The father of Jin Qing, Left Emissary Jin Denian, along with several colleagues, impeached the King of Jiangbei.
He had failed to save his concubine, allowing her to die at the hands of remnants of the Qi Rong. The once full harem was now reduced to a single concubine, Qu, and the already fragile marital ties had vanished.
Emperor Mingde's face was stern as he watched Jin Denian play the victim.
"My poor daughter was newly pregnant, joyfully awaiting the King's return, only to be lost to wicked hands, a double tragedy! The King of Jiangbei could have saved her then! Your Majesty must deliver justice for this minister!"
"Good!"
Emperor Mingde continued in a deep voice, "What kind of explanation do my loyal ministers seek? Shall I have the King of Jiangbei beheaded?"
Jin Denian and the others looked terrified, all falling to their knees, not daring to speak.
They knew the Emperor was indifferent towards the King of Jiangbei, but how could they dare suggest such a thing? The Divine Woman valued the King of Jiangbei greatly.
"Summon the King of Jiangbei to the palace."
Jin Denian prostrated himself in fear, "This humble minister dares not, this humble minister merely, merely..."
He was in a difficult position. Was the Emperor serious?
Or was he using this opportunity to deal with the King of Jiangbei?
If so, would he have a good outcome in the future?
Feng Shihao entered the palace, bringing with him irrefutable evidence of Jin Qing's illicit affair and pregnancy. He even brought Jin Qing's maternal nephew to the Golden Palace.
Furthermore, when the rebels entered the manor, he, fearing for his life, actively guided them, placing the manor's sole princess in grave danger.
Jin Denian's face turned the color of a pig's liver.
Emperor Mingde stripped him of his official post, and the other impeachers met the same fate.
However, he did not let the King of Jiangbei off the hook.
The reasons cited were: disrespect for ritual law, dissolute and unrestrained behavior, and the disgrace of royal dignity.
His fine robes were removed, replaced with coarse garments, and he was subjected to caning, a profound humiliation.
The Emperor's fury silenced the court.
The next day, due to Qu Linglong's daily leave, she was stripped of her position as imperial physician.
Some court officials met with Lingyao, claiming the Emperor had been acting strangely lately. He rebuked them, stating: "Court affairs must not trouble the Divine Woman."
He was pressuring her.
Yu Liu brought another maidservant, naming her Yu Xi.
Lingyao looked towards the Taiyi Hall, her gaze deep.
She asked Yu Xi, "Has the General already set off back to the capital?"
Yu Xi had not received any news and could only shake her head.
A few days later, Fu Lu rushed in to report.
"Your Highness Princess, His Majesty has fainted! The imperial physicians say, they say... it resembles the Soul Devouring Gu."
Lingyao's previously expressionless face changed. Xie Bo's dying words suddenly flashed in her mind.
The King of Southern Xinjiang was searching for a Gu master from the Tuoye clan.
And the Queen of Qi Rong's veiled words upon her death...
Thinking of her imperial brother's recent strange behavior, she was so startled that she knocked over a cup on the table.
Inside the Taiyi Hall, all the imperial physicians were present, none daring to confirm, but all stating that the symptoms were similar to those of the late Emperor.
The most telling symptom was photophobia.
"Princess, if it is indeed the Soul Devouring Gu, the Gu worm must be removed promptly. If it has not yet entered the brain, there is still hope!" said Feng Li, the head of the imperial physicians.
"Then quickly find someone who can cure the Gu!"
"This minister fears there is not enough time."
It had only been a little over ten days from the late Emperor showing abnormalities to becoming delirious. The only one who could cure the poison was a Gu master from Southern Xinjiang. The distance was great, not to mention finding them, the round trip alone would take more than ten days.
"Go find them first! I will look after His Majesty. Fu Lu, summon Cao Li, Ruan Ji, and Li Yan to the palace!"
Lingyao made arrangements swiftly, her sharp aura instilling fear. Fu Lu immediately went to deliver the decree.
"Imperial Physician Feng, you will stay. The rest of you may withdraw. Remember, His Majesty has merely overexerted himself and caught a chill. If even a single word leaks out, your nine generations will be exterminated!"
Her eyes, like the bitter cold of winter, swept over the imperial physicians. Even with their heads bowed, they could feel the piercing chill.
None dared to disobey.
She was a goddess who could destroy palaces with a wave of her hand and rule over all beings.
Emperor Mingde lay peacefully on the dragon bed, covered in imperial yellow brocade, his expression serene, showing no sign of abnormality.
In the side hall lay another person, Song Beiting, also unconscious. However, he had been unconscious for a long time. Despite being well cared for, he had become uncontrollably thin, pale and frail, devoid of life.
His body was wrapped in bandages, with hardly a good spot visible, testament to the ferocity of the fight. As Lingxi had said, he fought as if his life depended on it.
"Brother Wen Tang, why don't you wake up yet? The palace needs you, we all need you."
Lingyao wiped her bloody finger on his lips. The temperature of his lips was as cold as ice, without any trace of life.
"I'm sorry, I can't give you what you want, I'm so sorry!"
Her heart was too small; it could only hold one person.
That person, ever since entering her life, had never left.
Scenes from her youth flashed through her mind.
When he looked at her, the sudden ripple in his eyes, his constant restraint and politeness, his careful guardianship.
The purest feelings of a young boy could not be hidden, no matter how hard he tried, especially since he had every right and did not need to hide them deliberately.
He was never wrong, never at fault.
Even after losing his beloved, he had never caused her any trouble.
She was not truly indifferent to him; only indifference could make him forget faster.
But why did he still torment himself?
A tear fell onto his well-defined knuckles.
"Brother Wen Tang, forget me, and let yourself go."
Emperor Mingde woke up, unaware of what had just happened. He looked at Lingyao with joy, thinking she had come to a realization.
"Imperial sister, did you just... go to see Wen Tang?"
Lingyao nodded, observing him closely.
Emperor Mingde felt a slight blush under her clear, bright gaze and touched his face uncomfortably.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Imperial sister, a few days ago, imperial brother was wrong, and my words were a bit harsh. You, you shouldn't be angry."
"I am not angry."
Lingyao observed his state, feeling that he was indeed different from his gloomy demeanor a few days prior. However, she was unsure if he had become happier because he thought she had submitted to him.
"Imperial brother, the sun is quite nice outside today, shall we go for a walk?"
"Ah?"
Emperor Mingde glanced outside through the window, his gaze showing displeasure.
"Why go out in such bright sunshine? It's so glaring and hurts the eyes."
He hadn't been like this before. He loved the sun, loved running in the sunlight.
Lingyao's heart sank.
The Soul Devouring Gu couldn't be planted without reason. She had investigated all the servants in the Taiyi Hall; there was no suspicious person.
Then who had planted it?
As dusk fell, Emperor Mingde only reviewed a few memorials before growing tired and going to bed early, falling into a deep sleep.
This was also a symptom of the Gu poisoning.
Lingyao summoned Cao Li and the other two who were waiting, stating that Emperor Mingde had important matters to discuss with her and instructing them to temporarily handle court affairs. After making arrangements, she returned to Emperor Mingde's sleeping quarters.
Imperial Physician Feng stood guard by the dragon bed.
"Princess, the Soul Devouring Gu first enters the stomach. Through blood circulation, it travels throughout the body. We are currently unsure of its location, so where should we begin?"
"Let's try the wrist first."
Lingyao was unsure if the Gu would be attracted to her blood, but she couldn't just wait. She had to try first.