Chapter 375: Crippled from the Fall
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Li Zi Xi was deeply grateful to the Emperor of Northern Zhao.
The Emperor’s orders had been carried out with utmost thoroughness.
“His Majesty is truly a good man…” Li Zi Xi sighed.
“As an envoy to the Southern Kingdom, my salary is tripled, and upon returning, I’ll be promoted two ranks! His Majesty is indeed a benevolent ruler…” He kept murmuring praises for the Emperor of Northern Zhao.
“Is it possible… that His Majesty is actually trying to get rid of you?” Xie Yu Zhou muttered under his breath.
Xie Jing Xi shot him a glance, and the young heir immediately shut his mouth.
As they arrived outside the palace gates, the court officials had already rushed into the palace.
The Supreme Ultimate Palace was brightly lit, as bright as daylight.
Li Zi Xi, disheveled and exhausted, hurried towards the palace. Before he even stepped through the grand doors, he was met with a sorrowful sight—countless concubines, clutching silk handkerchiefs, weeping on the ground.
Nearby, the royal princes and princesses stood solemnly in mourning.
The Empress, Madam Su, bore a grim expression, her brows knotted with hidden rage. The old Emperor had yet to pass down the throne—he could not die now!
The eldest princess, Nan Feng Yu, was managing the crisis within the hall.
The moment Li Zi Xi entered, he let out a loud wail, dashing forward and throwing himself near the collapsed section of the palace floor. “Your Majesty of the Southern Kingdom!”
With a trembling hand, he pointed at the gaping hole. “His Majesty… is still down there?”
Though Nan Feng Yu did not favor Li Zi Xi, he was, after all, an envoy of Northern Zhao.
Her eyes were red, filled with grief. “The Southern Capital has stood for centuries without such an incident. Who would have expected such a catastrophe? The collapse happened right beneath the Supreme Ultimate Hall, and below lies the inner moat of the city. The waters are raging, and we have yet to find Father’s whereabouts.”
Hearing this, the concubines sobbed even more bitterly.
The Empress, her hair streaked with white, gripped her Buddhist prayer beads tightly, her face grim and unreadable.
An elderly eunuch knelt at the front of the hall. “His Majesty could have escaped… but he injured his leg earlier today. He could not move swiftly enough and was swallowed by the abyss.”
A heavy silence fell upon the room, the weight of despair pressing upon everyone’s hearts.
“Mother, please do not worry. Father is a devout follower of High God Zong Bai. The righteous are blessed, and the gods will protect him.”
“I have already dispatched guards to search below. The imperial physicians stand ready. Father will surely overcome this calamity!” Nan Feng Yu’s eyes were red, but her resolve remained firm.
Meanwhile, Xu Shi Yun entered the palace with Rong Che at her side. Behind her, a veiled old nanny followed closely.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that her shoes had uneven soles.
Fortunately, her limp was barely noticeable.
In recent days, Xu Shi Yun had managed to reunite with Madam Ning in secret.
Ahead of her stood a stately woman adorned in opulent attire—the impostor.
Her eyes, swollen from tears, bore a sorrowful look as she stepped forward, bowing respectfully to the Empress.
It was a bow fitting for a mere concubine.
Xu Shi Yun’s gaze darkened as the false Madam Ning turned to her. “Shi Yun, hurry and greet Her Majesty. You have just returned to the palace—you will need her guidance in the days to come.”
“The Emperor has yet to publicly acknowledge Shi Yun’s identity. As of now, she remains the Marchioness of Northern Zhao.”
Rong Che’s expression was indifferent as he led Shi Yun in a formal bow befitting a subject before a ruler.
The impostor nodded. “Indeed. You are the most distinguished princess of the Southern Kingdom. It is only right that you are properly recognized.”
The Empress, with a gentle demeanor, personally helped the impostor up. “Once His Majesty returns safely, he will surely grant you an official title.”
“You saved His Majesty’s life, which means you have also saved me and the Southern Kingdom itself. We cannot let you remain outside the palace.”
