Part 4
He helped Zhao Yiyi up, placing a cushion behind her. Hearing her complain of discomfort, he coaxed in a low voice, “Drink the medicine first, then it won’t hurt.”
Zhao Yiyi said, “Your Majesty go out first. This consort wants to be alone.”
“Yiyi.” Gu Zhen’s expression stiffened. He patiently called her again, bringing the spoon with soup medicine to her lips, coaxing, “Be good. Drink the medicine quickly, and you’ll be well.”
“Why didn’t Your Majesty tell me sooner?” Zhao Yiyi suddenly looked up, asking him with a trembling voice.
Gu Zhen was silent for a moment, then whispered, ” Zhen was afraid you wouldn’t be happy if you knew.” He knew Yiyi disliked him. If she knew Zhao Duanduan was actually… his sister, she would likely feel bad.
That was why he planned to wait until Yiyi had a change of heart and the rest of the matter was settled before announcing it.
But today, he was forced to say it early.
Zhao Yiyi suddenly laughed. As she laughed, her chest hurt again, her whole body uncomfortable.
She admitted, she was indeed unhappy.
The sister she had loved for ten years—how did she become Gu Zhen’s? Her mother’s daughter—how did she become the Empress Dowager’s?
If it were anyone else, she wouldn’t feel so bad.
But it had to be him.
Why him?
“When did Your Majesty know?” she asked.
The soup medicine was getting cold. Gu Zhen took the spoon back to stir it, whispering, “Suspected a few months ago; confirmed just recently.”
Zhao Yiyi looked at him smiling, her apricot eyes fixed on him, turning into blades.
Gu Zhen looked away somewhat awkwardly, whispering, “Yiyi, it was Zhen’s lack of consideration.”
“Like a deceased person?” she asked softly, then suddenly said, “Your Majesty go out. Let this consort be alone. Go out.”
Gu Zhen sat by the bed refusing to move. Zhao Yiyi suddenly reached out and pushed him hard, shouting, “I said get out!”
The scalding medicine spilled all over him, dripping down his robes onto the rug.
“Out! You get out!” She trembled, getting off the low couch, pushing him outward with force.
Gu Zhen was afraid she would burn herself and afraid her emotions were too agitated. He hurriedly soothed, “Alright, alright, Zhen is going out now. Zhen is going out now. I’ll have the servants bring the medicine in later; you drink it obediently and sleep.”
Zhao Yiyi ignored him, just pushing him out.
Pushing him out and closing the door, she slumped to the ground against the door panel, suddenly relaxing.
More than anger, she was unwilling to believe.
Not only did the Empress Dowager not want to believe it, but she also didn’t want to believe it.
Even though she had prepared herself when he said he had leads a while ago, she never thought in this direction.
She never imagined Duanduan would be related to him.
“Sister.” Zhao Duanduan’s voice came from outside the door again, thick with crying. “Sister, I won’t be someone else’s sister. I won’t be anyone’s daughter. I’ll only be your sister, okay? Don’t be mad at me.”
Zhao Yiyi looked up at the tall beams of Jiao Fang Palace, pinching her palm. “I’m not mad at you. Go rest. Let Sister be alone; Sister just feels a little bad.”
Sitting there, for a moment, she felt sorry for Duanduan. Linchuan grew up in luxury, having everything, while she lived under others’ roofs since childhood, watching others’ moods.
If Duanduan was really his sister, it wasn’t a bad thing for her.
With the identity of Grand Princess, no one would dare look down on her again.
But she just… felt bad.
She didn’t want to believe the sister she had loved for so many years was Gu Zhen’s sister.
Why did everything have to relate to him? She was the Empress, unable to escape for a lifetime—that was enough. Why did the people around her have to be related to him too?
Zhao Duanduan continued crying outside. Unknown time passed before the sound gradually faded.
The sky dimmed. Zhao Yiyi looked out to see the sky full of stars surrounding a crescent moon, twinkling with fine light.
It was beautiful.
She walked over slowly. Feeling stifled, she suddenly propped herself on the windowsill with both hands and did something bold she had never done before.
—She climbed out.
Having climbed once, the second time was easier.
The servants were all gathered in the front; the rear courtyard was empty. She stepped on a cassia tree and climbed over the palace wall.
The moonlight was bright, frost paving the ground.
Zhao Yiyi knew the patrol routes of the palace guards and the timing. She followed the small path all the way to the Dragon Pool.
The bright moonlight elongated her shadow, dragging a long line on the green bricks.
Turning a corner, it dragged into the water.
She wanted to walk alone.
Walking along the bank for a long time, she found a blue stone to sit on, resting her chin in her hands, looking at the starry sky.
She felt much more comfortable.
She thought things through a bit more.
While watching the sky, suddenly a faint red light appeared in the distance. She froze, instinctively craning her neck forward.
By the time the palace servants discovered the fire, it was already uncontrollable.
Buckets of water were poured in, but it was like a cup of water on a cartload of wood.
The fire burned fiercer, fueled by the west wind. The entire main hall of Jiao Fang Palace was engulfed in flames. Thick smoke rose, spreading out.
It faintly threatened to spread to the side halls.
The servants ran back and forth fighting the fire, or rushing in to save people, creating chaos.
When Gu Zhen arrived, he saw a sea of fire and the collapsing plaque of the main hall. His eyes turned red instantly. “Where is the Empress?”
The surroundings fell silent abruptly. He scanned around and asked again, “Where is the Empress!” This angry shout sounded like weeping blood.
Tears flickered in his eyes. He asked several times. Just as they were about to roll down, Zhao Duanduan—who had just been brought out of the fire, face covered in soot, hair messy—cried, “Sister is still inside!”
Gu Zhen snatched a wet cloth from a servant without thinking and tried to rush in.
“Your Majesty!” Wu Mao, in panic, ignored propriety and tried to pull him back. “The servants have already gone in! Her Highness will be out soon!”
But Gu Zhen threw off his hand forcefully and plunged headfirst into the sea of fire before him.
The fire was vast; tongues of flame seemed to lick at his legs, but Gu Zhen cared about nothing. He had only one thought—he had to find his Yiyi.
There were servants in the fire searching for overlooked people. Gu Zhen ran all the way to the inner hall, searching everywhere, but couldn’t find his Yiyi.
The heat was scorching. The wet cloth in his hand was almost baked dry. Flames leaped up violently from time to time. He searched desperately.
On the bed, by the table, by the zither stand, clothes chests, behind curtains.
Nothing.
He couldn’t find his Yiyi.
Overcome by anger and anxiety, clutching his chest, Gu Zhen suddenly coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood.
“Your Majesty!” servants on both sides screamed, surrounding him.
Outside the hall, in a small world separated by curtains, the Imperial Physician looked at the Emperor lying on the couch, asking Wu Mao tremblingly, “Your Majesty… what happened to Your Majesty?”
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