After being sent to the cold palace, the emperor’s heart was burned into ashes CHAPTER 40.1

Chapter 40: Caring part 1

The morning light dispersed slightly, illuminating the long corridor.

After the food was knocked over, Zhao Xiaobai seemed to find it amusing and hopped around it, occasionally bending down to paw at it.

Staring at the snowy-white Fulin dog for a long time, Gu Zhen suddenly recalled the image of that person mercilessly pushing away the medicine bowl last night. So frail, yet so pitiful.

Yet her hibiscus face was scrunched up, her cherry lips tightly pursed, her brow timid, written all over with stubbornness. His pent-up anger was about to erupt, but upon touching those reddened eyes, he felt stifled, unable to vent it at all.

Married for nearly three years, he had never imagined that one day, the Empress would treat him like this.

She smiled gently and said she didn’t like him anymore. Those clear, soft almond eyes practically told him bluntly that she didn’t want him anymore.

How could it be like this? How could she say such words so easily? Clearly, on the night at the Altar of Agriculture, she was still pulling his hand, forcing him to say if he had ever liked her.

How could her liking come so quickly and dissipate so suddenly?

A stinging pain suddenly came from the back of his hand. He looked down and saw the sword wound extending from the tiger’s mouth to his forearm was oozing blood. Scratched a few days ago, it had already formed a thin scab, but because it was pulled last night, the wound had split open again.

His heart felt heavy and uncomfortable. Just as he was irritable, an attendant entered and reported, “Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Lin is waiting outside.”

Lin Nanjun?

Gu Zhen frowned slightly, thinking for a moment, recalling that he had ordered him last night to come and report on the Empress’s condition this morning.

Thinking of that person, the tip of his heart felt like it was pricked by a needle, a dense, sharp pain gradually spreading throughout his body.

See him, or not?

Her haggard face suddenly appeared in his mind. Gu Zhen steadied his mind, looked into the distance, and said lightly, “Summon him.”

When Lin Nanjun entered, he saw the Emperor standing under the corridor, staring at him with deep eyes.

Thinking he had made some mistake and provoked the Emperor, Lin Nanjun’s legs went weak, almost scaring him to the ground, and he immediately trembled and bowed, “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Suppressing the annoyance in his heart, Gu Zhen looked down at Lin Nanjun and asked in a deep voice, “How is the Empress?”

Lin Nanjun had come to Zichen Palace for this matter. Hearing this, his expression turned serious, and he respectfully said, “Her Highness’s fever broke when she got up. She took another dose of medicine this morning, and her complexion is much better. Observe for another two days; if it doesn’t worsen again, she can slowly recuperate.”

Still need to slowly recuperate?

Gu Zhen’s thoughts paused slightly. He had been healthy since childhood and rarely got sick. Even if he did, he would probably recover before the medicine took effect.

But the Empress couldn’t; her body was so weak that she had to recuperate slowly to recover fully.

“In that case, you go and wait at Jiaofang Palace. Take good care of her, and don’t let any more mishaps happen.” After thinking for a long time, Gu Zhen finally opened his lips and instructed.

Lin Nanjun had been a bit dizzy these past few days.

Outside rumors said the Emperor didn’t care about the Empress, and there were even faint rumors that the Emperor had thoughts of deposing the Empress. But looking at the Emperor’s posture these two days, how did it look like he didn’t care?

Carrying a belly full of thoughts, he lowered his head and bowed, “This subject retires.”

Gu Zhen said nothing, just looking up at the flowing clouds in the distance. He didn’t know how long it had been until two barks came from his feet again, and he barely recovered his senses, curling his fingers twice. “Go fetch some tonics and send them to the Empress.”

Wu Mao took the order and was about to go to the storehouse, but heard the Emperor mutter, “Is she really so heartless?”

Only the Emperor and Empress were in the bedroom last night. Wu Mao didn’t know what happened inside. At that moment, he wished he could find a crack to crawl into.

Carefully looking up at the Emperor, seeing his eyes were heavy and silent, seeming to have no intention of asking him to answer, Wu Mao breathed a sigh of relief and quietly went to the storehouse.

Gu Zhen felt blocked in his heart.

He didn’t believe it. He didn’t believe the Empress, who was usually gentle and obedient and never spoke loudly, would really be so heartless.

He desperately told himself that the Empress must just be saying it, but these words ultimately couldn’t even deceive himself.

His large palm gradually closed into a fist, blue veins suddenly popping out, clearly lined on the back of his hand.

Northern Suburbs.

The young ladies were sitting in the tents surrounded by silk, drinking tea and chatting. Seeing the figure in a high bun and silk skirt from afar, Cui Nianhan eagerly went out to greet her.

She had always been on good terms with Princess Linchuan, and recently she was exceptionally flattering. Everyone was used to it, and no one fought for her position.

After the girl in the green silk skirt dismounted, Cui Nianhan smiled and called out, “Princess, shall we later…”

Before she finished speaking, she received a slap on her face immediately. The force was so great that her head was knocked to the side.

“What a thing!”

The girls in the distance were also suddenly startled, putting down their cups and standing up one after another.

Burning pain came from her face. Cui Nianhan covered her face, looking back in disbelief, stammering, “Princess?”

growing up, when had she ever suffered such grievance? Even if she was disobedient at home, she would at most be hit on the palm; when had she ever been slapped in the face? Pain and embarrassment spread together, and her eyes immediately turned red, pursing her lips and staring at Princess Linchuan.

Seeing her looking at herself with a grieved face, seeming unconvinced, Linchuan felt angry in her heart, raising her hand to slap her again, but was stopped by a palace maid.

“Princess has a body of ten thousand gold; you must not dirty your hands because of this,” the palace maid advised in a low voice.

Cui Nianhan was slapped by her as soon as she came up, and the whole person was confused. She couldn’t help holding back tears and asking, “Princess, I don’t know what Nianhan did to make the Princess so angry. Even if you are angry and want to punish me, you should tell me and give me a chance to correct it.”

“You still have the nerve to ask!” Linchuan’s face distorted a bit, sneering, “Your brother clearly has a fiancée, yet you dare to incite me? Think I’m easy to bully, don’t you?”

Every time she came to the northern suburbs, she would meet Cui Siyuan. At first, she thought it was a coincidence, but after being reminded these past few days, she vaguely realized. The first one or two times might be coincidences, but the subsequent times could absolutely not be so coincidental!

Thinking of the specious words Cui Nianhan said, Linchuan was even more convinced that Cui Nianhan wanted to incite her to get together with her brother.

Her Imperial Brother’s warning that day was still vivid in her mind. She pointed at Cui Nianhan and cursed, “You lowly thing, actually playing tricks in front of me. Why don’t you look in the mirror and see what kind of thing you are!”

So it was about this.

Cui Nianhan’s heart relaxed slightly, her eyes filled with tears, sobbing, “If it’s about this, Princess has wronged me.”

Linchuan blinked slightly, her face gloomy.

Cui Nianhan knew her temper had always been bad. Willing to wait for this moment was already suppressing a lot of anger, wanting to hear what she could say. So she didn’t dare delay, replying warmly, “Princess doesn’t know, my brother’s marriage was decided by the elders early on. That family has committed a crime now. Nowadays… my family planned to break off this engagement long ago, just was held back for a while, so it hasn’t been broken off.”

“Which family?” Linchuan asked coldly.

Since they committed a crime and could be engaged to the Marquis of Hejian’s residence, they must have a name.

Cui Nianhan looked up at her and said warmly, “It’s the Marquis of Huai’an’s residence. That woman is the second daughter of the Marquis of Huai’an.”

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