The hands gripping her chin were white and trembling, and his murderous aura was hard to conceal.
Tears welled up in Chu Changning's eyes involuntarily as she looked at him and spoke directly.
"Then I'm telling you plainly now, Yan Beimo, we were wrong from the very beginning."
Yan Beimo was angered by her words, which aggravated the injury in his chest.
"At the very beginning?! A broken bone nail?!"
He chuckled, and three nails suddenly flashed past her eyes, piercing the red pillar behind her with a bang.
“You hold a grudge against those three broken bone nails; I’ll make you return them.”
The air seemed to freeze in her eyes.
Chu Changning clearly saw the madness in his eyes, and with a glance, she saw the three cold, menacing broken bone nails. She sneered.
What do you want to do?
"I'll give you a chance to get revenge."
His tone was light and casual, yet it sent a chill down Chu Changning's spine.
She felt a chill run through her body, her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single word.
"Chu Changning, don't you dare?"
He looked down at her, his expression terrifyingly indifferent.
The sound of rain outside the window was mournful and sharp, enveloping the entire hall.
Chu Changning stared at him, her eyes blurry.
The next moment, three broken bone nails suddenly flew out from the red pillar.
She only felt a flash of white light before her eyes, and the broken bone nail flew past and pierced his shoulder with a soft thud.
Blood gushed out, and his face turned deathly pale. His dark pupils stared at her intently, their intensity terrifying.
"Ah Ning, is this enough?"
Chu Changning stared wide-eyed at the sight. Painful emotions, like vines sprouting from the ground, tightly wrapped around her heart, tightening, tearing, and suppressing her feelings, causing a sudden surge of metallic taste in her throat.
A madman, an absolute madman.
Blood kept flowing from the corner of his mouth, and the original wound tore open. When the guards outside heard the noise and rushed in, they saw that His Majesty had fainted.
The hall was dark and desolate; anyone who saw the scene would assume it was Chu Changning's doing, and the gazes cast upon them were chillingly cold.
Night Hawk glanced at her, then quickly took her back to Changxin Palace and summoned the imperial physician.
Everyone had left, and the sound of the wind howled in the cold palace at night.
Chu Changning stared blankly at the blood on the ground, her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, but she seemed oblivious.
After an unknown amount of time, she covered her face, and her suppressed sobs came from the inner hall.
Inside the palace gardens, the sound of rain pattering against the eaves of the palace continued all night.
Chu Changning sat on the ground all night and fell ill.
The Cold Palace was deserted, and no one knew anything. The little palace maid who brought the food initially ignored her, but when she realized something was wrong, her face turned terribly pale.
The young palace maid was alarmed and hurriedly went to find the head steward.
Although this woman is imprisoned in this cold palace, His Majesty actually came in person that night. Who knows when she will regain favor? If she dies, she shouldn't live either.
When Nighthawk learned of this, he was in a state of utter distress.
His Majesty is seriously injured and has not yet woken up. If the people in Jiankang find out, who knows how big a fuss it will be.
Upon hearing this, he glanced at the dimly lit hall and spoke.
"Send the imperial physician to examine him, lest he die."
Chu Changning was delirious with fever. After the imperial physician examined him, he only gave her a few prescriptions and did not mention the poison in her body.
The young palace maid was afraid that she would really die, so she gave her medicine at fixed times every day.
Chu Changning was given several bowls of medicinal soup, and his consciousness gradually returned.
The sky darkened and then brightened again. She didn't know how long she had been lying on the sickbed. Each time the poison flared up, her body gradually weakened, her face became thin, and her once slender waist was almost too small to be grasped in one hand.
By the time she was able to go out, the lotus flowers in the pond had all withered.
Having not seen sunlight for a long time, Chu Changning raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glare and squinted slightly as he looked at the dilapidated palace.
After a short while, she went to the well to fetch water to wash herself.
Her clothes smelled terrible. After washing up, she returned to the inner palace and looked around. All she found was a white cloak lying on the small couch.
Holding the familiar clothes in her hands, the scene from that night once again swept through her mind. She closed her eyes in pain, ignoring the piercing, agonizing pain, and leaned against the bed to recover.
The people in the palace are the best at picking and choosing jobs. Naturally, no one would bother to clean this desolate, godforsaken palace. The squeaking of cockroaches and rats came from the old cabinets.
Hearing the rustling sound, Chu Changning snapped back to reality. She took off her dirty clothes and wrapped herself in a cloak.
His robes were long, and when he wore them, it looked as if he had stolen an adult's clothes.
She had no choice but to go outside and wash the dirty clothes.
The well water was cold, and she squatted down beside it, slowly washing herself.
The palace maid who usually delivered meals saw someone washing clothes as soon as she entered. She went over and delivered the food box and medicine to the person.
The people in the palace are very good at reading the room. Ever since Yan Beimo came that night, the food has never been lacking.
Chu Changning washed and hung up his clothes, then silently returned to the palace to eat and take his medicine.
She glanced at the young palace maid who was packing up the food box to leave, and spoke to her for the first time.
"Could you teach me how to start a fire in that small kitchen?"
The palace maid was stunned; she didn't even know this.
Indeed, I heard that the empress in this abandoned palace is His Majesty's first wife, Princess Jinling of the previous dynasty. How could someone born with a silver spoon in her mouth do such trivial things?
She felt a pang of disdain in her heart, but seeing her expression, she agreed.
Chu Changning wasn't incapable of starting a fire; she simply had never used that stove before, and the fire she lit went out immediately.
She watched as the palace maid quickly started a fire, then carefully examined it before putting water from the well into the pot to heat it.
"What does Your Highness intend to do?"
Chu Changning said calmly, "Boil some water and wash up."
The palace maid pouted, "What's the point of being particular about things in this cold palace?"
She thought for a moment, then went back and got a piece of soapberry, which she handed to her.
"Your Majesty, please make do with this."
Chu Changning paused for a moment, then said, "Thank you."
The young palace maid has left.
After heating the water, Chu Changning took a towel and closed the door of the small kitchen, poured the water into the simple bathtub, and washed her body.
During the day, the sun shines, and clothes dry quickly. At night, she changes into clean clothes and sits on the porch, gazing at the moon overhead.
It's cold up north, and it's been raining a lot lately. The wind howls in the August nights.
Chu Changning overheard the palace maids sweeping outside the palace gate chatting idly, saying that His Majesty had woken up. She was slightly taken aback and lowered her head.
She had been imprisoned in this cold palace for who knows how long, and had no idea what it was like outside.
She had a mother who murdered the emperor, Ayu---
What should he do?
Chu Changning crossed his arms and stared blankly at the ground.
A cold wind blew through her dress, and the surroundings were desolate and bleak.
It was too cold, and her body couldn't take it. She coughed violently a few times, and a pool of black blood spilled from her mouth. She stared blankly at the blood in her palm, not reacting for a moment.
The sounds outside faded into the distance, and the entire Cold Palace was as dark as a ghost, with only the rustling of leaves all around.
Chu Changning walked to the pool, washed the blood off his hands, pulled his clothes tighter, and returned to the palace.
She lay on the couch, forcing herself to fall asleep.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com