He Lanruo's heartfelt confession still echoed in her ears, but Tang Ning no longer had the mind to savor it, because Situ Yin, who was holding her hand, was walking faster and faster.
Although Tang Ning was already quite tall for a woman, she was still somewhat lacking in stature next to Situ Yin. At this moment, Situ Yin was practically dragging her along, pulling her hand forcefully. In desperation, she even resorted to jogging, but still couldn't keep up.
As Situ Yin walked forward, Tang Ning glanced at the man beside her. She saw his taut jawline, his tightly pursed lips, and his dark eyes filled with the heavy clouds before a summer storm.
It can be said that at this moment, Situ Yin's unhappiness had accumulated to a critical point, and he could explode at the slightest provocation.
Maintaining this pace, the two soon entered the Weiyang Palace, where Tang Ning currently resides.
As soon as they entered the palace, Situ Yin waved his hand slightly, and immediately, Chunmian, Chuntan, and the other palace maids and eunuchs who were waiting in the hall were all driven out by Situ Yin's men.
After being kicked out, Chunmian tugged at Chuntan's sleeve with extreme worry. She was about to say something, but was glared at by the other woman and couldn't utter a single word.
In reality, the usually intelligent Chun Tan had never seen Situ Yin so terrifying before, and she began to feel quite flustered.
Hearing that Helan Ruo had appeared in the palace today, Chun Tan, who intuitively felt that His Majesty and the Empress's current appearance was definitely related to Helan Ruo, had already cursed this wicked woman tens of thousands of times in her heart.
Unaware that Chunmian and Chuntan outside the hall were already worried sick for her, Tang Ning watched as the people in the hall vanished without a trace. Looking at Situ Yin, who was standing with his back to her, she pursed her lips, took two steps forward, and was about to say something.
Unexpectedly, the moment her hand touched the clothes of the person in front of her, the other person seemed to have sensed it beforehand, and suddenly turned around. Before Tang Ning could see the other person's expression clearly, the world spun around, and Tang Ning, who was completely unprepared, was immediately tackled to the soft bed behind her.
Tang Ning, now completely engulfed in bed, watched as the person on top of her stared at her with bloodshot eyes, their gaze filled with a ferocious, beast-like intensity.
For a moment, Tang Ning felt as if the person pressing down on her was not a normal human being, but a large predator from the mountains and forests.
Just then, Tang Ning, who had just heard He Lanruo's so-called final confession, perhaps because she was too immersed in acting and was lying on the bed, suddenly had a tear that had been welling up in her eyes slide down her cheek.
Even so, she kept her eyes wide open, holding her breath as she looked at the man who was hunched over like a beast, pressing down on her.
Upon seeing this tear, Situ Yin tightened his grip on Tang Ning's wrist, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
"What? Touched? Feeling sorry for them? Wanting to back out?"
As Situ Yin asked these questions, his eyes never left Tang Ning's face, as if he didn't want to miss any of her subtle expressions.
"No……"
Tang Ning frowned slightly.
"without you……"
Situ Yin raised an eyebrow, about to say something, when Tang Ning suddenly reached out and hugged him from beneath her, pressing her soft body against his. Situ Yin's eyes opened slightly, and then he heard Tang Ning whisper in his ear, "Don't worry, I will never regret what I've said or done, and I will never look back... As for the rest, can you give me some time, just a little, okay?"
Having grown accustomed to the concubines who trembled like leaves the moment he changed his expression, wishing they could dig a hole in the ground and bury themselves completely, Situ Yin's mind went blank for two seconds at this first encounter. This caused him to miss the chance to break free from Tang Ning's soft embrace. When he came to his senses and heard Tang Ning's words, he felt that she had already said such things, so what could he do?
Slowly, slowly he lowered his head, burying it in Tang Ning's neck. Even though he could smell the rich fragrance, Situ Yin still felt unhappy, an inexplicable unhappiness.
