CHAPTER 582: CHAPTER 561 FIRST UPDATE

Zheng Congyuan looked at the young girl before him, unsure of what to say. Was she using a dream to cover up the current situation?

He didn’t want to hear about any dream. Could it make time go back to when nothing had happened, or change anything about the present?

"You don’t want to hear it?" Seeing Zheng Congyuan’s expression, Zheng Nianru really wanted to speak, to tell him some things he didn’t know, but obviously, Zheng Congyuan didn’t want to listen, as if he was trapped in his own world, like in his past life, unable to hear others’ words.

Even though she had some regrets about turning the high and mighty Zheng Congyuan into a prisoner, making their relationship even tenser, she had tried to make amends. She even thought that if he could let go of everything, she would be willing to cede the throne to Zheng Congyuan.

"Nian Ru, I’d rather..." die than have you do such things just to save me.

Zheng Nianru gave a faint smile.

"Die? You almost died once, what could be more important than living? Or, is it that you despise it?" Zheng Nianru spoke slowly, thinking that her relationship with Zheng Congyuan had already transcended that stage. After all, in the past life, when she married Ju Nanyi, Zheng Congyuan didn’t seem too heartbroken.

Zheng Congyuan opened his mouth, a bewildered expression on his face, yet he didn’t shake his head.

"If you had died, Ju Nanyi would have taken me away. Then what? I survive on my own? How do I survive? Or is it that you intended to entrust me to Ju Nanyi, knowing full well what might eventually happen between us? What’s the difference between that and the current moment? Why would you sacrifice your life again—" Zheng Nianru stood up, unable to believe Zheng Congyuan was still as foolish as in his previous life. Did he really need to sacrifice his life to show his worth? Did he really need to live so miserably?

Zheng Congyuan looked at the young girl before him, his expression slightly stunned. He had indeed had such thoughts. Besides, Ju Nanyi was not...

"Ju Nanyi is not an unreliable person..."

Zheng Nianru looked at Zheng Congyuan before her, so, was this a coincidence?

Zheng Nianru found it quite possible, but if so, wouldn’t the tragic life of Zheng Congyuan in the past life continue?

Zheng Nianru scoffed.

"Why do you think so? Clearly, it was the Ghoul from Ghoul Ravine who saved you, who agreed to such an absurd condition. Besides, aren’t all people the same if not you?" Zheng Nianru laughed desolately, not willing to go through the events of her past life again. If it really came to that, she would prefer...

Prefer to die now, maybe even without going through the agony of death.

Zheng Congyuan opened his mouth but found he had no room for rebuttal. How could he... How could he be willing...

"I know your..." Before Zheng Nianru could finish her sentence, she abruptly stopped, "Zheng Congyuan, what’s wrong with you? Zheng Congyuan—"

Qi Zhu, Ju Nanyi, and others immediately rushed in, with Qi Zhu quickly checking on Zheng Congyuan and those brought by Ju Nanyi promptly stepping forward. After a moment, Ju Nanyi looked at Zheng Nianru, hesitating to speak.

"Stop the nonsense, what’s wrong with him?" Zheng Nianru said coldly, not liking the way Ju Nanyi was looking at her.

"Please, Empress, return to the palace. The Emperor’s body is frail, and he really shouldn’t be subjected to emotional stress—" Ju Nanyi said.

Hearing this, Zheng Nianru snorted and turned around, heading straight out of the house.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty—" Nanny Yun and others were waiting outside, clearly very anxious. Seeing Zheng Nianru come out, and the eunuchs and Imperial Physicians bustling in and out in a hurry, they looked worriedly at Zheng Nianru.

What is wrong with the Emperor?

Zheng Nianru was agitated within her heart, it seemed she had not persuaded Zheng Congyuan to see reason, which was to be expected, for Zheng Congyuan was not Ju Nanyi, it was unlikely for Zheng Congyuan to come to such an understanding.

Zheng Nianru ignored the anxious gazes from Nanny Yun and the others and walked straight out.

Nanny Yun was frantic. The Emperor seemed to be in a bad state, but was it related to the Empress? Could the Empress have said something to upset the Emperor?

Zheng Nianru remained silent, her face clouded with worry, too tired to conceal it, and walked towards Chende Palace.

The chaos continued until midnight before calming down, Zheng Congyuan’s condition had stabilized and he was laid back on the bed in Chenyuan Hall, but he still hadn’t awakened. His pulse was steady, his breathing even, as if he had sunk into a deep sleep.

With such a commotion, the Imperial Palace should not have been this quiet, yet it was exactly that—silent. The gate between the East Palace and the West Palace had not been opened for seven days, ever since Empress Dowager Yan Ping fell ill after returning from Chenyuan Hall. The concubines and dowager consorts of the Former King began dying mysteriously, two or three each day. Their bodies were quietly carried out by palace maids and eunuchs. According to those who saw the corpses, the way they died was terrifying. Since then, nobody from the West Palace dared to set foot outside the palace gate, living each day in trepidation. Therefore, no matter how much noise was made on the East Palace’s side, no one dared to come inquire.

Zheng Nianru also managed to sleep in the latter part of the night, after receiving a report sent by Qi Zhu’s messenger.

However, from the next day on, Zheng Nianru began to feel that things were not so simple, for Zheng Congyuan did not recover as expected and fell into a coma again by the afternoon.

By the third day, he was completely comatose. Qi Zhu stayed by his side without leaving and by evening, her eyes were red and swollen as she knelt down in front of Zheng Nianru.

Without speaking, Zheng Nianru knew what Qi Zhu wanted to say; Qi Zhu had sharp ears, and even from the other side of the door, she must have heard something.

So, Qi Zhu was kneeling here to plead with her now.

Look, even Qi Zhu could understand the situation, why couldn’t Zheng Congyuan?

"What is the current situation?" asked Zheng Nianru. It was not yet the right time, and it made no sense for the people from Ghoul Ravine to have been waiting for so many days only to cause trouble during these last few.

"Your subordinate, your subordinate speculates that perhaps the Emperor tried to do something on his own... which caused the poison to act sooner," said Qi Zhu, her theory being the only reasonable explanation that the Imperial Physicians and Mages had come up with together.

Since their last intervention, they had clearly noticed that Ghoul Ravine’s surveillance over the Imperial Palace had relaxed quite a bit.

So, it should not have been their doing. The only reasonable explanation was their own actions these past few days.

Zheng Nianru remained silent, some things seemed to no longer be up to them to wait out. If they wanted to save Zheng Congyuan, then a trip to Bu Er Temple was necessary.

"Prepare yourself. What difference does it make to go one day earlier or one day later?" Just as Qi Zhu’s heart sank, fearing that the Commandery Princess would never agree, Zheng Nianru suddenly spoke up.

Overjoyed to tears, Qi Zhu respectfully kowtowed to Zheng Nianru and hurriedly left.

Ju Nanyi couldn’t control herself and stood up from her chair upon receiving the news.

"Lord Ju, I understand your feelings. But now, this is the only choice—" You seized the opportunity back then, which is why we have room for maneuver, but... alas...

Prime Minister Lin also shook his head, but... but...