Lanting

Capítulo 133

The Fourth Prince felt a cold wind rush into the back of his neck. He knew that his earlier exclamation was no joke, but why was he now too afraid to move? He felt all the blood rush to his head and his whole body turn cold. He forced himself to take a few quick steps. He had to go see her. She couldn't be hurt, she absolutely couldn't! But suddenly his vision blurred, and he lost his balance, not knowing where he was falling. Before losing consciousness, he was still struggling. He couldn't fall. He had to go see her!

Another loud cry echoed through the Chaoyang Hall—"Oh no! The Regent has fainted!"

Rong Zhaozhi was escorted back to the magnificent inner palace by a large entourage. A large group of imperial physicians rushed forward, and the usually empty main hall of the East Palace was now packed with people. Lu Jinghan had been sitting with his fists clenched for three or four hours. Since returning to the palace from Jingning Nunnery, his tightly furrowed brows had not relaxed for a single moment.

Liu Shang, having already cried her eyes out, continued to ramble on, "I told her this morning that she was in good spirits, and I even joked that it was because the weather was getting warmer. Who knew that she coughed up a lot of blood before she even took a sip of tea? She leaned on me and said she was sleepy and wanted to sleep, so I let her sleep. She didn't wake up for two or three hours. When I touched her again, her breath was so weak that I couldn't feel it."

Hua Yushang held her close, trying her best to suppress her inner turmoil and comfort the trembling Liushang.

Liu Shang tilted his head back from her embrace, his eyes devoid of any light. "Is Master really going to leave like this?!"

"Nonsense!" Hua Yushang herself said this without any confidence.

Liu Shang lowered his head again. "Now I'm not afraid of anything. My master has always been a ruthless person since childhood, and I've seen it all clearly. If she doesn't take me with her this time, I'll go to the underworld with her."

Seeing that her words were becoming increasingly horrifying, Hua Yushang hurriedly had someone lead Liu Shang away to rest. After watching the seemingly dazed Liu Shang slowly leave, Hua Yushang turned back to look at the emperor, who had been sitting stiffly for a long time, and gently instructed, "Help His Majesty back to Chaoyang Palace."

Several palace servants stepped forward, but Lu Jinghan showed no intention of moving.

"What are you all standing there for? Help the Emperor up!" Hua Yushang shouted again.

"Godmother" Lu Jinghan closed her eyes slightly, her throat tightening, "I don't want to move."

"The Regent has suffered a stroke and remains unconscious. With no one to govern the court, you, as the Emperor, are not in the Chaoyang Palace but instead surrounded by women—this is utter inaction! Your mother will surely rebuke you severely when she awakens."

Lu Jinghan trembled before speaking, "I would rather be scolded by my mother than not stay by her side until she wakes up."

"You are the emperor first, and only her son. Have you forgotten what she said?"

The boy looked up in a panic, "This world belongs to her, she absolutely cannot be harmed!"

"Your Majesty!" Hua Yushang knelt down on the ground before the boy she had raised since childhood. "She has devoted herself to this country. All she wants is for you to be able to support the world and hold power for all ages. She said that supporting a great ruler is more prideful than looking down on the world. Please make her happy!"

"Your Majesty, please return to Chaoyang Palace!" Jing Yi knelt down as well.

The boy bit his lip hard, refusing to let the tears fall. He had promised his mother when she handed him the throne that he would never let anyone see his tears, no matter what. An emperor's tears are only for the fall of his empire.

In the East Warm Pavilion of Chaoyang Palace, even the slightest breeze could unsettle the young man reviewing memorials. These past few days, personally examining and judging cases, he had come to realize the hardships his mother had endured for him all these years. He himself could see it; since his eighth uncle's passing, his mother had become increasingly exhausted, her already limited sleep escalating into sleepless nights, and her smiles becoming fewer and fewer. Yao Shuhuan's death had only hastened her mother's collapse.

Hua Yushang walked over with light steps, and the people in the warm pavilion threw out several memorials. "No way! Tell those pretentious civil officials to rewrite them and resubmit them. Let them write in a way that is understandable!"

Hua Yushang sighed softly. She picked up the few memorials thrown to her by the people in the pavilion, until she reached the emperor and placed them back before him. "It's not that you can't understand them, but that your mind is not at peace."

"My mother used to read the memorials to me," the boy suddenly looked up, his face streaked with tears. He didn't care at all about crying in front of her. In fact, ever since he could remember, he had regarded the person in front of him as his mother, so he showed her his helplessness and vulnerability without any reservations.