Even he himself couldn't understand what he had to be unhappy about. The person he had schemed so hard to get was now by his side, wasn't she? And his headaches had also been greatly relieved because of the fragrance on Tang Ning's body.
All he wanted was the scent of her body, and now that he has it, what is he still unhappy about?
Despite thinking this to himself, Situ Yin still felt annoyed, depressed, and uncomfortable.
This discomfort was so intense that even the fragrance emanating from Tang Ning couldn't soothe him. On the contrary, the more he held her, the more agitated he became.
Annoyed, Situ Yin suddenly released his embrace and walked straight out the door without even leaving Tang Ning a word.
On the other side, Tang Ning slowly sat up, silently watching the other person's departing figure, but inwardly she raised an eyebrow.
His Majesty will not be coming to Weiyang Palace tonight.
Shortly after, Tang Ning received such a notification.
Leaving aside Tang Ning's reaction in Weiyang Palace, Situ Yin had already made up his mind to figure out the reason for his distress. He even planned to call the Imperial Physician Fang to take his pulse and see if the poison in his body had traveled to his heart, causing him to feel unwell from time to time. Otherwise, why did he only have headaches before, and now even his chest was starting to feel uncomfortable?
He couldn't think of any other reason besides poison.
Upon receiving an audience with Situ Yin, the Imperial Physician, fearing that something might have happened to His Majesty, disregarded everything else and immediately led all twenty or thirty members of the Imperial Medical Academy, young and old, to stand in the hall, solemnly taking Situ Yin's pulse while listening to him describe his current symptoms.
"Is the poison in my body already out of control? I've heard that once the poison enters the heart, even a god can't save me. Otherwise, why would I feel so uncomfortable in front of Consort Ning? And my nephew, even at that point, he still said those kinds of things to Consort Ning. Isn't he just hoping that she'll still remember him even after we've separated? Tell me, isn't he despicable?"
For many years, the people in the Imperial Medical Academy have been working tirelessly to remove the deadly poison from Situ Yin's body. They are the most trusted confidants of Situ Yin, the elite of the elite, and his life often rests in their hands.
Because of the unusual fragrance emanating from Tang Ning, they were among the first to learn of her existence and past identity.
But at this moment, these trusted elites all listened blankly as Situ Yin went on and on about how uncomfortable they had been feeling, and just how cunning Helan Ruo really was...
Then, they all stiffly shifted their gaze to their leader, Fang Yuanling.
Who would have thought that Fang Yuanling, whose hair and beard had turned completely white and who was always serious, cautious and earnest, would listen with such relish, and even show an angry expression on his face in response to Situ Yin's accusations.
Seeing this, the expressions of these clueless young men, who had only ever studied medicine and poison since childhood, became increasingly blank, so blank that they looked as if they were about to drool and start babbling at the next second.
Then these people just watched as their wise and mighty emperor, who could cause millions of deaths with a single rage, and their unfathomable and knowledgeable chief minister, one teasing and the other flattering, went on a "comedy" for the whole afternoon.
Finally, the Imperial Physician Fang withdrew his fingers from Situ Yin's wrist and, with the compassionate look of a healer, advised, "Your Majesty's poison has not yet reached your heart. The reason you feel unwell is likely due to the toxins wreaking havoc within your body. Furthermore, Consort Ning's fragrance has a special suppressive effect on the potent poison in Your Majesty's body. Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty, if possible, to stay by Consort Ning's side at all times. Please remember this."
Upon hearing Fang Yuanling's solemn instructions, Situ Yin, who had been feeling increasingly agitated and unable to even read the memorials, had his lips curl into a smile, but he suppressed it and coughed lightly to cover it up.
"Is the Dean really telling the truth?"
“Every word I uttered came from the bottom of my heart.”
"Alright, I understand. You may all leave now."
"Here you go."
