Chapter 55 055 She fell into the bathtub and landed in his arms...
The day was sunny and breezy, a rare sight indeed. The sun hung high, casting dazzling sunlight upon every corner of the capital.
Despite the towering palace walls and ancient trees that block out the sky, a chill still lingers in the air.
The palace doors behind her closed gently. When Princess Zhaoyi followed the Empress into Changming Palace, Consort Shu was sitting by the bedside, patiently feeding the unconscious Emperor medicine. Several imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau stood nearby, their expressions solemn.
The sharp-eyed eunuchs nearby spotted the two people entering and hurriedly stepped forward to bow in greeting.
The Empress's gaze fell on the bright yellow bed curtains. An indescribable smell permeated the hall. The windows and curtains were all drawn, and not a breath of wind could enter the hall.
Princess Zhaoyi frowned slightly. She had just walked in when she immediately felt short of breath and had difficulty breathing.
The Empress, worried, quickly stepped forward and asked, "How is Your Majesty today?"
One of the physicians, Liu, with his white hair, stepped forward and bowed. "Although most of the toxins in His Majesty's body have been cleared, some remain and will take some time to be completely eliminated."
Upon hearing this, a cloud of sorrow immediately enveloped the hall.
Because the emperor had not attended court for many days and the crown prince had been overseeing the country, many people in the palace were restless and in a state of panic.
Although the official explanation given was that His Majesty was suffering from an illness caused by wind-evil, he was actually poisoned.
It was an ordinary day, and he went to court as usual. However, after court, while discussing important matters with several ministers, he suddenly fell into a coma due to poisoning.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince discovered the poisoning in time and summoned Physician Liu, the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau. Although Physician Liu was highly skilled, this was the first time he had encountered such a difficult poisoning. Physician Liu was also very troubled and discussed with everyone for a long time before finally finding a relatively safe antidote. Therefore, the Emperor is still unconscious, but a lot of toxins have been cleared from his body. He still needs to recuperate carefully.
To prevent those with ulterior motives from taking advantage of the situation, the Crown Prince ordered a strict ban on the dissemination of the news, and only a handful of officials in the capital knew about it.
Princess Zhaoyi looked at the Emperor lying quietly and felt an indescribable sadness in her heart. During this time, it was Consort Shu who had been taking care of him. It was rare to see the Empress put aside her grudges and speak to her calmly.
When they came out of Changming Palace, only Consort Shu and the imperial physician on duty remained in the palace.
The palace path was long and winding. Princess Zhaoyi followed slowly beside the Empress. She could see that the Empress had been physically and mentally exhausted ever since the Emperor fell into a coma due to poisoning. Even when the sunlight shone on her, she could hardly feel any warmth.
"Mother, how long do you think it will take for Father to wake up this time?"
A gentle breeze blew, causing Princess Zhaoyi's dress to sway in the wind. She looked at the Empress with unease.
"Perhaps soon, or perhaps..."
No one can guarantee what will happen in the palace. The Empress stopped and hesitated for a long time before slowly saying, "You are not young anymore, and the affairs of the court are not stable. If possible, you should choose a suitable husband and marry while your mother is still in charge. No one can predict what will happen in the future."
Some things don't need to be said very directly; Princess Zhaoyi understood the Empress's meaning as soon as she heard it.
The Empress stood in the shadows, out of the sunlight. She lacked her usual dazzling charm, and her expression was extremely calm. Yet, Princess Zhaoyi sensed a deep-seated sense of powerlessness in her. If the master of the palace were to change, she would face many things beyond her control.
In silence, Princess Zhaoyi walked back to the palace, bathed in the warm spring breeze.
From afar, one could see Xie Huaiyuan, as elegant as a banished immortal, standing quietly outside the palace gate, beneath the red walls and glazed tiles.
As the last rays of sunlight streamed in, he looked up at the sound and said, "It's been a long time, Your Highness, how are you?"
Princess Zhaoyi, beaming with joy, strode forward, only to find that the spring breeze stirred up a restlessness just like the sweltering heat of summer.
She smiled, her eyes crinkling, and exclaimed joyfully, "Brother Prince, what brings you here today?"
Xie Huaiyuan looked back and heard a calm, unhurried voice with just the right amount of aloofness: "I happened to find something Your Highness lost a few days ago, and since I happened to be here today, I came to return it."
As soon as she finished speaking, her attendant, Lüzhu, bowed and presented a brocade box to Princess Zhaoyi with both hands.
"What have I lost?"
She reached out and took it, opened it, and her face instantly turned pale. Her lips trembled as she said, "No, it's not... mine."
His tone remained indifferent, and his gaze as he looked up at her was slightly cold: "Recently, palace affairs have been complicated, and I believe Your Highness also hopes for peace and tranquility. If there are any people with bad intentions who want to break up other people, those people will not be able to come back to serve Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will find some other obedient and compliant palace servants."
"Young Master, please let me explain, those, none of them are..."
Princess Zhaoyi's words came to an abrupt halt. She opened her mouth, but dared not continue to argue, and her gaze turned colder.
