Chapter 38
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Closing the note, Fu Nian warily surveyed his surroundings, trying to find the person who had thrown the bamboo tube.
Looking around, he only saw the intertwined shadows of trees and the faint light of dawn, with no traces of human presence.
“Who’s there?” he whispered angrily.
No response.
He searched every thicket, eave, rockery, and other possible hiding spots, but found nothing.
At this hour, Chu Zhaoyi must have already gone to court, and Chu Yao was likely to follow…
Moreover, the reminder had been so subtly delivered; it was probably the work of a colleague.
In the end, Fu Nian furrowed his brows, ignited a flint, and burned the note and bamboo tube to ashes, treating it as if it had never happened.
After finishing his midday tasks, Fu Nian didn’t hurry back. Instead, he went to the Imperial Attendants Bureau. Now that Fu Zhen’s matter was temporarily resolved, it was time to investigate what had happened during the period after his death. What was the true identity of the fake person in the sleeping palace? And how had his body been disposed of?
Arriving at the Imperial Attendants Bureau, Fu Nian found the spot he had marked during his previous visit. Hidden by the shadows of the trees, he precisely positioned himself within the courtyard and silently observed the surroundings.
Seeing no one, he leaped into the courtyard. Walking to the iron gate, he inspected the lock to see if it could be broken open with brute force.
In the previous life, his prosthetic limb was made of incredibly sturdy material, like solid rock. Picking a lock was a trivial matter. However, this time, Fu Nian examined his prosthetic limb, which was already weathered and battered after not much use. It was chipped and scratched severely. Striking the lock might not break it, but it would surely damage his hand.
In the end, Fu Nian took out a small needle from his hidden weapons and attempted to pick the lock as delicately as possible, without causing any damage.
He was familiar with the structure of all the locks in the palace. In no time, he had easily opened the door lock.
Before entering, Fu Nian glanced at the time. It was half past noon.
By this time, the palace maids and eunuchs in the Imperial Attendants Bureau would start their afternoon duties one after another. Time was limited.
Entering, Fu Nian surveyed the shelves. All the scrolls were neatly arranged by year and month. He decided to start looking from the point in time after his death in the previous life.
Finding a scroll, Fu Nian struck a flint and began his search from the day after his death in the previous life.
【…News of death was reported to the palace at Mao Shi. The Emperor fell ill at Mao Shi, vomiting blood and fainting…】 Chu Zhaoyi fell ill? They didn’t mention what illness he had. Fu Nian thought for a moment; he remembered that Chu Zhaoyi didn’t have any preexisting conditions.
【…Fu Nineteen entered the palace, using the technique of Qimen Dunjia to temporarily preserve Lord Fu’s corpse from decay. His appearance was no different from an ordinary person’s.】【The flesh and blood carved from Lord Fu’s heart before his death was stolen, and its whereabouts are unknown…】【The Emperor ordered the Weaving Workshop to begin making the imperial wedding attire, phoenix crown, and yumian. On the same day, he established an empress without posthumous title…】 Fu Nian’s face tensed as he turned the pages one by one.
Suddenly, the next sentence made his hand tremble.
【On the day of Mangzhong, the Emperor married Lord Fu, they entered the bridal chamber…】
Preserved from decay… bridal chamber…
Fu Nian flipped forward to the record of the Emperor’s wedding. He had always been there, appearing in the records but remaining silent—sometimes seated, sometimes reclining, or even being held.
In an instant, like a bolt from the blue, Fu Nian stared blankly at the book, unable to utter a single word.
The phoenix crown and red silk veil he had never dared to hope for before…
The only warmth was the bit he could take away from Chu Zhaoyi in secret during their intimate moments after their physical relationship, just a tiny bit.
Fu Nian wasn’t even sure if Chu Zhaoyi had truly trusted him. The reasons for staying by Chu Zhaoyi’s side were only the word “loyalty,” a bit of genuine fondness that might be deemed admiration, and just a tiny… bit of longing.
But after death…
Refusing to believe it, Fu Nian continued to flip through the pages.
【…Since the wedding, the Empress indulges in pleasure every night, never stepping half a step out of the bedroom…】 When Fu Nian read this, he clenched his teeth.
His emotions fell into a void as he stared at the unbelievable contents on the pages before him.
Flipping further, there were descriptions of how Chu Zhaoyi favored this “Empress.” Titles, lands, countless treasures of gold, silver, jade, and other exotic treasures, as well as spending each night together in bed.
Chu Zhaoyi indeed had emotions beyond mere utility for him. He truly missed Fu Nian after his death. Perhaps out of regret, or maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny bit of affection…
Thinking about this, Fu Nian’s hands trembled intensely. When he closed the book, he felt beads of sweat accumulating on his face, some even falling to the ground and wetting the carpet.
He put the book down and hurriedly used his sleeve to wipe his face.
But no matter how he wiped the beads of sweat from his eyes, they wouldn’t go away. In fact, they seemed to surge even more.
“Which clumsy fool was on duty here in the morning? The storage room door wasn’t locked! Can you handle the consequences if something goes wrong?”
Suddenly, an angry and resonant voice came from outside the door.
Fu Nian quickly set the book aside, pocketed the flintstone, and leaped onto the rafters.
“Someone entered, search to see if anything is missing!”
“If anything is missing, none of the attendants who were on duty this morning can leave! None of them!”
