Shen Lingyun wasn't in a deep sleep. The moment she heard the commotion, she opened her eyes and sat up with Biwu, who had also been startled awake.
"Tap, tap, tap..."
The soldiers' uniform footsteps were approaching the west wing hall. Shen Lingyun frowned tightly. Her heart in turmoil, she couldn't help but cough twice.
Biwu grabbed her hand, looking as if she was ready to face death bravely. She whispered, "Don't be afraid, miss. Biwu will protect you. Even if I die today, I'll never let the emperor harm you even a bit!"
Shen Lingyun felt a warmth in her heart. She held Biwu's hand back and said, "Silly girl, don't say such discouraging words."
Looking outside the door, Shen Lingyun's expression turned cold.
Xiao Tianye had ignored her for a long time. Now, making such a big fuss and sending people to the cold palace, what did he want to do?
Had he finally decided not to endure anymore and was going to kill her?
Sure enough, the footsteps stopped outside the door of the west wing hall. There was the sound of armor clashing outside. Then, a man loudly announced, "Your servants are here today to welcome the Empress back to the Jiaofang Palace."
The Empress?
Shen Lingyun was stunned and frowned slightly.
These days, Xiao Tianye had issued an order to stop sending things to the cold palace and to prohibit anyone from visiting, in an attempt to force Shen Lingyun to bow her head and admit her mistakes.
Shen Lingyun was extremely proud. The more Xiao Tianye did this, the less likely she was to compromise. The two had been at a stalemate, neither willing to yield first, and their marital affection had long since faded away.
Shen Lingyun would rather believe that Xiao Tianye had promoted Concubine Feng to the position of Empress than believe that he had suddenly changed his mind, realized everything, and was personally coming to welcome her back to the Jiaofang Palace.
Could it be that he wanted to soften her up and force her to submit?
Filled with doubts, Shen Lingyun coldly said, "There's no Empress here. There's only Shen Lingyun of the Shen family from Hexi. Go back. I won't leave here."
After saying that, she couldn't help but cough softly again. Biwu patted her on the back and shouted defiantly outside the door, "The emperor treated our miss so heartlessly back then. He didn't even give an explanation and just abolished the empress. Now that he remembers our miss's goodness, he wants to invite her back to be the empress.
"He made our miss suffer so much. If he doesn't come and invite her in person, our miss won't go back! Whoever wants this position of empress can have it!"
Shen Lingyun patted Biwu's hand, signaling her to stop talking, lest she anger Xiao Tianye.
After they had expressed their stance, it suddenly became quiet outside. The soldiers guarding the door showed no sign of leaving. Then, a series of footsteps slowly approached from outside.
Shen Lingyun instinctively tensed up and stared intently at the closed door. Biwu also stood in front of Shen Lingyun to protect her.
The next moment, the two closed doors were pushed open, and a familiar figure stepped into the hall.
He held a palace lantern in his hand and was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe. His long black hair was scattered behind him. Although he looked so thin that he seemed like he would fall with a single gust of wind, every step he took on the ground was extremely steady, exuding an inexplicable sense of killing intent.
The person in front of them wasn't Xiao Tianye, but... Prince Mu, Xiao Tianchi!
Shen Lingyun couldn't hide the shock on her face. She looked at the person approaching her step by step in disbelief, and her fingers trembled uncontrollably.
Biwu also widened her eyes and stammered, "P-P-Prince Mu, Your Highness?"
Why did they address Prince Mu as the emperor? No, something was wrong. Why was Prince Mu wearing a dragon robe?
Xiao Tianchi's gaze was fixed on Shen Lingyun from beginning to end. His eyes were gentle as he reached out his hand to her.
"Lingji, I'm here to take you home."
Shen Lingyun got goosebumps all over. She got up and was about to ask him what was going on when it suddenly went dark in front of her eyes, and her body went limp and fell.
"Lingji!" Xiao Tianchi exclaimed. He was faster than Biwu and rushed forward to catch Shen Lingyun's falling body. He picked her up in his arms.
The woman was held in his arms with extreme care. This scene made Biwu's scalp tingle. She quickly stepped forward and said, "Miss, this, Prince Mu, Your Highness, is this..."
Xiao Tianchi glanced at her indifferently. Biwu's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.
"Let's go. Back to the Jiaofang Palace."
He carried Shen Lingyun out. Biwu felt extremely uneasy. Gritting her teeth, she had no choice but to quickly follow.
...
When Shen Lingyun woke up, she smelled the familiar fragrance of incense in the Jiaofang Palace.
Opening her eyes, she saw a middle - aged man who looked somewhat familiar sitting on a chair beside the bed. His fingers were on her wrist, feeling her pulse.
There was a flash of bright yellow beside the bed. This bright yellow was extremely familiar to Shen Lingyun. Just seeing it made her heart skip a beat. She looked up along the corner of the robe. Instead of seeing Xiao Tianye's cold and always irritable face, she saw Xiao Tianchi, who was as handsome and cold as the moon.
In the past, he always looked sickly, with a pale face like snow. He would gasp for breath after taking a few steps. But now, all the signs of illness had completely disappeared from his face.
Dressed in a dragon robe, he looked more like the second young master of the Xiao family who could single - handedly challenge a hundred people with just a long spear.
"Doctor Wang, how is her health?" He didn't notice that Shen Lingyun had woken up. Instead, he asked the doctor who was feeling her pulse.
The doctor surnamed Wang withdrew his hand and replied indifferently, "She has suffered excessive emotional distress and worry, which has damaged her internal organs and aggravated her old ailments. That's the first reason. Secondly, improper diet and a weak body catching a cold have made her health even worse.
"She needs to be carefully nursed back to health in the coming days before she can fully recover."
Xiao Tianchi let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "I'm relieved to hear that."
Shen Lingyun couldn't help but cough softly. Xiao Tianchi immediately turned his gaze towards her. Seeing that she was awake, his cold and sharp eyebrows instantly softened. He leaned forward slightly and asked with concern, "Lingji, how do you feel? Does your body still hurt?"
Shen Lingyun was in a daze. She always had the illusion that she was dreaming.
The address "Lingji" was what he had always called her when they were childhood sweethearts.
But since she had married Xiao Tianye and become his sister - in - law, she had never heard him call her that again.
Even when he looked at her, his gaze was no longer as restrained and hidden as before. His dark pupils were filled with concern and love for her, just like when they were once engaged.
A surge of indescribable bitterness welled up in Shen Lingyun's heart. Her nose twitched, and tears welled up in her eyes. She tightly closed her eyes, suddenly turned around, and said hoarsely, "I don't want to see you. Get out."