Chapter 208

Heart-piercing and bone-eroding.

Nie Jinxuan had witnessed Yin Fengzhan's madness. Therefore, the Emperor's concerns were not without reason; if Yin Fengzhan were truly provoked, no one could imagine what he might do!

Yet she, Nie Jinxuan, was no femme fatale who would bring ruin to the country, and she could not bear to let Yin Fengzhan take such risks or let the common people suffer for her own happiness. Because of this, Nie Jinxuan's heart ached even more.

Noble Consort Zhang naturally understood Nie Jinxuan's thoughts, but for her, these reasons were only one factor; there was another reason she could never speak of. So, after comforting Nie Jinxuan a few more times, she left.

The night remained silent. Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, candles flickered.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was Emperor Shuncheng's sleeping quarters, and usually, at this hour, he would have already retired. But tonight, the Emperor sat on a soft couch, his expression solemn and his face gloomy.

Opposite the Emperor sat a person; the dim candlelight reflected that person's graying hair. Who else could it be but Huo Lian?!

However, Huo Lian no longer possessed the composure he had shown at the flower-viewing banquet. He kept his head lowered, wondering what he was thinking.

Time passed bit by bit. After an unknown amount of time, Emperor Shuncheng pursed his lips, then suddenly raised his eyes to look at Huo Lian and said.

"Daoist, I kept you here late at night; you should know what I want to ask you!"

The Emperor's voice was very low, faintly revealing a terrifying aura. Hearing this, Huo Lian swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yes, this poor Daoist knows."

"Very well, since you know, then please speak clearly... what exactly did you see today?"

No matter how much favor he received on ordinary days, the Emperor was the Emperor, and a subject was a subject. Every word the Emperor spoke made Huo Lian feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. Huo Lian frowned and remained silent for a long time.

Seeing Huo Lian silent, the Emperor did not urge him. He picked up the teacup on the table, took a light sip, and glanced at Huo Lian.

Just then, Huo Lian, who had been frowning tightly, closed his eyes, then suddenly stood up and knelt down with a 'thump' before the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, this poor Daoist knows that you trust me, but there are some things that are truly difficult to speak of!"

"Oh? So, there really is something~!"

Compared to Huo Lian's nervousness, the Emperor seemed unconcerned. But after speaking, he turned his gaze to Gao Caiyong. Gao Caiyong nodded in understanding and dismissed all the palace servants in the room, finally leaving himself.

In the blink of an eye, only the Emperor and Huo Lian remained in the sleeping quarters. The Emperor set down his teacup and said in a deep voice.

"Speak!"

"Your Majesty, this poor Daoist truly does not dare to say!"

"Do not dare to say? Then you would watch me be kept in the dark?"

"Uh... this..."

Hearing the Emperor say this, Huo Lian was stunned. He looked up at the Emperor, gritted his teeth, and whispered.

"Fine, then this poor Daoist will speak! But I hope, Your Majesty, that you will not lose your temper..."

"Fine! I promise you!"

Having received the Emperor's promise, Huo Lian exhaled, stood up slowly, and said.

"Your Majesty, actually, the person this poor Daoist looked at today was none other than Prince Chen!"

"The fourth one?"

"Yes! It is Prince Chen!"

Nodding, Huo Lian continued.

"Among the princes who arrived today, besides the Crown Prince, a total of six princes came. Among them, the Seventh Prince is young, so he goes without saying, but after looking at the remaining adult princes, this poor Daoist was shocked!"

"Of course, as the saying goes, the dragon has nine sons, and each is different. The same principle applies to destiny. Although your princes were born into nobility and all carry dragon bones, there are clearly great differences. For example, the Third Prince, Prince Yun, is truly a mediocre person; he has lived a life of luxury, but it was not easily obtained. Even compared to him, the Sixth Prince, Prince Gong, is better... But among all the princes, only the Fourth Prince is different from the others!"

"Oh? How is he different?"

"The dragon bone is different!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means that although the Fourth Prince is also destined for wealth and carries dragon bones, he is not the same as the other princes. So..."

"So you mean, the fourth one is not my son?"

Huo Lian's face grew paler as he spoke. When the Emperor's words came out, Huo Lian knelt down again immediately, but did not say a word.

Seeing this, the Emperor pursed his lips, but then said in a low, unmoved voice.

"Get up, I am not blaming you! Just tell the truth!"

"... Yes, Your Majesty..."

"Alright, speak! Is there anything else besides this?"

"Uh... this... this poor Daoist..."

"Speak!"

"Yes... actually, besides the dragon bone being different, Prince Chen is also... also born with... born with rebellious bones!"

A different dragon bone meant a different foundation. And what were rebellious bones? They meant being born with a rebellious nature.

Hearing Huo Lian's words, the Emperor remained unmoved, his face gloomy, making it impossible to see any joy or anger.

