In the capital of the Nanling Kingdom.
In the depths of winter, goose - feather snowflakes fell from the sky, layer upon layer, covering the courtyard. Soon, the entire courtyard was blanketed in snow.
Inside the Qixia Palace, the fire in the copper brazier on the ground had died down a bit. Seeing this, the maid quickly added charcoal. Wispy warm air rose, filling the palace with a cozy warmth.
On the couch, Liu Yushu's long hair was in disarray. Her face was deathly pale, her sunken cheeks a bit gaunt. Her eyelids fluttered open with difficulty, her eyes dull and hazy, with dark circles under them. Her dry lips were covered with a layer of white, and her face was haggard with illness.
Every part of her body ached as if she had been skinned and had her tendons pulled out. Whenever the weather changed, the pain would pierce deep into her bones. This was an old ailment she had contracted on her way to the Nanling Kingdom due to the cold.
Especially in recent days, the old illness had flared up more and more violently.
She had been sick for so long. With just a few coughs, her weak body felt dizzy. She knew in her heart that she wouldn't be able to make it through this winter.
Memories of the past flashed through her mind like a carousel.
Back then, in order to marry Feng Ziyang, who was still a hostage prince at that time, she had turned down a great marriage proposal, becoming the laughingstock of the powerful and noble circles in the capital. In the end, she was still betrayed by him.
After Feng Ziyang returned to Nanling, he had rallied important ministers, killed his siblings, and finally become the king of the Nanling Kingdom. After ascending the throne, he had left her behind, forgetting her in the deep palace. She had fallen ill from excessive worry and had never recovered.
Feng Ziyang had broken his promise and continuously launched attacks on the Yong Kingdom. For more than a decade, there had been continuous wars. The once - prosperous Yong Kingdom had become dilapidated and impoverished, and her family had been captured and imprisoned in the dungeon of Nanling. Their fates were uncertain.
The person Liu Yushu cared most about was her sickly younger brother.
As she thought about this, her breathing became rapid and disordered with anger. She couldn't catch her breath, and a feeling of suffocation overwhelmed her. Tears streamed down uncontrollably.
A maid walked in with a panicked look on her face. She knelt on the ground, trembling with fear. "Your Highness, your younger brother has been sentenced to be torn apart by horses. The execution has been carried out. His head, his head..." The maid stammered and didn't dare to continue.
Liu Yushu was struck like a thunderbolt. It was as if the sky had collapsed on her. Her already - frail body began to tremble, and the tremors grew stronger.
Her younger brother was dead! Killed by Feng Ziyang!
"The Emperor has decreed that your younger brother's head be hung on the city gate as a warning. He also said that anyone who dares to publicly insult him in the future will end up like your younger brother," the maid said timidly. Suddenly, she felt a warm liquid on her head. When she touched it with her hand and saw the blood on her palm, her face turned deathly pale.
Liu Yushu spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed weakly on the couch. Her vision blurred, and her ears rang. Her body twitched violently a few times, and then she stopped breathing. Her eyes were wide open, and she died with unfulfilled grievances.
All the servants in the palace knelt on the ground. The leading maid cried out, "Concubine Liu has passed away." Faintly, one could hear the maid's shrill scream, "Someone, quickly call the imperial doctor."
After a long time, Liu Yushu felt her body being wrapped in warmth. There was a faint smell of agarwood in the air. As soon as she smelled it, the heart that had been filled with hatred melted into a pool of water. Crystal - clear tears silently slid down the corners of her eyes.
This was the smell in her grandmother's room. How could she forget it?
She had been weak since childhood, and her mother had died early. After her father took two concubines, he had ignored her and her younger brother. Although she was the eldest legitimate daughter of the grand tutor, her title was just an empty one. It was her grandmother who had raised her and her younger brother and protected her from being bullied by the three concubines.
When she was a child, she had been frightened by Concubine He. Since then, she had always had trouble sleeping. She would wake up at the slightest sound, and she would always go to her grandmother's room.
Her grandmother had been a devout Buddhist all year round. There was always agarwood burning in the room. The fragrance was calm and long - lasting, and it made her feel at ease.
Her grandmother would also sit by the couch and softly recite Buddhist scriptures. As she listened, she would soon fall asleep and have a peaceful night's rest.
