Chapter 65 The Left Prime Minister is Imprisoned, his eyes full of mockery, "Or is it you..."
The one-month period has arrived.
Inside Weiyang Palace, Yun Ke and Zhu Yin stayed up all night to keep watch over Gu Xi, their eyes swollen from crying.
She didn't go back to the Qianqing Palace last night, and he didn't come looking for her either.
This was the first time she had stayed overnight in Weiyang Palace since returning to the palace.
She was in excruciating pain at night, and when she opened her eyes, she both wanted to see him and was afraid to see him.
He really doesn't want her anymore.
That's good, that way he won't be too sad if she dies...
She had been worried he would end up like his parents, but now it's for the best...
She gave Zhuyin some instructions, and she left some letters: one for him, one for her brother, and one for Huayue...
She closed her eyes and lay on the bed, quietly waiting for death, with the sobs of Zhuyin and Yunke in her ears.
Suddenly, the sobbing was interrupted by the sound of a door being pushed open, and Huayue rushed in.
"Sister Zhuyin, I just found a box outside the door with a pill inside." Huayue's voice was slightly anxious. She had just returned from the imperial kitchen and saw the box; it wasn't there when she left in the morning.
She felt that the Empress had been acting strangely these past few days, but they wouldn't let her in, and she was really worried.
Upon hearing this, Gu Xi suddenly opened her eyes and sat up in shock, with Zhu Yin quickly helping her up.
Could it be the antidote?
She and Yun Ke exchanged a glance, and she said, "Hua Yue, bring it over so I can take a look."
Gu Xi and Mu Yunke carefully examined the pills in the box. They sniffed them, broke them open, and looked at them, but they couldn't be completely sure.
Gu Xi hesitated for a moment, but still swallowed it in one gulp. Zhu Yin quickly filled a glass of water and gave it to Gu Xi to drink.
Now we have no choice but to try anything, even if it seems hopeless.
After an incense stick's time, the medicine seemed to take effect. Gu Xi suddenly vomited a mouthful of black blood, her consciousness began to blur, and she was plunged into boundless darkness.
She vaguely heard Zhu Yin's panicked cries in her ear, and the sound of weeping filling the room.
In an instant, her world became completely silent, and she could hear nothing.
The sunlight streaming through the windowpanes, like slanting golden lines, flowed into dim, yellowish spots before finally being swallowed by the night.
Xiao Heng's tall figure stood in front of the gate of Weiyang Palace. The copper bells on the eaves jingled softly in the cold wind, and a low whistling sound came from the crack in the door.
He raised his hand to push open the vermilion door, but abruptly pulled it back when his fingertips touched the cold door knocker.
As he was about to turn around, her pale face from that day suddenly appeared in his mind. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally gripped the door knocker and pushed open the door.
The courtyard was eerily quiet, with only the light coming from her room. His heart suddenly started pounding, and his earlier hesitation instantly turned into panic.
He quickened his pace and pushed open her door.
The creaking of the door hinges was particularly jarring in the still night. The people gathered around the bed turned around in unison and hurriedly knelt down: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
The air was thick with the lingering smell of medicine, along with a faint whiff of blood. The maids surrounding her had swollen, red eyes when they turned around.
Xiao Heng's panic intensified. He walked past everyone and sat straight on the edge of the bed. He saw that her face on the bed was frighteningly pale, and her hair on her forehead was soaked with sweat.
He asked in a trembling voice, "What happened to her?"
Yun Ke was surprised by Xiao Heng's sudden appearance. She did not forget Gu Xi's instructions and carefully said, "Your Majesty, Consort Xi caught a cold and her high fever has just subsided. She has fainted."
Gu Xi woke up once two hours after taking the medicine, and her pulse gradually returned to normal. It seemed that the medicine really was the antidote.
However, her pain had not completely subsided. She had just given her acupuncture and medicine, hoping that she would feel better. She just didn't know how long she could hold on and hoped that the Emperor would not find out anything was wrong.
Xiao Heng felt relieved upon hearing this, thinking that she must have caught a chill outside the Imperial Study that day, as she had always been delicate.
Seeing Gu Xi's brows furrow, Yun Ke knew that the pain was starting to affect her again, and quickly added, "Your Majesty's illness is severe this time, with cold pathogens penetrating to the bone, hence... hence the pain all over your body. This servant has just fed Your Majesty the medicine."
As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Xi began to curl up in pain, large beads of sweat seeping from her forehead.
Gu Xi, who was in a deep sleep, seemed to hear his voice and unconsciously murmured, "Aheng, I'm in so much pain..." Her voice was trembling.
Xiao Heng felt as if something had gripped his heart tightly. He swallowed hard and ordered, "You may all leave now."
Yun Ke replied, "This servant will guard outside. If..." If Gu Xi's situation changes, she dared not say so. She steadied herself and said, "If Your Majesty has any orders, please call this servant."
After saying that, he withdrew.
Xiao Heng lay down beside her, pulled her into his arms, and coaxed her in a hoarse voice, "It'll stop hurting soon, sweetie."
Listening to his gentle words and feeling that warm and familiar embrace enveloping her, tears welled up in Gu Xi's eyes without her noticing.
Was it him? Did he come to see her?