Having received Situ Yin's order, the imperial physicians, who had spent the afternoon as mere decorations, immediately followed the head of the Fang Academy and withdrew.
After walking quite a distance, they cautiously approached Fang Yuanling's side, their expressions filled with worry, and asked him if the poison in His Majesty's body had undergone any changes.
"...It's a pity that later His Majesty kept talking about things like Young Master Helan and Consort Ning, which I couldn't understand. He barely mentioned the illness. Alas..."
One of them sighed with a hint of regret.
No sooner had he finished speaking than he was given a smack on the head by the Imperial Physician.
"Fool."
"They're all idiots!"
"Your Majesty, it's not poisoning. It's just that spring has arrived..." Fang Yuanling stroked his beard knowingly, but seeing his disciples, who were still unmarried, staring at him blankly, he let go of his fingers.
Alas, highbrow art finds few admirers!
He sighed inwardly.
Unaware of what had happened outside, Situ Yin felt much more at ease after these people left.
It wasn't that he wanted to go to Weiyang Palace; he was still feeling uneasy. However, the Imperial Physician Fang had instructed him that due to the poison in his body, he had to stay with Tang Ning at all times.
That's exactly right.
After thinking this through, Situ Yin felt the urge to review the memorials returned.
Nighttime, in Weiyang Palace.
With Chun Tan and Chun Mian attending to her, Tang Ning, who had just finished bathing, frowned slightly as she looked at the sky, which had been fine during the day but suddenly became stormy at night.
"Since His Majesty isn't coming today, Chunmian and Chuntan, you two should close the palace doors. The wind is too strong, and it looks like it's going to rain heavily tonight. Don't forget to have someone move those orchids under the eaves inside; they're very delicate, you know?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, you've already told me three times..."
Although His Majesty did not come, they saw that Tang Ning did not seem too disappointed. Even Chun Mian was in the mood to joke with Tang Ning, only to be scolded by Tang Ning as a mischievous devil.
Chunmian didn't care about Tang Ning's scolding at all. She continued to smile and order people to move the flowers while trying to make Tang Ning happy.
In the end, it was Chun Tan who stepped in, saying that it was windy at the entrance and Tang Ning should not catch a cold, which finally brought an end to this happy time between master and servant.
In the middle of the night, Tang Ning was half asleep when she suddenly heard the sound of a flowerpot breaking. Knowing that the orchids she had asked to be placed in the hall had been kicked over by the thief who had suddenly entered the hall, Tang Ning abruptly opened her eyes and slowly sat up.
Because she never liked having anyone serve her while she slept, there were hardly any palace maids in the huge hall. Now, even if she called out, it would be too late. Tang Ning simply got off the bed barefoot, picked up a wooden stool, and quietly walked towards the outer hall.
As soon as she arrived at the outer hall like a cat, she saw a blurry black figure standing with his back to her. Without even thinking, she raised the wooden stool in her hand and fiercely smashed it at the person.
Perhaps the wind she created was too strong, because the person turned around and looked at her the moment the stool came crashing down.
Without turning around, Tang Ning was worried that she wouldn't hit a vital spot; but once she turned around, her movements became even more ruthless.
The newcomer must have some martial arts skills. He noticed the stool that Tang Ning was about to drop and quickly dodged it, but it was too late. Also, perhaps because he was caught off guard, Tang Ning hit him on the shoulder.
The man let out a familiar groan. Seeing that Tang Ning had finished smashing the person and was about to call for help, he immediately reached out and covered her lips. "It's me."
Inside the inner hall, where the lights were on, Tang Ning sat on the bed, intently applying ointment to Situ Yin's shoulder, which she had bruised from hitting him. As she applied the ointment, she couldn't help but smile.
Situ Yin could tolerate her laughter once or twice, but once she started laughing, she wouldn't stop, and this face-conscious emperor immediately got angry.
Ignoring his own shoulder injury, he pushed Tang Ning down onto the bed and, without thinking, pressed her acupoints to relieve her laughter.
