Chapter 47: The Human Heart Is Treacherous

Seeing Wan Tang's tears fall, Chu Yunzheng's heart was no less like a knife twisting.

"Tangtang."

A cold finger suddenly brushed her cheek; Chu Yunzheng knelt on one knee before the couch, using his wide, dragon‑embroidered sleeve to wipe her sweat.

In those phoenix eyes that once chilled the entire court's officials, emotions surged that she had never seen before.

"I am here."

He seized her hand, which clutched the brocade quilt, and pried apart each of the nails she had pressed into his palm.

A bright yellow cloth was pressed onto the blood‑smeared crescent wound, turning red in an instant, "If it hurts, shout out."

Wan Tang stared blankly at the red smear at the corner of his eye.

The emperor who once ordered the extermination of a treasonous minister's nine families without blinking now had his eyes reddened by her minor skin wound.

"Child... our child..."

She let out a timely whimper, burying her face into his garment that carried the scent of morning dew.

The dragon‑scale embroidery of gold thread on the dark fabric brushed her cheek painfully, yet it was nothing compared to the lingering agony in her abdomen.

"Everyone step back." His voice was so light as if fearing to disturb the one in his arms, but his gaze was sharp as a blade.

After the last palace maid, trembling, lifted the hall doors, he gently placed Wan Tang deep within the bed, then sat on the footstool, keeping his eye level with hers.

"Watch me."

He lifted her face, his thumb rubbing the bruised dark under her eyes, "The imperial physician said, you are young and healthy; you can recover."

His Adam's apple rolled several times, and the word "again" finally turned into a sigh, "We will have a child someday."

Wan Tang trembled lightly in his palm.

The words sounded gentle, yet upon closer hearing they sent a bone‑deep chill.

Clearly the imperial physician had already said Wan Tang would never bear a child again.

But he was convinced there would be another, meaning the lost dragon heir was merely a replaceable position in his heart.

She lowered her eyelids, letting two perfect streams of clear tears fall, "It is I, the useless one, who cannot even protect our child."

"Shh." A finger pressed to her trembling lips, Chu Yunzheng suddenly leaned forward, his forehead touching hers.

The overly intimate gesture made Wan Tang's breath catch.

When his warm breath brushed her nose, she heard a near‑whisper, "It is I who failed to protect you all."

"You all..."

Wan Tang's pupils contracted sharply.

The word "them" was like a poisonous sting, suddenly piercing her heart.

It must be said, many times Chu Yunzheng's unconditional pampering truly makes one easily drown.

"Emperor..." she feigned weakness, clutching his sleeve, "I am afraid..."

Chu Yunzheng suddenly pulled her into his arms, the force so great it nearly made her bones ache.

Through layers of court robes, she clearly heard his chest's fierce heartbeat.

At that moment she suddenly realized that this seemingly invincible emperor hid mortal flesh beneath his armor.

"Anyone who dares to lay a hand on my woman or my child will pay the price."

His voice carried a ruthlessness she had never heard, "No matter who..."

The trailing sound faded into her hair, replaced by a kiss landing on her crown, light as a snowflake, "I regret having come into this world."

Wan Tang curled her lips at a angle he could not see.

"Price?"

Should Xu Luoyan pay this price, or the Empress?

Or perhaps Wan Tang, who scripted and performed the whole drama herself?

"Your Majesty, urgent report from the frontier!" Outside the hall, the Grand Eunuch's voice shattered the suffocating atmosphere around Wan Tang.

Chu Yunzheng's brows twitched imperceptibly, then returned to normal.

He released Wan Tang, stood up and adjusted his sleeve: "I will come to see you later."

Wan Tang forced herself up and bowed, "State affairs are urgent; Your Majesty need not worry about me."

Only after that upright figure vanished beyond the hall doors did her straight back finally slump.

Li Ping'er rushed in, seeing her expression off, and hurriedly helped her lie down.

