Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

Chapter 19: Chapter 19: "Beloved Consort, Catch!

Xiao Yang claimed to be ill, and the gates of Zichen Palace were shut tight.

Seeing the empty dragon throne and the Empress Dowager once again sitting behind her screen, everyone understood that the Little Emperor’s rebellion had failed.

With the Chen and Liu Families entrenched in power and the Empress Dowager having held the reins for many years, it would have been truly shocking if the Little Emperor had succeeded.

Still, it was a bit of a shame. It was rare to see the Little Emperor show some backbone, only for it to be snuffed out so quickly.

When Xiao Yang first refused, the Empress Dowager paid it no mind. ’The Little Emperor wants to challenge me? Then I’ll let her have a taste of hardship.’

On the second day Zichen Palace was sealed, the Empress Dowager sent people to check, but they couldn’t even get past the gate. She was certain the Little Emperor must be suffering terribly, yet the Emperor refused even an Imperial Physician.

On the third day Zichen Palace was sealed, no one was allowed in. The Empress Dowager sent someone to check on Liu Shixu. The handsome, ethereal youth had been tortured until he was haggard and worn.

The Empress Dowager immediately grew anxious. She hastily ordered Liu Shixu to be brought into the palace and rushed towards Zichen Palace with her entourage.

Bi Fang and his men stood guard at the entrance, blocking the way.

"Stand aside," the Empress Dowager commanded, her face cold.

Bi Fang did not yield an inch. "Her Majesty has given an order: unless the Empress Dowager produces the antidote, no one is to enter."

The Empress Dowager had Liu Shixu, who was wrapped tightly in a cloak, brought forward. "Here is her antidote."

Bi Fang shook his head. "A person cannot enter, only medicine."

The Empress Dowager was furious. "Get out of my way!"

At her command, the Imperial Guards behind her attacked at once.

Even with his superior martial arts, Bi Fang was no match for the Empress Dowager’s forces. The gates to Zichen Palace were quickly broken open, and the Empress Dowager strode inside with her people.

However, once inside, they found no sign of the Little Emperor, only an open window not far away.

"Your Majesty has escaped through here!"

The Empress Dowager gritted her teeth in anger. "That wretched creature!"

"Go and drag her back to me!"

Xiao Yang knew Bi Fang couldn’t hold off the Empress Dowager, so she started running the moment she heard the commotion outside.

She had to admit, this drug was pure torture.

It wouldn’t kill you, and as long as you didn’t touch another person, it wasn’t painful. But it would make you wish for death.

It felt like millions of ants were crawling all over her body, a maddening itch accompanied by a scorching heat. It was as if a fire was burning in her organs.

The sensation was even more vivid at night when she tried to sleep, making her want to rip and claw at her own skin until she’d torn all her flesh to shreds.

And this feeling didn’t lessen over time; instead, it grew stronger with each passing day. Just when she thought the torment couldn’t get any worse, it would reach a new height, making it clear she had not yet conquered it.

’It’s agonizing.’

Xiao Yang staggered along, holding the unsheathed Emperor’s Sword in her hand.

If anyone dared to touch her, she would strike them down without hesitation.

She exhausted a great deal of effort but didn’t get very far.

She knew she couldn’t escape in her current state, so she began to climb, pulling herself all the way to the top of the thirty-foot-high palace wall.

The Empress Dowager and her entourage gave chase, and from a distance, they saw the Little Emperor perched precariously on the edge of the palace wall, swaying as if about to fall. Both furious and anxious, she shouted, "Xiao Jin, get down here this instant!"

The Empress Dowager’s face was ashen. "There is no antidote. Just be obedient, and I won’t harm you."

’Won’t harm her?’

’Ha. Her own mother, drugging her own daughter with such a vile substance, forcing her to be with another man, all in an attempt to control her.’

’If all went according to plan, the Empress Dowager probably hoped she would get pregnant, feign illness to give birth in secret, and if it was a son, all the better. The Empress Dowager could then get rid of the mother and keep the child, continuing her grand cause of ruling from behind the curtain.’