Tang Ning immediately began to laugh unrestrainedly, clutching her stomach and begging for mercy, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I was wrong, really wrong, wrong... Hahahaha... Please forgive me, Your Majesty... Hahahaha..."
Seeing her smiling so happily, Situ Yin, who had been unhappy for almost the entire day, inexplicably felt better as well.
He watched from the side and saw that Tang Ning was about to laugh through her tears before releasing her pressure points.
Unexpectedly, Tang Ning, who had used all sorts of sweet words to ask him to release her pressure points, immediately pounced on him arrogantly as soon as the pressure points were released.
Because it was unexpected for Situ Yin, and because Tang Ning's movements were too exaggerated, she actually pounced on Situ Yin and knocked him down onto the bed. At the same time, she bit his face directly, leaving a shallow tooth mark on his right cheek.
For a moment, not only Tang Ning was stunned, but even Situ Yin was stunned.
The two stared at each other in shock.
The wind outside was getting stronger and stronger, and even the tree branches started to slap against the windows.
The temperature inside the room inexplicably rose.
When their eyes met, no one knew whose heart started racing first, which affected the other. By the time they realized it, their hearts were already pounding wildly.
Tang Ning was the first to react. She hurriedly got out of bed, sat down with her knees drawn up to her chest, and asked dryly, "Your Majesty...didn't Your Majesty say that you weren't coming to Weiyang Palace tonight?"
"I...I...I can come whenever I want."
After proclaiming himself emperor for a long time without receiving any further instructions, Situ Yin simply reneged on his promise.
Perhaps fearing that Tang Ning would continue to ask questions he didn't know how to answer, Situ Yin raised his hand and used a jade stone to extinguish the lamps in the hall. He then lay down on the bed, muttering things like "I'm so sleepy" and "I'm going to sleep."
Tang Ning, who had been sitting in complete darkness for a while, could only lie down helplessly when she saw this.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she lay down, an arm immediately reached out in front of her and scooped her up into its embrace.
As he inhaled the familiar fragrance, Situ Yin felt as if he had never felt so peaceful and content before.
This made him subconsciously tighten his embrace, then tighten it even more, while the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
Almost simultaneously, at the Imperial Observatory.
The white-robed official from the Imperial Observatory, seeing the increasingly fierce winds outside, asked the young servant beside him again, still worried.
"Are you sure you sent my memorial to His Majesty?"
"Yes."
"That's fine then."
Since His Majesty ascended the throne, their Imperial Astronomical Bureau has been repeatedly instructed to accurately predict thunderstorms, or else face execution.
The weather looks rather strange today; there's a possibility of thunder tonight, so the Imperial Observatory is naturally terrified.
Although he didn't understand why His Majesty cared so much about thunderstorms, he could only do his duty as His Majesty instructed.
Meanwhile, the memorials sent by the Imperial Observatory to Situ Yin were still among the pile of memorials that Situ Yin had not yet finished reviewing due to the half-day delay.
The Imperial Astronomical Bureau's weather predictions were indeed accurate; not long after the strong winds began to blow, a thunderclap resounded in the sky in the latter half of the night.
Almost the instant the thunder roared, Situ Yin, who had been sleeping with his eyes closed on the bed, immediately opened his eyes and quickly disappeared from the bed.
The thunder was so dense and loud that even Tang Ning was awakened from her sleep.
She had just woken up when she immediately realized something was wrong. Why was she all alone on the large bed?
What about Situ Yin?
Another clap of thunder, and a thick bolt of lightning almost turned the hall white. Tang Ning took the opportunity to look around, but there was no sign of Situ Yin.
Did he leave in the middle of his sleep? What kind of weird habit is that?
In the middle of the night, Tang Ning, whose system had even gone to sleep, frowned and thought to herself.
Just then, she suddenly heard a strange sound coming from the cabinet not far away.