The vast sleeping quarters were silent. After a long while, the Emperor moved slightly and said.

"Alright, you may go. I am tired."

"Yes..."

Responding respectfully, Huo Lian quietly walked out. Once Huo Lian was gone, the Emperor's gaze shifted instantly.

"Gao Caiyong."

"Yes, this old servant is here!"

He walked in quickly to respond. Seeing Gao Caiyong enter, the Emperor glanced at him. Gao Caiyong immediately understood, lowered his head, and responded.

"Yes, this old servant will go and arrange it!"

As he spoke, Gao Caiyong walked out quickly. He returned in no time. But the moment he entered, a series of 'Clang—' and 'Crash—' sounds suddenly came from the sleeping quarters.

Gao Caiyong could not help but hold his breath. He walked in and saw that the floor was a mess.

Gao Caiyong was shocked and immediately ordered people to come in and clean it up quickly. After the servants left, Gao Caiyong stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health!"

Gao Caiyong advised carefully. It would have been better if he had stayed silent, but as soon as he spoke, the Emperor flew into a rage and slammed his palm heavily on the table.

"I knew it! I knew it was like this! It is true, it is true!"

Laughing out of extreme anger, the Emperor stood up and began to laugh loudly toward the ceiling.

"Haha... Hahaha..."

The Emperor's laughter was desolate and filled with unspeakable heartbreak. By the end, tears were streaming down his face. He slowly stopped laughing and returned to silence.

For a time, the sleeping quarters became quiet again. Looking at the Emperor's back, which usually held immense power but now looked suddenly dejected and sorrowful, Gao Caiyong's eyes turned red. Then, he heard the Emperor mutter to himself in a low voice.

"I wanted to believe her... I always wanted to believe her... but in the end, she still lied to me! She lied to me!"

Low, angry, and finally bordering on madness. No one could see the Emperor's expression, but hearing this, Gao Caiyong advised with red eyes.

"Your Majesty, you must take care of your health! This old servant does not know what Daoist Huo said to you, but some things should not be fully believed!"

"Hmph... not fully believed? Then who do you think I should believe?"

"Your Majesty, actually, this old servant did not want to say it, but... but Your Majesty, do not forget that Daoist Huo is just a sorcerer. How can you believe him just because of a sorcerer's words? You must know, if this is wrong, it will be too late for regrets!"

By the end, Gao Caiyong was already in tears. Only he knew the bitterness, anger, and resentment in the Emperor's heart over these many years. But this matter was no small thing; if it were truly a mistake, Gao Caiyong did not even dare to imagine what the consequences would be!

Hearing Gao Caiyong's words, the Emperor, who had been standing with his back turned, suddenly shuddered and turned around abruptly.

"Right! You are right! He is my son, the only son of Wan'er and me... I cannot kill him, I absolutely cannot kill him... I still have to pass this vast empire to him, so I cannot kill him. He is the son of Wan'er and me... the only son..."

As if grasping at the last straw in his life, the Emperor became incredibly excited. Just then, before Gao Caiyong could respond, a knock was heard outside the room.

The sound was short and urgent. Gao Caiyong was startled, looked at the slightly dazed Emperor, and quietly got up to go out. A moment later, he returned. The Emperor had already regained his usual gloominess. Seeing Gao Caiyong's strange expression, the Emperor narrowed his eyes.

"What is it?"

The Emperor's gaze was sharp. Hearing this, Gao Caiyong lowered his head, hesitant to speak. Seeing this, the Emperor stepped forward and stood directly in front of Gao Caiyong.

"Speak!"

"Your, Your Majesty... Daoist Huo... is dead..."

Gao Caiyong's voice trembled. After speaking, he looked up at the Emperor and continued.

"However, it was not done by our people; he... he... was crushed to death by bricks and tiles falling from the palace wall..."

It turned out that after Huo Lian told the Emperor those things, the Emperor had no intention of keeping him alive. That was why he had Gao Caiyong send people to deal with him. But unexpectedly, before the imperial experts sent by Gao Caiyong could act, Huo Lian was already dead!

Moreover, the cause of Huo Lian's death was very strange. While walking along the bluestone path in the palace, he was coincidentally crushed to death by a falling brick... This was truly baffling!

There was almost only one reason to explain such a result: Huo Lian had leaked heavenly secrets and was punished by the heavens!

Therefore, when Gao Caiyong finished speaking, the Emperor widened his eyes and suddenly smashed everything in front of him to the ground!

"Ning Wan'er!"

With a scream filled with rage and pain, the Emperor strode out like a whirlwind!

Like a burning flame, the Emperor rushed out of the sleeping quarters and headed east. He arrived at the courtyard filled with night-blooming jasmine.

It was late at night, and the courtyard was quiet. As soon as the Emperor entered, he pushed open the door of the only side room in the courtyard...