Fu Nian tried to hold his breath and, at the same time, rapidly wiped away the “sweat” trickling from the corners of his eyes, lest those below him notice.
Taking advantage of the frequent comings and goings of the palace officials, he made use of the confusion and quickly left the premises.
He hadn’t looked at the scrolls and chapters behind the one he read, as he knew that the more he read, the more his heart would ache. Also, they didn’t record the Emperor’s preexisting condition, and there was no important information.
Once he had successfully retreated, Fu Nian didn’t rush back to Chengyuan Hall. After all, there was no task for him in the afternoon either.
Instead, he found a quiet palace garden and huddled under the eaves, preparing to rest for a while.
For a moment, his emotions were too complex to describe. There were too many things to process, so Fu Nian decided to rest first and think about everything later.
Back when he was still a Shadow Guard, he often hid under various eaves, observing the Emperor’s safety. Even if he fell asleep, he could wake up immediately at the slightest sound inside. Later on, he had developed a habit, and he found he slept more soundly in these cramped nooks.
“Fu Nian, Fu Nian…”
In his slumber, Fu Nian heard someone calling his name.
He raised his head and found himself in the imperial study, kneeling at a table, staring at the Four Books and Five Classics that he couldn’t understand, accompanying Chu Zhaoyi in reviewing memorials.
He lowered his head and saw that he was wearing the standard attire of a Shadow Guard. He realized he was in a dream, but the pain in his heart felt all too real.
“Ah Nian, what were you doing on your way back to the capital a few days ago? You didn’t allow the Forbidden Army to follow you for a certain stretch.”
Fu Nian remembered.
This was the first time he had returned to the palace after being afflicted by the strange poison.
“I went to pay respects at the grave of a former fellow disciple,” he almost blurted out.
Chu Zhaoyi said with a tut, “How many times have I told you not to involve yourself in matters of the past? That old… I mean, that Master of yours, he won’t just let things be. You should stay in the palace, it’s the safest place for you. The reason I allowed you to leave the capital is that those Forbidden Army soldiers were with me when I ascended the throne. They have the ability to protect you, but instead, you separated from them and acted alone.”
“It was just visiting a grave,” Fu Nian concealed meeting his Master and being poisoned, “there won’t be a next time, please don’t be angry.”
Suddenly, the intense pain in his heart deepened a bit more.
Fu Nian clenched the table tightly to maintain his composure.
“If there’s really a next time, never step out of Chengyuan Hall again.”
“Understood, I’ll go.” This time, as he finished speaking, Fu Nian distinctly felt a surge of a metallic, sweet taste in his throat. He hastily took a sip of tea to suppress it.
Sitting for a while longer, the metallic sweetness in his throat not only didn’t alleviate, but it grew stronger and stronger. Fu Nian sensed trouble and quickly found an excuse to prepare to leave.
As a Shadow Guard, he should avoid letting his Lord see him in a disheveled state.
Chu Zhaoyi had mentioned that he disliked it when Fu Nian was covered in blood.
Fu Nian’s mind was filled with just this one thought.
“This subordinate… will step out for a moment,” Fu Nian said as calmly as possible, swallowing another mouthful of thick blood.
Chu Zhaoyi noticed the subtle change in his subordinate’s tone and immediately put down his brush. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I’ll be right back,” he hurriedly replied, and his tone shifted by the end of the sentence. He took a drink of water.
“What’s really going on?” This time, Chu Zhaoyi’s already sharp gaze became even more intimidating.
Fu Nian didn’t answer, he stood up and quickly headed for the door of the study.
Just as he reached the folding screen, he couldn’t suppress the fresh blood any longer, and a small amount dribbled from the corner of his mouth.
Fu Nian couldn’t help but clutch the doorframe, furrowing his brows tightly as he struggled to swallow.
“Cough—” Suddenly, a surge of blood erupted from his mouth. He fell to his knees on the ground, biting down hard on his teeth.
His pale face was stained with a blood-red hue, making it even more distressing to behold.
Regaining his senses, Fu Nian didn’t have the luxury to think about the intense pain in his chest and the shivering of his body. He quickly covered his mouth.
The floor was getting dirty…
Bowing his head, blood still sprayed from between his fingers. No matter how he tried to cover it, the expelled blood only increased. In an instant, his hands, clothes, and lower garment were stained with splotches of blood. Even the concealed dagger he carried had blood on it.
Accompanied by the severe pain in his chest and the metallic sweetness in his throat, he couldn’t stop coughing. Yet, each time he coughed, blood gushed out uncontrollably.
“Ah Nian!” Chu Zhaoyi rushed over in a panic. For a moment, he was rooted to the spot, and his usually composed and calm expression displayed an unprecedented look of “astonishment.” He seemed stunned, staring at the horrifying scene before him.
Seeing Chu Zhaoyi’s arrival, Fu Nian struggled even harder to suppress the blood in his throat.
His face displayed vulnerability, tears welled up in his eyes involuntarily, and he couldn’t even kneel properly. His forearm trembled slightly, and his voice was muffled as he said, “Don’t… don’t look…”
“Cough, cough—” As he spoke, his coughing intensified, showing signs of worsening.
He knew he was covered in blood now, in a pitiable state. He tried his best to speak during the pauses in his coughing. “I-I’m sorry, my current appearance is… dirty. Please, please don’t look…”
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