The eunuch had already tried to pull Zhou Jinglan away.
But Zhou Jinglan struggled desperately, clinging tightly: "Emperor, every mistake is my fault! Mingtao was just following orders! Please, spare her!"
But pleading at such a time was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire!
He Ying was in unbearable pain and frustration, sweat beading on his forehead, gasping for breath, his eyes bloodshot, and he kicked her away with one foot.
The kick was powerful.
Zhou Jinglan spat out a mouthful of blood from the force.
She lay on the ground, looking up at the man she deeply loved, her swollen eyes filled with despair and resentment: "Would you have treated the Sang sisters this way, turning your face away so heartlessly?"
At that moment, it seemed that nothing was more sorrowful than a heart that had died, and she wanted to know—if the Sang sisters, or Sang Yan, had done so, what would the Emperor's attitude have been? Would he have been on his guard from the moment he entered Yuesang Palace?
"Emperor, do you know that if you go to Yuesang Palace, you will encounter even more outrageous things?"
"Shut up!"
He Ying's face was cold, and he harshly commanded: "You have made a grave mistake, have not repented, and even dare to drag others down with you! Your crime is unforgivable!"
"Am I the one dragging others down, or is the Emperor protecting someone!"
Zhou Jinglan screamed, driven mad with jealousy: "The Emperor is the Master of the World, with eyes and ears everywhere. As soon as you came here, your guard was up. You must have already known about the plots in Yuesang Palace!"
He Ying, seeing her mad and terrifying state, despised her even more and no longer hid his feelings: "You are clever. But unfortunately, cleverness has led you astray and ruined my plans."
He had intended to get drunk and favor Sang Yan.
After all, he had to favor a woman to have an heir, and he was very willing for that woman to be Sang Yan.
He believed that his fondness for her could help him bear the pain of his strange illness to complete the favor.
Unfortunately, everything was ruined!
"Ha ha ha—"
He admitted it.
He actually admitted it.
Zhou Jinglan laughed, tilting her head back, her laughter tragic and pitiful: "Ha ha, in the end, it turns out I am the fool."
She gave up hope, lost the face of her family, and implicated everyone at Youlan Pavilion, leaving herself no way out.
"This lowly concubine knows her sins are heavy—"
Her hair disheveled, she closed her eyes, no longer shedding tears, her voice calm: "But the people of Youlan Pavilion are innocent. I am willing to die to atone—"
Saying this, she suddenly got up and slammed her head against the wall.
Blood gushed out instantly.
It covered half of her face.
"Please, Emperor... be merciful... forgive... them..."
Her voice grew softer and softer.
Her body slumped to the floor like soft mud.
He Ying looked on indifferently, saying nothing.
The Imperial Physician happened to run in at that moment.
He was a round, pudgy man, panting heavily and sweating profusely from his run from the Imperial Hospital.
If not for the little eunuch holding him, he would have almost fallen.
"This humble servant greets the Emperor—"
The Imperial Physician bowed and then, looking up at the Emperor's seizure, immediately opened his medical box and took out the Jade Frost Ointment: "Quick, apply this to the Emperor."
The little eunuch took the Jade Frost Ointment and presented it to imperial eunuch Pei Muyang.
Pei Muyang then presented it to the Emperor.
He Ying didn't accept it, and pointing towards Zhou Jinglan, commanded irritably in a low growl: "Over there! Someone is dying! Don't you see?"
Only then did the Imperial Physician notice Zhou Jinglan lying in a pool of blood.
He trembled in fear: "What has happened to the Lady—"
He Ying, enduring the itching and pain, kicked the man over: "Shut up! Save her!"
*
The disaster at Youlan Pavilion quickly spread to the ears of the entire palace.
Some rejoiced, others grieved.
Sang Ruoshui was among those who grieved!
She had planned to intoxicate the Emperor to win his favors, but Zhou Jinglan beat her to it and did not end well.
Although it served as a warning to her and even spared her from disaster, it ruined her plans.
What to do next?
She looked at the disheartened Sang Yan and asked, "Sister, the Emperor probably won't come now, this plan is no longer feasible, what should we do?"
Sang Yan was still troubled by the disturbing news—Concubine Lan, with an aphrodisiac, intended to commit an indiscretion and was severely punished by the Emperor, and her personal palace maid Mingtao was executed. If it weren't for Concubine Lan's suicide in apology, the others would hardly escape death.
The tyrant had killed again.
If Concubine Lan had not taken the step earlier, would their fate have been the same?
