strike
The heavy blow was like the last straw, completely crushing Chu Yiran's already weak body.
After that heart-wrenching wail in front of the Marquis's mansion, his vision went black and he fainted again. This time, his breathing was so weak that it was almost imperceptible, and his face was ashen, like a candle flame about to burn out.
Su Jing placed Chu Yiran in the Qianqing Palace. He ordered the imperial physicians to take turns on duty, and rare medicinal herbs were sent into the palace like a flowing stream. Various decoctions were tried again and again, but Chu Yiran's body was like a water sack with a broken bottom. No matter how much vitality was poured in, it could not be stopped from flowing away.
Chu Yiran had a persistent high fever and spent far more time in a coma than awake. Occasionally, when he opened his eyes, his gaze was blank, and he could only make broken, hoarse breaths, unable to utter a complete sentence.
"Your Majesty... General Chu is suffering from excessive grief, his internal organs are collapsing, and his heart meridian is damaged... No medicine can fully cure him..." The imperial physician replied tremblingly, only to be met with Su Jing smashing a teacup and a deathly silence of despair.
Su Jingguang recruited renowned doctors from all over the country, offering a hefty reward, but no matter how many doctors came to examine his pulse, they all ultimately just shook their heads in despair.
While a low-pressure atmosphere hung over the Qianqing Palace, undercurrents surged within the court. Someone had to take responsibility for the disastrous defeat in the northern campaign. Soon, all fingers, both overt and covert, pointed at the man lying dying in the deep palace.
"Your Majesty! The Imperial Advisor Chu Yiran has spread heretical rumors, causing our army to underestimate the enemy and advance recklessly, resulting in the deaths of 30,000 soldiers! This is the root of our national disaster! I request that he be dismissed from all his official posts and handed over to the Three Judicial Offices for a joint trial to thoroughly investigate the reasons for our defeat in the Northern Desert!" Censor Zheng Qin was the first to challenge the emperor, and his memorial landed with a resounding thud.
Immediately afterwards, even more officials swarmed in—
"I second that opinion! Chu Yiran, relying on His Majesty's favor, has acted arrogantly throughout the court and the country; his intentions deserve to be punished!"
"The defeat in the northern desert was not a natural disaster, but a man-made calamity! I beseech Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"
"Your Majesty, please dismiss the Imperial Preceptor to appease the army and quell public anger!"
...
This was merely the slander within the imperial court. In the common people and marketplaces, rumors spread like a plague, becoming even more vicious and absurd.
In the teahouses and taverns, people whispered amongst themselves, their eyes darting around—
"Have you heard? Our Imperial Advisor is no ordinary person; he's a reincarnated demon, and he's most skilled at bewitching people!"
"Absolutely! They've been promoting fortune-telling and divination since I was little, but it's all just sorcery!"
"It has long been said that His Majesty's ability to ascend the throne was due to his behind-the-scenes advice!"
"That's not all! Everyone says that the former Crown Prince Su Qi died suddenly, and the Third Prince was imprisoned, all because of his poisoning!"
"And what happened at the examination hall before, so many scholars died, and there was a riot among the refugees outside the city. I heard he was the one who did it!"
"Tsk tsk, he doesn't even spare his own family members. Weren't his two uncles dealt with by His Majesty at his instigation? He's a scourge to his parents and brothers!"
"This kind of devil, I heard he even secretly seduced His Majesty... otherwise His Majesty would still have an empty harem... he's a real jinx!"
...
Rumors are like poison, piercing the heart and corroding the bones, more destructive than swords.
Faced with these insidious rumors, Su Jing vehemently suppressed them, publicly issuing an edict of self-reproach, taking full responsibility for the Battle of Mobei, and stating directly, "This is my fault."
However, this edict of self-reproach not only failed to quell public anger, but instead added fuel to the fire.
The officials knelt before the palace, weeping bitterly: "Your Majesty! You have been deeply deceived by treacherous and wicked men!"
The people were buzzing with discussion: "See! His Majesty has truly been bewitched by him! Even now, he's still protecting him!"
"Without eliminating the sorcerer, the country will never have peace!"
...