She looked at the cabinet, which was only half a person's height, and an unbelievable thought came to her mind.
Really?
Listening intently to the sounds coming from the cabinet, Tang Ning tentatively got off the bed and slowly walked towards it.
The closer she got to the cabinet, the louder the noise became, as if someone was repeatedly saying something she couldn't understand in her ear.
She slowly reached out her hand only when she reached the cabinet.
With a creak, the cabinet door opened, and in the dim light, Tang Ning met a pair of wet eyes.
Heaven knows, those eyes actually belonged to Situ Yin.
"His Majesty……"
Tang Ning had just called out to him in disbelief when, a second later, another thunderclap boomed behind her.
Caught off guard, Tang Ning was pulled inside by the person in the cabinet, and then the cabinet door slammed shut beside her.
They pulled her into the closet, but the person next to her still tried desperately to shrink himself into the corner.
Only when she got closer could she understand what the other person was repeatedly saying.
"Mother is going to have a little sister, so be good on New Year's Day, and don't be naughty on New Year's Day..."
"Be good, Mother is not in pain, Mother does not cry..."
"Stop, stop, stop..."
"Stop shouting! Stop shouting! It's so noisy!"
Unlike the original storyline where two couples found happiness together, the character of Situ Yin, who played the villain from beginning to end, was not given much attention. Even Tang Ning, who racked her brains and reread the plot repeatedly, couldn't figure out what Situ Yin's current situation was. In addition, his words were unclear, and Tang Ning didn't get any useful information.
Just then, 54088, which had been in a dormant state, woke up in time, and the hidden plot slowly unfolded before Tang Ning.
Such thunderstorms were, in fact, the day of the supposed death of the late Empress, Situ Yin's mother, who was rumored to have died in childbirth.
Her death was not simply due to a difficult childbirth. Rather, it was caused by the late emperor's favored concubine, who deliberately allowed her to become pregnant. When her figure was out of shape, her body was covered in spots, and she was at her ugliest yet full of hope, the concubine brought people to her palace. After she had been in labor for a while, the concubine deliberately poisoned her, so that the empress, who had been dominating her for so many years, would struggle and groan all night before dying with her intestines ruptured.
I've heard that whatever a person is like when they die, that's what they'll be like in the underworld!
She wanted this empress to die in the ugliest and most wretched form, so that even in the underworld she would not find relief.
And all of this was clearly seen by Situ Yin, who had fallen asleep under the phoenix bed because of his mischievousness.
No one knows why Situ Yin, who was so young at the time, was able to watch his mother cry and struggle without making a sound. Moreover, because there were people guarding his mother outside, he stayed under the bed and watched her all night.
After a night of agony, his mother opened her eyes wide and breathed her last before his very eyes.
Even in death, she gave Situ Yin a final, loving smile.
It was as if she was telling him—
From now on, when your mother is no longer by your side, you must take good care of yourself, New Year's Day.
Seeing this, Tang Ning looked at Situ Yin beside her in disbelief. With another clap of thunder, he repeated his words again. Tang Ning slowly raised her hand and gently covered Situ Yin's ears. As soon as her hand covered Situ Yin's ears, he immediately hugged her tightly as if she were his lifeline, holding her tighter and tighter, as if he wanted to grow up with her.
Perhaps worried that covering her ears wouldn't be enough, Tang Ning tentatively hummed a nursery rhyme that her grandfather had told her to lull her to sleep when she was a child.
"It's dark outside, but the moonlight is bright..."
No one knew how long she hummed, but as her voice grew hoarse and the thunder outside subsided, Situ Yin in her arms finally stopped trembling and murmuring.
Like lost little animals huddled together for warmth in the jungle, the two fell into a deep sleep, their heads touching, as the thunder gradually subsided.
Even when they were asleep, the two of them didn't know when their hands were clasped together and they didn't let go at all.
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