Although she didn't plan to drug the wine with an aphrodisiac, the intent was the same, and it probably wouldn't have ended well, right?
Sang Yan felt fortunate, yet more than that, she was fearful—she had underestimated the situation! That was the Emperor! Holding the power of life and death over everyone!
"Sister, don't be frightened away."
Sang Ruoshui still needed Sang Yan to lead the charge for her and did not permit her to retreat, persuading her: "Zhou Jinglan brought death upon herself by being reckless. The Emperor did not intend to take her life. Her drugging of the wine, furthermore causing the Emperor to fall ill, is indeed a crime deserving death. The Emperor allowing the Imperial Physician to save her is already exceedingly generous."
She had no sympathy for Zhou Jinglan.
Rather, she felt that Zhou Jinglan, by taking the Emperor first, had overestimated her capabilities and sought her own death.
How could the Emperor be seduced by someone like her?
She received a bit of favor and forgot who she was, to end up like this was indeed her just desserts!
"If it weren't for Lan, the ones crying now might be us."
Sang Yan could not agree with her views.
Lan was indeed at fault, but in the end, it was this cruel feudal society that devoured people.
Lan's crimes did not merit death!
Yet she was forced to die to apologize!
"How could that be? The Emperor would never treat my sister that way."
Sang Ruoshui, thinking of the Emperor, had an idea, "Sister, the Emperor is ill, shall we go visit him?"
Previously, when the Emperor was sick, it was considered a beautiful tale for the concubines to attend to him.
Unfortunately, the Emperor suffered from a strange illness that made him unable to be near women.
Sang Yan laughed, "He's already sick, and you still want to visit? Do you want his condition to worsen?"
She did not have much in common with Sang Ruoshui, so she did not say much and simply stated, "I'm tired."
Then she went back to her side palace to rest.
She needed to think about how to leave this place of trouble!
Side Palace
Qiuzhi was making the bed and, seeing her come in, hurried over to greet her, concerned, "Miss, what happened? You look terrible."
Sang Yan waved her hands, not wanting to elaborate, and after a brief wash, she lay down on the bed.
Ever since she entered the Imperial Palace, there had not been a day she wasn't tense.
She thought about leaving the palace.
But how could she leave?
Request the Empress Dowager to let her go?
But if the matter was not settled, upon her return, would her real parents easily give up?
Would the Emperor allow her to leave?
Thinking over and over, she grew more tired.
Gradually, Sang Yan fell asleep.
Perhaps it was as they say, daytime thoughts become nighttime dreams.
In the dream
She ended up becoming the Emperor's concubine, but because she accidentally touched him, causing him to fall ill, he ordered her to be beaten to death with clubs!
Bang!
Bang!
The heavy clubs repeatedly struck her back.
It was too painful.
She felt her spine was about to break.
Crying, she pleaded for mercy, but the Emperor was unmoved and even wielded the club himself.
Bang!
He broke her leg bones with a strike.
The excruciating pain made her sweat profusely and bite till her mouth bled.
She felt like she was going to die from the pain.
Yet he seemed heartbroken, squatting down, gently touching her face, and softly saying, "Would you dare to leave me again?"
She was in so much pain she couldn't speak.
She could only look at him and cry.
Crying turned his face into Lan's.
Lan, covered in blood, reached out her hands, also covered in blood, and then, with those blood-soaked hands, she strangled Sang Yan's neck, crying bitterly, "You killed me! Sang Yan, if you hadn't advised Sang Ruoshui, how would I have been driven to desperation? Bitch! You killed me! Give me my life back!"
The feeling of suffocation made her struggle in discomfort.
"No!"
She sat up in shock, staring wide-eyed, gasping for air.
Qiuzhi was sleeping on a small cot next to the bed. Hearing her, she immediately got up to light a lamp and softly asked, "Miss, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
Sang Yan, breathing heavily, hoarse, couldn't speak.
Seeing this, Qiuzhi hurried to pour her some tea.
The tea was still on the stove.
It was still hot.
Sang Yan took a sip, and her throat felt a bit better.
Outside, it was still dark.
She asked, "What time is it?"
Qiuzhi replied, "I just heard the watchman; it should be around three to five in the morning."
Sang Yan calculated the time, knowing dawn was near.
She finished her tea and tried to sleep again, but she couldn't.
The nightmare still tugged at her heart.
Especially Zhou Jinglan's fate—had she... died?
As soon as it was light, she couldn't wait to instruct Qiuzhi, "Go find out how Lan is doing?"