Hua Yushang gently wiped the glistening tears from his face with a handkerchief. "You're making such a mess that you'll probably drive your mother crazy. She hates it when you're weak."

"She's so cruel," the boy said, holding his breath.

"It's because you're a coward."

The boy buried his head in Hua Yushang's arms. Hua Yushang sighed silently. The person in her arms was only eight years old. No matter how steady he was, or how smart and mature he was compared to other children his age, he could not leave the protection of his parents. Alas, Lu Li and Rong Zhaozhi, you really are the most heartless parents in the world. Not only are you heartless to each other, but you will also abandon your own flesh and blood?!

Hua Yushang patted the sobbing boy in her arms while looking at the desolate scene around her, her gaze falling on the category number in the east wing.

She couldn't tear her gaze away. Perhaps... a thought suddenly popped into her head, but then the woman's voice suddenly rang in her ears—"Never to see each other again until death." Was it really going to be this heartless, pushing her and him into a dead end?

The rain on Qingming Festival wasn't heavy, but it was chilling to the bone. Hua Yushang tightened her coat in front of the Prince Mu's mansion and strode inside. Her mind was blank; she only hoped someone could save that woman. Even if it was someone bedridden due to a stroke, she wouldn't dare disturb them.

Incense burned by the bedside, and the person on the couch seemed to have aged several years in just a few days. Hua Yushang took a deep breath, and before she could explain her purpose, she saw the person on the couch suddenly open her eyes, stare at her with difficulty, and ask in a hoarse voice, "Is she awake?"

Hua Yushang felt a pang of pain in her heart and shook her head weakly.

The person on the bed had a twitching mouth, and their voice was filled with sorrow, "It's been... ten days."

Hua Yushang held back her tears. "I just came to ask if there's any way to bring her back. She refuses to come back. We've tried everything—medicine, acupuncture, pills, rituals, chanting—everything we can think of. At first, they panicked, which allowed me to stay calm. Now, even I'm going crazy. What can I do? What else can I do?!" Finally, she couldn't hold back anymore, and tears streamed down her face like a burst dam. For the past ten days, she had endured so much. She was terrified inside, yet she had to pretend to be calm, comforting the court officials and reassuring the panicked children. She really couldn't hold it in any longer; she would collapse too.

The person on the bed became agitated by these words, breaking out in a cold sweat. The Fourth Princess hurriedly stepped forward, supporting the Fourth Prince with one hand while looking at Hua Yushang, tears streaming down her face: "Good sister-in-law, don't say anything more! Can't you see that he's more anxious than you are? He can't move, but he's more panicked than anyone else. You say you're going crazy, but I think he's the one who's really going crazy! He'd rather go and argue with the King of Hell first!"

The Fourth Prince, panting heavily, grabbed his Fourth Princess's sleeve, his gaze fixed on Hua Yushang. "A letter... a letter... for the Eighth Prince... the Eighth Prince... the Seventh Prince—" He seemed to utter the last two words with all his might, then, with no strength left, he abruptly closed his eyes and fainted again.

Hua Yushang dragged her heavy steps away from the chaotic scene at the Fourth Prince's residence. The Fifth Prince's carriage was waiting outside. As soon as she stepped out, the person in the carriage jumped down and put an arm around her to support her.

"I told you not to come, look at you!" Fifth Master said with concern.

Hua Yushang panicked completely. She grabbed Fifth Master's shirt, buried her face in the blanket, and burst into tears: "What can we do?! What else can we do?! Would sending that person have made any difference? It would have just been the same as watching her leave like that—"

Suddenly, the sound of frightened hooves rang out behind them, making even Fifth Master tremble. Hua Yushang turned around, her eyes blurry with tears, and more tears streamed down her face.

The horse neighed, and the rider threw down his reins, turned, and dismounted. He strode over quickly, his voice still clear and crisp despite the rain, "Xiaoyu, Fifth Brother—"

Hua Yushang rushed forward and grabbed Lu Xiu's sleeve, "Eighth Master has finally arrived!"

"I didn't dare to delay for a moment. I grabbed Nangong and didn't even want to wait for the waterway. We rode straight here. Nangong went straight to the palace. I came to ask Fourth Brother about the situation first! Fourth Brother said in his letter that the woman was not good. What exactly was wrong with her?"

Hua Yushang turned to look at Fifth Master, who then said, "It's not that it's bad, it's very bad, or even 'very bad' is inaccurate."

Lu Xiu's face stiffened further, raindrops falling between his brows. Without blinking, he demanded, "What do you mean by that?!"

No one responded to him anymore, feeling that unless they had seen it with their own eyes, any description of her condition would be an understatement.

