Chapter 234: It Feels Like the Empress Is Already Completely Dead

Ning Chong and Cen An were hastily brought over, ready to treat the Empress’s wounds the moment she came out.

But when Xiao Li walked out, she didn’t look at them, instead going straight to Yang Jun.

Two corpses were placed side-by-side on the ground, and Yang Jun was personally holding an earthenware jar.

Xiao Li said, "Pour."

"As you command."

Yang Jun carefully opened the jar and slowly poured out its contents.

In an instant, thick smoke billowed out, and the corpses began to corrode before their very eyes.

Cen An and Ning Chong, seeing this for the first time, were stunned.

Ning Chong asked, "Did you create this poison?"

Cen An replied, "I’m a proper doctor. I only know how to treat the sick and save lives. I couldn’t create something this terrifying."

Ning Chong thought, ’Listen to you, as if I’m not a proper doctor myself.’

Staring at Xiao Li’s blood-soaked back, Cen An asked, "How much longer do you think the Empress can hold on?"

Ning Chong stroked the beard he’d finally managed to grow out again, and said with the utmost confidence, "Any second now."

And just as the Divine Doctor Ning had spoken, the Empress collapsed.

Lou Yan caught her in a flash, gently scooped her into his arms, and strode back with urgent steps.

Cen An had no trouble keeping up, but it was a different story for poor Doctor Ning. With his old arms and legs, he was too slow and ended up being hoisted up and carried along.

"Hey, hey, hey! Gently, a little gentler..."

’These brutes,’ he thought. ’So rough! At this rate, forget saving the Empress; I’ll be the one who needs rescuing!’

Xiao Li’s injury was severe. Xiao Jingyu’s sword had nearly run her clean through the shoulder blade, even nicking a lung.

She had ripped the sword out herself, which only worsened the wound. On top of that, her emotions had run high, she’d fought, and she’d been losing blood for a long time.

The fact that she had lasted this long before collapsing just proved how tough she was.

There were female physicians in the palace, but a matter concerning the Empress could not be treated lightly. Ning Chong claimed his old eyes were failing him, leaving Cen An with no choice but to suture the wound himself.

Looking at the wound, which was so deep the bone was visible, Cen An’s brow furrowed so tightly it could have crushed a fly.

’Can’t this Empress take better care of her own body?’

’She’s the Empress, for heaven’s sake! Why does she still need to personally draw a sword and kill people?’

’Are all those military generals just for decoration? Are the Silver Armor Guards getting paid for nothing?’

The more Cen An stitched, the angrier he became. But he suppressed his frustration, carefully making the stitches fine and close. The Empress’s imperial person could not be left with an ugly scar.

Once Cen An finished suturing, Ning Chong brought over the medicine he had prepared. After it was applied, Hong Yue and Lan Yue bandaged the wound.

Cen An came out, his hands covered in blood. Wang Wanqing stepped forward with a basin of water and asked nervously, "Doctor Cen, how is Your Majesty?"

Cen An glanced at Wang Wanqing. He had joined the Imperial Hospital after the Princess became the Empress. Since they were both in the Imperial Palace, he logically should have seen her often. In reality, this was only their second meeting in all that time.

He suddenly realized how naive he had been to think that joining the Imperial Hospital would allow him to see Wang Wanqing more often.

He still liked the girl he’d fallen for at first sight, but the breathless, overwhelming impulse from that initial encounter was gone. The affection was still there, but it had become much calmer.

"Your Majesty’s injuries are quite severe. Tonight is critical. If she wakes up within three hours and doesn’t develop a fever within six, she should be out of danger."

Wang Wanqing pleaded, "Doctor Cen, you’re such a brilliant doctor. You must, you absolutely must make sure Her Majesty is all right."

’I can only do my best,’ Cen An thought. ’I can’t guarantee anything more.’

However, faced with Wang Wanqing’s pleading, trusting eyes, he gave a stiff nod. "Don’t worry. Her Majesty will be all right."

’Troublemakers live for a thousand years,’ he mused. ’With a life as ferocious as hers, even King Yama probably wouldn’t dare to take her.’

However, the Empress remained in a coma for three days. During that time, Cen An and Ning Chong tried every method they knew, but they couldn’t wake her.

