"How is the Ice Jade Cold Poison? How many times has it flared up again?"
"It flared up twice more after you left, but I could still bear it."
"That's good. Now you should go to Liuyue Palace to see your master. Although she didn't say anything about this, I felt that she was very angry, extremely angry."
"It was my mistake. I will go and visit them, mother and child."
The thought of Ling'er giving birth to his child filled him with excitement. His handsome face and bright eyes sparkled like a cold, clear crescent moon. His usually almost transparent skin was flushed with a faint redness from the excitement, making it impossible to tell that he had been poisoned by the Ice Jade Poison.
He knew Ling'er would be angry, and he would willingly accept whatever punishment she wanted to give him.
Thinking about all this, Ye Lingfeng could no longer sit still. He stood up and slipped out of the study, leaving Shen Ruoxuan alone inside.
Inside the Lanqing Palace, upon hearing the eunuch's report that the Emperor had returned and brought back the young prince, the Empress Dowager immediately rose excitedly and left the Lanqing Palace, heading straight for the Liuyue Palace. Only after entering the Liuyue Palace did she learn that the Empress was resting, as she was particularly tired from traveling by carriage for several days.
Originally, Shi Mei wanted to wake the Empress, but the Empress Dowager stopped her, signaling Shi Mei and Shi Lan not to wake the Empress. She then watched the mother and child by the bedside and saw that Hai Ling looked much thinner than before. She couldn't help but feel sorry for her. It seemed that Ling'er had suffered a lot. The Empress Dowager's eyes welled up with tears. Why did God treat lovers like this?
The Empress Dowager was filled with mixed emotions. Fortunately, there was now a way to cure Ye's poison. Even if it took all her blood, she would accept it and was determined to protect her son.
The Empress Dowager finally breathed a sigh of relief. Being able to do something for her son made her happiest, because she had felt guilty for not being able to take good care of him for so many years. Why hadn't she discovered in time that her son wasn't her son? Now she could finally do something for her son.
The palace was silent. The Empress Dowager shifted her gaze from Hailing to the kitten inside.
At first glance, she was deeply attracted to the little guy. He had a sweet smile on his face in his sleep, which was extremely cute. His skin was fair and flawless, as delicate as a peeled egg, so delicate that one dared not touch it casually, for fear of hurting him. His little eyebrows were exactly like Ye's, although they were not yet thick and black, and were somewhat sparse, but they were already formed. His eyes must also be like Ye's. As for his little nose, it was also upturned and would twitch from time to time. His little mouth was so small that it could probably only fit an adult's little finger. His whole body was small, like a little cutie.
No wonder Ling'er named him Little Cat; he really is as cute as a little cat.
Looking at the kitten, tears welled up in the Empress Dowager's eyes. She thought of her son, who must have looked exactly like the kitten when he was little, but he was taken away by that woman and suffered so much. If it weren't for Ling'er, she probably would never have known about this until her death. So she was very grateful to Ling'er.
Hai Ling was sleeping soundly, but even in her sleep, she was still somewhat aware of someone staring at her, so she quickly woke up. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw the Empress Dowager with tears in her eyes, looking at her and her son. Hai Ling immediately sat up and softly called out, "Mother."
The Empress Dowager has also lost a lot of weight. She was poisoned by the Ice Jade Poison at night. As Ye's mother, the Empress Dowager is naturally the one who suffers the most.
"Ling'er, it's good that you're back."
The Empress Dowager opened her arms and embraced Hailing, gently patting her back and speaking softly, "You've suffered."
It is very painful for a woman to give birth without a man by her side to take care of her.
"It's alright, Mother."
Although Hai Ling resented Ye Lingfeng, he was mostly doing it for her sake, so she wouldn't blame him. However, punishment was inevitable. The thought of him suffering from the Ice Jade Poison and enduring it all alone made her heart ache.
Inside the palace, the Empress Dowager and Hailing were talking when a respectful voice from a eunuch called out from outside the door.
"This servant greets Your Majesty."
No one paid any attention outside the door. Ye Lingfeng strode into the palace. Upon hearing that her son had arrived, the Empress Dowager released Ling'er and looked towards the entrance with Hai Ling. They saw Ye Lingfeng enter through the screen. He wore a white robe with dragon patterns and a bright yellow dragon robe with gold brocade trim. His ink-black hair was tied up with a golden crown. He walked with a wild and unrestrained air, and his imposing and domineering aura was not diminished by the Ice Jade Poison. However, upon closer inspection of his handsome features, one could see that he had lost a lot of weight, and his face was more sculpted and bony. Beneath his long, thick, dark eyebrows, his deep, dark eyes were now filled with a rich color and slightly misty moisture. A smile played on his lips, making him radiant. He stood by the screen, looked at Hai Ling, and called out softly.
"Ling'er".