The inner palace of the East Palace was unusually cold. Even with numerous heaters, one felt stiff after only a quarter of an hour. Lu Xiu felt the same way. Behind the jade screen curtain, Nangong had been taking pulses for two hours, but had not yet seen the woman, growing increasingly uneasy.

The usually stunningly beautiful and tall "woman" was now frowning as she felt the pulse of the person on the bed.

The maids hurriedly tried to stop him, saying that Prince Duan could not enter, but before they could finish speaking, the silence was shattered by the sound of curtains being thrown and screens being torn. Ignoring everyone's attempts to stop him, Lu Xiu went straight into the inner room.

None of them had ever witnessed Lu Xiu's thunderous rage before, and now that they had seen it with their own eyes, they all lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound. The imperial physician's attendant in the inner room trembled and retreated. Only Nangong remained unmoved, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Lu Xiu came to the bedside, knelt down, and remained motionless for a long time. He had already considered the worst-case scenario, but seeing her in this state still caused him unbearable pain. She was still so quiet, only thinner; her features were unchanged, and the faint smile on her lips was so familiar, as if she had only slept with him. What truly horrified him was the blood-stained handkerchief beside her pillow, and the countless blood-stained handkerchiefs in the basin, with several young maids washing them while weeping softly.

"Everyone, go out and don't disturb her," Nangong said softly. Lu Xiu was shocked. He had never seen Nangong so cautious before. Even when surrounded by enemies and outnumbered, she could still act with ease. Nangong, who usually played with life, was actually being cautious!

As the two walked out, Lu Xiu's expression vanished, and Nangong Yi remained silent. Everyone looked at Nangong with hopeful eyes. Hua Yushang stepped forward and pulled him along, saying, "Zhao'er said you are the only divine physician in the world who can save him."

Upon hearing this, Nangong felt a chill run down his spine. Unable to meet Hua Yushang's expectant gaze, he silently withdrew his sleeve. "Go to the manor and send a message to Lu Li and Xi'er to return to the capital. Be quick!"

Hua Yushang felt as if the world had suddenly lost its color, and she couldn't even shed a tear. What did this mean? Couldn't even Nangong save her?! That girl, was she truly determined not to stay?!

When the news reached Nalan Manor, Nalan Xi, holding the letter with only a few words, suddenly froze. Lu Xiu's panicked expression when he left had given him a vague feeling that something had happened in the capital. Now, this urgent, confidential letter, clear and unambiguous in black and white, truly panicked him. "Mother's not well?! What do you mean, 'Mother's not well?!'" He could only then sense the hurried tears falling between Jing Han's chaotic handwriting. His heart stopped for a moment. Almost instinctively, he suddenly stood up, ignoring the discussions of the thirty-two escort agencies and hundreds of shops, and hurriedly left his seat. The letter in his hand turned to dust. The letter said that Nangong wanted him to bring that man with him. That man—didn't Mother say she would never see him again? If it weren't urgent, why would she casually ask him to go with her?

"Young Master! Young Master!" The servant chased after him for a few steps, but ultimately couldn't catch up with Nalan Xi, who had completely disregarded everything else.

The man lived in the west room, which was my mother's former boudoir.

He didn't want him to stay there, but having no reason to refuse, he had no choice but to acquiesce. When Nalan Xi pushed open the courtyard gate and went straight in, the man was tending to the crabapple trees in the woods. Seeing his anxious expression, they silently looked at each other from ten paces away.

"Nangong has ordered us to return to the capital; there can be no delay."

Lu Li was slightly taken aback before realizing what was happening. His expression became even more serious, and he simply replied, "Okay."

Nangong turned back to lead the fast horse out of the stable. Lu Li turned back to look at the tranquil Begonia, his eyes narrowed, his expression darkened, and his voice was barely audible, "Wait for me!"

Chapter Twenty: The Finale - Never to Meet Again in Death

Don't be misled by the chapter title; it might not necessarily be a tragedy!

The man sat by her bedside for half a month. For that entire half month, he took care of all her medication, washing, and cleaning.

He would sometimes talk to the unconscious person on the bed, and he would talk for a whole day and night. At first, he talked about their wedding, but later he simply talked about every little thing, recounting all the ups and downs of the past ten years. But she still didn't wake up. He didn't lose heart and continued to repeat what he had said in reverse order.

Every day she saw that figure holding her hand, talking day and night, tirelessly.

Until she truly improved, her pillow became cleaner, and her coughing up blood lessened considerably, Nangong's brows gradually relaxed, and he even started joking again occasionally. He used to be unable to swallow any medicine, but later he could only take a sip and spit it out, and then he would take three sips and spit it out.

