TFSRITA Chapter 38

As the anxiety in her heart grew stronger, Zhi Yin could no longer hold back and entered the room.

Upon entering, she was immediately confronted with the horrifying scene. The Empress’s eyes were closed, and all vitality seemed to have vanished. Zhi Yin’s heart trembled violently. Pressing her lips together and without a word, she drew a dagger hidden in her boot and attacked the Emperor.

Her sole loyalty was to Yan Qing, and anyone who harmed Yan Qing must be killed!

However, when she attacked, the rogue released Yan Qing and tossed her aside.

Zhi Yin’s face changed dramatically. She quickly caught Yan Qing and abandoned her attack on Ji Yecheng.

Seeing the seemingly weightless woman leaving his grasp, Ji Yecheng let out a strange sigh of relief and instinctively ordered, “Jiang Wende! Summon the imperial physician!”

“Yes!” Jiang Wende, who had been waiting outside, responded immediately and then ran out, not even glancing at the scene inside.

It was just another disagreement between the Empress and the Emperor; this couple certainly knew how to cause trouble.

He even made a couple of jokes on the way.

However, when he arrived at Lingyun Palace with the imperial physician and saw the actual situation, he nearly fainted from shock.

This was a serious matter; it was not just a lesson this time, but a genuine near-death experience.

After the physician finished administering the needles, he looked at the silver needles protruding from the Empress’s body like a hedgehog, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and addressed the Emperor, who had been standing silently with an inscrutable expression. The physician said in a dry tone, “The Empress is in a state of apparent death and shows no will to live. Her throat damage is too severe; I… I cannot guarantee she will survive.”

After speaking, the physician bowed three times, pleading for mercy.

Behind him, another middle-aged man in physician attire also bowed.

The entire imperial medical team had arrived, but since the chief physician, who was the most skilled, couldn’t help, they too could only beg for forgiveness.

Dr. Zhang, who had treated Yan Qing before, sighed in despair. It was the Empress again.

Dr. Zhang felt sympathy for her; despite being one of the highest-ranking consorts, she had nearly been killed by the Emperor not once but twice.

He had long known that this Emperor was ruthless, but he still couldn’t help but be fearful.

As he spoke, he cautiously watched the man before him. According to his examination, the chances of survival were extremely slim.

Her body seemed to be passively accepting death.

It was surely the Emperor’s terrifying presence that had driven the Empress to give up.

The man who heard this had an exceptionally grim expression. An overwhelming sense of murderous intent enveloped him, and the entire palace seemed eerily silent, with only the sound of breathing audible.

The dozen or so physicians knelt on the ground, sweating even more than after administering the needles.

A droplet of sweat fell on the floor with a “drip.”

This sound seemed to awaken the Emperor, who finally moved his neck and looked at the woman on the bed.

Her face was pale, devoid of color, and her lips were similarly colorless as if coated with a layer of powder. It was starkly different from her usual rosy and youthful complexion.

Her breathing was weak, sustained only by the silver needles in her body.

If the needles were removed, she would immediately die from suffocation.

Ji Yecheng felt a rare pang of regret for the first time in his life.

She was about to die.

The physician’s words echoed in his ears: the Empress has no will to survive…

No will to survive?

Ji Yecheng’s thin lips twisted into a cruel smile, his voice like ice, “Bring Song Yu here!”

No will to survive, huh?

Wasn’t Song Yu the one she cared about the most?

He wanted to see if Song Yu could save her!

If not… then there’s no need for her to live. They might as well die together.

Perhaps that’s what she wanted, right?

Ji Yecheng lowered his gaze, feeling a strange emotion spreading throughout his chest and body, rendering him motionless as if turned to stone.

At the Song residence.

“By order of His Majesty, summon Song Yu to the palace.” Jiang Wende, who had been received at the Song residence, immediately delivered this message.

He was still sweating from the previous events and felt chilled to the bone outside in the wind.

If the Empress died, none of them would survive either.

Song Yu’s parents were still confused. Song Father handed a money pouch to Jiang Wende while instructing someone to call Song Yu and asked, “Jiang Gonggong, what’s going on?”

Jiang Wende quickly refused the money pouch, saying, “The situation is urgent; there’s no time to explain. Please get Young Master out immediately!”

“But…” Song Father wanted to ask more.

However, upon seeing Song Yu’s figure appear, Jiang Wende immediately grabbed him and left.

“Hurry up!”

Song Yu was still recovering from illness and was somewhat weak, but his years of martial training allowed him to keep pace. He was uneasy, especially after the visit from Ziyun the previous day.

“Gonggong, can you tell me what’s happening?” Song Yu mounted his horse and saw Jiang Wende mounting another horse. He quickly inquired.

Jiang Wende’s face was grim as he gritted his teeth and said, “The Empress is on the verge of death, with no will to survive. His Majesty has summoned you.”

Upon hearing this, Song Yu’s face changed drastically. He swiftly snatched the order token from Jiang Wende, muttered a quick apology, and spurred his horse away.

“Gonggong, forgive me!” he said.

“Ah…” Jiang Wende, who was not very skilled in riding and had a rough appearance, was about to say something more when the figure before him had already disappeared quickly.

He stared blankly at his empty hand and then at the people following him, bewildered, “What do we do now?”

Without the passage token from the Emperor, they couldn’t enter the palace.