Xie Huaiyuan slowly approached her, his clear eyes carrying an invisible but powerful pressure that made her want to back away: "Recently, although the Crown Prince is in charge of the country, Your Highness, are you so sure that the one who will have the last laugh is the one currently in charge of the country? Don't provoke her anymore."
Princess Zhaoyi's steps trembled slightly, and she nodded hesitantly. It wasn't until Xie Huaiyuan left that she came to her senses.
A trusted palace maid, feeling sorry for her, stepped forward to help her up: "Your Highness..."
Enraged, she slammed the brocade box in her hand at the palace maid, shouting, "A bunch of idiots! They're good for nothing but causing trouble, and they even let the prince find out about me!"
Under the scorching sun, the brocade box that had fallen to the ground was shattered, and more than ten bloody severed left ears were scattered all over the ground. Among them, she recognized the small pink mole on the ear; it belonged to the lady-in-waiting who had been with her for many years.
Princess Zhaoyi's eyes were bloodshot as she stared coldly at the horizon.
-
The days passed quickly, and the increasingly warm spring breeze stirred up the fallen leaves on the quiet courtyard, which swirled and drifted to Lin Wan's feet.
She felt incredibly frustrated; this was a series of ways to trap her!
In this huge courtyard, she could go anywhere except for the front and back gates, where she couldn't get even half a step closer. However, whenever she stepped in or out, a large group of people would follow her closely.
The feeling was that Xie Huaiyuan was wearing her down with a dull knife, confining her in this small, square courtyard for countless days and nights, almost two months.
Lin Wan felt increasingly uneasy. What if she could never get out and Xie Huaiyuan wanted to keep her locked up here for the rest of her life?
At night, even on the large bed, she gradually became restless. Whenever she heard the slightest footsteps, she would assume that Xie Huaiyuan had returned. She was almost driven crazy by being locked up.
The sun rises and sets, and it has been raining for two or three days in a row.
Perhaps it was the oppressive rain, or perhaps it was the prolonged confinement here.
That night, Lin Wan had great difficulty falling asleep again. The pattering rain made her even more restless.
Suddenly, she heard a faint noise coming from outside the door. It must be Liu Ye, worried, coming in to check on her.
She turned to the side, looking in the direction of the voice: "You don't need to come over tonight, you can go back..."
He didn't say anything more, his eyes fixed on the figure standing in the open doorway, about to enter.
The rain was erratic, the light was dim, and Xie Huaiyuan's tall figure stood at the door. Suddenly, a bright white flash of lightning streaked across the room, and he walked in.
"Asleep?"
Xie Huaiyuan stopped by the bedside. Suddenly, a heavy smell of blood hit her nose, and Lin Wan was still frightened by what she saw.
His clothes were covered in blood.
Are you injured?
"It's not mine, it belongs to someone else."
Lin Wan hurriedly threw off the covers and got up, not even noticing the worried look on her face.
"If you're not sleepy yet, please help me."
When the servants filled the bathtub in the inner room with hot water, steam rose into the air. It was hard to tell whether it was the steam or the burning of her cheeks. Lin Wan stood in the inner room, looking down at the handkerchief in her hand. How could she have agreed so easily!
Xie Huaiyuan asked her to help him wipe his back while he was taking a bath, claiming that there were a lot of stains on his back that he couldn't wash off and that he needed her help.
Seeing Xie Huaiyuan, who had removed his robes stained with what appeared to be rain or blood, standing there naked in front of her, Lin Wan blushed instantly.
"Wanwan?"
Lin Wan reluctantly stepped forward, took the handkerchief in her hand, and began to wipe his back with hot water. As the water in the bucket swayed and the light and shadows shifted, Lin Wan inevitably caught a glimpse of Na Wu hidden in the dark jungle beneath the water. Her breathing quickened, and she hurriedly finished wiping her back in a panic, wanting to escape as soon as possible.
For some reason, the moment Lin Wan saw Xie Huaiyuan appear, she felt her recent frustration vanish. She hesitated and asked, "Does the young master dislike me? Why did he only come today?"
If she gets annoyed or fed up, then she should let herself go. This kind of life, which she feels confined to, is suffocating her.
The heat inside seemed to suddenly stop, and all that could be heard was the sound of her hands wiping his back and splashing water.
"I know I was wrong, Your Highness. I've been very uneasy because you haven't come..."
Before she could finish speaking, a gasp was heard as Lin Wan dropped the wet handkerchief she was holding.
With a "plop," Lin Wan was pulled over by him and unexpectedly fell into the bathtub, landing in his arms. Before she could even react or struggle, Xie Huaiyuan cupped her cheeks in his hands and lowered his head to forcefully kiss her, brooking no refusal.
Lin Wan's mind went blank for a moment. Her clothes were completely soaked and drenched in the water, just like her heart at that moment, adrift and powerless against the heat.
The bathtub, which was originally very large, now seemed so small that there was no extra space for her to stretch out her arms and legs, so she could only sit on his lap.
Lin Wan's breathing became rapid due to his kiss, and her head gradually became dizzy. She reached out to push him away, but Xie Huaiyuan grabbed her wrist and squeezed her against the edge of the tub.
This extreme closeness made her feel even more intensely the burning heat emanating from him, as if he were standing right in front of her...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com