Not far from the bedside, behind the Emperor, several won who had earlier warned Fen Yun were kneeling, trembling in fear.
The physician from the imperial mausoleum had also been summoned and spoke respectfully, "Miss Fen Yun is suffering from a severe fever caused by exposure to cold and the lack of tily treatnt. I will prescribe two herbal formulas. Take the dicine as directed, and she will recover. However, she must avoid further exposure to the cold."
The imperial mausoleum was built on the eastern mountain precisely because of its extrely yin location, which was perpetually damp and cold. This environnt helped preserve the bodies of the past Emperors of Great Yan, slowing their decay by a decade or two compared to ordinary people.
The bedding in Fen Yun's room was thin, and without even touching it, one could tell it was not made of high-quality cotton. It looked heavy and damp but provided little warmth.
Behind a small screen in Fen Yun's room was the bed of the Fifth Prince. The Emperor had inspected it and found it slightly better than Fen Yun's, though only marginally so.
The won kneeling on the ground, sensing the gravity of the situation, began to plead for rcy: "Your Majesty, spare us! We were only following orders. We would never dare to mistreat the Fifth Prince, not even with a hundred lives to spare!"
Another added, "Yes, Your Majesty! We had no choice. The Empress holds absolute power. How could we defy her? She ordered that the Fifth Prince not return to the capital alive. We were rely obeying her commands."
"Nonsense!"
Before the Emperor could voice his anger, Fen Yun interjected sharply, "The Empress is benevolent and kind-hearted. When the Fifth Prince and I first arrived at the mausoleum, she sent people to care for us. It was you who conspired to harm them, leading to their deaths and injuries. How dare you claim to be her agents? Do you think I would believe such lies?"
When Fen Yun and the Fifth Prince had first arrived at the mausoleum, they were accompanied by guards and maids sent by the Empress. Knowing these people were under the Empress's protection, no one dared to mistreat the Fifth Prince.
However, as ti passed and nothing untoward happened, those assigned to care for the Fifth Prince grew complacent. They forgot their duties and beca negligent in their responsibilities.
This might have been tolerable, as long as these people remained in the mausoleum, no one would dare openly harm the Fifth Prince.
The real trouble began when certain schers within the mausoleum lulled these caretakers into a false sense of security, then poisoned or frad them, leading to their deaths or injuries. Eventually, not a single one remained.
From then on, these won beca emboldened and began to harm both Fen Yun and the Fifth Prince.
Fen Yun understood clearly that this was an attempt to undermine the Empress.
Not knowing who the Empress's enemies were, she remained wary of everyone in the mausoleum.
When the Fifth Prince had his head injured by soone, Fen Yun had wanted to tell him the truth, but his injuries were still healing, and she herself had fallen ill, delaying the revelation.
The won, seeing Fen Yun's resolute stance, grew fearful.
For so long, they had believed Fen Yun trusted them, especially since she had never contradicted their claims of being the Empress's agents.
Little did they know, Fen Yun was far too clever.
She knew that if she openly expressed disbelief, their thods would only grow more extre. They might even kill her and the Fifth Prince, then fra the Empress for the cri.
Her silence was a calculated move, waiting for the day the Emperor would visit the eastern mountain.
The Fifth Prince had been raised under her guidance, and she trusted that he, too, knew how to act.
"Hmph!"
A child's snort echoed through the room. "You deliberately spoke those words outside my room, hoping to make resent the Empress and my younger brother, the Crown Prince. You wanted to seek revenge against them when I returned to the palace. Did you think I wouldn't figure it out? I won't fall for your tricks!"
His father had already told him that his mother had been killed by others, and those responsible had been executed. Before her death, his mother had entrusted him to the care of the Empress.
His arrival at the mausoleum was not the Empress's doing but rather Fen Yun's decision to protect him from being used as a pawn in the palace.
Moreover, the Empress had said that once he turned seven or eight and beca more sensible, she hoped Fen Yun would bring him back to the palace.
He trusted his father, for the Emperor had no reason to lie. Such matters could easily be verified by asking Fen Yun.
Even if his father were to deceive him, Fen Yun would never do so.
The won exchanged glances, clearly at a loss for words.
Their plan to sow discord had failed, and their words now held no weight.
With their sche exposed, any further attempts to implicate the Empress would only make them look like fools.
The Emperor's lips were pressed tightly together, his displeasure evident.
Tang Shiliang stepped forward, "How dare you lie and twist the truth before His Majesty? Do you not realize this is a cri of deceiving the Emperor?"
The won's expressions turned resolute. The Emperor shouted, "Stop them! Quickly—"
Before he could finish, the won had already collapsed, blood spilling from their mouths.
Tang Shiliang quickly pried open one of their mouths and found a tiny, transparent capsule hidden in her teeth. It had been punctured, releasing its contents.
Examining the lifeless bodies on the floor, Tang Shiliang reported, "Your Majesty, they had poison hidden in their teeth."
These were not ordinary hired hands or re bullies sent to tornt the Fifth Prince. They were assassins.
Who would go so far as to send assassins to fra the Empress?
The Emperor frowned deeply, "Wang Dequan, go and find out what is happening in the palace."
If this was an attack on Yue'er, it would not be so simple. There were likely traps waiting for her in the capital as well.
With him away from the palace, those schers might be plotting sothing even more sinister against Yue'er.
The ancestral rites at the mausoleum were now complete, and he needed to return to the capital as soon as possible.
As for Fen Yun and the Fifth Prince, the Emperor had already arranged for new caretakers to look after them.
The Fifth Prince clung to the Emperor's leg, tears welling in his eyes, "Father, will you co to see when you have ti?"
He dared not ask for too much, fearing his father might grow displeased with him.
Fen Yun gently pulled him up by his small hand, "Fifth Prince, didn't I tell you? Once you turn eight, I will take you back to the palace."
She had brought him to the mausoleum in the first place because the palace was too dangerous. Now, with the Empress having just given birth to twins and unknown enemies lurking in the shadows, the palace was even more fraught with peril. She had no intention of taking the Fifth Prince back anyti soon.
Though his mind was more mature than most children his age—perhaps a trait inherited from the Shen family—he was still only three years old. She did not want him to face dangers that even adults could not evade.
Reviews
All reviews (0)