"Master, what exactly happened?" Li Ping'er, who had been by Wan Tang's side, knew that the previous day's Imperial Physician Liu had examined her, so she knew Wan Tang could not truly be pregnant.

"It was the medicine given by Bai Wei," Wan Tang said coldly.

Li Ping'er's eyes suddenly chilled: "This medicine actually harms the body like this?"

"Could it be, Master, that you truly can no longer bear children?" Li Ping'er's brows and eyes were full of pain.

Wan Tang shook her head; the fragility in her eyes was gone, replaced by clarity, "We cannot worry about that now."

"With low status, if one does not make sacrifices, how can one make the other party pay the price?"

"By the way, how is Xu Luoyan?"

"Xu promised to keep crying and wailing in the palace," Li Ping'er whispered, "Xiao Shunzi saw, and Madam Xu secretly slipped a letter out."

Wan Tang let out a light laugh, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the patterns on the brocade quilt.

Being sent to the Cold Palace was only the first step for Xu Luoyan; what she wanted was to let her truly experience the taste of losing everything.

As for the Empress...

There are still many things that haven't been sorted out.

【Is Xu Luoyan finished already?】

【Impossible, the heroine's aura remains; she cannot exit the story so early.】

It is Wan Tang; the harem's consorts have lost any hope of bearing children, so she is likely estranged from the emperor's favor.

Speaking of children, isn't Xie Taiyi a gynecological master? If I were Wan Tang, I would certainly trust no one other than Xie Taiyi.

After all, Xie Taiyi's medical skill is superb, and he is a rare person of medical ethics. He would never falsify his practice.

Wan Tang listened to the barrage, her heart thudding.

She immediately grabbed Li Ping'er's hand and solemnly said, "Ping'er, quietly go summon Xie Taiyi."

At nightfall, Li Ping'er led Xie Taiyi in quietly through the side gate.

Old Minister, may I have an audience with the Empress.

Xie Taiyi was about to bow, but Wan Tang hurried forward and offered a feigned support.

I trouble Xie Taiyi late at night; this palace truly feels sorry, the test tube is urgent.

The pulse condition is critical.

Xie Taiyi cut straight through the pleasantries and took a plain cloth pulse pillow from the medicine box.

When his finger rested on Wan Tang's wrist, the room was so quiet one could hear a silver needle hitting the floor.

Suddenly, the blue veins on the age‑spotted back of his hand burst out.

Xie Taiyi snapped his head up, his snow‑white long eyebrows almost forming a sword edge: "Has the Empress taken Forbidden Medicine?"

"I just heard of the Empress's miscarriage; I knew the matter was not simple."

She pressed her other hand to her lower abdomen, her voice as light as a falling feather: "It has ached for a full two hours."

"Nonsense!" Xie Taiyi suddenly barked low, startling Li Ping'er into spilling her tea cup.

The old man realized his lapse, inhaled deeply, and continued: "This Tiger‑Wolf Medicine has long been banned; it is fundamentally harmful."

"Once taken, conceiving becomes nearly impossible."

Wan Tang suddenly unfolded the handkerchief in her sleeve, revealing dried medicinal residue inside: "Doctor, take another look at this."

Xie Taiyi pinched a bit of the powder, rolled it between his fingertips, then brought it close to his nose to sniff; his complexion changed sharply: "What a domineering prescription! On the surface it's the nourishing Eight‑Treasure Soup for Qi and blood, used to mend post‑miscarriage damage."

When he looked up, his eyes already held compassion: "If this medicine is taken continuously for three months, not only will pregnancy be impossible, even the monthly cycle will cease."

"Even if one takes the Forbidden Medicine, with proper conditioning there might still be a twenty‑percent chance of conceiving."

"But if this medicine is used long‑term, one will be infertile for life."

The candle flame on the table burst "pop" into a flare, washing the color from Wan Tang's face.

She had long suspected that the "tonic" Xu Luoyan sent was off, but never imagined it to be so vicious.