’And if it were a daughter, she would just be repeating this life all over again.’

"Empress Dowager Chen... the greatest misfortune of my life was being born from your womb. You are not worthy of being my mother."

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a group of people walking through the palace passage below. The man leading them was none other than the Regent King, Rong Yin.

The wind blew past, mussing her unbound hair.

Leaning forward slightly, she curled her lips into a smile. "Rong Yin."

The man below stopped in his tracks and looked up. He was met with the sight of the disheveled young Emperor, who gave a wild laugh. "My dear consort, catch!"

Before the words had even left her lips, she was already toppling from the wall.

"AHHH!!!"

"Your Majesty!"

Before he could even get angry at being called "my dear consort," Rong Yin had already rushed forward.

He caught her in his arms, spinning once to dissipate the force of the fall.

The impact left Rong Yin a bit dizzy. The Little Emperor in his arms, however, was laughing happily. She cupped his head with both hands and, to his utter shock, leaned in. It looked for all the world like she was about to kiss him, but at the last second, she just buried her head weakly in the crook of his neck.

"The Empress Dowager fed me a filthy drug. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble the Regent King to protect me this once."

Rong Yin should have thrown her off, but she was clinging tightly to his neck, her body as hot as a furnace.

"What’s happened to Your Majesty?"

"Why did you jump from the palace wall? Was it an assassin?"

The surrounding officials chattered with concern, but Rong Yin just glanced up at the high wall, then turned and started walking back into the palace, still carrying the Emperor.

It wasn’t a short distance to Zichen Palace, but Rong Yin didn’t feel particularly tired carrying the Little Emperor the entire way.

Mostly, it was because the Little Emperor was far too light.

"Summon the Imperial Physician!"

The Empress Dowager rushed over, her face a mask of forced composure over her panic.

Although the Emperor had called out to the Regent King before jumping, the Empress Dowager couldn’t see below. All she saw was Xiao Yang leaping off, and in that instant, she had nearly fallen apart.

No matter how useless the Little Emperor was, she was still of the Imperial Family’s blood. Only with the Emperor alive could the Empress Dowager secure her own position.

Fortunately, the Regent King had caught the Little Emperor.

"Thank you, Regent King, for saving her. Her Majesty is unwell and not in her right mind. You may leave the rest to me."

It was rare for the Empress Dowager to speak so politely, but the Regent King wasn’t buying it.

"So, just now, it was the Empress Dowager and her people who forced Her Majesty to jump from the palace wall?"

The Empress Dowager replied, "I did not force her. She was confused and acted on her own."

Rong Yin sat down by the bed, showing no intention of leaving. "This Prince is also very concerned for Her Majesty’s health. Let’s wait and see what the Imperial Physician has to say."

An Imperial Physician arrived—one who was loyal to the Empress Dowager.

After taking the Emperor’s pulse and assessing the situation, he said cautiously, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, Her Majesty has caught a chill and is delirious with fever. This humble servant will write a prescription to help dissipate the heat."

The Empress Dowager looked relieved. "Then hurry up and write the prescription."

As the Imperial Physician went out to prepare the medicine, the Empress Dowager ordered a nearby matron, "Go fetch some warm water to wash Her Majesty."

Seeing that she had the situation under control, the Empress Dowager again tried to dismiss Rong Yin. "My presence here is sufficient. The Prince should go attend to his own affairs."

Rong Yin glanced down at his hand, which was being held in a death grip. As if afraid he would actually leave, the Little Emperor was squeezing so tightly it hurt.

The Little Emperor’s hand was scalding, as if she were being cooked alive, yet she was forcing herself to stay conscious. Her eyes were wide open, staring intently at him.

The look was probably meant to be a threat, but her eyes were too wide, shimmering with unshed tears. With her face flushed crimson, she just looked inexplicably pathetic.

"Her Majesty’s health is the single most important matter. Everything else can wait."

Since Rong Yin insisted on staying, and the Little Emperor’s current identity was that of a man, the Empress Dowager couldn’t even use the pretext of washing her body to make him leave.