When Hai Ling saw him, she felt heartbroken. But when she thought about everything he had done—not only giving her the Forgetfulness Pill, but also writing a letter asking Mu Ye to take care of her—she became very angry. So Hai Ling's pretty face hardened, and she gave Ye Lingfeng a cold look. She didn't say anything, ignored him, and turned her head to look at the kitten in the bed.
The kitten, having had a good sleep, slowly opened its eyes and looked around in surprise. When the Empress Dowager saw that the kitten had woken up, she spoke happily.
"The kitten's eyes are so beautiful, they look exactly like his father's."
As soon as he heard this, Ye Lingfeng strode over, leaned against the bed, and looked down at his son. He was so small and cute, like a little kitten, so endearing. Looking at the kitten, a sense of pride as a father welled up inside him. He really wanted to hold the kitten in his palm and give him the best things in the world. Seeing the kitten, his fearless heart suddenly turned to fear. He really, really wanted to see the kitten grow up.
Everyone around the bed was staring at the kitten on the bed. He suddenly smiled unconsciously, and the Empress Dowager's heart immediately trembled. This smile touched the very core of her being.
"Little kitten, my grandma's little grandson, grow up quickly."
Ye Lingfeng's gaze shifted from the kitten to Hai Ling, then he reached out and grabbed Hai Ling's hand. Hai Ling tried to pull away, but his grip was firm. She looked up at Ye Lingfeng, giving him a cold warning. This wouldn't end there. He was currently afflicted with the Ice Jade Poison, so she would hold him off for now. They would settle the score later once the poison was cured. Thinking this, she stopped struggling. However, when her eyes fell on the bed, she hesitated. The kitten was so young; how could he possibly endure having to undergo a blood transfusion for his father?
There wasn't a sound in the palace.
Ye Lingfeng held Hai Ling's hand tightly. Suddenly, Hai Ling felt her hand was very cold, slowly turning like an ice sculpture. She was shocked and quickly looked up. She saw that Ye Lingfeng's fair and jade-like face was covered with a thin layer of frost, like frost on branches in winter. Even his eyebrows and hair were white. His Ice Jade Cold Poison had actually flared up at this time. Ye Lingfeng quickly released his grip on Hai Ling's hand and wanted to take a step back and leave the palace. He didn't want Hai Ling to see his painful appearance when his Ice Jade Cold Poison flared up.
However, Hai Ling didn't let go of his hand and quickly ordered Shi Mei to the side, "Go and summon Shen Ruoxuan immediately."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Shi Mei slipped out, and when the Empress Dowager saw Ye Lingfeng's outburst, she quickly reached out and grabbed Hai Ling's hand.
"Ling'er, quickly save Ye, save him! I have blood on me, I have blood on me! The kitten is still young, we can't take the kitten's blood. Take my blood instead! Ye is my son, I have never done anything for him. Even if all my blood is drained, I will die without regret."
If she could die for her son, she would be able to meet the late emperor even in the afterlife.
As soon as the Empress Dowager spoke, Hai Ling raised her eyebrows and quickly considered the possibility. She had been thinking about using the kitten's blood to give Ye a blood transfusion, but she had forgotten about the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was Ye's biological mother. Could her blood be used?
At this moment, Ye Lingfeng's blood seemed to freeze, and his whole body convulsed. However, in front of Hai Ling, he endured it with all his might, biting his lip with his white teeth, and stubbornly holding on without making a sound or showing any reaction.
However, Hai Ling knew the severity of the Ice Jade Cold Poison, and couldn't help but feel sorry for her, so she rolled out of bed and looked at the Empress Dowager in the palace.
"Mother, I'll detoxify Ye."
She came up with a good idea: to use the kitten's blood as a blood transfusion, then mix the Empress Dowager's blood with the kitten's blood, and then transfer the mixture to Ye's body. This method should work, but it would be hard on her mother. However, she knew that as a mother, her mother would rather endure all of this: "Mother, please bear with me. Ling'er will not let anything happen to you."
None of the three of them can be harmed, and none can be missing.
A determined light flashed in Hai Ling's eyes. She reached out and gripped Ye's hand tightly. When the Empress Dowager saw this, her eyes filled with tears. She nodded vigorously and then placed her hand on Hai Ling's hand.
"I believe you."
Outside the palace gate, Shi Mei and Shen Ruoxuan rushed in. As soon as Shen Ruoxuan saw Ye Lingfeng's appearance and the pain he was trying so hard to suppress, he knew that his Ice Jade Cold Poison had taken effect. He quickly took out a pill, which was a very hot pill that could relieve his pain and make his blood a little warmer.
Sure enough, after a short while, Ye Lingfeng looked much better. Although he was still in pain, he was different from before. As soon as he recovered, he looked at Hai Ling and said, "Ling'er, don't worry, I'm fine."