Her hand, hidden beneath her skirt, clenched her thigh tightly, holding back a full‑body shiver.

"The head of the Imperial Medical Institute personally prescribed this," she forced a bitter smile: "It's said to be the best for post‑miscarriage recovery."

Xie Taiyi suddenly rose, and the bronze lock of the medicine box clanged loudly against the desk.

The old man bowed deeply toward the direction of the Imperial Medical Institute outside the window: "The palace has its own rules; since this is a house opened by the head of the institute, I, the Old Minister, dare not interfere."

"Do you understand, Empress?"

Before he finished speaking, Wan Tang was already sliding to kneel on the ground.

Her plain white inner robe spread like wilted petals, the vermilion mole between her brows blazing under the candle: "Doctor, save me!"

"The Empress cannot allow that!"

Xie Taiyi, flustered, also tried to kneel, but Wan Tang grabbed his sleeve.

The girl's up‑turned face bore intersecting tear tracks, yet her eyes burned with a startling flame.

"I was merely a palace maid who should have died long ago; you saved my life, letting me live."

"I only want to live," Wan Tang had already been weeping profusely.

Xie Taiyi also sighed repeatedly.

"Although the Old Minister cannot intervene, I can still write two characters."

Xie Taiyi's brush struck the paper heavily, the two bold characters penetrating the sheet: "Mai Dong!"

"All things give rise to and restrain each other."

He held the xuan paper near the candle, waited for the ink to dry, then handed it to Wan Tang: "After decocting this medicine, ingesting Mai Dong will turn its harm into benefit."

"After three months, the Empress's body will recover."

"Xie Taiyi, your great kindness—how could I possibly repay you?"

She was about to speak, but Xie Taiyi had already packed the medicine box and walked toward the hall door.

"Old Minister, I did not come to He Feng Yu Jing Palace tonight." Xie Taiyi paused at the threshold, "Empress, take care."

The night wind swept away the latter half of the sentence, leaving only a sigh that faded into the sound of the night watch.

Li Ping'er's hand, clutching the prescription, trembled: "Empress, can we get this Mai Dong from the Imperial Medical Institute?"

Wow! This plot is awesome; it feels like everything is unfolding just as I wish.

Can't handle all this anymore; as long as Wan Tang isn't stupid.

Not stupid? Li Defu is already here, still making such a big fuss. Aren't you afraid of being overheard?

Fortunately Xie Taiyi left early; otherwise they would have killed us!

"Shh." Wan Tang suddenly pricked up her ears.

From afar a faint sound of boots grinding over gravel reached her; she quickly held the prescription to the candle, and the flame instantly devoured it.

No more words from Li Ping'er.

Li Defu led a few junior eunuchs, laying down the silk brocade and ornaments that the Emperor had bestowed one by one.

A smile piled on his face, but his gaze was as cold as a snake.

He leisurely straightened up, his eyes lingering a moment on Wan Tang's pale face before a low chuckle escaped.

"The Empress has fine tactics."

His voice was pressed down extremely low, only Wan Tang could hear it.

Wan Tang lifted her gaze, the corners of her lips slightly curved, yet there was not a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"Lord, this remark, I don't quite understand."

Li Defu squinted, his voice hoarse: "I (servant) have lived in the Imperial Palace for half my life; what kind of person haven't I seen? The Empress's performance in this play actually surprised me."

He leaned forward slightly, his breath chillingly brushing past her ear.

"But, the Empress thinks, is the person the Emperor loves truly you?"

Wan Tang's fingertips lightly brushed the rim of the medicine bowl, her face unruffled.

"What? Does Lord still intend to do something to me?"

Li Defu stared at her, then let out a snort, straightened up, flicked his sleeve and turned.

"Everyone in the Imperial Palace is a ghost; I (servant) am merely a bystander."

He halted his steps, turned his head and tossed out: "Some people have already entered the game, yet they are unaware."