The delicate white female figure bloomed upon the Dragon Bed.
It was a beauty no grown man could refuse,
except for He Ying.
He walked to the Dragon Couch expressionlessly and even before he approached, he felt a burning itch on his skin and at the same time, a bit of nausea…
"Emperor—"
Called gently by Princess Consort Sang, renowned as the most beautiful woman under heaven, her soft, boneless hand slowly reached for his thigh…
"Ugh—"
He couldn't hold it back in the end.
This strange disease, whenever he was near a woman, still caused his body to itch and made him nauseate.
He Ying covered his mouth and rushed out of the inner chamber, angrily shouting, "Someone! Someone! Summon the Imperial Physician!"
The Imperial Physician was already waiting outside the bedchamber.
Hearing the noise inside, he stumbled in and saw the young Emperor gasping for air, collapsed on the soft couch. His black robe was open, showing his chest, neck, and hands, all covered with red bumps.
A dense mass of them, particularly terrifying.
"Em—Emperor, your servant has prepared Jade Frost Ointment, please Emperor—"
"Worthless! A bunch of worthless people!"
He Ying's face turned red, his eyes bloodshot, violent from the pain and itching, and his desire to kill almost burst forth.
The Imperial Physician didn't dare to speak further and tremblingly knelt down, lying prostrate on the ground.
The eunuchs and palace maids had already knelt all over the floor.
At such times, only Chief Eunuch Yu Huai De dared to speak, "Emperor, please calm down. The Imperial Physician had said before, that getting agitated could accelerate your blood flow and worsen your condition. Please take care of your dragon body."
He Ying sneered grimly, "Oh, you all want me to take care of my dragon body but also want me to favor the concubines, truly a set of loyal and patriotic subjects!"
"Emperor, please forgive us."
Yu Huai De knew the Emperor was furious and also knelt down, but he did not stop advising, "Emperor, this old servant knows you are suffering from this strange disease. Although you have been ruling for over a decade, there is still no heir, which is a significant issue concerning the state and its people. For the sake of the heir, please bear with it and continue to favor Princess Consort Sang."
Princess Consort Sang, Sang Ruoshui, was the daughter of the Vice Minister of Ministry of Revenue, renowned as the foremost beauty across the lands.
If the Emperor remained unmoved, then they did not know what kind of outstanding beauty would be needed to incite the Emperor's favor.
The Imperial Physician thought of the strict commands from the Empress Dowager—ensuring the Emperor favors the concubines and produces an heir.
Thus, he also plucked up the courage, knocked his head, and echoed, "Chief Eunuch Yu is right, Emperor, the heir concerns the state, please for the heir's sake, continue to favor Princess Consort Sang—"
"Bang!"
A fine teacup was fiercely smashed to the ground.
"Get out! All of you, get out!"
He Ying yelled angrily, "Dare say another word, and I will show no mercy!"
*
Yuesang Palace side chamber
Sang Yan was still reading a storybook under the lamp.
This boring ancient world, spending time reading storybooks was about all there was to do.
Suddenly, a series of bangs and thuds of smashing things rang out.
They were accompanied by faint cries.
Who was crying in the middle of the night?
Sang Yan focused and listened carefully, realizing the sounds came from the main hall.
Princess Consort Sang, the original owner's sister Sang Ruoshui, moved into the Imperial Palace a month ago, and was titled tonight which was supposed to be an auspicious night for serving the Emperor in his chamber. Why would she be crying?
Sang Yan thought of this and couldn't help but consider her current situation: the original Sang Yan was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Vice Minister from Ministry of Revenue who, four years ago, got married to the heir of Marquis Zhongyi Mansion, Jiang Ling. Unexpectedly, on their wedding night, Jiang Ling got drunk, lost his footing near the Lotus Pond, and drowned.
Before Jiang Ling's death, the original owner had had three fiancés, each mysteriously dying soon after getting engaged.
Jiang Ling was her fourth fiancé who even made it to their wedding, hoping to change the original owner's husband-killing fate. However, he still died prematurely.
After Jiang Ling's death, the original owner completely gave up on life, indifferent to marriage, and she mourned Jiang Ling for three years at the Marquis Zhongyi Mansion, dying in depression.
