Aunt Mei Jiang was greatly startled. "Your Majesty, what's wrong? How could this happen?"
Du Gu Luanyue pressed her chest, gasping for breath. "I'm not sure. It just... just happened suddenly."
She knelt on the ground, her eyes almost rolling back. She felt her heart pounding wildly, as if it was about to jump out of her chest.
The eunuch rushed straight up to Du Gu Luanyue and grabbed Aunt Mei Jiang's arm. "Aunt, let me carry her back. You go and fetch the imperial physician right away!"
Aunt Mei Jiang didn't need to look closely to recognize who it was. She knew this voice all too well.
She stared at the newcomer in astonishment. "Young Master Sheng of the Sheng Family? Goodness gracious! What are you doing in the Northern Yan's imperial palace!"
Sheng Yunqi didn't care about anything else. He carried Du Gu Luanyue on his back and ran out of the rockery grove, hurrying towards the Fengluan Palace.
Du Gu Luanyue slumped weakly on his back. It was still that familiar broad back, the back that had carried her countless times.
Big teardrops rolled down her face. "Yunqi, why did you get involved in this mess? Northern Yan is too dangerous. You should leave right away!"
Shen Guilan stood beside Huo Wei, with a teasing look in his eyes. "It seems the Empress's lover has come. Should we watch the show or go back?"
Huo Wei hid in the shadows. The light in his deep and dark eyes began to dim. He stared silently at the back. "What does it matter to me that her lover is here?"
Shen Guilan smiled, straightened his brocade robe, and said gently, "Then I'll go back to the prince's mansion first. You can do as you please."
With that, Shen Guilan hid the mother-and-son flask in his hand and left contentedly.
There were two kinds of medicine in the flask. One was to make the emperor fall into a deep sleep, and the other was to make Du Gu Luanyue's heart pound wildly. But it would pass in a while, and it wasn't harmful to her life.
The reason he made the emperor fall asleep was that he guessed that Huo Wei wouldn't let things go tonight. He had to ensure the safety of his junior brother.
He staged this show. The actors were the empress and her childhood sweetheart. It was enough for Huo Wei to watch.
Sheng Yunqi and Xie Xuanjin, the crown prince of Dongning, had already set off to leave Northern Yan for several days.
He received Du Gu Luanyue's instruction to take Xie Xuanjin to Southern Chu and take good care of him to promote more alliances between Dongning and Southern Chu.
But halfway on the journey, he heard the rumor that Empress Du Gu was seriously ill and was not long for this world.
Hearing such news, Sheng Yunqi couldn't calm down at all. He ran three horses to death and rushed back.
Taking advantage of the Spring Festival Banquet, he sneaked into the palace. Unexpectedly, the first time he saw Du Gu Luanyue, she was kneeling on the ground, covering her chest and having difficulty breathing.
All his rationality left him at that moment. It was true. She was really ill.
When they arrived at the Fengluan Palace, Du Gu Luanyue's pounding heart gradually calmed down. She slumped on the phoenix bed and drank several sips of soothing tea.
"Aunt, there's no need to fetch the imperial physician. Yunqi is here with me. I'm afraid that calling the imperial physician at night will alert others."
Sheng Yunqi stared at her with bloodshot eyes. He took her hand and suddenly hugged her tightly in his arms.
This was the first time they had hugged each other since they separated. "I hate it so much. I hate it!"
Du Gu Luanyue let go of him and looked at him carefully. Sheng Yunqi had a stubble on his face, looking haggard.
But the eldest son of the Sheng Family used to be the most gentle, elegant, and unparalleled young master in Southern Chu.
His moon-colored brocade robe never had a single wrinkle. He always had a calm look in his eyes and was as handsome as a jade tree.
"I know you hate me. But as the crown prince of Southern Chu, I must step forward when the country is facing a major choice."
No one knew the pain in her heart, but when she saw her old friend, it burst out like a flood.
Sheng Yunqi held her small face that had lost weight.
"How could I hate you? I just hate Emperor Wenhui of Northern Yan for taking you away from me. I hate that Prince Yuzhang for humiliating you.
You've suffered so much in Northern Yan, but I couldn't do anything. I even hate myself!"
Du Gu Luanyue's eyes were red at the corners, and her face was wet with tears. Sheng Yunqi gently wiped away the tears under her eyes with his fingertips.
"Don't cry, Luanyue. I'll find a way to stay in Northern Yan. After you've completed your mission, we'll go back together and get married."
Du Gu Luanyue pressed his hands down and lowered her head. "Yunqi, I'm already married."
Although nothing had ever happened between her and Murong Min, as time passed, she couldn't guarantee that she could escape Murong Min's clutches.
She was the empress who had been married in a proper way. If Murong Min wanted to do something, she couldn't escape.
Sheng Yunqi tightened his grip on her hand. "I don't mind. As long as you're alive and we can go back to Southern Chu alive, you'll be the only wife I'll ever have in my life."
Du Gu Luanyue frowned tightly. She still thought it was a wrong and risky decision for Sheng Yunqi to stay in Northern Yan.
"You should go back. My father needs the Sheng Family, and you're the most outstanding young man of this generation in the Sheng Family.
You should go back to Southern Chu and make contributions to help my father stabilize the court, instead of staying by my side!
Yunqi, we're not children anymore. We should always put the country's great cause first!"
Sheng Yunqi roared. "Do you want me to leave you alone in Northern Yan? Do you want me to watch you being humiliated by that Huo Wei again and again?
That Huo Wei is inhumane. Did... did something happen that night in the White Horse Temple?"
The gentle and flawless face of the young master now became ferocious and full of hatred.
Du Gu Luanyue shook her head crying. "No, he didn't."
Sheng Yunqi's eyes used to be so clear, but now they were so cloudy and helpless. It was extremely difficult for a person from Southern Chu to stir up the situation in Northern Yan.
His pale lips trembled.
"Then you deliberately seduced him and offered yourself to that crazy Prince Yuzhang who only knows how to kill, right?
Or, do you regard Huo Wei as your only reliance in Northern Yan?"
What they didn't know was that there was a dark shadow standing outside the hall. A dagger was pressed against Aunt Mei Jiang's neck, and one hand covered her mouth to prevent her from making a sound.
The people in the Fengluan Palace didn't dare to act rashly against this crazy Huo Wei. Once things got out of hand, the empress and the young master would be in even greater danger.
Huo Wei raised his long and slanting eyes provocatively and looked at her. A sharp look flashed across his thin lips. "Don't be in a hurry. Let this prince listen some more."
Du Gu Luanyue looked at him worriedly. She knew what Sheng Yunqi was worried about. She pursed her lips and said,
"I'm just using him now. Only by cooperating with him can I complete my plan.
Yunqi, there's nothing between me and Huo Wei. I won't fall in love with him, and I'll never forget you.
You can go back to Southern Chu with peace of mind. The court needs you. Please help me guard Southern Chu, okay?"
She had known Sheng Yunqi since childhood. She knew exactly what kind of person he was.
Sheng Yunqi was kind and gentle, which was very different from her boldness and ruthlessness.
In addition, everything about her could touch his heart. Since childhood, he had always protected her regardless of anything and was rarely calm.
She knew all this. That was why she couldn't even say a word of blame.
Hearing the words coming from the bedroom, Aunt Mei Jiang's heart sank. It was over, all over now.
Huo Wei smiled, and the killing intent surged in his smile.
He slowly pushed open the door of the hall with his dagger and sneered at the people inside. "You two are really in love. This prince is almost moved to tears."