. He seemed to have fallen back into that cold, despair-filled state.
Before him lay dilapidated palace walls, the snow still clinging to the walls, and a biting wind howling through the drafty windows—it was the Cold Palace! He saw Consort Zhuang standing in the courtyard, holding a bright yellow scroll, her face twisted with pleasure and resentment.
Meanwhile, Su Su, the apple of his eye, was being held down by two indistinct, burly old women, kneeling on the cold snow.
Her condition was extremely poor; her face was ashen, her lips bloodless, and her body weak and powerless, as if she were terminally ill. She could only let the two old women hold her down like a rag doll. Her thin clothes were of no use against the bitter cold, and she shivered in the wind.
"No! Let her go!" Li Qianche roared inwardly, rushing forward to push the two old women away, only to find that his arms passed right through their bodies as if they were air! He stared at his hands in shock, then looked around. Everyone ignored him. He was like a wandering soul, existing in this space, yet unable to interfere in the slightest.
Consort Zhuang looked down at her, her voice hissing like a venomous snake, filled with venomous intent: "Su Su! Your father and brothers are guilty of colluding with foreign enemies, the evidence is irrefutable, and they have been imprisoned by the Emperor awaiting execution! The Emperor has already issued an edict, sentencing you to death! If you know what's good for you, obediently drink this cup of imperial poison, and you'll suffer less!" She shook a small but shocking white jade bottle in her hand.
"You're talking nonsense! I didn't! I could never have issued an order to kill Susu!" Li Qianche roared at Consort Zhuang, but his voice dissipated in the cold wind and no one heard him.
Su Su, lying on the ground, suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and shattered pain. Tears welled up instantly, streaming down her pale cheeks. Her voice was weak but carried a final glimmer of hope: "Impossible... I want to see the Emperor... I want to ask the Emperor myself..."
Consort Zhuang scoffed, her laughter sharp and sarcastic: "See the Emperor? You are the daughter of a disgraced official, a remnant of treason, what face do you have to see the Emperor again? The Emperor is too disgusted with you to even think about seeing you again. Give up on that idea!"
"I'm here! Su Su, look at me, don't believe her, I didn't!" Li Qianche knelt down in front of Su Su, futilely trying to cup her face and wipe away her tears, but his fingertips repeatedly pierced her cold skin. The panic of helplessness almost tore him apart.
Consort Zhuang said no more, a fierce glint flashed in her eyes, she stepped forward, suddenly grabbed Su Su's chin and forced her to raise her head, and with her other hand she pulled out the bottle stopper, about to force the bottle of poison down her throat!
"You wretch! What do you think you're doing! Let her go! Let Susu go!" Li Qianche's eyes were bloodshot as he swung his hand to strike Zhuang Fei's hand, trying to knock away the bottle of poison, but his hand passed right through it like a phantom!
"Ugh...no..." Su Su was tightly restrained, powerless to struggle, and could only desperately twist her neck, but Consort Zhuang still brutally poured the unknown poison down her throat. The medicine spilled from the corner of her mouth, mixed with tears, and dripped onto the white snow, spreading a small stain.
After administering the medicine, Consort Zhuang released her grip as if discarding something dirty. Su Su's body went limp, and she collapsed heavily onto the cold snow, curling up and whimpering in pain.
Consort Zhuang watched her dying struggle with smug satisfaction, a near-maniacal smile on her face.
At this moment, her maid Yingchun quickly stepped forward and whispered a few words in her ear. Consort Zhuang's expression changed slightly, and she lowered her head and cursed again, "You wretch!" Then, without looking at Su Su, whose breath was gradually weakening on the ground, she hurriedly left the dilapidated courtyard with her entourage.
"Su Su! Su Su!" Li Qianche rushed to Su Su's side, wanting to pick her up and warm her cold body, but he still couldn't touch her. He watched her curl up in pain, dark blood foam spilling from the corner of her mouth, her breath growing weaker and weaker.
