The Empress is ill, very ill.
The imperial physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy took turns trying to cure the Empress's illness, but they couldn't even diagnose what illness she had.
"A bunch of useless trash!"
Emperor Mingde flew into a rage in the Fengyi Palace, and the imperial physicians knelt on the ground, each one trembling with fear as if walking on thin ice.
With their heads bowed, they didn't even dare to beg for mercy.
He feared further angering the emperor, which would result in him being dragged away, beheaded, and never seeing the sun rise again.
"The Empress fell ill overnight and you couldn't even find the cause! Fine, fine! You bunch of good-for-nothings! I've raised a whole bunch of good-for-nothings!!"
Emperor Mingde paced back and forth in front of the Empress's bedside, his usually composed face now displaying undisguised rage.
Seemingly enraged, he snatched the whisk from Li Fuhai's arm and threw it at the kneeling imperial physicians.
Li Fuhai, whose whisk had been stolen, dared not speak.
The two imperial physicians who were unlucky enough to be hit by the whisk dared not speak.
"Your Majesty," the Empress spoke.
"Empress!"
Emperor Mingde strode over, sat down beside the bed, and helped the Empress up, his expression full of concern.
"Your Majesty, let it go."
The Empress's voice was extremely weak; her face, which had been radiant just days before, was now haggard and pale, her lips devoid of any color.
"It's just that my illness came on strangely. They have done their best and it has nothing to do with them."
Emperor Mingde tenderly embraced the Empress, offering her words of comfort:
"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you. Don't worry, I'll immediately post an imperial edict to find a renowned doctor who will surely cure your illness..."
When Shang Changge and Shang Changze arrived, this was the scene they saw of their parents' harmonious relationship, sharing both joys and sorrows.
The siblings exchanged a glance, their expressions unchanged, yet everything was understood without words.
They spoke at the same time: "Father, Mother."
Upon seeing her two children appear, the Empress felt a great weight lifted from her heart.
Her husband's embrace did not bring her comfort, but only a sense of danger.
Emperor Mingde: "Changze Ge'er has arrived. Did you bring the physicians from your respective residences? Quickly, let them examine your mother's pulse!"
One physician after another from both the Crown Prince's and Princess's residences took the Empress's pulse, but to no avail.
Emperor Mingde's face was terrifyingly dark, and an invisible pressure emanated from him, making everyone inside and outside the palace afraid to even breathe.
Despite her discomfort, the Empress gently grasped Emperor Mingde's hand in return, comforting him in return:
"Your Majesty, nothing can be rushed, and neither can my illness. There's no use in rushing it."
"As for Your Majesty, I'm afraid you still have many memorials to review. Go and attend to your duties; I'll be fine with Ze'er and Ge'er here."
Emperor Mingde: "How can this be? We are husband and wife, and you are seriously ill..."
The Empress felt a chilling sense of irony upon hearing the words "husband and wife," though she did not show it on her face.
Despite her illness, she forced herself to play along with the emperor in this act of marital affection, then slowly shook her head, offering the emperor a way out and a reason:
"Your Majesty, matters of state are of utmost importance."
Emperor Mingde: "This..." Emperor Mingde was in a dilemma, but finally left after the Empress insisted.
After Emperor Mingde left, the Empress instructed Rong Momo to dismiss everyone except Shang Changze.
Shang Changge, like everyone else, was rejected and could only wait outside the palace.
Shang Changge didn't care. She inherited the original owner's body but not her emotions, so of course she wouldn't be sad.
Inside the palace.
The Empress leaned back on the bed, carefully looking at her son, who was outstanding in every way. After a satisfied smile, she calmly said:
“Ze’er, listen carefully. Your mother’s illness this time is strange, and it’s probably your father and the Imperial Concubine who are behind it.”
No matter who it is or what happens, if anyone threatens your mother's life in the future, promise her you will not compromise.
Shang Changze: "Mother..." Shang Changze disagreed. He never expected that his mother wanted to say these things to him.
"Ze'er, listen to what your mother has to say." The Empress patted Shang Changze's hand, her calm demeanor belying that of someone suffering from a serious illness.
"Ze'er, everything your mother, your maternal grandfather, and your uncle have done is for your smooth ascension to the throne and to rule the world."
"Your mother is not afraid of death; she is only afraid that you will not become emperor, that all our hardships will ultimately benefit someone else!"
"Other princes might escape death if they lose, but you absolutely cannot lose."
If you lose, the only thing waiting for you and the entire Murong family is death!
The Empress, fearing eavesdroppers, spoke in a low voice, growing increasingly agitated as she went, her eyes reddening as she bit her lip to try and calm herself.
"Ze'er, the struggle for the throne has always been cruel throughout history!"
Think about your father, the first thing he did after becoming emperor was to kill all his remaining brothers who he could, to eliminate any future troubles.
Your father considers the Murong family a thorn in his side; if you were to lose, the consequences would be unimaginable. At that time…
Not only you, but all of us will die. So listen to your mother: if anyone threatens you with my life, don't give in!
The Empress gripped Shang Changze's hand tightly, her sickly face revealing a resolute determination, and she spoke each word firmly:
"It's better to die of illness than to die a miserable death!"
An hour later, the siblings left the palace together.
The siblings were neither skilled in medicine nor poisons, so they wouldn't be of much use in the palace.
As for serving Shang Changze personally, it's inappropriate for a man like him, but Shang Changge would be more suitable.
However, the Empress did not like her. The few words she spoke to her from beginning to end were all about making her focus on preparing for her wedding with Xiao Ji.
The palace was crowded and noisy, and the siblings hadn't arrived in the same carriage.
So it wasn't until she returned to the princess's residence that Shang Changge learned what the empress had said to Shang Changze alone.
Shang Changge raised an eyebrow, surprised but not much.
The empress in the script is portrayed as a woman burdened by the glory and interests of her family, prioritizing them above all else.
The original owner of this body had a similar personality; the mother and daughter may have different personalities, but they were essentially the same.
Shang Changze: "Sister, what do you think Father Emperor is planning? If Mother Empress... what good would it do for Father Emperor?"
Doing this will only anger me and my grandfather, causing him to regain control of the newly stabilized court and make it tense again!
Is this what Father Emperor wanted? What was his purpose? To provoke me into killing Shang Ye? To frame me for the crime of harming my own brother?
Shang Changze was different from Shang Changge; Shang Changze had always pleased the Empress.
Her love for her son, Shang Changze, was naturally genuine.
Now that his beloved mother is on the verge of death, it's normal for Shang Changze to lose his composure and rationality in a short period of time.
The wind outside is biting cold; if the temperature keeps dropping like this, we might see the first snow of the year soon.
Shang Changge didn't reply, but instead pushed a cup of tea towards her, her red lips parting slightly as she reminded him:
"Have some tea."
Shang Changze picked up the cup and took a sip, only to find that the tea was cold.
Shang Changge met Shang Changze's gaze, picked up the hot tea in front of her, blew on it to cool it, took an elegant sip, and said:
"Are you calm now?"
Shang Changze gripped the cold teacup, feeling its cool temperature gradually calming him down and restoring his usual composure.
"Yes, I lost my composure just now."
Although Shang Changge couldn't fully empathize, she understood. Instead of putting on airs as an elder sister and offering any lectures, she said:
"The most urgent task is to find someone who can cure Mother's illness. I do have a suitable candidate, but I need you to come forward."
Her choice was Jing Xiuming, but Jing Xiuming owed her nothing now, so she couldn't use that debt to seek repayment.
She didn't want to get entangled with Jing Xiuming because of this, so it was best for Shang Changze to handle it.
Ugh, this is awful.
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