Sui Ziran faltered, looking helplessly toward the Emperor’s most capable Chief Eunuch.

He hadn’t realized the Crown Prince was being kept in the dark about the Emperor’s condition.

Liu Ye: "..."

Feeling the Little Crown Prince’s gaze on him, Liu Ye gave a dry laugh. He gestured for everyone else in the hall to withdraw before finally speaking. "This was the Emperor’s wish..."

’The Emperor himself had ordered him not to speak of it. Even if he were a hundred times braver, he wouldn’t dare reveal a single word to the Crown Prince.’

"So, what exactly happened to Father Emperor?"

Liu Ye sighed. ’There’s no avoiding this,’ he thought. ’It’s better to just get it over with.’ He said, "It’s for the Blood Array the Emperor uses to perform the Summoning Soul ritual for the Empress. Every ten days, it must be activated with Heart Blood. All these years, the Emperor has been using his own Heart Blood, which is why his vitality and blood are so depleted, causing him to suffer from excruciating heart pain day and night. But the Emperor did not want outsiders—or you, Your Highness—to know. Besides the Imperial Physicians and close attendants like myself, no one else is aware." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

’The fact that the Empress’s body was still lying in state at Kunning Palace was already not a perfect secret; some court officials had already objected to the Emperor’s violation of ritual propriety. If it became known that the Emperor was using his own Heart Blood every month—every ten days, even—to summon the Empress’s soul in an attempt to bring her back from the dead, they would surely lay all the blame on her.’

’Besides, what minister in the court would ever agree to the ruler of the nation using his own Heart Blood every month to power a ritual array?’

"The Emperor was concerned for the Empress’s reputation..." Liu Ye explained. "He was also worried that someone might try to stop him, which is why this matter was kept so secret."

Li Yan clenched his fists. "Then how is Father Emperor’s condition now?"

Sui Ziran stepped forward to answer respectfully, "The most important thing right now is to stabilize his spirit. I will first use a powder of Danshen and Sanqi to resolve the blood stasis and clear his meridians. Once he can take food, he must be given millet porridge with Tranquility Pills dissolved within. The Emperor fainted from shock and pain; he should awaken around midnight. However, for the next half a month, he absolutely must not be emotionally agitated. He must carefully recuperate his spirit..."

Li Yan nodded. "I understand. Doctor Sui, please go and prepare the medicine."

Sui Ziran wiped the cold sweat from his brow before finally withdrawing.

When only Liu Ye remained in the great hall, Li Yan spoke. "Mr. Liu, surely you know where Father Emperor went tonight?"

Liu Ye: "..."

"Even now, you’re still not going to tell me anything, Mr. Liu?!" Li Yan’s brows shot up, his tone turning heavy.

Liu Ye: "The Emperor went to find the Empress tonight..."

Li Yan: "?"

’What does that mean?’

"Actually, the last time the Emperor went to see the Empress, he also coughed up blood," Liu Ye confessed, left with no other choice.

Li Yan: "..."

"What happened then? My mother..." Li Yan’s small brow furrowed. ’It’s not like my mother is some great martial artist. Could she have punched my brilliant and powerful Father Emperor so hard he coughed up blood?’

The moment Liu Ye saw the Little Crown Prince’s expression, he knew he had misunderstood.

’But the Crown Prince is still young; he can’t yet comprehend the depth of feeling between the Emperor and the Empress.’

"Perhaps the Emperor wanted the Empress to return to the palace, and she was unwilling, so the Emperor was heartbroken?" Liu Ye offered, trying to steer him in the right direction. Though he hadn’t overheard their conversation, he couldn’t let the Little Prince continue with this misunderstanding.

The look on Li Yan’s small face grew even more baffled. ’If his mother didn’t want to come back, then she didn’t have to. What about that was worth Father Emperor getting so upset that he coughed up blood?’

’Was his Father Emperor really that fragile?’

"Never mind. I understand," Li Yan said with a world-weary sigh.

’Of course, he didn’t actually think his mother was the reason his Father Emperor had fainted. He just felt that his Father Emperor seemed a little too unable to handle a setback.’

’He had already accepted that his mother was staying outside the palace. Why couldn’t his Father Emperor just let it go?’

Unaware that he was being thoroughly criticized in his own son’s mind, Li Yun slept for a rather long time.

Ever since Ming Lingyi had passed away five years ago, Li Yun hadn’t managed a single full night’s sleep.

Seeing Ming Lingyi this time, he had almost forgotten what he had set out to do in the first place.

Ming Lingyi’s words, "But Ming Lingyi already died five years ago," echoed in his ears like a curse, over and over. At the same time, they were like a sharp arrow, piercing through his heart again and again.

And so it was, it seemed, in his dreams.

Li Yun found himself in a vast fog, though "fog" was perhaps not the right word. It was more like a primordial chaos.

He saw a familiar silhouette—who else could it be but Ming Lingyi? He instinctively gave chase, but all he could see was her figure ahead of him. He ran desperately, shouted desperately, trying to get her to turn around, but it all seemed to be in vain.

The person walking ahead seemed not to hear his calls at all. No matter how hard he ran, he could not catch up.

All he could do was watch her back as it grew more and more distant.

Just as Li Yun felt his strength about to give out completely, the figure he had been following with his eyes finally stopped.

Li Yun’s heart leaped with joy.

He watched as Ming Lingyi, having stopped, turned around just as he had wished and looked back at him.

"Li Yun, I am going to die."

But the moment she opened her mouth, those were her words.

Panic seized Li Yun’s heart, and he instinctively moved to rush forward again.

"You won’t!" he said firmly.

Standing in the fog, on the verge of being swallowed by it, Ming Lingyi gave him a bewitching smile. But this smile seemed tinged with a grim satisfaction.

Then, Ming Lingyi’s voice drifted out from the thick fog—

"Isn’t this what you wanted? For me to die? Now that I’m dead, you should be happy. Why pretend otherwise? Ah, that’s not right. I’m already dead. I died five years ago."

"I didn’t!" Li Yun cried, desperate to explain. He finally plunged into the dense fog that had enveloped Ming Lingyi, but no matter how he searched, parting the mists before him, he could find no trace of her.

"Yuan Niang!" Li Yun couldn’t help but shout, but there was no reply.

Li Yan kept vigil in Taiji Palace all night. No one’s attempts to persuade him to rest were of any use.

Around midnight, Li Yan was suddenly jolted awake by a noise.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up, still groggy, only to realize that at some point, his Father Emperor had vanished from the dragon bed.

Li Yan was shocked. He was about to call for help when he saw him—his Father Emperor, having risen at some unknown moment, was already nearing the entrance of the hall.

"Father Emperor?!" Li Yan called out, but the man at the doorway didn’t seem to hear him. He didn’t turn his head, much less stop.

Seeing that something was wrong, Li Yan didn’t even have time to slip on his shoes before running over barefoot.

As he got closer, Li Yan realized his Father Emperor seemed to be in a state of soul loss.

He reached out to take his father’s arm and lead him back to bed, but the Emperor was obstinate, insisting on going outside.

"Yuan Niang, Yuan Niang..."