Chapter 442: It Turns Out It’s Not Unrequited Love

Chapter 442: It Turns Out It's Not Unrequited Love

"Tomorrow... it will definitely be better," the Emperor consoled her.

The Long Princess gently shook her head. "But every time I fall ill... I feel like I'm about to die. When I recover, it feels as if I've been given another chance at life. Your Majesty, tell me the truth, am I... going to die?"

"No, the Imperial Physicians said you'll be fine. Don't think too much."

The Long Princess gave a bitter smile and looked up at Xie Peiyu, who stood beside her with a dark expression.

"Yuer, come here."

Xie Peiyu walked towards her.

The Long Princess took his hand and placed it in the Emperor's.

Both the Emperor and Xie Peiyu were stunned.

Mother, what are you doing?

The Long Princess looked at them tenderly and said, "Your Majesty, do you remember what you told me when the news of Xie Heng's death came back? Do you remember your words?"

The Emperor frowned.

He had said many things; he didn't know which specific words she was referring to.

"When I heard that news, I almost fainted while holding my belly. You said you would take care of us, didn't you?"

Hearing this, the Emperor hurriedly nodded. "Yes, I will take care of you, Royal Sister."

"Mm, I believed you. You said you would take care of us, and that Royal Sister's child is your child, and you would treat him as your own, right?"

Everyone was stunned.

Empress Shu staggered a step.

Consort Li looked at them in disbelief.

Xie Peiyu's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he tried to pull his hand back, but his mother held it tightly.

The Emperor's expression was particularly vivid.

Although Xie Peiyu felt disgusted, seeing the Emperor's helpless and frustrated look seemed even more painful than his own, so he endured it.

"Yes, Royal Sister's child is... is My child. If he calls Me Uncle, I will naturally treat him as My own."

Satisfied, the Long Princess closed her eyes. "Everyone, leave now. Don’t stay up to watch over me tonight; I want to sleep."

Not staying up was impossible. Xie Peiyu had slept all day just to stay awake at night.

The Emperor had handled state affairs in the morning and slept all afternoon.

At his age, he needed very little sleep, so he couldn't fall asleep.

Someone brought a couch to the outer room, lit a lamp, and he read a book.

Empress Shu and Consort Li lay on chairs, exchanging glances, seemingly using their eyes to communicate and curse the Long Princess for being shameless.

Xie Peiyu placed a chair by the door, making sure anyone who wanted to see the Long Princess would have to ask him to move his feet.

Zheng Jinyu understood his intention; he was guarding against the Emperor.

She just didn't understand the Long Princess's intentions.

What would the Emperor think after such an implication from the Long Princess? He wasn't a fool.

Sigh!

Zheng Jinyu whispered to Xie Peiyu, "I'm going to sleep now."

"Mm, go ahead."

Before leaving, she glanced at the Emperor on the couch and noticed that he was holding the book upside down, staring at it blankly.

Hmm?

Discovering this secret made her heart race, and she hurriedly left.

...

The Lu family's funeral lasted three days. On the fourth day, they sent the old man to his final resting place. When they returned, news spread that the head of the Lu family had also passed away.

Goodness, they had just taken down the white banners and had to put them back up.

This news sent shockwaves through the Princess's residence. The Long Princess looked ashen, tears streaming down her face as she asked the Emperor if she was also about to die. What would happen to her son if she died?

Even though it wasn't the time for her fever, she became delirious again. She alternately called out for her father and mother, as if she truly saw the late Emperor and Empress, and her parents coming to take her away.

The Emperor was overwhelmed this time. Turning around, everyone saw that he was also in tears.

"A bunch of useless idiots, get out, all of you, get out!"

This time, even the Imperial Physicians, consorts, and children were expelled.

Xie Peiyu did not want to leave, but two armed guards approached, drawing their swords and coldly ordering him to leave.

There were only two guards in sight, but how many others were watching him?

When he confronted the guards, Zheng Jinyu pulled him back.

Xie Peiyu’s face darkened as he smashed his fist into the door frame.

Even though an arm couldn’t overpower a thigh, he still came out.

No one was left in the room, and the Emperor, who had been suppressing his emotions for several days, no longer needed to hold back. He forcefully lifted the Long Princess into his arms.

"Empress Sister, you’ll get better, right? You won’t leave me, will you?"

The Long Princess opened her eyes slightly, her pale hand touching his face. "Gao Zhi?"

"Empress Sister, it’s me."

"Gao Zhi, if I weren’t a princess... it would be better..."

The Emperor looked at her in shock. Why did she say such things?

This was already the nth time she had hinted at something. Was it... what he thought it was?

He knew she was confused now, but wasn’t it precisely when one was confused that they spoke the truth?

The Emperor suppressed the agitation in his heart, swallowing several times to gather courage.

"If Empress Sister weren’t a princess... then what?"

"If I weren’t a princess... I would be your concubine... how about that?"

A loud explosion seemed to go off in his mind.

So it was like this... It turned out it wasn’t just his wishful thinking.

The Emperor was so excited that his heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.

But the hand that was on his face loosened, and the Long Princess closed her eyes, appearing to have fainted.

The Emperor was so overwhelmed with emotion that he even forgot to call for the imperial physician.

Holding her limp hand, he said in a panic, tears streaming down his face: "You are a princess, Empress Sister. You’ve always been a noble princess. It’s me who is unworthy, me who isn’t of royal blood."

He wasn’t of royal blood at all, and there was a possibility between them originally.

Why didn’t he take a bold step back then? Why did he place so much importance on the throne?

"Empress Sister, I was wrong, truly wrong. I shouldn’t have coveted the throne. I should have told you these truths earlier, told you my feelings. Then perhaps Father wouldn’t have chosen a husband for you? If you had chosen me as your husband, Yu’er would be our son, wouldn’t he?"

Being the Long Princess’s husband would have been great too. Why did he have to be the emperor?

At this moment, he was filled with regret. "You must get better, you must. If you do, I’ll take you away from here, alright?"

He kept his voice low, not daring to let anyone else hear.

The Long Princess sneered inwardly.

It was clear that he couldn’t bear to give up the throne; he wanted everything.

Don’t worry, this is just the beginning.

...

In the end, the Emperor still summoned the imperial physicians to treat the Long Princess. She had merely pretended to faint, and woke up as soon as the needle touched her.

Everyone in the room had solemn expressions, and the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.

Several imperial physicians knelt on the ground, enduring scolding, and after being scolded, they had to explain to the almost uncontrollable Emperor that although the Long Princess’s illness seemed severe, her pulse was stable, and there was no danger to her life.

The Emperor alternated between believing them and feeling that they were just trying to deceive him.

In short, he was unpredictable, causing everyone in the room to suffer.

Zheng Jinyu persuaded Xie Peiyu to leave and go to sleep, assuring him that nothing would happen during the day with so many people around.

He would still need to guard the Long Princess’s door at night.