“Before, you worried for your daughter’s safety. Now that she is found, it is time for you to enjoy the palace’s comforts.”
The impostor sighed. “Very well. As His Majesty wishes. Now that Shi Yun is back, I must consider her future.”
Behind Shi Yun, the veiled nanny trembled, bowing her head low to conceal the hatred in her eyes.
Enjoy the palace’s comforts?
They slaughtered my entire village, and now they want me to enter the palace as a concubine?!
“Shi Yun, who is this veiled nanny?” The Empress noticed the woman and asked curiously.
Shi Yun smiled. “Your Majesty, I have been suffering from severe nausea and crave sour foods. This nanny happens to be skilled in preparing them, so I keep her by my side.”
“She has caught a cold recently and fears passing it on.”
The Empress nodded, not giving it further thought, her focus returning to the abyss.
Below, the sound of rushing water was terrifying, the current fierce and unrelenting, making everyone’s hearts pound with unease.
An hour passed before a faint noise emerged from the depths.
Nan Feng Yu leaned over the edge. “Have you found Father?” Her voice was fraught with desperation.
“We found His Majesty! Prepare the divine healer at once!” a guard shouted from below.
The Empress and concubines immediately knelt. “Bodhisattva, High God Zong Bai, please grant His Majesty safety! I offer my lifespan in exchange for his well-being!”
The collapse had been so devastating that none had dared to leave. The sound of the water alone was enough to chill them to the bone.
When the old Emperor was finally lifted out, he was unconscious, drenched, and unresponsive.
“Quick, change His Majesty’s clothes.”
“The current was too strong. His Majesty was swept away but fortunately struck a rock, preventing him from being lost forever.”
“But he fell from a great height and nearly drowned. His injuries are severe.”
The attendants quickly reported his condition.
As the palace servants changed the Emperor’s wet garments, Lu Chao Chao noticed his swollen belly—he must have swallowed a great deal of water. His body was covered in bruises, and multiple bones seemed broken.
Oh dear, what a disaster.
Li Zi Xi, oh Li Zi Xi, all this calamity, and the old Emperor bore it all for you.
The Emperor was carried to Long Peace Palace.
The divine healer stepped forward, swiftly administering acupuncture, causing the old Emperor to expel several mouthfuls of murky water.
His eyes rolled back, but he did not regain consciousness.
“His Majesty’s lungs are damaged. His life is in grave danger,” the divine healer announced. In the Southern Kingdom, he was the highest authority in medicine.
“I will do my utmost…”
Tears streamed down the faces of those gathered. The Emperor remained unconscious, and none dared to leave.
“Father, is your nausea any better?”
Lu Chao Chao had barely spoken when Rong Che took out a sour apricot and placed it in his mouth.
Lu Chao Chao stared, mouth watering—it looked terribly sour.
“My nausea is better in the mornings and evenings, but it’s still unbearable. I won’t have another child… never again… urgh…” It was absolute torment.
“Do you want one?” Rong Che offered.
Lu Chao Chao swallowed hard but scrunched her face and shook her head. “I don’t have nausea, thank you.”
Shi Yun, her slender waist yet to show signs of pregnancy, walked with ease and energy, in stark contrast to the suffering Lu Chao Chao.
The veiled nanny gently patted Rong Che’s hand, her eyes filled with warmth.
Madam Xu glanced around, ensuring no one was watching, then whispered to the nanny, “This is Grandmother.”
Madam Ning’s gaze was filled with both anticipation and fear.
Would the child accept her, this scarred old woman?
Lu Chao Chao’s face lit up with a bright smile. She took Ning’s hand and whispered, “Grandmother, I’ll earn the Empress title for you, don’t worry…”
Madam Ning gripped Chao Chao’s hand tightly, tears brimming in her eyes.
“Good… good…” Her damaged throat, aided by Lu Chao Chao’s spiritual spring, could barely utter a few words.
But in her heart, one phrase echoed: ‘Grandmother.’
Becoming Empress? That was the least of her concerns.
A three-year-old aiming for the throne—who would believe it?