"Grandmother..." In her dream, her grandmother's kind face was clearly visible. Liu Yushu choked back sobs and murmured. Clear tears slid down the corners of her eyes. She missed her grandmother.
"My child, what's wrong with you? Did you have a nightmare? Don't be afraid. Grandmother is here," said the old Lady DuGu, holding her hand. Her little hand was cold, and there were beads of sweat on her forehead.
The old Lady DuGu turned to the maid behind her and ordered, "Mama Lu, go and invite Doctor Yan."
Mama Lu bowed respectfully and left. After a while, she came back with Doctor Yan, whose hair was as white as snow.
Before the door was even closed, a shrill voice could be heard from outside. "Old Lady, you can't be so partial! Hao'er is your own grandson. His illness hasn't been examined by Doctor Yan yet, and you've already taken him away. What's going on? Do you really want to watch Hao'er die?" Through the door, Concubine He kept complaining and refused to give up.
The servants in the mansion were used to this and just went about their business as if they didn't see anything.
Concubine He was favored by Minister Liu. Therefore, she was arrogant and domineering, making the other two concubines cower in front of her.
The old Lady DuGu was the elder in the family and didn't like to deal with her. Now, being disturbed by her, she frowned.
The old lady was gentle - natured and didn't like to argue with the younger generation. She rarely got angry and just turned a blind eye to the three concubines in the family.
Mama Lu saw the old lady's face darken and knew that she was getting angry. She quickly closed the door.
After Doctor Yan finished feeling Liu Yushu's pulse, he stood up, bowed to the old lady, and said, "Miss Shu is weak and has caught a cold." Seeing the old lady's worried face, he comforted her, "Don't worry, Madam. This illness is not serious. After taking a few doses of medicine and taking good care of herself, she will recover in a few days. As for the nightmare, it is also caused by the cold."
Groggily, Liu Yushu opened her eyes, and the scene in front of her gradually became clear.
She clearly saw her grandmother and felt the warmth from her grandmother's palm. A look of surprise flashed across her fair little face. She stared at her grandmother's kind face in disbelief, as if turned to stone.
"Shu girl, are you okay?" The old lady got worried again when she saw this and quickly asked Doctor Yan to examine her.
Doctor Yan was also puzzled and murmured, "Miss Shu is fine. What's going on?"
Liu Yushu came to her senses. Her eyes turned red in disbelief. She got up and hugged her grandmother tightly. All her grievances turned into tears and poured out.
After crying, she suddenly realized that she was alive again.
"Grandmother, what year and month is it now?" she asked anxiously.
The old lady was stunned for a moment, then a kind smile spread across her face. She stroked Liu Yushu's forehead. "You silly girl. You've become confused after sleeping. This year is the fifth year of the Great Yong."
In this year, she hadn't met Feng Ziyang, the hostage prince of Nanling. Her grandmother hadn't passed away, and the Yong Kingdom hadn't perished.
Everything had returned to the beginning. The pain and grievances of more than a decade seemed like a nightmare. Fortunately, she had woken up.
Thinking of this, she was so overjoyed that she cried. With tear - filled eyes, she tightly held her grandmother's hand. "Grandmother, it's so good, so good!"
The old lady was confused, but seeing her happy, she also smiled. "It's really good that you're okay."
"Old Lady, Sister Shu's life is precious, but my Hao'er's life is as worthless as grass? He is, after all, the eldest son of the master. If anything happens to him, you won't be able to get away with it. It's you who monopolized Doctor Yan and deliberately wanted to harm Hao'er's life," Concubine He was still causing a ruckus outside.
Liu Yushu knew exactly what Concubine He was like. Relying on her father's favor, she bossed everyone around in the mansion. She didn't put anyone except her father in her eyes.
"Grandmother, what does Concubine He want to do?" Liu Yushu thought, Could it be that Concubine He is going to bully the old lady?
The old lady snorted. "I'm too lazy to deal with her." She looked at Doctor Yan seriously. "What illness does Young Master Hao have that makes Concubine He so crazy?"
"This..." Doctor Yan looked embarrassed and hesitated to speak.
Mama Lu chimed in, "Doctor Yan, our old lady is magnanimous. You don't have to hold back. Just speak your mind."
Doctor Yan thought for a while and whispered, "It's syphilis."
Everyone present was shocked.
Liu Yushu was so shocked that she couldn't say a word for a long time.