No matter what, we must protect the baby in my womb, right?
Before digging up Yun Zhuo, one must at least protect oneself and the fetus in one's womb, right?
When Qiu Shen saw her eating, tears welled up in her eyes.
The weather wasn't great in the afternoon; dark clouds rolled in, and there were occasional claps of thunder, as if it were about to rain.
More and more bodies are being brought up, but so far there are no survivors—the search and rescue operation started too late.
However, Ye Qingxue continued digging, more forcefully and faster than before. Her tied-up hair became loose, and some of her hair fell down, getting dirty with the muddy sand.
The sky was covered with dark clouds, and no rain fell. The entire Qinglan Gorge was extremely hot and humid, without a breath of wind.
Sweat dripped from Ye Qingxue's forehead, and Qiu Shen couldn't help but urge her, "Your Highness, go and rest for a while. If His Highness the Crown Prince knew that you risked everything to save him, he would not be able to bear it! And Xiao Bao... Xiao Bao has been waiting for a safe birth for so long!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingxue paused for a moment, but only for a moment, before continuing to dig, digging with all her might.
"Qiushen, I can feel it! Yunzhuo is down there. He's still alive. I can feel his breathing. He's waiting for rescue! We can't delay any longer!"
This was the first thing she said after arriving at Qinglan Gorge and giving orders to the Vice Minister of Works; her voice was extremely hoarse.
To Qiu Shen, it sounded as if Ye Qingxue had coughed up blood from a razor blade.
Ye Qingxue's words made her feel as if she were hearing a bloody mess.
Qiu Shen no longer cared about anything—whether Yun Zhuo was really waiting for rescue underground, or whether Ye Qingxue might scold her and push her away. She forcibly pulled Ye Qingxue's upper body up, opened her arms, and hugged her tightly.
“Crown Princess! I’ve been thinking about it…” Qiu Shen’s voice choked with emotion as she pressed her lips to Ye Qingxue’s ear: “His Highness the Crown Prince was in trouble. The Emperor’s decree said he was in excruciating pain, yet he sent you here to welcome the Crown Prince’s soul back to the capital…”
"You're due to give birth next month. Everyone knows that this is a time when we shouldn't upset you, but the Emperor has sent you here personally. They want you and your unborn child to die. If you continue like this, you'll only bring pain to your loved ones and joy to your enemies, Crown Princess!!"
Ye Qingxue hissed as if enduring extreme pain. Qiu Shen quickly released her and checked her complexion and her lower body.
However, Ye Qingxue still didn't cry, and there was no bleeding from her body.
“I know everything you’ve said,” Ye Qingxue said. “But I can’t help it. I really heard Yun Zhuo calling my name from down below. He’s still alive!”
Yes, sometimes even knowing that there is a dead end ahead, one is still willing to walk into the trap, just like how Xiao Bao treated her before, just like how Yun Zhuo was willing to take the blame for her, and just like how she treats Yun Zhuo now.
What can you do? Because the person in that situation is the most important person in your life, the one you can't bear to part with!
Ye Qingxue spoke with such certainty, as if it were the truth, that even Qiu Shen couldn't help but believe her.
She pressed her ear to the ground, trying to hear even the slightest sound inside, but apart from the sounds of people being rescued near and far, she couldn't hear anything unusual at all.
When she straightened up, she found that Ye Qingxue had once again focused on digging to save people. The soil stuck to her bloodied fingers was stained red with her blood.
"Is it just the Crown Princess's imagination?" Qiu Shen thought. The Crown Princess longed for His Highness the Crown Prince to still be alive, so she imagined Yun Zhuo calling out to her from underground for help.
It was all just an illusion, a fantasy born from extreme obsession, but the Crown Princess believed it wholeheartedly…
What more can be said as autumn deepens?
As long as Ye Qingxue is still willing to eat and drink, and the child is fine, she only prays that it won't rain, and she will stay with Ye Qingxue and keep digging!
...
When Yun Zhuo was excavating the tunnel, he arranged an escape route. When the tunnel collapsed and he was sure he couldn't escape, he grabbed whoever he could and rushed into the escape route.
However, the tunnel collapsed, many of the support pillars broke, and a large section of the escape route collapsed, blocking both exits, which is why they are now trapped here.
It was pitch black inside, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. When they hid inside, they were all injured to varying degrees.
There were originally a dozen or so people hiding here, but as time went by, they lost too much blood and either fainted or died.
Only seven or eight people are still conscious, and they haven't eaten for too long, are injured, and are almost unable to move.
Yun Zhuo and Luo Xing took turns striking the stone, but the only response they received was the sound of water not far away.
About eight hours had passed outside, but inside they couldn't perceive the passage of time. It felt as if half a lifetime had passed, and they never felt that darkness and the imperceptibility of time were so terrifying.
"Your Highness, I think I hear cries for help." Suddenly, Luo Xing's voice rang out, activating the lifeless little passage.
The passage was squeezed very small, and everyone's bodies were almost touching. The air was gradually thinning, and if they were not rescued soon, they would suffocate.
Yun Zhuo's heart began to pound. For some reason, he felt that the person searching for him was Ye Qingxue!
She's up there! It must be her!
Yun Zhuo picked up a small stone and continued to tap it, making sounds faster and harder than before.
But then he heard the sound of a collapse again!
The Vice Minister of Works strode up to Ye Qingxue, stopping her, his face full of urgency!
"Your Highness, this is a layer of quicksand. If we dig any further, the entire tunnel will collapse. Several of the support pillars have already broken, and a heavy rain is imminent. We must backfill immediately!"
This means to bury the living and the dead under sand and stones, and not to try to rescue them.
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