Only Lu Li, standing by the bedside, remained expressionless, calmly repeating the words he had said countless times before. Then one day, he felt her hand tremble slightly as he held it. He finally released her, started to walk away, but after only two steps, he collapsed from exhaustion.

This was the twenty-first day he had been watching over her. She finally showed signs of waking up, though she wasn't fully conscious yet. Nangong firmly believed she would wake up, it would only be a matter of two or three days.

Lu Jinghan was very curious about what kind of person his father was. His only impression of him was the pile of letters filling the East Pavilion. He often asked his sister what their father was like, and his sister would always burst into tears when she talked about that person from her memories. Now he was even a little jealous of his brother Nalan. If Nalan hadn't passed the throne to him back then, he could have stayed by his father's side day and night.

To be honest, he didn't dislike this person. On the contrary, watching him help him organize documents, teach him how to approve memorials, and calmly discuss court affairs with him, he actually felt a sense of reverence for him. Lu Jinghan was amazed that he had finally found someone in this world who could be compared to his mother, and that person was his father. It turned out that his parents were both such formidable figures.

"Every memorial must be prepared carefully and without delay," Lu Li said with a faint smile, looking at her son. Just as she had said, he was practically a carbon copy of her.

The boy's sudden cry of "Father!" startled Lu Li, who was also taken aback. The call was both abrupt and perfectly logical.

Lu Li slightly turned his head, not daring to meet that gaze. His eyes fell on the various letters in the East Pavilion, and after a moment of hesitation, he chuckled, "She really won't read a single one."

"My mother..."

"Since you're not going to look at it, why not just throw it away? It'll just collect dust anyway."

"My mother only said not to look at it, but she didn't say I had to destroy it, so I took the liberty of keeping it. My mother didn't say anything," the boy said with a smile.

Lu Li smiled along with him and suddenly asked, "Do you like being an emperor?"

"Actually, I didn't like it, but seeing my mother's approving gaze from behind the curtain every time, I felt it was my responsibility to be a wise and benevolent ruler in a prosperous era."

"Very good," Lu Li paused, then continued, "Actually... I feel very sorry for you, and for your mother."

"My mother never spoke ill of you, she just never mentioned you."

"When mentioning someone causes pain and suffering, it's better not to mention them at all," Lu Li shook his head and smiled softly.

"I want to know your story with your mother, and why it turned out this way."

"Your mother traveled thousands of miles to find me, but I stayed with another person because of a promise I made to her. Your mother returned alone and vowed never to see me again—it's that simple."

"You've fulfilled your promise, why haven't you returned yet?"

"Because she said she would never see him again until death."

"And... what happens after death?" the boy asked cautiously.

I will stop her at all costs.

"Do you regret it? Regret your promise from that day? Regret not coming back with her?"

Regret? This was a question even he himself dared not easily consider. Lu Li smiled and stood up.

"Are we really going back to the manor? Uncle Nangong said Mother should regain consciousness in the next couple of days."

"I'm definitely leaving," Lu Li said without turning around. "When she wakes up, she certainly won't want to see me."

Never to see each other again until death; perhaps that woman could be so heartless.

——————————————The Final Chapter of Xiao Zhao——————————————————————

"When I passed through Huainan, I went to that crabapple grove again. I don't know why, but it felt familiar. The first time I went there, it felt familiar. Now, there was an old lady selling love knots under the grove. I couldn't help but buy a pair. The love knots embroidered with crabapple blossoms looked so comforting. It reminded me of many years ago, around Millennium, when you showed off your skills. That was the first time I noticed that you weren't perfect. After all, your needlework skills weren't exactly impressive..."

The sound pounded at every nerve, and in my dazed state, the sound, sometimes near, sometimes far, an endless pain stimulating me. The chaotic footsteps, the falling curtains, the indistinct figures, the faint sobs beside my pillow—all these sensations were heightened by touch. My body felt like it was burning; sharp pain tore at every inch of my skin. My muddled mind was jolted awake by the pain, and with great effort, I opened my eyes, the layers of mist dissipating.

After a long while, faint sobs could be heard. I saw Liu Shang washing a handkerchief in a basin with her back to me.

I took a breath and called her to my side. Liu Shang's face was covered in tears. I smiled through my tears, "Alright, alright, it's not like this is the first time I've had this. You're like this every time, it makes me feel bad. It's just a nap, look how scared you are."

Liu Shang's handkerchief fell to the ground, and she rushed out shouting, "He's awake! He's awake! Master is awake!"