“All these years, he had been burying the resentment in his heart. He hated the Emperor and he hated me. No matter how we tried to be filial towards him, we can never make up for the things that happened on the day of the Xuanwu Gate Coup.” Empress Zhangsun looked about to cry. “It is clearly someone’s else that poisoned Grand Prince Liang, yet he blames it on me and the Emperor. He actually really, really hates…”
“Your Majesty, you are sweating.” The Royal Palace killed people and destroyed family relationships. Fu Rou sighed as she took out a handkerchief to help Empress Zhangsun wipe away her sweat. She accidentally touched a bottle of medicine. “Your Majesty, I have two medicinal pills here. It was given to me by Priest Sun from Fengtian Monastery. He said that it is an antidote. Perhaps it would help Grand Prince Liang.”
Empress Zhangsun looked at the medicine bottle and muttered, “Priest Sun from Fengtian Monastery? The one that people claim is a Pill God, Sun Siyao?”
Fu Rou made the decision. “I am going to feed Grand Prince Liang a pill and see.” She took out one pill and walked towards the stone bed.
Zhangsun suddenly grabbed onto Fu Rou’s wrist as she stared at the unconscious Grand Emperor. “Wait! Let...let me think…”
“Think about what?” Fu Rou asked.
“The Grand Emperor holds a murderous grudge...against the Emperor and me. He will never forget it and always uses different reasons to make things difficult for the Emperor and me…” Empress Zhangsun struggled with herself. “This is the Death Maze, no one knows…”
Fu Rou cut her off, “Grand Emperor was confused. Your Majesty is also getting confused.”
Fu Rou gently but firmly took Empress Zhangsun’s hand off as she walked to Grand Prince Liang and fed him a pill. Empress Zhangsun wore a complicated expression but did not say anything.
After a while, Fu Rou noticed that Grand Prince Liang’s complexion was improving and breathed a sigh of relief. Although Grand Prince Liang was not very decent, she did not want him to lose his life. This concerned people’s lives, and she could not go against her will.
The Grand Emperor slowly regained consciousness. Fu Rou did not hit him hard and it was his anxiety that knocked him out. Empress Zhangsun hesitated before going to help him. However, he pushed her away once again.
Fu Rou saw this and said calmly, “Grand Emperor, Grand Prince Liang has already taken a pill and is improving. His life is not in danger.”
The Grand Emperor checked Grand Prince Han’s wound and realised that it was fresh blood that was flowing from it. He was delighted. “Thank the heavens, thank the heavens.”
Fu Rou continued, “It was thanks to Her Majesty’s reminder that I remembered the two pills that were given by Priest Sun Siyao.”
When used well, lies could help people.
The Grand Emperor froze as he turned to Empress Zhangsun angrily, “Just now, I…”
Zhangsun subconsciously touched her neck that still felt like it was being pressed on. “Just now, Grand Emperor was anxious about Grand Prince Liang’s injury and accidentally knocked onto my neck.”
The Grand Emperor reacted quickly. “Yes! I was...a little careless.”
Grand Prince Liang opened his eyes and called out, “Imperial Father.”
“Eh! I am here, I am here.” In times of danger, a father and son were linked in their hearts and mind. All statuses were disregarded.
Empress Zhangsun walked into the other stone room and Fu Rou followed her. The two of them searched the entire room but did not find anything.
Empress Zhangsun suddenly said, “The four of us are trapped here. The Grand Emperor is old, Grand Prince Liang is injured and I am sickly. I need someone to support me just to walk. You are our only hope to get out of here.” She took out a pearl hairpin from her hair. “This is a night pearl given to me by His Majesty. Take it and find our way out.”
“I will heed your order.” Fu Rou knew that Empress Zhangsun was right. As she turned to leave, Zhangsun called for her.
“Fu Siyan.”
Fu Rou turned back, “Your Majesty, do you have any other instructions?”
“Did you know? Master Yuan said that you are someone that can help me.” Empress Zhangsun gazed at her. “I also believe that you can help me.”
Fu Rou nodded as she took the night pearl, a chunk of black ink slab and a piece of cloth that she tore from her clothes. She walked out of the stone room and into the never ending darkness.
Chapter 46.1: Exit
Hong Yide was wandering around the forest frantically. There was no one with him. They had all died from the arrows shot by the reinforcement army. He could no longer continue running as he leaned on a tree to catch his breath. However, he noticed someone walking out from behind the tree.
“Who is it?” He was startled.
“It’s me.” That person was calm and composed. His appearance was similar to Chen Ji but their demeanour was different and his eyes were cold.
“Fu Shui.” Hong Yide breathed a sigh of relief. “I should have listened to you. Now I am trying to escape.”
Fu Shui clapped and two figures appeared behind him. There was even a horse. “You are really stupid, but I won’t watch you die. Go, my men will protect you.”
Hong Yide was overjoyed. “You are loyal. I will repay you for this.”
Fu Shui smiled. “You will have the chance.”
Hong Yide got on the horse and galloped out of the forest. He startled Lu Qi, who was leading the manhunt.
“The rebel! Quickly kill him!” Lu Qi chased after him relentlessly.
After Lu Qi finished his fight with Sheng Chumu, he went to question those that they had captured. It was only then that he found out that Lu Hanxing hated him and had leaked his route to Hong Yide. He knew that he could not let Hong Yide escape alive. If not, the news on how he and his father had accepted Hong Yide’s bribe would leak out. When that happens, they won’t simply be eating prison food but their heads would roll.
Lu Qi’s gaze was menacing as he urged his horse and took out his bow. He aimed at the back of Hong Yide’s head.
Unexpectedly, an arrow brushed the side of his body.
He turned back. But before he could find out who shot at him, he was shocked to see a flurry of arrows aimed at him, causing him to break out in cold sweat. He narrowly managed to survive but got shot in the stomach, falling off his horse. He rolled down a slope and knocked into a stone. Before he lost consciousness, he suddenly realised that Hong Yide had an accomplice.
Meanwhile, the Emperor felt uneasy as he sat in Concubine Yan’s Palace.
Concubine Yan spoke warmly, “Your Majesty, please calm down. Both the Grand Emperor and Empress are blessed with good fortune. Nothing will happen to them.”
“This is all my fault. If I made the decision back then, to give Fu Siyan to Prince Zhou, the Empress would not have needed to go to Fengtian Monastery. This would not have happened.”
Concubine Yan felt even more apologetic. “Just because Prince Zhou wanted a palace lady, the Empress had to specially make the trip. I feel even more guilty.”
The Emperor recalled the promise he made to Concubine Yan and felt awkward. “My dear, I promised to fulfil Ge’er wish. I never thought…”
Concubine Yan cut him off. “Your Majesty, now the most important thing is for the Empress and the rest to come back safely.”
“Yes, yes.” The Emperor suddenly asked, “Eh? Doesn’t Prince Zhou come over every night to accompany you to copy Buddhist teachings? Why do I not see him tonight?”
Concubine Yan’s attendant replied, “His Highness heard that the Empress met with trouble on their way back to Chang’an and was extremely anxious. He rode out of the palace immediately. He said that as the younger generation, he could not just sit and wait. He has headed to Cangshan Mountain to personally join the search.”
“This child is always so sincere. His personality is like mine, I like him.”
“The Crown Prince should be the one that is most similar to Your Majesty. The Crown Prince is composed and has your style.” Concubine Yan was not willing to let her son steal the limelight.