The Jiuzhou Qingyan Palace.
On his way there, Jun Wuyuan couldn't help but think that the library seemed so far away. His heart sank continuously. When he finally reached the palace gate and saw Ban Chun looking a bit hasty and flustered, it sank to the bottom completely.
It felt as if a hand had tightly grasped his heart, leaving an empty and painful feeling.
"Your Majesty..."
"What's wrong with Shan Shan?"
Ban Chun's eyes welled up with tears. After hurriedly performing a courtesy, she said in a flustered tone, "Your Majesty, you're finally back. Ever since the empress returned from the Yaotai Golden Phoenix Pavilion, she's locked herself in the palace and won't let the servants in."
"What happened?"
"At the Yaotai Golden Phoenix Pavilion, the empress dowager dismissed the attendants. No one knows what she said to the empress. Later... later, the empress seemed a bit off. After coming back, she wouldn't even let the servants get close..."
Ban Chun's tone was filled with deep self - reproach and worry, and her heart was full of regret.
Jun Wuyuan was furious to hear that they had left Shan Shan alone with that old hag!
Damn them!
Jun Wuyuan felt a surge of anger in his heart, but it was quickly suppressed by his deep worry.
He cast a cold and fierce glance at Ban Chun. Suppressing his anger, he walked to the window, softened his voice, and said gently,
"Shan Shan, it's me."
The palace was completely silent, as if there was no one inside.
Jun Wuyuan's eyes darkened. His heart was in a panic, but his tone became even softer.
"Shan Shan, I'm here. Can you let me in?"
"Shan Shan, no matter what happens, I'm here. Don't be afraid... Shan Shan, let me come in and take a look at you. Just one look..."
The high - and - mighty cold and fierce emperor bent down at this moment, leaned close to the window, and coaxed gently.
But no matter how softly and gently the emperor spoke, the palace remained silent.
Not only did Jun Wuyuan sense something was wrong, but even Ban Chun, who was kneeling on the ground, felt it too.
Even if something had happened and the empress was in a bad mood, she wouldn't ignore the emperor's soft words and remain completely silent.
It could only mean that something had happened in the palace!
Just as Ban Chun thought of this, she saw Jun Wuyuan push open the window and jump in without even bothering to go around the door.
Liang Jiusi had just landed with Chang Wei when he saw his majesty's 'dashing' back again.
This...
What on earth had happened?
Liang Jiusi's gaze swept over Ban Chun and the others kneeling on the ground. His heart skipped a beat.
"Chang Wei!"
Just then, a loud roar came from inside the palace. Liang Jiusi and the others trembled.
Something big had happened!
Inside the palace, as soon as Jun Wuyuan jumped in, he felt that everything around was deathly quiet.
Beneath the silent stillness, there seemed to be a faint smell of blood that made one's heart tremble.
Jun Wuyuan's heart felt as if it had been stabbed by a knife. The pain gradually spread, and his legs even felt weak. He inexplicably didn't dare to face what might be inside.
He didn't dare to imagine what would happen if something really happened to Shan Shan...
But soon, Jun Wuyuan didn't have time to think more. He heard a strange sound.
In the quiet inner palace, there seemed to be a muffled groan, as if it was being suppressed in the throat, filled with intense pain.
After this muffled groan, Jun Wuyuan could no longer control himself. He quickly walked towards the inner palace and instantly froze in place as if he had been pierced by thousands of arrows.
In the inner palace, the small table, tea sets, snacks, and porcelain fragments were scattered all over the place. In the mess, a disheveled figure was huddled in the corner of the soft couch.
Her long black hair was scattered, and her head was buried between her knees. Her thin back was as tense as a bow and was trembling slightly.
Her usually fair and soft fingers were tightly digging into her arm, with the veins bulging. Her slender arm was covered with bloody tooth marks.
Getting closer, one could still hear the deliberately suppressed cries of pain, which sounded like a young beast whimpering, making one's heart ache.
The silent pain spread in the inner palace, and her trembling shoulders told of the unbearable pain.
Jun Wuyuan didn't dare to imagine that if he hadn't noticed and jumped in, would she have decided to endure all this alone in the palace?
"Shan Shan."
Jun Wuyuan's voice trembled. His eyes instantly welled up with a hot and sour feeling. He reached out his hand, but it froze in mid - air.
Ling Shan felt as if countless ants were gnawing at her body. Her internal organs felt as if they were being pressed and kneaded by a giant hand. The pain was so intense that she was losing consciousness, and her vision began to darken.
She never thought that the pain would be so severe that she was having hallucinations. She actually heard the emperor's voice.
She heard that some court officials were asking to see the emperor. It was reasonable to think that the emperor should be discussing state affairs at this time. How could he...
Ugh.
It hurts so much.
Ling Shan's eyes were filled with broken pain. Unable to bear it any longer, she opened her mouth and was about to bite the soft flesh on her arm.
Jun Wuyuan was stabbed in the heart by Ling Shan's dazed disbelief. He even felt it difficult to breathe.
The tears in his eyes quietly fell after he knelt on one knee and hugged Ling Shan in his arms.
"Shan Shan, don't bite yourself. Bite me!"
Jun Wuyuan's eyes were red. He gently wiped the tears and blood on Ling Shan's face with his fingers and spoke softly.
As if he didn't feel the pain on his arm, he gently coaxed her and held her on his lap.
"Your Majesty..."
I don't know how much time had passed. Ling Shan, with her eyes already soaked in tears and covered with a layer of mist, looked at Jun Wuyuan wetly.
Her head, which had been muddled by the pain, became a bit clearer instantly. Looking at his appearance, her eyes turned red, and tears kept falling like pearls.
"Your Majesty, why are you so silly..."
Jun Wuyuan lowered his head lovingly, kissed from the corner of her eye to her lips, and murmured while pressing against her,
"Shan Shan is the silly one. Why didn't you tell me?"
[I happened to catch this episode of the poison flaring up today. What about the previous times? How many times had Shan Shan endured it alone?]
[That old hag dared to treat Shan Shan like this!]
The more Jun Wuyuan thought about it, the angrier and more heart - broken he became. He even wished...
Ling Shan showed a weak but gentle smile between her eyebrows. She raised her hand as if to comfort him, but unexpectedly, something went wrong.
A smile also spread across Jun Wuyuan's lips, as if the poison wasn't scary at all.
But he didn't expect that just as he lovingly leaned his face over, Ling Shan's fingers suddenly lost their strength and fell straight down.
Moreover, at the same time, warm liquid sprayed on Jun Wuyuan's face and neck.
This sudden accident made Jun Wuyuan's heart stop for a moment.
It seemed as if there were roars ringing in his ears, and his mind went blank.
"Chang Wei!"
Jun Wuyuan's face was pale, and his lips trembled. "Chang Wei, come quickly!"
Come quickly and save his Shan Shan!
Jun Wuyuan didn't dare to move at all, holding Ling Shan's limp body. Boundless pain spread from his heart, as if being invaded by layers of frost, leaving him numb and stiff.