When she woke up again, she had become Sang Yan.
Sang Yan was a modern-day office worker who died suddenly from overwork, and after transmigrating, she was more than pleased with a life where food and drink were provided and people served her.
In less than half a year, she had nurtured herself back to radiant health.
Beauty is the original sin.
Because of this, she was entangled by Jiang Ke, Jiang Ling's younger brother.
Jiang Ke was the future Princely Heir and the last scion of the Marquis Zhongyi Mansion, valued and watched over more than their own eyes would allow, naturally he would not keep the original owner.
Thus, Sang Yan was sent back to her parental home.
As a woman with a husband-killing fate, Sang Yan's place in her original family was also quite awkward.
Especially since her younger sister was pregnant with a fragile pregnancy, there were significant concerns about her presence.
Just as Sang Yan was preparing to retire to a village to live out her old age, her sister, Sang Ruoshui, entered the Imperial Palace.
One month without favor, the Sang Family was frantic.
So, Sang Yan, carrying the hopes of the Sang Family, entered the palace to give her sister advice.
Indeed, helping her sister secure and stabilize the Emperor's favor seemed to be Sang Yan's mission.
Now, it seemed Sang Ruoshui was facing some issues.
Sang Yan set aside her storybook and headed to the main hall.
The main hall was in disarray.
Sang Ruoshui was lying on a soft couch, sobbing softly, "I have become a joke throughout the Imperial Palace. How can I face anyone now?"
Her trusted palace maid, Xiangxiu, consoled her, "Lady, you mustn't speak like this. Everybody in the Imperial Palace knows that the Emperor falls ill whenever he approaches women, it's not your fault. There are so many concubines in the palace, and none have received favor; there are still many opportunities for you."
"Do I still have opportunities? The Empress Dowager must be disappointed in me. One failure, and I'm discarded."
"Lady, you mustn't lose hope. You are considered the most beautiful woman in the realm, once the Imperial Physician cures the Emperor's illness, you will certainly be the first one he favors."
"But he has been treated for so many years, and the Emperor is still not cured?"
"Whether the Emperor is cured or not, he must show favor to the concubines; otherwise, how will an heir be born? Even if the Emperor is not concerned, the Empress Dowager and the ministers will be."
Their conversation reached her ears.
Sang Yan stood outside the entrance of the hall, watching Xiangxiu nearly ready to console Sang Ruoshui, momentarily hesitating, unsure whether to enter or not.
"The Heir's wife has arrived."
Xiangxiu spotted her and warmly said, "You too, come and persuade the Lady, be careful not to cry your eyes out."
Seeing her so say, Sang Yan felt obliged to enter.
But how to console someone was a bit beyond her.
The original owner was twenty-four this year, with an eight-year gap between her and Sang Ruoshui. Although sharing the same mother, they were not very close.
Moreover, the original owner had mourned in the Jiang Family for three years, and the sisters had hardly seen each other.
Now inhabiting the body was Sang Yan, who struggled to feel close to her.
"What are you doing here? To dampen spirits?"
Sang Ruoshui, who disliked her husband-killing fate sister, glared at her arrival, her red and swollen eyes full of disgust: "What are you looking at? Harbinger of doom! I don't know why the family sent you. Do they think I'm not unlucky enough?"
She blamed her failure to receive favor on Sang Yan.
Sang Yan, cursed for no reason, was also in a bad mood.
However, thinking of her plight, she bore it: "You're not calm right now, so I won't say much. Rest early. I hope you'll be more rational tomorrow."
With that, she turned and left.
"Lady, it's okay to vent your frustrations on us, why displace your anger onto the Heir's wife? You're unnecessarily hurting the bond between sisters."
Xiangxiu's voice reached her ears.
Sang Yan listened, feeling that this Xiangxiu was a sensible and good palace maid.
Unfortunately, she served Sang Ruoshui, a concubine spoiled by favor.
"This is the Imperial Palace. She's still wearing mourning clothes, what does that mean? Has mourning become an addiction for her? I'll expel her from the palace tomorrow!"