Creak—

The door opened. By the cold moonlight outside, one could see the furnishings inside: a table, chairs, a bed... but nothing else!

The layout was too simple, making it feel dull. But the Emperor did not even look around; he went straight to a blank wall in the room, bent down, and pressed something on the floor in the corner.

Then, a low, rumbling sound was heard, and the blank wall in front of him instantly flipped open, revealing a spacious secret passage!

The Emperor stepped inside, the wall behind him closed, and points of ghostly blue light naturally lit up on the walls on both sides of the passage!

It turned out they were night-luminescent pearls! Because of the mechanism, when the passage door was open, the pearls could not be seen, but when the door closed, the stones covering the pearls moved down, and the light of the pearls instantly shone through the darkness!

The ingenious design was breathtaking. Although the Emperor was still extremely furious, he stopped every few steps to press points on the walls. After walking for about half an incense stick's time, the Emperor finally stopped in front of a stone door and pressed several spots on the seemingly ordinary door.

Another muffled sound followed, the stone door opened instantly, and the Emperor strode in like a gust of wind!

It was a circular stone chamber. Large night-luminescent pearls were placed on stone pedestals in the corners, their ghostly blue light illuminating the large chamber as if it were daylight. In the center of the chamber sat a transparent crystal coffin!

Only then did the Emperor, who had rushed all the way here, stop. He stared straight at the crystal coffin in the center and walked over.

The Emperor's pace was slow, step by step, as if he had lost his soul. Finally, he reached the crystal coffin and threw himself onto it.

The Emperor no longer had his usual majesty and gloominess; his wrinkled face was filled with dejection and misery that did not match his status. As he collapsed, he reached out and slowly stroked the translucent crystal coffin, unable to help but murmur.

"Wan'er... Wan'er..."

One call after another, the Emperor's voice was hoarse and filled with heartbreak. Then, he could not help but lower his eyes to look at the... woman in the crystal coffin!

Yes, it was a woman! A woman of extreme beauty!

Her skin was like congealed fat, her features were as exquisite as a painting, her ink-black hair was draped neatly, and she wore a top-quality silk garment embroidered with delicate phoenix patterns. Against her stunning face, her long eyelashes, like butterfly wings, were closed, as if she were merely asleep!

The Emperor's eyes were filled with unspeakable obsession and persistence. He whispered continuously while reaching out to stroke the beautiful woman's face through the crystal coffin!

But in the blink of an eye, the Emperor became ferocious. He angrily pounded on the crystal coffin and roared.

"Why! Why did you betray me?! Wan'er! Why did you betray me!"

The Emperor was now so close to madness that it was terrifying. But the only response was the silence of the room...

Time passed. The Emperor continued to shout and roar in his madness, but eventually, he slowed down and began to stroke the crystal coffin again, as if he were stroking the woman's face...

Just then, the Emperor, who was half-mad and half-sober, suddenly froze. He stared quietly at a corner on the edge of the crystal coffin and reached out to touch it.

It turned out that in that corner, there was a drop-shaped water stain the size of a woman's fingernail!

The stain was still fresh. The Emperor looked up at the ceiling of the stone chamber, touched the water stain, and slowly put it into his mouth.

Salty?!

The Emperor was shocked! Just then, he felt a black shadow flash behind him. He stood up instantly and roared.

"Someone, come here!"

As the Emperor shouted, he rushed out. But when he reached the courtyard outside the side room, there was no sign of the mysterious person. He was furious.

"Someone, come here!"

The Emperor roared, and a group of palace guards immediately knelt throughout the courtyard. The Emperor then ordered loudly.

"Seal the palace gates! Search for me! Even if you have to turn the entire palace upside down, you must find the person who trespassed into the forbidden area. Otherwise, you will all die!"

"Yes!"

Following the Emperor's order, the palace gates were instantly shut, and the entire palace was thrown into turmoil!

The silent night was completely shattered. Squads of imperial guards, led by palace guards holding torches, surrounded the palace layer by layer and began a thorough search of every palace!

At this time, Nie Jinxuan, who was staying at the Yongxin Palace, heard the commotion outside, stood up, walked out of the room, and called the young palace maid on night duty.

"What is going on? Why is it so noisy outside?"

Nie Jinxuan was puzzled. Hearing this, the young maid said.

"Reporting to the Princess Consort, this servant does not know. I will go and ask for you right now."

As she spoke, the maid ran off and returned panting a moment later.

"Princess Consort, I heard that an assassin entered the palace and angered the Emperor. Now the palace gates are sealed, and they are searching every palace one by one!"

"An assassin?"

"Yes, Princess Consort."

The maid was very respectful, but hearing this, Nie Jinxuan frowned slightly, her heart skipped a beat, and without thinking, she said.

"Take me to see Her Ladyship, immediately!"

See you tomorrow!