Chapter 0115: Life and Death

Chapter 0115: Life and Death

She laughed maniacally, and as she did, blood began to flow from her eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.

Clearly, she had taken poison...

The others were the same.

The palace maid behind the Empress Dowager also shouted angrily, "Curse the Emperor, may you die, may you die."

The concubines were already terrified, and hearing such words, they wished they had taken leave like Consort Jia.

These people clearly had no chance of survival.

Before the imperial physician arrived, Xunhua pressed a cloth tightly against Concubine Zhang's wound, not daring to pull out the dagger.

Concubine Zhang lay in the Emperor's arms, watching Wei Niang gradually stop breathing, her tears falling on the Emperor's sleeve.

But no one knew that her tears were for the past, for those long gone.

Beside the Empress, Ruyi said, "This is bad, Her Majesty the Empress is going into labor."

He Jinli turned to look, only to see the Empress in pain, sweating coldly, her face pale as paper...

He was holding Concubine Zhang but could only hand her over to Meng Chang: "Find the nearest place."

The Empress, heavily pregnant, could not be carried.

He Jinli supported her, finding the nearest spot.

Seeing the Empress in this state, various thoughts arose among the onlookers.

Now, the Empress was at most seven months pregnant, possibly not yet full-term. Giving birth now, could the child survive?

Lan Consort secretly wanted to laugh out loud three times, thinking this was divine assistance.

The assassins' bodies were removed first, all young women as beautiful as flowers, but now, no one felt sorrow for them.

Even in death, burial would be difficult.

Such a grave crime could not avoid implicating their entire families.

Their attempt to assassinate in the palace, armed with weapons, meant many eunuchs and maids might die.

Yunli took a deep breath, "Let's go back first."

No one above had the time to care now.

The Empress Dowager was so frightened that she couldn't stand up, her legs gone weak.

As for Wei Niang's last words, both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor seemed to simultaneously ignore them.

Or perhaps, now was not the right time to address them.

Consort Lin's legs also went weak, but fortunately, her pregnancy was not affected. Now pale-faced, she said, "Thank you, sister, for your care."

Yunli smiled.

Six people lay dead in a bloody scene, Concubine Zhang's fate was unknown, and the Empress's condition was uncertain.

No one was unafraid.

After escorting Consort Lin back, Yunli and Ye Baolin also returned to their own quarters.

"It was truly a close call, if not for Concubine Zhang..." Ye Baolin sat down in the corridor, clearly drained of energy.

Yunli also sat down, saying, "Yes, Concubine Zhang's bravery in saving the Emperor is commendable. I hope she recovers well."

Ye Baolin nodded, "If she recovers, she's sure to rise high. It's a good thing."

Indeed, it was a good thing.

After all, among so many people, only Concubine Zhang seized the moment to rush forward.

Her courage alone merits a rapid rise.

Although Concubine Zhang lost a lot of blood, fortunately, her vital organs were not damaged. A lot of blood gushed out when the dagger was removed.

Her complexion turned as pale as could be.

The imperial physician applied white medicine to her wound recklessly.

After taking some hemostatic pills internally, the bleeding finally stopped.

Once the bleeding stopped, the rest was manageable. With the cold weather, there was less worry about the wound getting infected.

Even so, the amount of blood Concubine Zhang lost cost her nearly half her life.

It was impossible for her to bounce back fully in the future.

After all, with such extensive blood loss, every organ would have been affected, and in ancient times, blood transfusions were not an option.

Recovery could only be gradual.

She was seeing stars, unable to see clearly, as if everything was obscured by a black fog.

Her hearing was muffled, feeling as if all her senses had been stripped away.

Meanwhile, in the Cian Palace, the situation with the Empress was also dire.

She was in premature labor, induced by shock, suffering agonizing pain.

The eldest princess was outside, crying her heart out.

He Jinli sighed, "Jiu'er, don't be afraid, your mother won't come to harm."

The eldest princess knelt down, "Father, please don't leave. Stay with Mother, don't go."

He Jinli felt a deep pity for his first child, pulling her up, "Alright, Jiu'er, don't cry. Father won't leave."

The Empress was sweating profusely, struggling hard.

As the bleeding started early and was heavy, her condition was actually very critical.

The midwives were all on edge, fearing the worst might happen—a fatality for both mother and child.

With today's events, survival seemed unlikely.

The Empress herself was well aware of her situation.

Thus, she could only clench her teeth and give birth with all her might.

The medicinal soup was also taken.

From noon till evening, she was tormented to near death but finally, there was some movement.

After all, the child was premature, yet when it came time to deliver, it went surprisingly smoothly.

When the child was born, there was no crying.

The Empress struggled to sit up, and at this moment, the midwife could hardly adhere to propriety.

She lifted the baby by the feet and gave it a couple of smacks on the bottom.

Only then did they hear the child's weak cries.

One of the midwives hurriedly said, "Congratulations to Her Majesty the Empress, the Fourth Prince is born safely."

Yet, the Empress's heart had already turned cold.

Safe...

Perhaps it was not so...

Thinking this, she could no longer hold on and fainted.

Suddenly, there was chaos and turmoil.

He Jinli also heard the commotion, his heart sinking as well.

Could such a child survive?

Could such a legitimate son become the Crown Prince?

The hastily arriving Empress Dowager also felt a heavy heart, fearing the Emperor might commence a massive purge.

That night, many could not sleep.

The assassin was dead, but the Yue Mansion remained, entirely sealed off, with every individual subject to interrogation.

A rigorous inspection was mandated throughout the palace, primarily on how weapons were smuggled in. This had to be clarified.

Since one of the assassins was a palace maid from the Empress Dowager's side, her people were also subject to interrogation.

The Empress Dowager had little to say, leaving behind Aunt Fan while the rest were taken away.

Even for Aunt Fan, the Empress Dowager stated that once things were clear, she would be replaced when the others returned.

Naturally, the Empress Dowager's people were not subjected to torture.

Yun Li lay on the couch, pondering the day's events, which were unrelated to her.

As she thought, she fell asleep.

Waking up, we heard that the Empress had given birth to the fourth prince. The Empress was still in Ci'an Palace, so there was no need for formal greetings.

"Where is Consort Zhang?"

"Consort Zhang is still in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, and according to the imperial physician, she should not be moved for the time being. She should be alright," replied Zhu Yu.

"That's good. Anything else?" Yun Li inquired.

"Additionally, a number of people from the harem have been taken away, and all managers have been sent to the Internal Punishment Department. Yue Mansion has been sealed off. The families of the six assassins from last night have all been apprehended. Today, it's said that all their relatives up to the ninth degree will be imprisoned. The leader among them, Wei's mother, leaves the Wei family with no one left. She was a descendant of the Wei family implicated in the Zhunan examination case during the previous emperor's reign."

Yun Li frowned, remembering the great turmoil caused by the Zhunan examination case during the previous emperor's time. It wasn't about cheating, but about a student who wrote a defamatory article about the former Crown Prince.

The chief examiner at the time was negligent, and combined with others wanting to harm him, the article somehow made its way to the capital.

The one thing the previous emperor could not bear to touch upon was his former Crown Prince.