If it weren’t for the time Xiao Li had been in a coma for over a month and still woken up, they probably would have panicked by now.

But even with that past experience, it was terrifying to see the Empress remain unconscious. She was no longer a mere Princess, but the Empress of a nation. For her to be in a coma like this was a dire situation.

The Silver Armor Army surrounded the Empress’s bedchambers. The entire Imperial Palace was on lockdown, and cannons had even been mounted.

The civil servants continued to handle court affairs, while all the military officers wore their armor.

All the envoys continued their tours of the city, escorted by the Silver Armor Army. The soldiers allowed them to browse as they pleased, all while maintaining forced smiles.

The envoys thought, ’...Perhaps this sightseeing tour isn’t absolutely necessary.’

It was a terrifying situation. They had witnessed the assassination attempt on the Empress with their own eyes, so her condition was undoubtedly grave. And yet, three days had passed without a single scrap of news leaking from the palace. The Imperial Palace was locked down, and the official story blamed the Chi Rong Envoy for attempting to murder the Empress.

As for them, the envoys, they were guarded so tightly by the Silver Armor Army that sending messages was impossible. Even their carrier pigeons had been caught and stewed.

Longsheng had not descended into chaos because of what happened to the Empress. On the contrary, in its effort to protect her, it had become an impenetrable fortress.

----

In the Empress’s bedchambers, Cen An kept a constant vigil. Outside, a fully armed Rong Qing and Yang Jun stood guard at the door.

Inside, several palace maids kept watch in shifts. Song Junzhan and Lou Yan also took turns standing vigil by the Empress’s bed like stone-faced sentinels.

Lou Yan’s tall figure swept into the room, bringing with him an icy aura. Cen An could tell with a single glance that he was injured; the thick stench of blood was overwhelming.

But since he didn’t know the man well, he held his tongue.

Lou Yan walked to the bedside, his desolate, cold eyes fixed on the person sleeping in the bed. He desperately wished she would open her eyes in the next instant, even if it were only to slap him across the face.

But he stared for a full hour, and she did not so much as stir.

Cen An thought, ’...The Empress is still alive, but from the look of cold despair all over Lou Yan, you’d think she was already dead and buried.’

’Was he being a little dramatic?’

Just as he was grumbling to himself, his ’good friend’ Song Junzhan arrived. ’Great,’ he thought. ’Now the two of them are here together.’

’This eunuch Lou Yan doesn’t act like a eunuch, and this ’friend’ of mine doesn’t act like a friend. For the past few days, he’s been coming in and out without so much as a glance my way. He just walks in, stares at the Empress, and then, just like Lou Yan, stands by her bed like a pillar. He’ll stay like that for an hour and a half without moving a muscle.’

’I said from the beginning there was something going on between Song Junzhan and the Empress. Now, looking at him, it’s clear he’s fallen hard.’

Song Junzhan walked in and immediately frowned at the heavy scent of blood. "Mr. Lou, perhaps you shouldn’t be bringing the stench of blood in here to Her Majesty."

Lou Yan didn’t so much as move. "Her Majesty wouldn’t mind," he replied coldly.

After a pause, he added, "The last of Prince Chen’s followers have been eliminated. The other factions in the palace have also been purged again. I have killed everyone who needed killing. No one will disturb Her Majesty while she recuperates. From this moment on, I will not leave her side. The Prime Minister need only handle the affairs of the court."

Song Junzhan replied, "I will handle the affairs of the court. That will not prevent me from coming to see Her Majesty."

Lou Yan ruthlessly tried to send him away. "The Prime Minister has paid his visit. You may leave."

Song Junzhan retorted, "I am still worried. I will make as much time as possible to watch over Her Majesty."

Lou Yan’s eyes darkened. "I am all Her Majesty needs by her side."

His words carried a double meaning.

Song Junzhan’s face turned cold as well. "On that day, Mr. Lou was the only one beside Her Majesty. You were so close, and you pride yourself on your superior martial arts. So how did you still let Xiao Jingyu harm her?"

Lou Yan’s face turned deathly pale. He was utterly speechless.

It was a failure for which he could never forgive himself.

Cen An thought, ’Tsk, the smell of gunpowder in here is thick.’