She longed to open her eyes and see him, but waves of heat surged through her body, making her feel as if she were in a sea of fire one moment and then plunged into an ice cellar the next. The alternating hot and cold tormented her, accompanied by pain in her bones, leaving her utterly powerless.
Xiao Heng wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingertips. Looking at her trembling body, his heart suddenly clenched, and he hugged her even tighter.
It wasn't until late at night that she gradually calmed down and fell into a deep sleep in his arms.
Why is she so sick?
In the early morning, Xiao Heng opened his eyes, raised his hand to feel her forehead temperature. The fever had subsided, but her face felt a little cool.
He pressed his palm against her cheek, the warmth enveloping her. Gu Xi snuggled against him comfortably, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she slowly opened her eyes. What she saw was Xiao Heng's deep gaze.
It turns out last night wasn't a dream; he really did come to see her.
The excruciating pain has disappeared; has her poison been neutralized?
Gu Xi pouted, clutched her clothes with both hands, and burst into tears, feeling wronged: "Aheng..."
Xiao Heng's originally cold heart softened the moment he saw her tears, but his expression remained tense as he asked stiffly, "Are you feeling better?"
Gu Xi choked back a sob and gave a soft "Mmm".
Xiao Heng summoned Mu Yunke in, and seeing that she was alright, he went to court.
Gu Xi then recuperated in Weiyang Palace for some time. In order to allow her to rest well and avoid going back and forth, Xiao Heng did not let her go to Qianqing Palace, but only came to dine with her every day.
He would hold her while she slept at night, but there seemed to be a barrier between them. She knew that the contraceptive soup incident had made him resentful.
The weather was fine that day, and the sunlight shone through the window, making people's faces feel warm and cozy.
Gu Xi hadn't left her room for quite some time. Today, she wanted to take a walk in the Imperial Garden and then have a meal with Xiao Heng at the Qianqing Palace.
More importantly, the poison in her body has been almost completely cleared, and she will soon be able to have their child. She wants to tell him this good news.
The Imperial Garden looked very lively today, with groups of palace maids and eunuchs chatting about something everywhere.
"Have you heard? The Left Prime Minister has been imprisoned!" several palace maids whispered from behind a tree trunk.
Gu Xi happened to be passing by them when she heard this and suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Bai Xingzhi is in jail? What happened?
What about Yao Yao?
They just got married!
The palace maids, not noticing Gu Xi and Zhu Yin, continued, "Such a big event has already spread throughout the palace! How could we not know!"
"Do you know why?"
“I know that… I heard from a young eunuch in the Ministry of Justice that it was because,” the palace maid lowered her voice even further, “that it was because of treason!”
"Is this news true or false?" Treason is a serious crime!
"Of course it's true!"
Treason?!
How could Bai Xingzhi have colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country?
She had a gut feeling that he wasn't that kind of person; had he been framed?
Gu Xi was still in shock and didn't even notice when the palace maids left. Only after she came to her senses did she hurriedly head towards the Qianqing Palace.
Xiao Heng trusts Bai Xingzhi so much, is he also overwhelmed by this? She needs to ask him quickly.
What about Yao Yao? Will she be implicated?
Gu Xi rushed to the Qianqing Palace in great anxiety, only to find Xiao Heng sitting at the imperial table in the front hall, calmly reviewing memorials, seemingly unaffected by the matter.
She lifted her skirt and hurried to his side, asking urgently, "Aheng, I heard that Lord Bai has been imprisoned, is it true?" Her voice was panting, indicating that she had run all the way here.
Xiao Heng paused, his hand holding the pen twitching slightly. He then continued reviewing the memorials without looking up.
Seeing his calm demeanor, Gu Xi became even more anxious: "I heard the crime is..." She didn't dare to say the rest of the sentence; the crime was far too serious. "Is there some misunderstanding?"
Seeing that he remained unmoved, Gu Xi couldn't help but gently clench his sleeve.
Xiao Heng stopped what he was doing, his gaze first falling on her hands, then slowly raising his head to look at her, but there was no warmth in his eyes: "You came to see me just to say this?" His eyes were full of mockery.
"I..." Gu Xi was frozen by the indifference in his eyes, the words stuck in her throat, and her hand unconsciously loosened its grip.
Xiao Heng continued, his voice cold and indifferent: "If you are worried about Yu Xinyao, you can rest assured. I can assure you that this matter was done by Bai Xing alone and will not implicate her." He curled his lips into a smile, his eyes full of mockery. "Or are you worried about more than just her?"
Gu Xi was slightly taken aback: "Aheng, I don't understand what you mean?"
Of course she was worried about Yao Yao, who was her best friend. They had grown up together since childhood, and she treated Yao Yao like a sister.
But she was also worried about Bai Xingzhi, who was Yao Yao's husband, someone Xiao Heng trusted, and also her friend.
Xiao Heng's eyes were full of mockery. His hands, with their distinct knuckles, slowly tightened. A faint smile appeared on his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes: "Do you really not understand?" His voice was colder than the frost of winter.
Gu Xi stared at him blankly. At that moment, she suddenly felt as if there was an icy river between them.
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Author's Note: It's getting late, and my typing is getting slower and slower, what's going on? [laughing and crying with facepalm] I'm almost at the last straw.
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