Shangguan Yao was startled. He came to his senses, frowned, and whispered, extending a hand to rub his forehead, "Your Majesty seems to have a headache. Commander Xiao should go back first. Your Majesty will look at the effects of this strange jade another day."
Xiao Yao stared at the Emperor. His face was indeed pale, and his head hurt. It seemed the Emperor was truly ill. He nodded quickly. The eunuch took the Jade Dragon Talisman and handed it to Xiao Yao. Xiao Yao took his leave and exited the imperial palace.
Shangguan Yao was nearly driven mad, but he could not let anyone see the slightest trace of it. His fingers trembled uncontrollably.
At this moment, he felt as if he had fallen into a net, a vast net that had firmly ensnared him.
Was he simply destined to die? What should he do now?
He was completely at a loss. Now, he could only wait for Song Yuan's news. As long as Leng Yue's identity and whereabouts were discovered, they would capture this damned entity first.
However, the news Song Yuan brought back upon his return caused him to completely collapse.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Leng Yue has no contacts in the city. Your subordinate investigated. He has dealings with Young Master Wu Yun of the Ye Manor and the young master of Prince Yun's manor. There is no news of him at all now. That medical clinic has also closed, and no one is there."
He knew this was the outcome he had been dreading, yet only now was he utterly disheartened.
He was the most laughable person. It was clearly a setup, and he was still deeply caught in it, unable to extricate himself. He had developed feelings for that man, and his own hidden ailment required him to use that man to be cured. This was probably the most ironic joke in the world.
Shangguan Yao could no longer control himself. He suddenly waved his hand, and the armrest beside him shattered, sending splinters flying, scattering throughout the hall.
Song Yuan and Xiao Tingzi exchanged uneasy glances, wondering what had happened to the Emperor and why his face was as pale as paper, why he was sweating profusely, and why he was in such a furious rage.
An bone-chilling cold flowed through the sleeping quarters.
Shangguan Yao finally regained some reason. There was still one person who could help him: his mother, the Empress Dowager. As long as she agreed to help him, he would not lose too badly.
Since Murong Chong was that person, his mother must know that he had a weakness. Therefore, as long as his weakness was found and the correct approach was taken, he would capture this man in one fell swoop and force him to hand over the Jade Dragon Talisman.
There was also the matter of the Minister of War. It seemed that Lan Qinglun was also untrustworthy, but it was not advisable to alert him at the moment.
If he was indeed Murong Chong's man, he would surely act in advance. Therefore, this was an opportunity not to be missed. He only had to capture that man as quickly as possible, retrieve the Jade Dragon Talisman, and then find a way to regain military power.
In the sleeping quarters, Song Yuan still knelt. Shangguan Yao waved his hand weakly and said, "You may withdraw first. Your Majesty will summon you if there is anything."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Song Yuan retreated, completely bewildered by the Emperor's change in attitude. What could have frightened the usually arrogant, cold, charming, and bloodthirsty Emperor to the point of changing color and throwing such a tantrum? What was going on?
Song Yuan shook his head, unable to fathom it. Before leaving, he did not forget to caution, "His Majesty is unwell. You must serve him well."
"Yes, Lord Song."
Xiao Tingzi responded and walked to the Emperor's side.
The Emperor was leaning tiredly on the couch, his pale face looking particularly eerie in the dazzling light. Coupled with his current weakness, Xiao Tingzi truly believed the Emperor was ill and hurried over, speaking softly.
"Your Majesty, please rest on the bed. This servant will go and summon the imperial physician."
"No need."
Ling Han's bloodthirsty voice suddenly rang out. Xiao Tingzi was startled and froze beside the Emperor. He saw the Emperor suddenly open his eyes and command Xiao Tingzi, "Immediately prepare the carriage to go to Changxin Palace."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The entourage quickly left Jingfu Palace and headed for Changxin Palace.
Changxin Palace was where the Empress Dowager resided. It was quieter than usual, with only a few eunuchs occasionally walking about in the morning.
In the morning, the mist lightly swirled, and the flowers and grass in the garden bloomed vibrantly, all of them cold-hardy varieties. Crane flowers, unique like cranes, bloomed in various bright colors, as did chrysanthemums of all kinds.
There were also hairy-leaved begonias, competing in beauty. The branches and leaves, along with the flowers, were drenched in mist, glistening and exceptionally delicate.
In front of the palace gate, the eunuch who had just taken his post was terrified when he saw the Emperor arriving and immediately prostrated himself on the ground. The Emperor had never paid his respects to the Empress Dowager so early before, which greatly surprised them.
"Greetings to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well."
Shangguan Yao, with a dark expression, paid no attention to these people and led his retinue directly to Changxin Palace.
Inside the palace, the exquisite sights were particularly lifelike, shrouded in light mist. The ethereal appearance added to their charm, but the Emperor walked with hurried steps, not even glancing at the exquisite decorations.
Xiao Tingzi and the group of eunuchs dared not even breathe loudly, let alone speak a word.
At Changxin Palace, someone had already reported the Emperor's arrival to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was astonished and asked Ping An to help her get up. Just as she had put on an outer robe, she heard the synchronized greetings from outside the hall: "Greetings to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years."
It was evident how anxious the arrival was. The Empress Dowager slightly raised her eyebrows, feeling a hint of unease. The Emperor had never disturbed her sleep so early before. Had something happened? She remained still, looking towards the outside of the glazed screen until the Emperor's tall figure in imperial yellow walked in.
She saw that although the Emperor's face was covered with a layer of dark, cold light, it was also pale, and his pupils were extremely cold and fierce. He stood silently by the screen, gazing at her. The Empress Dowager dimly sensed that something had happened, so she waved her hand, "All of you may withdraw."
"Yes."
In the sleeping quarters, everyone retreated, including the eunuchs closest to Shangguan Yao.
In the vast space, only the Emperor and the Empress Dowager looked at each other. The Empress Dowager raised her eyebrows and spoke gently, "What is wrong, Yao'er? What has happened? Your face is so dark this early in the morning."
Shangguan Yao knelt with a thud, looking at the Empress Dowager with great sorrow.
"Mother, you must help your son overcome this difficult hurdle, or else your son will have no place to be buried."
"Yao'er, what exactly has happened?"
The Empress Dowager was greatly alarmed. She had rarely seen the Emperor act like this, clearly indicating that something truly serious had occurred. What could have made Yao'er lose his color?
"Mother, my long-held suspicions were indeed correct. That Murong Chong is really him, isn't he?"
Shangguan Yao raised his head, his eyes filled with a chilling, sinister coldness. He bared his teeth, white and sharp, and spoke fiercely.
"Everything has been a setup all along. It must be Yun Mu's plan. We have fallen into his trap. Perhaps he knew that I was a fake long ago, so he pretended to relinquish military power, making us relax our guard, and then he seized the opportunity to strike. The haunting in the East Palace, and the incident where I was beaten."
Thinking of being beaten, Shangguan Yao suddenly stopped speaking. How could a fool understand someone else's intentions and beat himself? Thinking like this.
Perhaps Yun Xiao was not foolish. Was she foolish or not? In any case, the haunting in the East Palace was a flaw.
It was laughable that he and his mother had failed to grasp the subtlety of it all. Furthermore, Murong Chong had saved the people of Prince Yun's manor. If one were to truly consider it, there were many flaws that could have been investigated. It was only because they firmly believed that person was dead that they had not considered it.
"You mean..."