Until the imperial examination in the spring, the newly appointed top scholar, in full view of everyone, rose from his seat, knelt down, and spoke out loudly:
"Your Majesty! I have something to say, something that has been stuck in my throat, and I must speak it out! The court is in turmoil, and the people are restless, all because of the Imperial Preceptor, Chu Yiran! Your Majesty is the ruler of the nation and the head of all people. How can you allow yourself to be entangled with that treacherous minister who has brought ruin to the country, disregarding the fate of the nation, for your own personal feelings? I have heard that he not only bewitches Your Majesty's mind, but also persecutes loyal officials, frames princes, and even..."
He spoke passionately, recounting all the evil deeds of Chu Yiran that were circulating in the streets—forcing the former crown prince to his death, plotting the massacre at the examination hall, eliminating his relatives, and even the defeat in the northern desert—his words were sharp and resounding.
The hall fell silent instantly. All the ministers held their breath, their eyes darting back and forth between the young scholar and the emperor, whose face was ashen.
The wine glass in Su Jing's hand was crushed to pieces with a "crack".
"Insolence!" Su Jing stood up abruptly. "Disrespectful behavior in the palace, slandering an important official—who gave you the audacity? Guards!"
The imperial guards entered in response.
"Drag this arrogant scoundrel away! Throw him into the imperial prison and keep him under strict guard!" Su Jing's eyes flashed with a cold light, each word like an ice pick.
"Your Majesty! Everything I have said is true! Honest advice is hard to swallow, Your Majesty! You must not be deceived by the sorcerer any longer..." The top scholar shouted loudly as he was dragged away, his voice echoing in the deathly silent hall, sounding particularly jarring.
This move completely turned the undercurrents into a raging storm. Su Jing's decree not only failed to silence public opinion, but instead became the final spark that ignited all discontent and panic.
Meanwhile, in the warm chamber of the Qianqing Palace, the scent of medicine mingled with silence. Chu Yiran finally broke free from her long drowsiness and opened her eyes. But those eyes were devoid of any former sparkle, only a bottomless desolation remained.
He also refused to see Su Jing again, resisting her whenever she got too close, and Su Jing dared not see him easily anymore.
Chu Yiran lay listlessly in bed all day long, his voice hoarse from the high fever. His body seemed to have been hollowed out, and even simple movements like raising his hand were extremely difficult.
On this day, light footsteps were heard outside the palace. Huo Yan arrived, travel-worn. Seeing the once spirited young general now reduced to a emaciated figure, his eyes instantly turned red.
"General..." Huo Yan's voice choked with emotion.
He still habitually calls Chu Yiran General.
Chu Yiran's gaze shifted slightly as she looked at him. Her lips moved, and with great effort, she managed to utter a faint, hoarse voice: "Huo Yan... how exactly... did my mother... die?" Each word seemed to be ground from her throat, tinged with blood.
Upon hearing this, Huo Yan's eyes reddened even more. He knelt on one knee before the bed, lowered his head, and said heavily, "When the news from the northern desert first reached the capital, it only said that the old general had died in battle, and your fate was unknown..." His voice choked with emotion, "The princess... couldn't bear these successive blows, and overwhelmed with grief, she refused to eat or drink anything, only weeping while holding the old general's old belongings. The servants kept watch day and night, but ultimately couldn't keep an eye on her... One morning, they found her... in her room... hanged herself..."
Although he already knew from the rumors, hearing it from the person he trusted most still made Chu Yiran's body tremble uncontrollably, and hot tears followed.
Huo Yan solemnly took out a slightly yellowed letter from his bosom. The envelope bore his mother's familiar, delicate handwriting: "This... was found under the princess's pillow after she left..."
Chu Yiran carefully opened the envelope. The handwriting on the letter was somewhat messy, and there were even a few places where it was blurred by water stains.
There was not a single word of blame, not a trace of resentment in the letter.
My dearest son, Aran, if you are fortunate enough to survive, you will know my heart when you read this letter. To be your mother and to be married to your father in this life is the greatest blessing Heaven has bestowed upon me. Though our time together has been short and our separation long, my heart is content, and I have no regrets in this life. I only hope that in the next life, I can continue my kinship with you and your father, and be a family again. Do not grieve, do not worry, take care, my son.
"mother……"
Chu Yiran could no longer hold back, and her hoarse, almost incoherent sobs finally broke out of her throat.
Huo Yan knelt to one side, silently shedding tears, not daring to offer any advice.
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