"Imperial Physician! Summon the Imperial Physician! Someone! Su Su! Save Su Su!" He shouted frantically at the empty surroundings, his voice hoarse with despair.
Su Su's vision began to blur, her long eyelashes condensed with ice crystals and tears. She gazed at the gray sky, her eyes filled with endless injustice, resentment, and deep longing. Finally, that faint light went out completely, and her eyes slowly and forever closed.
"No—! Su Su—!"
Li Qianche let out a heart-wrenching scream in his dream, suddenly opened his eyes in bed, his chest heaving violently, his forehead covered in cold sweat, and his heart pounding like a drum.
The warm quilt, the familiar scent of ambergris, and... the real, soft touch in my arms.
He looked down sharply and saw Su Su sleeping peacefully in his arms, breathing evenly, her cheeks glowing with a healthy pink, a stark contrast to the ashen and lifeless appearance in his dream.
A mix of immense panic and the relief of regaining what he had lost caused his heart to clench. He almost trembled as he pulled Su Su into his arms tighter and more forcefully; only the real, warm touch slightly dispelled the coldness and despair of his dream.
He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, eyebrows, and cheeks again and again with almost reverence, feeling the temperature of her skin and the beating of her pulse, confirming that she was really still there, really alive, right where he could reach her.
His rapid and somewhat urgent kisses finally disturbed the peaceful sleep of the person in his arms. Su Su, disturbed in her sleep, let out an unconscious whimper, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. She was not fully awake, but instinctively, in a soft, coquettish voice heavy with sleep, she mumbled, "Your Majesty... no more... spare me..." Her voice trailed off, like a dream. After speaking, she snuggled her head against his chest, finding a more comfortable position, and then fell into a deep sleep again, her breathing becoming even and long once more.
Li Qianche was taken aback by her unconscious reaction, and then the softest part of his heart was deeply touched. She was still there, she could be coquettish, she could complain, she could sleep peacefully in his arms. This vibrant appearance formed an extremely strong contrast with the lifeless person lying in the snow in his dream.
"Susu..." he called her name in a low, hoarse voice, still carrying the lingering fear, but also feeling much calmer. He gently rested his chin on the top of her head, greedily inhaling the reassuring scent emanating from her.
I dreamt twice in a row of Su Su dying so tragically, especially this time, the details were so clear, Consort Zhuang's face was so real, and the scene of being forced to drink the poison was so shocking... Is this really just an ordinary dream?
A strong sense of unease gripped Li Qianche. He could no longer dismiss these as mere nightmares. There had to be something fishy going on.
He gently laid Su Su down, tucked her in, and gazed at her peaceful sleeping face with a deep and resolute look. He had to find out what was going on, and at the same time, he had to get rid of that wicked woman who harbored evil intentions in his dreams and perhaps in reality as well.
As dawn broke, he called out in a deep voice, "Night Shadow."
A dark figure appeared silently in a corner of the hall, kneeling on one knee.
Li Qianche's voice carried a hint of tension that was barely perceptible, but his eyes were sharp as knives, surging with undisguised cold killing intent: "Go and do two things. First, go to the 'Xuanzhen Temple' outside the city in person and be sure to invite Daoist Lingyun to the palace. Tell him... I have important matters to consult."
He paused, each word seeming to have been pulled from an ice cellar, carrying a chilling aura, "Second, send her to the Cold Palace and have Zhuang Shuning 'die of illness.' Make it clean; I don't want to hear any more news about her, nor do I want to see that person again."
"Yes!" Night Shadow's heart skipped a beat as he sensed his master's almost tangible killing intent. He dared not ask any more questions and immediately accepted the order, disappearing from the spot in a flash.
Li Qianche stood alone in the hall, his hands clenched slightly within his sleeves. Whether the dream was a warning or a fleeting illusion, Consort Zhuang could no longer be allowed to live. He would not allow any potential danger to threaten his Susu.
He had many questions in his mind, and needed a true expert to answer them. Why did he keep dreaming of Su Su's tragic end? Was that chilling despair just a nightmare, or... some kind of ominous premonition?
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