Chapter 592 The Emperor Risked His Life to Save Him
Warm blood gradually permeated his entire body.
Du Wanchun slightly opened her eyes and saw the emperor blocking their way.
The weakened emperor, somehow able to stand before the two of them, spread his arms and blocked the arrow flying towards them.
She was shocked.
Zhou Ruiyuan was just as surprised as she was.
Zhou Ruiyuan had just been shot in the back, and his face was slightly pale. He held Du Wanchun tightly and looked up at the person behind him, "Father?!"
This was the first time he had called him that since leaving the palace.
The emperor trembled at the sound, collapsed to the ground with a thud, spitting blood. He looked up at him, his eyes filled with concern, "Yuan'er...you..."
His throat was hoarse, and his voice was uneven; he had to struggle to squeeze out those two words.
He had just heard a commotion at the restaurant next door and went out to check. He found that Zhou Ruiyuan and Du Wanchun had been assassinated. In a panic, he immediately swallowed the two pills that the little eunuch had left him.
The pill took effect, and he rushed over to shield Zhou Ruiyuan from the arrow.
An arrow pierced his heart, and with the backlash from the medication, he was left with only a breath left.
"Big brother, sister-in-law!"
Zhou Zhao and Lu Yan, who were standing nearby, quickly came to their senses after being surprised. They split into two groups: one group protected Du Wanchun and the others, while the other group rushed up to the inn.
With Du Wanchun's support, Zhou Ruiyuan slowly turned around and approached the emperor.
At this moment, everyone's face was filled with shock.
No one expected the emperor to risk his life to save him.
Zhou Ruiyuan crouched down, looking at the emperor, whose breath was weak. His eyes were unfocused, his hands trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with disbelief. "Didn't you already escape the palace? Why did you come to save me?"
The emperor lay on the ground, his haggard eyes no longer possessing their former strength. He looked at Zhou Ruiyuan with only heartache and relief.
I felt sorry for him because he was injured, but I was relieved that the second arrow didn't hit him.
He reached out slightly, wanting to touch his face, but his already frail body was too weak to support the movement; only his fingers trembled slightly in the cold wind.
He endured the excruciating pain in his throat and, with all his remaining strength, managed to utter the words:
"You...don't...care about me...I was already dying..."
"I just... just wanted to be a father one last time..."
"Yuan'er...it is your father who has failed you..."
"In the next life...do not be born into royalty again..."
With each word the emperor spoke, his voice grew weaker, until finally one had to stand very close to him to hear what he was saying.
Lying on his sickbed, unable to speak, actually suppressed a lot of his anger.
Now, as he faced death, the murderous aura suddenly vanished, leaving only his resentment and regret.
Once upon a time, he, Zhou Ruiyuan, and the Empress were a happy family of three.
His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and he vaguely saw past scenes resurfacing.
Zhou Ruiyuan was his and the Empress's first child, and also his eldest son.
He remembered that year when he was born, he held him and didn't sleep all night, his heart filled with uncontainable joy.
The soft baby in his arms was like a treasure bestowed upon him by heaven, which he cherished dearly.
Unfortunately, he was blinded by desire and power, completely forgetting the joy he felt at the time. With his hands stained with the blood of his own relatives, he was destined to meet a tragic end.
Zhou Ruiyuan was filled with complex emotions. In his childhood, the emperor had always been a loving father figure.
When he suddenly fell ill, he would come to his palace at night, gently stroke his back, and call him Yuan'er.
Unfortunately, his kindness was genuine, but so was his ruthlessness in trying to kill him back then.
He both loved and hated his father, the emperor.
Now, he actually rushed out before his death, offering his life to repent to him.
What had been weighing on his mind for years gradually came to an end in that instant.
Father and son, he used his life to settle past grievances.
Du Wanchun supported Zhou Ruiyuan and gently embraced him.
Zhou Ruiyuan's eyes gradually became misty with tears, and he finally reached out and gently grasped the emperor's trembling hand.
The emperor's eyes slowly closed, his trembling hand stopped, he froze in place, his breathing became weak, and then he seemed to stop breathing with satisfaction, willingly accepting death.
When Zhou Ruiyuan saw the emperor who had already died, he was slightly stunned, and his mind went blank.
The ruthless and incompetent emperor died a pathetic death in the street, which was quite ironic.
Zhou Ruiyuan slowly withdrew his hand and, with Du Wanchun's help, stood up with difficulty.
Du Wanchun could feel the pain in his back wound with every movement, and she felt heartbroken. She wanted to dissuade him, but in the end, she swallowed the words in her mouth.
Zhou Ruiyuan took off his cloak and gently covered the emperor with it, making him look less disheveled. This was his way of fulfilling his filial duty as a son and giving the emperor his final dignity.
The Third Prince and Aunt Zhou also arrived. Looking at their old friends, they were filled with mixed emotions.
Lu Yan, who had just returned from the inn, was the calmest. He strode over and said, "Your Highness, all those Southern Barbarians have been captured by us. You should hurry back to the palace to heal your wounds."
Hearing this from afar, Aunt Zhou strode over, "What? Ruiyuan is injured?"
After saying that, he quickly went to Zhou Ruiyuan's side to check on his injuries.
When she arrived, she only saw the emperor take the arrow for Zhou Ruiyuan, unaware that he had been injured for Du Wanchun beforehand. Seeing the wound pierced by the arrow, she was both anxious and heartbroken.
Zhou Ruiyuan's face grew increasingly pale. "Uncle, Mother, I'm alright. Who was the assassin at the inn just now? Have you found him?"
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