Shen Lingyun curled up, her emaciated body wrapped in loose clothes. Her shoulders were trembling slightly.
Xiao Tianchi's heart ached. He resisted the urge to pull her into his arms.
It had been three months since they last met.
When the crown prince went missing during his southern inspection, she managed to find him, avoiding others, and begged him to handle the case and search for the crown prince in the south.
At that time, there was still some flesh on her face and body. Although she was flustered, there was still a glimmer in her eyes.
But now, she was so thin and haggard, like a snowman that would shatter at a touch. How could it not break his heart?
He had only been away for a few months, yet Xiao Tianye had tortured her like this...
Xiao Tianchi's face was frosty, but his words were gentle. "Alright, have a good rest. I'll come to see you when you've slept enough."
He stood up. Just as he was about to leave, he stopped and said to Shen Lingyun,
"I've brought the body back to the capital. It's placed in the Wenshou Hall. When you've rested, I'll take you there to see it with your own eyes."
The body!
The body Xiao Tianchi referred to... was it Cheng'er?
No, he had mentioned in the letter that it wasn't Cheng'er. Cheng'er was alive!
Shen Lingyun's heart jolted. She tightened her grip on the quilt.
After Xiao Tianchi finished speaking, he glanced at Doctor Wang. Then they left together.
The palace door closed. Shen Lingyun immediately sat up on the bed. Tears still lingered on her cheeks, but her fingers trembled uncontrollably.
Biwu had changed back into the clothes of a first - class maid. She stood far behind, not daring to approach.
After Xiao Tianchi left, she quickly stepped forward and supported Shen Lingyun's trembling shoulders, looking worried. "Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Shen Lingyun came back to her senses and snapped coldly, "Don't call me Your Majesty. Have you forgotten that I've been deposed as the queen?"
Biwu shivered and covered her mouth with her hand, whispering, "You've been welcomed back to the Jiaofang Palace. It's so familiar here. I just forgot for a moment."
Shen Lingyun took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "What has happened in the palace? Have you heard anything?"
Why did Xiao Tianchi appear in the palace wearing a dragon robe, and why did the guards address him as Your Majesty?
Where was Xiao Tianye? How could he allow Xiao Tianchi to ride roughshod over him?
There were too many questions in Shen Lingyun's mind.
Speaking of this, Biwu's face changed. She held Shen Lingyun's hand and said carefully, "Please promise me, miss. Don't get angry after you hear this. Your health is the most important thing."
Shen Lingyun felt a sudden unease and said, "Just tell me. I can handle it."
Biwu thought for a while before saying, "I heard that three days ago, the Prince of Mu led his troops into the capital. The imperial guards in the palace responded and rebelled with him. His Majesty was no match for the Prince of Mu... He fled through a secret passage with the imperial concubine and is now missing."
Shen Lingyun was stunned. She confirmed again, "His Majesty fled with the imperial concubine? Only with her?"
Biwu's eyes turned red. She tightened her grip on Shen Lingyun's hand. "Don't be sad, miss."
Shen Lingyun really didn't expect to hear such words from Biwu. Coming back to her senses, she gave a faint smile and said expressionlessly,
"Why should I be sad? In his heart, Feng Wenyi is gentle and understanding. She knows his mind best and can solve his problems. Naturally, he would take her with him when fleeing for his life."
She only felt sad in her heart.
They had been husband and wife for more than twenty years. Even if they hadn't shared good times, they had shared hardships. However, he had sentenced her to death based on unfounded rumors, imprisoned her in the cold palace, and ignored her for days, allowing her to be bullied by the palace servants.
He had always known that he had snatched the throne from Xiao Tianchi. Since the day he ascended the throne, he had been on guard against Xiao Tianchi.
Now, Xiao Tianchi had finally rebelled as he had feared. But he was so good. He fled with his beloved imperial concubine. Before leaving, he didn't even send someone to inform his wife in the cold palace.
Perhaps he knew in his heart that even if she were to die, she wouldn't leave with him.
The more than twenty - year - long affection between husband and wife was like the thin ice on the river in winter. It seemed solid, but it would shatter at a touch.
Shen Lingyun said to Biwu, "What else?"
Seeing that Shen Lingyun wasn't sad and was very calm, Biwu felt even more pity for her. Sighing in her heart, she continued,
"I heard that the Prince of Mu rebelled with the military governors of Hexi, Lingyang, and Luozhou."
Shen Lingyun was shocked.
It was okay for the other two places, but why did the military governor of Hexi get involved? Xiao Tianye was on guard against the Shen family's control of military power, fearing that it would pose a threat to his throne. He had deliberately found an excuse to remove the former military governor of Hexi and appointed Zhang Tianzhao, who had nothing to do with the Shen family.
Logically speaking, Zhang Tianzhao should have been Xiao Tianye's confidant. Why did he rebel with Xiao Tianchi?
Was the Shen family in Hexi involved in this as well?
Shen Lingyun couldn't help but recall the war years ago.
When she married Xiao Tianye, it was the most chaotic time in the State of Chu. After giving birth to Xiao Jingcheng, the Li family in Luozhou was massacred by the King of Chu. The Xiao family and the Shen family rose up together and finally ended the fate of the State of Chu.
According to their merits at that time, the throne should have belonged to Xiao Tianchi. The Shen family had also made great contributions. Unfortunately, Xiao Tianchi was seriously injured on the battlefield and was on the verge of death. Someone from the Xiao family had to stand up to take charge.
Xiao Tianye was not only Xiao Tianchi's elder brother but also the husband of Shen Lingyun. With the strong support of the Shen family, he took over the military power from Xiao Tianchi and successfully ascended the throne.
For the Shen family in Hexi, it was more beneficial for Xiao Tianye, their son - in - law, to be the emperor. However, no one had expected that Xiao Tianye would be so heartless. After securing the throne of the Xiao family, he deprived the Shen family of their military power and emptied their rights.
Xiao Tianchi's rebellion with the military governors of Hexi, Lingyang, and Luozhou, and the response from the imperial guards in the palace in the capital was not a momentary impulse. It must have been a long - term plan to succeed so quickly.
Moreover, the state of Xiao Tianchi she had just seen was no longer as weak as before. Although he was not as strong as Xiao Tianye, he could no longer be described as a "sickly person".
This showed that all the sickly appearances he had shown before were just a disguise.
"Just in a few days, he has changed the situation of the Great Sheng. He must have been waiting for this day for a long time," Shen Lingyun murmured. "His elder brother is still alive, yet he does this. Isn't he afraid that the world will point fingers at him and scold him as a traitor?"